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Thorpe Park |"The Swarm"| B&M Wing Coaster

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Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

You spectacularly miss the point Ethan. With Expedition Everest, you have a ride that REQUIRES some level of theming throughout the course otherwise it would be dull and completely pointless. It's a story telling ride. With Saw, you do not. Saw uses a well known franchise, sets up a simple story, but it doesn't force it upon you. The narrative of Saw is not the entire point of the ride, it's an enhancement. Saw is a visceral thrill ride, aimed at a skeptical, young adult, and most importantly British, audience.

Whether something as simple as a few trees would improve Saw, I honestly couldn't care less, because that's a practical issue more than anything else. Tree's take a long time to grow, and when you're opening an attraction you want immediate results. Planting some trees which won't be fully grown until the ride is reaching retirement is just idiocy and "what ifs" have no place in this kind of criticism.

And then ultimatedcoaster comes in and says Saw is poorly themed. Eugh. It does make me wonder what standards, exactly, you guys are judging these attractions on? There are elements of Saw that could have been improved vastly, but to slate the ride's theming as a whole is utterly beyond me.

Here are some, in my opinion, just and meaningful criticisms of Saw's theme... Many of the found objects in the queue just look like junk the park is storing/dumped there, none of the traps make sense or are positioned in such a way to intrigue or contribute to the narrative. The dead body under the inline is laughably crap, and that room is too light. The windows to the man who is trapped in the barbed wire in the queue are already ruined and you can't see through them, so perhaps they were a poor practical decision.

But here's a list of positive things about Saw's theme. The area is really nice overall, with a great station building and even the shop. The feature made out of the drop is really nice. The soundtrack. The effects in the queue, such as the guns, are really neat. The station is really, really well done - best feature of the ride and captures the films so well.

With regard to Saw's ride quality, I personally think it differs on an hourly basis. I've been on it and it's been dire, and yet sometimes it's great. It is what it is, and I think personally it's effective all in all. I'd rather it wasn't a Eurofighter, but it does what it says on the tin and well.

Back to Swarm, I think we're looking at something very similar to Saw from a "how will the theming look" perspective. There are going to be more obvious themed elements involved with Swarm though, with that destroyed church building looking more like we saw with Wild Asia (same theming contractor, as far as I know), but a lot of the other elements are going to be very much the same "found" objects - the helicopter, the plane wing and the fire engine as well as other minor themed elements. And also that tarnished tin shed look that has been used so many times before.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

^^ I wasn't in it for an argument and I can't be assed to read all that. But I think Saw would look nice with trees. Thats the end of my story, that is all my story ever was. If you wanna continue having what looks like a hissy fit, go on because i'm finding thiss hilarious...

(Although while scanning through your post, i want to add that the Saw shop is just a container. Nothing special about that.)
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

(Although while scanning through your post, i want to add that the Saw shop is just a container. Nothing special about that.)
FFS dude, if you read my post... No, there is nothing special about the Saw shop. Those containers have been used a lot and will continue to get used a lot because they are an effective use of cheap and believable theming. My point all along is that, unlike many theme parks which make unbelievable fantastic worlds (often badly), Merlin have strived for a sense of realism. It's conveniently cheaper, original and better suited to the audience we have here.

Either shut up, or pay attention to the discussion. I think that's fair.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

You said in your post that both the station building and shop are great. The station building is, but not the shop
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

The use of those containers is effective. Aka, great.

If you'd rather a large sum of the budget went on creating a replica tin container, then that's great.

Judging how good something is based on the effort and make that went into it is **** stupid. I could slave all day over a meal, but if it tastes worse than McDonald's what is the **** point?
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

Joey said:
Judging how good something is based on the effort and make that went into it is **** stupid. I could slave all day over a meal, but if it tastes worse than McDonald's what is the **** point?

If you did, at least you know you have commitment.

The container, to me, doesn't look great. At all. But it does relate to the theme.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

But it does look good when tied into that theme.

Container in the Th13teen queue look stupid because you wouldn't find a shipping container in a forest.

