griffonj2022

My next project is well underway!

Here is the un-edited POV of Mutation, as well as a look at the 3rd project in the DNA Phase!

As a last hurrah of summer, my brother and I headed down to the park yesterday before school starts next week. We arrived at 9:30, discovered that there was only one row of cars in the entire main parking lot, and found ourselves a nice spot in the second row. There were only about 100 people at the front of the park waiting for the gates to open, and once we got in, the park was basically empty. Now, we tried to do "the plan" as best we could, but the allure of Skyrush first thing in the morning was such a tease that we couldn't resist "checking the line" before heading over to Fahrenheit. We got in two walk-on rides; the first in the second row, and the second in the back row (I think). The restraints were definitely softer, but you still get good and squished. I'll post my review later in the report. Next, we headed over to Fahrenheit, waited about 10 minutes, and hopped on a ride in the back seat. After that, we got in a ride on Sidewinder and two rides on Storm Runner. The wooden coasters were next, with a ride on Wildcat, one on each side of Lightning Racer, and one on the Wild Mouse too. It was 11:45 by the time we got done in the back of the park, so we stopped in the Boardwalk and had some lunch. The turkey burger I had was surprisingly really good... Since everyone was starting to head to the "back" of the park around noon, we trekked back over toward the front, taking a ride on the monorail for a breather. After that, we stopped at Skyrush, only to find that it was a walk-on for almost every row (except the front!) So, why not get in three more rides? Sure! Next, we headed to Coal Cracker, and got in two rides on Great Bear. By now, we were starting to get worn out, so we stopped for a snack and some water. A handy tip is to just ask for free water from any food or drink kiosk. After that, we got in two rides on SooperDooperLooper and one on Comet. I think we rode Skyrush three more times again after Comet, but I don't remember the order. Next up was the Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge, and then we walked back to the other side of the park. My brother insisted that we ride The Claw, and I'm not one for spinning or swinging rides, but it was pretty fun. I was feeling a little nauseous after that one... We got in another ride on Storm Runner and one on Trailblazer before heading back to the front of the park for one final ride on Skyrush before leaving around 5. Chocolate World wasn't too busy, and we did the tour, picked up some dinner, and shopped a little. Overall, it was a pretty fun-filled, no waiting day! Just my style! Wildcat - 1 ride - This ride was so much more rough than when I rode it in May. I remembered the parts that were the worst, and that final helix is a killer on the ribs. I felt like I was a salt shaker, essentially. When we got off, one of the women behind us said "Well that one was a teeth chatterer!" I think that's an understatement...the new trains do make it look much better though. I'm hoping for a Rocky Mountain Coaster refurb in the future! 5/10 Wild Mouse - 1 ride - Now this Wild Mouse has to be one of the most fun in the country. I've been on a few wild mouses, and this one definitely had the fear factor on every turn. I couldn't stop laughing only to death grip the bar on every sharp turn that we encountered. It's surely a winner in my book! 7/10 Lightning Racer - 1 ride (each side) - I love the idea of a dueling wooden coaster, and these two don't disappoint. Thunder seems to be a little bit smoother than Lightning, but they both offer the same thrills and excitement. The ride attendants were also efficient and fun on this ride, as they both had a running game of "Which train is going to win this time?" sort of thing. They were only running one train on each side though, so I guess it was easy to play... 8/10 Fahrenheit - 1 ride - I consider this ride a one-trick pony. You go straight up, you fall back down at 97 degrees, you do some flips, and it's over. It's all a big hype for the "past vertical drop", which is okay, but I just don't consider it all that great. We sat in the back row, and I have to say the car really rattles! It was clicking and clacking the whole ride, and it got pretty noisy on some parts of the ride. I think the first drop and the last airtime hill offer some great floater air, but everything else is pretty dull. 7/10 Sidewinder - 1 ride - I don't like to go backwards, but my brother loves this ride, so I had to go on it. We rode in the back car of the train "for the best view at the top!", and it was quite intense going backwards. I got extremely dizzy pulling out of the drop going into the loop, and shut my eyes for the rest of the backwards trip. I don't do boomerang coasters...but the new trains are great! 5/10 Storm Runner - 3 rides - This was my favorite ride in the park, but has now tied with Skyrush. I think the launch is the best launch on any accelerating coaster, and the entire ride is pure fun. When we rode in the front, the launch was spectacular, and the zero-g rolling into the flying snake dive was so disorienting I didn't know where I was going. The final drop that goes beneath the monorail is frighteningly close, and the two turns are great as well. Storm Runner sits at the top of my list! 9/10 Trailblazer - 1 ride - Trailblazer is a classic attraction that has now become overlooked by the bigger rides in the park. It's a great stepping stone for kids looking to do some scarier rides, but has become outdated too. The new paint looks good, and that final helix is fun, but it's just not for me anymore... 5/10 Great Bear - 2 rides - This B&M Invert is one of my favorites with Raptor and Alpengeist, and the helix after the lift is one of the highlights of it's unique layout. The inversions are fast and forceful, with the final corkscrew offering some intense positive G's that'll pin you into your seat. Can't forget that distinctive B&M roar either! 8/10 SooperDooperLooper - 2 rides - The first looping coaster in the northeast still does the same loop, but the new trains and breaks are great! While I found the seats to be a little stiff and straight, the second half of the ride isn't as trimmed as it was previously, offering one fast spiraling helix as the finale. It was more intense than I expected, and I was seeing some stars! 7/10 Comet - 1 ride - This classic woodie we decided to do in the front, having us watching the train make it's way up the crooked lift hill beneath the new arch that is Skyrush. It's an old-time wooden roller coaster that, while not very forceful, has a charm and draw from it's age. It was a great ride in the front too! 7/10 Skyrush - 9 rides! - 9 is my lucky number, and it was our lucky day on Skyrush! The wait was a walk on all day, and it was completely insane. After 3 rides we would have to take a break because our thighs were "feeling the burn", but it was completely worth it. The speed the lift is taken at scares the sh*t out of me every single time, and the drop is pure , only to have you become firmly planted into your seat on the first turn. The first airtime hill offers some of the best airtime in the world, and the second turn is where I grey out. I grey out so much, my vision doesn't return until the train is cresting the second airtime hill, having me be thrown out into the air again! The Stengel dive is fun, and the twisty is one that actually flings you up and to the side, offering lateral airtime? The final airtime hill is the most intense, as you feel like you're going to be thrown into Comet, only to have you turn and fly over the ride to the break run. The wing seats on the left are far more intense than those on the right, and the two seats over the track offer the calmest rides, albeit still intense! My brother rode the left wing in the back row, and said it was the craziest ride experience he's ever had. I, on the other had, rode the right wing in the front row, offering one of the scariest first drops I have ever been on. There was no track beneath me, so looking right down to the ground was terrifying. My brother and I each got alternate rides in winged and non-winged seats, and this ride is now my new number one coaster. I'm already hoping to go back for Halloween just to ride this! *As a tip for those riding Skyrush multiple times, the airtime is so forceful that even the first drop can be a little touchy the third time around. My brother and I discovered that if you brace yourself on the side bars, NOT the ones on the restraint but the ones next to your body, you can hold yourself in the seat a little more. I found myself doing somewhat of a pull up maneuver to hold on, and the airtime was still great but much less painful. The restraints have been fixed, but they still can become pretty tight at the end of the ride... Can't wait to go back for another Skyrush marathon one day!

