Richard
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Posts posted by Richard
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Australian Outback Spectaular doesn't have a show on most Thursdays.
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Quick public service announcement
If you haven't noticed, we've split off all the recent track colour, theme and announcement speculation:
If you want to speculate and throw random ideas out there, that's the place. Let's try and keep this topic more related to construction updates, observations and related discussions.
We don't change usernames on request anymore @AlexB. Hit up Account Settings if you feel like using those Parkz Crew perks to become AlexC. And thanks @Skeeta! I can't tell you how many times I've had to figure out how to spell 'fly' backwards to tag you in posts. You shouldn't be required to pass a sobriety test to use Parkz...
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It's pretty clearly a longer layout based on the size and scope of the footings. Hasn't someone played join-the-dots on the satellite images of footings and compared it to Flash on Google Maps? Admittedly I tune out of this topic for days on end sometimes...
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52 minutes ago, Intimidator305. said:
See, the only people an early announcement would please are coaster enthusiasts and sadly they are lacking in Australia. For the rest of Australia, advertising for a ride now, when it's not going to open for about six months, would be annoying.
There's an audience of several hundred thousand VIP pass holders who are coming up on annual renewal who might have a good idea that something's being built, and a wider audience of a few million people in the SEQ region who might be considering purchasing an annual pass. The annual model means that the perceived maximum value in the product for consumers is at the start of the season so that's when they should be driving the message.
Right now it's not about appeasing a few impatient enthusiasts; we're well outside of the norm for marketing a major attraction like this.
Aside from a few clunky mentions of "magic" and "now" in online ads and the like, the major 2017 marketing campaign really hasn't commenced. They briefly mentioned the coaster in the recent press release for VIP passes so I'm sure it'll factor heavily in the campaign... despite "the magic can be yours now" not really being the best choice of messaging when you're spruiking an attraction that isn't due for about six months.
As for the missing track. It makes no sense for Mack Rides to fabricate every piece of track, store them on site, stack them into containers and then ship them in one hit. The logistics and coordination required there would be astronomical considering their factory would function as production lines with separate crews working on raw materials, welding, grinding, painting, QC, logistics etc. It makes much more sense to fabricate, fill containers and ship progressively. Keep in mind too this is the biggest ride they've ever built and it's a company with a several-year waiting list; with many projects on the go I can't imagine space to store parts is unlimited at their end.
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The point though is that Dodgy Dave's 10/10 rating won't count for much if it's the only review of Crazy Mouse. The model will give it less weighting than the "all rides" average. Once there are enough reviews of Crazy Mouse that the model starts trusting its average, Dodgy Dave's 10/10 rating will have been balanced out by other reviews.
The 'agree' button functionality did exist until recently but I think it's more meaningful that people agreed or disagreed by posting their own review accordingly. The better option might be to show how many others gave it the same, higher or lower.
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On 3/24/2017 at 4:50 PM, YLFATEEKS said:
I'm trying to get my head around this top-rated list and I just can't see how it truly reflects anything.
You yourself have given Superman a 9 and have not even rated Wipeout. If you hated Wipeout and say gave it a 1 it would pull the overall rating down for that ride
The whole point is that one individual rating/review can't easily sway the system. Neither of those scenarios would actually significantly alter the rating or position of either ride. Four pieces of information are factored into each attraction's weighted rating (percentage score):
- Its average rating
- Its number of ratings
- The average rating for all attractions
- The average number of ratings per attraction
Every single attraction's weighted rating is recalculated every time a review is added because these last two numbers change every time a review is added. When an attraction has fewer reviews, the model trusts its average rating less and the average for all attractions more, so most attractions will hover around that average until they have enough reviews at which point the model starts trusting its individual average more.
There is definitely a new attraction bias present; I don't believe it's the genuine consensus of this community that Doomsday Destroyer or Kraken belong as high as they do. But you look at those reviews and there's 9s and 10s everywhere. People get excited when there's something new. That is one of the reasons that users can edit their old reviews... opinions change.
I like the methodology but two things I'd change: I wish people would be a bit more strict in their ratings, and I wish people would rate more rides they don't like. 5/10 is an average ride and by definition there should be more average rides than anything else whereas our average is around 7-8/10. There are more 10/10 reviews than there are 1-5/10 combined.
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With track showing up today, it's probably a good time to dust of the old MS Paint and enter the competition because vertical construction will likely be underway fairly soon. Remember we'll close entries once construction begins.
We'll also throw a few consolation prizes out there for "most creative", "most spectacularly wrong" etc. for anyone that wants to take a crack but thinks they won't have a shot at the grand prize.
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Unfortunately so @Aimsley81. We only got a few of the smalls in either design for the women's shirts and they went quicker than expected. If the medium is no good then best I can do right now is wait until we restock.
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We didn't get any of the standard Parkz design printed this time around, but shoot me a message if there's something in the range/sizes available that you're after.
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The new range of shirts are now in stock.