:roll:
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

.Will said:
But it does look good when tied into that theme.

Container in the Th13teen queue look stupid because you wouldn't find a shipping container in a forest.

:roll:

You would think, but the theme is restoration. So maybe storing and moving scaffolding, perhaps.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

No it just doesn't work very well.

They would move the scaffolding on a lorry anyway not in a shipping container.

:lol:
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

To be honest the only people adding crap to the topic are the ones who have been complaining about it. It's a well known fact that the Thorpe/Alton/Cedar Point coaster threads get pages of posts about minute details or off-topic posts. If it really bothers you that much, go somewhere else and look, I'm sure there are Thorpe fan-sites around giving you day-by-day mud-shifting updates if you're really that bothered and when something significant happens it'll probably be on the CF Front page. Telling members to essentially **** off is only fueling the fire, not to mention you're only bringing yourself down to their level.


Having heard mostly rave reviews about Raptor from everyone who went to Italy, I'm looking forward to this even more now! I have to applaud Thorpe's marketing and effort so far as well, without hyping it up to the most white-knuckle ride ever. It's just a shame the layout's a little bit on the short side but even if it isn't the most intense ride out there it'll be a lot of fun. Personally I think it's shaping up to be the best coaster the UK has seen for a long time.

Having the water splashes would be brilliant as well, having seen it work on Manta they're a really effective visual treat for off-riders. If they could get some fire effects in that would also be really awesome, I know they used to have some for Tidal Wave so it's not entirely unrealistic from Thorpe to put some in. :D

I'm looking forward to the inevitable two hour (+breakdown time) queue for it on its opening day. :lol:
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

I echo the comments about the pointless posting, hence the post deletion.

I'm all for CFers being excited about the most exciting UK coaster in years, but please show some restraint.

The last update was the track arrival. Until we get vertical construction, there is not much to talk about.

Sure, we can discuss the theme and marketing in the interim, but FFS, spamming for the sake of it annoys the hell out of me.

Please try to stay relevant otherwise I will get the ban-hammer & padlock out. Thanks.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

Back onto topic! :)

I can't wait to see how well this ride holds against the rest of the park, it's a far different approach compared to their recent additions. I'm glad they've changed direction from the whole 'more inversions/faster/higher/steeper the better' addiction. They've gone for something unique this time, and looks like they've focused on the overall sensational experience rather than intensity, something this country hasn't mastered since AIR. This is a really important addition to the UK.

I'll be going this saturday (had to change the itenerary, originally going to Oakwood, but going later this year instead) so I can't wait to see some shifts in the mud! Hopefully footers will be placed soon, it's only a matter of time.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

Well my visit tomoz is cancelled until monday. But anyway, looking on vids on youtube and pics, there were some interesting ones especially the vid which showed that footers had been formed. Strangely they have been using that method of making a kind of wooden mould, into where to pour the concrete in, even though they have the premade ones. But doesn't really matter, as long as it's footers it's good.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

This one is from the 14th as you may tell. A bit old yes but you can see footers have been formed near stealths queue line.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFIEhWwTzbo&feature=channel_video_title[/youtube]
 
The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

Tbh I've not really kept up to date on this. But most people I've spoke to about the ride have no idea about the ride, so the current PR is only in the park which is interesting.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

It makes sense when you think about it.

If they advertise the ride outside the park during the season, people will think 'oh the new coasters next year, well go when that opens' however if you advertise internally, those people have already paid to get in and then theyre like 'omg new coaster, lets go again next year' see the difference there.

We should expect to see all the pr and advertising to start as soon as the season ends.
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

Rush said:
I'm looking forward to the inevitable two hour (+breakdown time) queue for it on its opening day. :lol:

It's not an Intamin...or prototype B&M so we should be fine :D
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

^ahahaha <3 So true! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah <3






The names a bit gross, </3
 
Re: The Swarm - B&M 'Wing-Rider', Thorpe Park 2012

I am looking forward to opening day. I think the atmosphere should be really good. It being such a major ride, so many of us will be there.

Got my tripod stool so I'm good.
 
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