Just a little teaser update before the ride is released this coming Friday! Only a few more days until you can Embrace The Change! -griffonj2022 This ride is full of tight turns and helixes, this being one of them. Pulling out of the most intense moment of the ride, a vertical loop where riders pull over 4 G's, the track twists and bends up into this helix, creating another moment of intense positive G's. And then, you're flung into another downward helix! This ride never gives up! The station for Mutation was inspired by a greenhouse somewhat. I wanted to have an old, rustic feeling while still combining glass elements that are essential to the DNA Phase. It's one of the most abnormal ride stations that I've done, seeing as it mixes two unlikely styles. The entrance to the "island" is nonetheless the same as the station, having rustic elements combine with glass and metal. I originally had the sign lower and near the water, but since it blocked the view of the geysers, I decided to move it over the bridge. I'm pleased with the way it turned out! This is one of my favorite parts of the ride! I didn't imagine that it would having a huge corkscrew twist over a rocky landscape at first, but once the rocks went in I was so excited to show it off! It's really going to be a highlight of the ride, and reminds me so much of the end of Alpengeist.

Since I'm about 80% done with Mutation, I figured I'd give everyone a "work-in-progress" update like I used to do with my previous rides. The scenery and theming on this ride is going to, hopefully, be the best that I've ever done, and it's really going to create an entire atmosphere for the ride. I went in with the idea of having this caged beast, a mutant if you will, be trapped underneath a rocky terrain, only one day to escape and wreak havoc on the land. It's going to be pretty cool when finished, as I'm shooting for a worn down, ancient and old look with all of the scenery. Hope you stick around to see what it looks like! After the first drop, the ride dives into a subterranean tunnel, having the "genetic plasma" suck riders into the ground! When the coaster dives underneath the water on the first drop, geysers shoot up, giving on-lookers a way to trace the path of the ride. The station is almost half way done, with the main structure having to be built. The entrance to the "island" that Mutation is on also has to be finished. See the floating sign?! Just another one of my tricks! Another one of Mutation's subterranean dives features a waterfall and foot-chopper effect. It also features geysers that shoot off behind the train once it dives beneath the ground! Man, that's one close corkscrew! This part of the ride is the intense finale, having the ride flip and spin in a mess of rocks and foliage. It will be full of foot-choppers, close calls, and neat effects! I'm shooting for a release on August 31st (crossing my fingers), so I will be hard at work until then. It's only a week away until you will be able to Embrace The Change like I have! -griffonj2022

