TraX Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 I think it's safe to expect the exact train style as Raptor and that any near misses will be just that. Infact whilst on board Raptor, the near misses don't feel close enough!It's also worth pointing out that riders on the inside seats DO have an arm guard keeping you well away from the close running wheels beside you. Sidders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidders Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 Thanks for that Neil. :blush:I came across some concept artwork for The Swarm on Coaster Force not too long ago and if the area turns out anything like them then it'll be a very heavily themed area with some brilliant attention to detail... I'll see if I can dig them up.EDIT: Found them:Courtesy of Coaster Force. Mere food for thought really, I like the smaller details such as the twisted lamp post in picture one and the barrel or toxic waste (or whatever?) in picture three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javs Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 How cool is that! Cheers Sidders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamY Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 Haven't seen those in a while, thanks for posting them Sidders. And that photo Neil posted shows what a serious piece of kit these trains are - they look so purposeful and powerful. No wonder they're all themed so darkly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 I love the creativity going into it, it looks sure to be more fulfilling than other recent projects.However, touches such as the traffic lights seem akin to Amity Cove and some aspects are similar to Saw, just judging from the concept art. If they put effort and imagination into making this a clearly defined area with its own distinct theme then this doesn't matter. I am sure Swarm will be an exciting chapter in Thorpe's history whatever it turns out to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentez Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Just going back slightly to some concern that was voiced about a week or so ago about the future of the SG, if you look over on the Swarm topic on TTF it appears a new path has been placed just inside Stealths queueline.So all good.......for now that is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 I'm certain that Sunken Garden will not be leaving for this project. It will have to make way sooner or later, but that time will not be next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 I believe that if a pathway and bridge is added from the Sunken Garden, it will be for the next coaster and not this one. Expect the Fish to close very soon too, for construction to really kick off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 I'm sorry but what is the "Sunken Gardens"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 It's the remaining garden area behind Stealth.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Thank you, I'm guessing it was once an attraction at Thorpe park? I tried to find pics but failed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidders Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 It was never so much an attraction, nor has any attraction been based solely in the Sunken Gardens but it's just a sort of... 'peninsula' from Stealth; a grove hidden from view to most guests too enamoured by Stealth's height to bother looking much further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 So is the name just a name enthusiasts have given it? It was it actually open at one point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidders Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Oh it's open to guests, yes, and as far as I'm aware it's never been known by any other name; "Sunken Gardens" always appeared on the Thorpe Park maps and such.But this is off-topic. Please keep on topic and post any irrelevant concerns in the appropriate threads. :closedeyes:In other news, I bear more late-night findings... A member of TTF and numerous sources from CF have mentioned that amongst other crack-pot warnings from Les Coogan, he came out with a rather lovely nugget of information recently; has said the following with regard to the coaster's name": "The Swarm... it came down.... and.... they fly into people's ears and get into their brain.... and make them do things!""People have been going missing and... doing crazy stuff"As always, food for thought but it's very Oblivion-esque, isn't it? And at least now we have some grasp of what The Swarm actually is. Something tells me bees are out the window though. Damn bees. They get it so hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamY Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Right, following the aforementioned late-night LC12ing between myself and Sidders, time for a fresh batch of theorising on an as-yet unmentioned topic!Ladies and gents, please direct your eyes in a station-ly direction...Now, closer inspection of this plan reveals something interesting. On the floor plan section, we see stairs going up the tower (this part was mentioned):This is confirmed by an annotation on the North Elevation, which reads "Queue line bridge" (so, the queue runs outside the station building and parallel to it, then at least part enters the tower and turns left):So Sidders and I were wondering this: will there be anything between us and the train whilst in the tower? As we all know the train flies straight through this tower, and with the stairs going up inside I can't help but wonder if there would even be space to make a separation. If there's say just wire mesh or netting for falling articles with the track directly above it and visible, this is going to provide an amazing queueline interaction.Discuss! SkySkream 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Good spot...It'll just have netting and hence be a decent bit of interaction...