We've sold a number of the new shirts already and a few sizes/designs are already out of stock, so to give you a quick rundown of what's currently available:
Men's "Support Our Theme Parks"
Women's "Support Our Theme Parks"
Men's "Pure Imagination"
Men's "The Worlds"
Women's "The Worlds"
Parkz Tri-Blend (American Apparel)
Parkz Trucker Cap
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Quick poll. Now that the track is here, what do you think the theme will be?
Not intending to start a major discussion on the topic -- that still belongs over here. Choose the option from the ones that have been most frequently floated around the forums. If it's not on the list feel free to post it here.
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With the complete placement of the roller coaster's footings now visible on satellite imagery (thanks @themagician) we have a basic idea of the coaster's approximate layout.
The competition here is to use this satellite image to design what you think the coaster layout will be.
Use this image to design your layout.
Prize
The winner will receive their choice of any t-shirts from our range in stock, subject to size and design availability. Includes free postage within Australia.
Rules
- Entries are open from now until when vertical construction commences. Once we have confirmation that supports and track are going up no more entries will be accepted.
- Your layout must be drawn onto the satellite image provided in this topic. No other images will be accepted.
- Do not crop, rotate or otherwise alter the original image. You can resize it if needed but please submit your entry at a resolution no less than 1000x578px.
- You can make multiple revisions and submissions but only your most recent will be judged.
- In the event that two different members submit identical or substantively close entries we will only judge the first.
- Winners will be judged once the track layout is completed and satellite footage of the finished track is available.
- Entry is open to all Parkz members.
- If you have inside knowledge obviously be aware of your contractual obligations and remember what the prize is. Do you really want to be the person that cheated for a $30 t-shirt?
We recommend you get in early as vertical construction is likely to commence in the near future!
Design suggestions
- Sketch in MS Paint, Photoshop or whatever other tool you are comfortable with.
- Above all keep it simple and clear.
- The layout should be a top-down 2D representation of the track. Don't show any vertical elevation or 3D projections.
- Portray your track layout with a single, clear, bold line in a colour that stands out from the satellite photo's colours.
- You do not need to mark support columns, station design or other elements.
- If you are circling and/or labeling elements, do so in a different contrasting colour to the main track layout.
- Use small arrows in a different colour to aide in showing the track direction, particularly where track overlaps. Use sparingly though.
- Everything you wish to say about your design should be included in the image; don't design it so it requires an accompanying post to describe or explain it.
Judging
The entries will be judged by the team of Parkz Community Leaders based on a number of criteria:
- Accuracy. How closely the layout matches the line of the track. At the same time we're not necessarily looking for pinpoint accuracy but rather a design that reasonably portrays the finished layout.
- Elements. Correct placement and labeling of key and unique ride elements such as station, lift hill, first drop, inversions, overbanked turns, brakes or any other elements. You don't need to label each and every drop, hill or turn but rather key features.
- We will be judging based on the images on their own without any outside explanation or description.
- Theme, colour and other elements of the experience wont be judged.
- We're not judging graphic design skills. Simply ensure your image is clear, concise and well labelled without being overly complicated or cluttered.
Entries must be uploaded/attached to a post in this topic to be considered. Judging is final and entirely at the discretion of the Parkz Community Leaders.
Example
Here's an example of what we're looking for. You don't have to follow this template in terms of colours or anything, but just make it similarly clear. And of course it goes without saying that this is a comically wrong layout that you'd be wise to not use for inspiration given it ignores most of the footings. And obviously it's got the station and lift hill all wrong.
Good luck!
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40 minutes ago, Theme Park Girl said:
Lol. Could be worse. I could be posting photos identical to the last lot that were shared as an 'update'. Decided to just do a brief post instead ?
I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels like every update Parkz (or anyone else) does is deja vu. There's only so many things you can say about concrete footings, and we've been saying it on repeat for about three or four months...
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Yeah that wasn't worded too clearly; removed the reference to Arkham Asylum because it just made the example confusing. Of course the ride is designed to operate with two trains but they don't currently have a second train. The current Kumbak-built train uses the original Vekoma chassis and of course prior to that the two trains effectively became one as one was cannibalised for spare parts for the other.
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Snap! You got me there @andrewt92. I wrote 800 words about the campaign that pointed out some confusing and poorly executed aspects. I'm a veritable party-pooper!
The crux of my argument was that despite being a great concept for Dreamworld, in many instances the editing and execution doesn't distinguish between things that are real and things that could be real. If you've got an alternative opinion that doesn't rely on ad hominem attacks or just "but it's imagination!" then I'm all ears.
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The way I see it the original poster posted this story to gauge whether anyone's had it happen to them and if it's a common occurrence. There's no insinuation of wrongdoing. Yes it sounds like something worthwhile to bring up with the park directly but it's also an interesting thing to discuss with other theme park fans.
Anyone is free to come to these forums to discuss interesting, unusual or even concerning things they encounter at theme parks.
The theme park mollycoddling on these forums gets a bit much sometimes. If we're so protective of our precious theme parks that we sacrifice interesting conversation for the sake of things the media might get wind of, then what do we talk about at all?