I'm really excited to announce this one! Oh, and I think I may have just created the best design I have ever done. I'm not trying to brag here, but I think it's going to break the boundaries! -griffonj2022

Just a reminder that MyDNA Analysis is tonight! Come chat with me in the chat room from 7:30-9:00, asking any question you want!. Can't wait to hear from all of you! Oh, and I may just announce something very big at 8:30 if you tune in around that time.... Expect an update very soon too!

Thank you! Yes, they all do have their own unique aspects that differentiate them from each other, allowing for me to stretch a little bit and experiment with the layouts. Some of them are very conservative, while others are just completely insane. Like you said, "can't wait to see more", and neither can I! I cannot wait to show everything that sitting in my brain, but it'll come with time... Hope you stick around to see what's next! Thanks! You're right, I do have a lot of "big projects" ahead of me, and I hope that I can complete them to their full potential (crossing my fingers). I remember getting the idea for that drop on DNA ERROR, and I just couldn't get over how neat it was. I kept thinking "This isn't real, this could never be real", but it very possibly could one day! The rolling inverted drop on an inverted coaster is just a preview of the real madness that's to come...you think that's a crazy drop?! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now I've been looking around for this picture for awhile now, but I finally found what I was searching for... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For a long time I've been wanting to do a so-called "Q&A Session" here on TPR. Since I'm well underway into the DNA Phase and know many of you are very excited about it (as am I!), I've decided to go through with it...so... Hope to talk with you all soon! -griffonj2022

Talk about a Double Helix...

A look into the future...for now. Work In Progress! -griffonj2022

I'm not usually one to get extremely excited for a new ride, but I must say that this one sure looks to be one of the coolest additions to the park since Dragster came along. I was really excited to go to the park in 2011, and now it's back on my "must see list" for 2013. The new park entrance will surely be stunning, and I cannot wait to see this thing in action when it opens! GateKeeper made my day today!

Is it just me, or does that look like a huge wing behind those bars...whatever it is I'm still excited! Hopefully this will be the first wing coaster that I ever ride (aside from Skyrush).

Thanks! I remember showing you the design back when I first "conceived" it, and I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. In regards to shooting from the pathways, when I film I try my hardest to be "standing" on the pathway when filming. I get as close as I can to the ground, aim for what I want a shot of, and film away. I do notice that all of the shots are focused on the ride, but since the whole video is about the ride itself, I think I have to film what I would like to see from an on-lookers perspective (in my opinion). Although I do lack in scenery and foliage, I promise you that the next project will be an overdose on those two subjects. With the next idea I hope to delve a little more into the scenery department and give this ride an atmosphere that I haven't given before. While iDNA offered "genetic plasma", the next project will expand on that idea, and take more elements along with it. In regards to pathways, I do try to use the invisible paths when I can, although I tend to use real pathways for a more structured look. I'm so used to using DasMatze's fences that I don't think twice about it, but I did create all of the glasswork (fences, station, pathways, bridge, genetic plasma) from a set too. The glass fences in the queue were made from that set, but were hand done by myself. I tend to lean towards fences that will interact with the ride's style and character, and since this one leaned more toward the futuristic DNA idea, I went with glass and metal. Anyways, thanks for the advice. I'm a person that believes you can only improve, so it won't be long before one design comes along that blows all the others away - scenery included! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, before I forget... I just couldn't resist giving a little bit more away before going into hiding for a few weeks! Want to know the real name for DNA ERROR? Start your research now, because it's going to take a lot to reveal what's gone wrong in my DNA... Divergence can do an extreme amount of harm to an object, especially one that's living. -griffonj2022