[/end discussion] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamY Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Benin, you nearly sounded there like you think Thorpe have actually thought about this development Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkySkream Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 That would be amazing but I'm just thinking... we need to make a PROTEST!!!.Otherwise thorpe will think good queueline interaction is a rusty old model dumped there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidders Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Unlikely Kevin. Looking at the rest of the plans, yes, it may be bits of rusty metal but they include a plane, a helicopter, a fire truck, an over-turned lorry and numerous other interactive features. Besides, if the building was planned with stairs I'm pretty sure they'd keep something like stairs - they're needed to cross to the other side of the station.And yes Adam, that illustrates it perfectly - certainly looks to be a good bit of interaction between guests and riders, but that's not all. We also spoke about the inline twist and how it will extend over the queueline (which will, in part, be open-top as the roof has been burnt away/collapsed) so the tower interaction all the way to the end of the ride will look absolutely brilliant for one and for seconds will provide a great interactive experience with head-foot choppers and guests. The best part being none of these features need maintaining - they just need to be put there in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 On the top image, near the middle, you can also see an overturned car which seems to be on top of the station building, which also seems to have some interaction with that inline twist.If all of this comes together, that inline twist will be something quite special...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidders Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Ha! Brilliant observation/fanboy-ism there, Josh. And people were saying a mere inline twist was a poor end to the ride! And overall that's ten interactions? 1) the plane, 2) the helicopter, 3) the entry to the corkscrew is above the "Rickety Jetty", which is partially accessible to guests, 4) the corkscrew through the inclined loop, 5) the fire engine (right wing only), 6) the tower, 7) the overturned car, 8) the queueline staircase, 9) the station building and 10) the "box support" acting as a head and foot-chopper.And all that before we consider pyrotechnics/water effects! Thought there'll undoubtedly be one in the "controlled pond area" about the helix.I'm liking each new attention to detail we spot in these plans. Initially my only gripes with the coaster was that it was quite short and that the themeing seemed quite sporadic; where there was themeing it was good, but it appeared too thinly spread over the area and didn't like like an immersive experience, being on the island. This is changing now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 With regards to the short layout, thorpeparkjack and I were speaking a while ago about that, and we think that the height of inversions and other elements may take a fair bit of speed out of the ride, so it goes through them quite slowly, thus dragging the ride out as it were. Jack fears that may make the ride boring.. :closedeyes:From your rough(ish) calculations Sidders, we know that after the main drop, the speed will probably reach between 55-60MPH (I think that's what you got anyways..haha), and I worked out a rough average speed of the inclined loop (which comes after the second inversion) to be 30MPH. Just random thoughts really, but it seems quite likely that it will go through a lot of the main elements with some sort of elegance and slowish pace to it - which may help in the experience of taking in the theming and near misses, especially on that inline twist!Again, just some musings really, but I'd say that despite the short layout, the ride will last quite a while, and will certainly give the opportunity to take in the surroundings... thorpeparkjack 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamY Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Hate to disappoint Josh, but Ricky found that the day the plans came out Hasn't been mentioned since though, so it deserves to be talked about again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Hate to disappoint Josh, but Ricky found that the day the plans came out Hasn't been mentioned since though, so it deserves to be talked about again.Really? Darnit. :DThought I remembered seeing it when I had a look, but couldn't be sure. Ah well, as you say, it deserves some more mentioning.. XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidders Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 With regards to the short layout, thorpeparkjack and I were speaking a while ago about that, and we think that the height of inversions and other elements may take a fair bit of speed out of the ride, so it goes through them quite slowly, thus dragging the ride out as it were. Jack fears that may make the ride boring.. :closedeyes:From your rough(ish) calculations Sidders, we know that after the main drop, the speed will probably reach between 55-60MPH (I think that's what you got anyways..haha), and I worked out a rough average speed of the inclined loop (which comes after the second inversion) to be 30MPH. Just random thoughts really, but it seems quite likely that it will go through a lot of the main elements with some sort of elegance and slowish pace to it - which may help in the experience of taking in the theming and near misses, especially on that inline twist!Again, just some musings really, but I'd say that despite the short layout, the ride will last quite a while, and will certainly give the opportunity to take in the surroundings...Yeah, if we're going by my calculations The Swarm will reach 60-61mph at the base of the drop. Best guess for the Zero-G roll is about 49-50mph, picking up speed on the exit, but as you say, it's the inclined loop that'll kill a lot of the speed (another reason why there should ABSOLUTELY no trims ). I'd imagine your guestimate is pretty accurate at 30mph, with speed increasing to about 35mph during the helix and being sustained for the majority of the rest of the ride. That's nothing to complain about - Colossus' top speed is only 45mph and because it's very consistent with it's speed, during it's inline twist Colossus' train is moving at about 30mph and they're wonderfully drawn out, so the same will be for The Swarm's latter section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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