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There's suspension of disbelieve; I think that's required of any themed attraction. That is completely different from using your imagination.
I'd like to think there's no adult on this site that is genuinely imagining themselves saving a Sea Lion on a jet ski, on a train during an earthquake in Metropolis, or doing whatever it is you're doing on Tower of Terror II with all those underground tunnels and turbines. That said you can appreciate your surrounds and let yourself enjoy the story or atmosphere as it's presented to you. You can appreciate it whether it's as simple as a few props surrounding the ride, or a mind-blowing universe everywhere you look.
This campaign should be about how Dreamworld brings imagination to life. That's where the power of this concept lies, and both Dreamworld and the ad agency completely missed that. This "fill in the gaps with whatever you want" angle makes no sense in the context of a theme park that has always put some effort into presenting each attraction with its own unique look and storyline of sorts.
Why are the ad agency and Dreamworld so oblivious to the fact that The Claw is themed to an Australian beachside town that they came up with a nonsensical medieval knights concept to promote the ride? Someone take a crack at explaining the rationale there please.
Here's how it's done properly; Legoland pulled off this same basic concept perfectly several years ago. Note that they introduce fantasy elements while portraying the attractions accurately.
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14 minutes ago, Cactus_Matt said:
The article kinda read more like an angry blog than something you'd find on a news site
It's 2017... all news sites are either angry blogs or going bankrupt.
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5 hours ago, Santa07 said:
it doesn't have to be 100% realistic - as long as it achieves its purpose of attracting people to the park
Why don't they just put out an ad for a new hypercoaster coming to Dreamworld then? They have roller coasters so it's kinda realistic. Surely that'll sell tickets...
As noted throughout the article, it's a good concept for a campaign. Many of the spots they've produced achieve it well. Several of them get it really wrong, and there's no two ways around it: it's deceptive. Obviously not intentionally deceptive, but rather a product of creative decisions and execution that just doesn't work.
I think the canoe billboard is simply misleading; where in that does it give any indication that this is about imagination? There's no cues visually or in the text to suggest anything of the sort. You know why that bothers me personally? I know there's no such attraction at Dreamworld, yet the first time I saw that billboard my immediate reaction was, "I really want to do that!"
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My feeling is that any boost to tourist numbers during the games would almost certainly be offset by local residents that are getting out of town or avoiding tourist areas like a plague. I think a fairly small selection of things like Australian Outback Spectacular that are more tourist oriented will fare better than the major theme parks, who rely heavily on locals. By and large though I think it'll be a wash.
Beyond the actual games there's of course plenty of exposure to be gained by the region as a whole as a result of the Commonwealth Games.
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It's a reasonable assumption that the removal was sudden and unplanned given that it happened during the peak season. If they could wait a month and do it in February then surely they would have. With that in mind:
- Village Roadshow have announced increased scrutiny on capital expenditure.
- The roller coaster is huge CapEx that is already locked in and certainly unavoidable at this point.
- VRTP recorded a pretty sizeable drop in attendance for the half year and VRL were pretty cautious (even pessimistic) about where the division will be come end of financial year.
I'm not entirely sure where all this talk of new theming already being fabricated started, but I wouldn't be so sure. With additional CapEx unlikely and operating budgets stretched thin because of a likely revenue drop, unless there were unavoidable contracts for the re-theme signed prior to the Thunder River Rapids incident, I wouldn't expect anything this financial year and I wouldn't hold my breath for anything this calendar year given there will be huge uncertainty surrounding theme park performance until at least the end of next summer.
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2 hours ago, mission said:
The painted line does not indicate that the nut is correctly tightened, it's as simple as that.
But it absolutely does indicate that they are correctly tightened if we're to logically assume that the bigger picture maintenance program includes applying the stripe after the nuts are correctly tightened, i.e. to the correct torque, and signed off as such.
I wouldn't say anyone's feedback is coming under fire. You're doubling down on your opinion and others are doing the same with theirs. People offer constructive feedback on what I write all the time and I'm all for it if it makes the site better.
As I noted earlier, the wording was revised after your initial feedback. At the end of the day this article was intended as a commentary on a video that left a lot of people confused or overwhelmed. Three sentences to quickly sum up a split second on screen seems more than adequate; it's not a technical manual, it's to explain that the tech in the video wasn't pretending to tighten bolts with his fingers.
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Definitely no fading yet on Superman Escape. Just a light exposure. It would have been taken roughly at the same time as the above Arkham Asylum picture to give you an idea of the lighting conditions.
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I'd think that it's pretty self-evident that the stripe goes on after -- not before -- the nut is tightened to the correct torque? I clarified this though in the article to leave as few grey areas as possible.
You're right @Levithian, for simplicity I was considering the final brake run as part of the station area checks but again it's worth leaving no grey areas.
Parkz Competition: Design the Movie World hypercoaster!
in Theme Park Discussion
Posted
Yeah we don't really need criticism or comments about other people's entries. You could submit your own entry if you think you can do better?