SPOILERS - 2012: Nemesis Sub-Terra...

Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:34 pm

I have to say that the exit path does look rather bland, also the shiny metal fence sort of looks out of place. On the plus side the large expanse of space is great for the actors to roam, perhaps 'scanning' the public as they exit the ride.

Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:41 pm

The ride doesn't open for a week so there is still time to finish things off. I'm glad to see that the ride pretty much looks finished though - some rides have looked a right state a week before before opening. This is a good sign!

Dormiens-Dave · Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:41 pm

That picture is of the exit and not the entrance, just so people have an orientation of what they are looking at in these pictures, the entrance is to the other side of the part that sticks out with the roller-shutter door on it.

Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:52 pm

The pipes don't look as new in person. They really don't.

As for the image, I think it looks closer to the female genitals than the males.

Merlin studios are still in, they haven't finished painting everything yet - we'll see the final product when it opens.

Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:47 pm

Who cares if it is themed - it doesn't fit with Forbidden Valley.

It just looks like left over theming from Raptor and remarkably similar to SW7's theming plans with satellite dishes and silver pipes.

It just reeks of unoriginality and poor creativity which is so evident with Merlin attractions. However, the inside is what will count and anything is better than those trampolines, plus being tucked away at the entrance it won't clash with Nemesis.

I do think the icicles on Ice Age 4D look good but the paint job is dull.

Dormiens-Dave · Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:54 pm

Doesn't fit in with forbidden valley?

Corrigated metal buildings.... Fish and chips, Nemesis station (inside), Gaming units.

Other metal themed buildings.... everything up-to Air

Huge Tank..... ponders back to the moaning on here when the last one was taken out of the valley.

Chris i know you like to moan about Towers but really this very much fits into FV

Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:07 pm

I think the theming fits in fine with FV. I do think it looks quite BOLD and stark but I kinda like it. It intrigues me. I know that area so well (i also hate the trampolines) that its mere presence makes me feel like a rat in a new cage. I'm wary but I want to go up and give it 'a sniff'. It literally does make me able to imagine that something has happened and that some military agency has quickly built this, slap dash, to deal with it................But whats inside?
We now know that the pics are actually of the exit, but, to be honest, i'd be happy with that as the entrance.

oldgitBEN · Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:08 pm

Chris I do disagree, I think it does fit in with FV, a temporary army base fighting back against the nemesis monster, fits in quite well in my eyes. Certainly more the alleged concrete-oasis of serenity/carpark at the end of an area designed around a fighting beast and machinery.

While I admit the corrugated metal looks cheap as hell (cos it does) and is rather un-inspired, it does fit in with the area. It cant have taken alot of time to plan the outside but im hoping that was a rush compared to the inside attraction. But meh, it could be worse, and it does fit.

Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:22 pm

Dormiens-Dave wrote: Doesn't fit in with forbidden valley?

Corrigated metal buildings.... Fish and chips, Nemesis station (inside), Gaming units.

Other metal themed buildings.... everything up-to Air

Huge Tank..... ponders back to the moaning on here when the last one was taken out of the valley.

Chris i know you like to moan about Towers but really this very much fits into FV

Maybe I was harsh and focussed too much in my last post moaning about the negatives and not praising the positives enough. (I am sure you are aware this is a bad habit of mine:P)

The stag does actually look fantastic and I am genuinly pleased to see a milatary vehicle of some sort make an appearance in Forbidden Valley again. Hopefully it will make a permanent theming feature in the area. I would love also to see them refurbish the original military truck (can't remember what it's called) which used to reside by Nemesis' final inversion and bring that back into the area too.

I have no problem with the shipping container as we always knew this would make up the exterior, and as you say the rest of the area has them to, including Nemesis' station interior. I suppose they deserve some credit for trying to age it as well, but it could have been better. Nice to see the Phalanx logo on their too, it looks good.

The problem I have isd that, upon seeing that image all I could thin of is how it looks remarkably like Merlin's other recent theming attempts - The Swarm and Raptor. Shiny pipes, satellite dishes, green shipping containers....

Then I realised this is almost the exact theme they are applying to next years SW in a different themed area of the park, which does make you wonder if anybody working on these rides has any new creative ideas left.

Also, no offence, but when comparing this to FV's other theming elements never use that god awful Fish and Chips place as a comparison! :P

The Sub-Terra exterior should look like the Ripsaw cafe and Nemesis' photo building....

(From TowersTimes)

It is saddening to think that they are no longer capable of delivering the same theming standards of 15-20 years ago.

Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:29 pm

I'm bored of the haters already.

This is the back of the attraction. It looks like the military style base, that it is meant to be. The logos add a bit of intimidation, and the concept itself seems to fit in quite well in its location and as a part of forbidden valley.

I wasn't expecting miracles, but this looks like a nice, well themed attraction, which will offer a slightly different experience to most of the other rides in the park, whilst also adding a bit more backstory to the Nemesis ride and experience.

Please stop hating, you're not going to get much better.

Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:39 pm

It's not going to look like Ripsaw Cafe or Nemesis photo booth, or any existing part of Forbidden Valley because of the existing Forbidden Valley stuff is all meant to be remnants of the struggle to encage the Nemesis monster. It's all war torn, post-apocolyptic, damaged mechanical equipment etc.

Sub Terra is not! It's new. It's only just arrived. The Phalanx have returned after nearly 20 years as the monster (or something related) as began to stir. They're not going to have brought battered old equipment with them are they? Nope!

Seriously, get into the story guys

Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:41 pm

I don't think the building looks bad, and does fit in - but a bit of detail wouldn't go amiss. But then again the ride isn't finished / open yet and all we have seen is one photo!

Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:44 pm

haydn! wrote: It's not going to look like Ripsaw Cafe or Nemesis photo booth, or any existing part of Forbidden Valley because of the existing Forbidden Valley stuff is all meant to be remnants of the struggle to encage the Nemesis monster. It's all war torn, post-apocolyptic, damaged mechanical equipment etc.

Sub Terra is not! It's new. It's only just arrived. The Phalanx have returned after nearly 20 years as the monster (or something related) as began to stir. They're not going to have brought battered old equipment with them are they? Nope!

Seriously, get into the story guys

I agree with you to some extent.

The problem is theming should never be based around a storyline, it is always about face value.

Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:52 pm

CoasterCrazyChris wrote:
haydn! wrote: It's not going to look like Ripsaw Cafe or Nemesis photo booth, or any existing part of Forbidden Valley because of the existing Forbidden Valley stuff is all meant to be remnants of the struggle to encage the Nemesis monster. It's all war torn, post-apocolyptic, damaged mechanical equipment etc.

Sub Terra is not! It's new. It's only just arrived. The Phalanx have returned after nearly 20 years as the monster (or something related) as began to stir. They're not going to have brought battered old equipment with them are they? Nope!

Seriously, get into the story guys
I agree with you to some extent.

The problem is theming should never be based around a storyline, it is always about face value.

Are you actually serious? A good theme park is all about great story telling, and like any good story, the setting is crucial.

This place has been crying out for Alton Towers to do develop an attraction with a detailed back story, and despite getting one with Sub Terra... because the look of it doesn't match that of 20 year old stuff, despite the detailed back story clearly explaining why it doesn't, it's still not good enough?

It's a damn sight more believable than some 20 year old facility, suddenly being conveniently re-discovered...

Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:58 pm

haydn! wrote:
Are you actually serious? A good theme park is all about great story telling, and like any good story, the setting is crucial.

This place has been crying out for Alton Towers to do develop an attraction with a detailed back story, and despite getting one with Sub Terra... because the look of it doesn't match that of 20 year old stuff, despite the detailed back story clearly explaining why it doesn't, it's still not good enough?

It's a damn sight more believable than some 20 year old facility, suddenly being conveniently re-discovered...

Your missing my point.

Of course back stories are good, but at face value it is not faithful to the rest of the area which is the whole point of creating distinct areas....everything is faithful to that specific theme.

When you're actually there no-ones thinking about the storyline, all you're seing is something which doesn't match what is around it.

If they just added rusty paint to the shiny metal it would look great. Maybe they have yet to do this?

Dormiens-Dave · Sun Mar 18, 2012 12:00 am

CoasterCrazyChris wrote: The problem is theming should never be based around a storyline, it is always about face value.

That sort of thinking gave us Th13teen.

I think some added detail on that building would be nice but as said it is the exit. At the end of the day it more than fits the story presented. Rusty paint would not add anything as it doesn't fit into the story of the ride (buildings tend not to rust until they have been around for a while and this is meant to be a new venture for phalanx).

As for the inside i know they are fine tuning the ride over the next week and they seem to be putting a lot of effort into getting it right.

And it doesn't much look like Swarm as you suggested Chris, as much as there is a "ever present" shipping container shop it actually doesn't look like one on The Swarm.

Sun Mar 18, 2012 12:03 am

CoasterCrazyChris wrote: Your missing my point.

Nope. I think you're missing the point of Sub Terra.

Sun Mar 18, 2012 12:07 am

I know what you mean about face value and some people not being familiar with the back story like us AT fans. But, although it may look out of place initially, to the unenlightened venturer, i'm sure that the ride/preshow itself will divulge the story and explain the nature of the theming, which I think is bang on.

Dormiens-Dave · Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:39 am

I'm not one for very in-depth story lines that often get spouted by enthusiasts but after Chris mentioning the similarity with the Satellite dishes to SW7 i'm loving the idea that X-Sector is the base of the Phalanx Organisation. Mad idea but i thought i would share

Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:51 am

Dormiens-Dave wrote: I'm not one for very in-depth story lines that often get spouted by enthusiasts but after Chris mentioning the similarity with the Satellite dishes to SW7 i'm loving the idea that X-Sector is the base of the Phalanx Organisation. Mad idea but i thought i would share

Ooh, now that is an interesting theory!

Would explain why the tweets and uniforms were a lot in the style of Oblivion and X-Sector.

Although it wouldn't explain why SW7 appears to be run down and abandoned.