***Sorry for double posting!*** Thanks! I was shooting for something a little more unique than enVy, and I think I did it. The station was another different idea that I got back in March, having the ride launch into the aptly named "genetic plasma" that breaks apart to release iDNA so it may run it's course. Its meant to be awkward, twisted, bent, abnormal, and eccentric, seeing as every person's DNA is twisted and bent to create the person that they are. It may be considered "sharp", yes, but I guarantee you that no one would get hurt on it while near it or on the ride. The plasma was designed to start within the station and flow to create this huge mass at the beginning of the ride, as well as having it be found at the base of the first drop, on the bridge, at the ride entrance, and on the final inversion. I wanted to have the plasma be shooting off of the ride and spiraling around it to simulate not only DNA's shape and structure, but also to, symbolically speaking, have the rider's "DNA" fly off of the ride. It was a cool idea that I got, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out! I have to say that this ride is one of the most fun I've ever done. I'm usually very serious when it comes to releasing a ride, but this one was much different than the ones in the Creation Phase. I had a blast creating the layout (in a record time of under 10 minutes), constructing all of the supports, intertwining the track with genetic plasma, and even filming and editing the video. I really think that this video is the best editing that I have ever done! I had been dreaming about editing the video since March, with images of the ride twitching and stopping while the music blasted and colors swirled. The video for iDNA is probably the most visually entertaining video to watch, as well as the most quirky and eccentric. It was so exciting to finally put it out! Overall, I really hope that you enjoy this one. It was the most obvious way to kick start the DNA Phase with the aptly named ride iDNA, and I hope that you'll Experience Your Sequence with as much energy and fun as I did mine. There are 8 more rides to come, so get ready to delve into my DNA a little more in the coming months. This month I hope (crossing my fingers!) to finish up another ride and release it, and then have number #3/#12 come in September. For now, here's a little sneak peek when something goes wrong in my DNA... When something in your DNA goes horribly wrong, it becomes like nothing else in the world... DNA ERROR.bmp Embrace the Change -griffonj2022

-griffonj2022

Your pictures are ah-maze-ing...I can't get over how real they look! Your attention to detail is such a great skill, and I love looking at the updates when they're posted. Can't wait to see what you have in store with that wing coaster!

Thanks! I try to present my ideas in a different way than others, creating a unique "griffonj way" Think you know all about DNA? Read up, because you're going to need it when it comes to mine tomorrow...

Thank you! I wasn't intentionally trying to hype this ride up in any way, but I guess I did do some. I actually just wanted to give more of a look inside the park, which on plan on continuing, and developing the story around the ride a little more. Hope you're as happy as I am on how it turned out! Well that's quite the compliment! I've never thought of anything I've done as "godly" persay, but I do like to think of myself as a boundary-pusher. I really want to take the normal and twist it a little, taking average ideas and rides and pushing them to their limits. Thanks for appreciating N9NE as much as I do! You know, I've always been looking for something to describe what I do, and I think you've got it with one word - theatricality. I really do take elements found in real-life rides and push them a little more to suit my creative (or crazy) ideas. Thanks for the comment, and I'm really sorry about that darn tree! Some of the trees magically rotate when you open the game each time, so that was one of them that I didn't catch before I started filming. It's a minor problem that is a huge problem to me since I strive for perfection. Thanks again! Now, for the past few days I've been debating as to whether I want to reveal some of my next project and begin Phase II. I'm reluctant and a little scared to do it since I've just wrapped up N9NE, a project that has been with me for almost a year. I don't want to jump into something that's not as important to me as this ride was, and I want to let N9NE have it's time to be released. However, I'm so excited at the same time to start showing bits of what's coming in Phase II! I can't stop thinking about everything that's been sitting on my computer for months, one of which was started back when I started N9NE! It's all very "revolutionary" in a sense, as I'm beginning to delve deeper into my brain and analyze myself in different ways... So, in order for you all to help in my decision, I've created a poll at the top of the thread. It will be open for three days, ending Tuesday evening, so be sure to pick "Yes" or "No" in order to have your input in what you think I should do. Although I already know the answer everyone is going to pick, I just was unsure as to whether it would be too soon... Can't wait to show you all what's coming next! -griffonj2022

Exactly what I was thinking! I love the invert blended into the hillside. It's a great idea, and I can't wait tosee what else you come up with.

The game crashed while working on a project in Phase II. I guess it's name suits it, since it really is quite daring... Don't expect to see this for awhile, as it's just getting underway. Feels like I'm going head first all over again!

Well, there it is! N9NE is finally out in all it's glory, and I cannot believe that I'm actually done with it. I know that someday I'll come back and return to the idea of N9NE, but for now, it's a closed book. When I first started on this ride I knew that it was going to be one of my most "generic" designs. I wanted something that pushed the envelope, but still had a sense of realism and restriction to it. I followed a very normal ride pattern through the inversions and elements found throughout the ride, but I also tried to mix it up a little here and there. As I've said before, every single part of this wing coaster can be found in other rides that I've done throughout the Creation Phase, having N9NE become the final piece to the ever-growing puzzle. The whole ride as a whole is a reflection back onto all 8 rides before this one, having the future (and present) ride on the past. I really hope that this ride is something that you can enjoy. I'm extremely proud of it, albeit the horrible foliage, and cannot believe how influenced I was by my favorite (and lucky!) number. The number 9 itself means so much to who I am, and creating a ride named after is just incredible to my creative mind. I'm always scheming, always processing new ideas that I get, but this one was always the most prominent. And now, it's here! Enjoy the videos, browse through the pictures, and take away from this ride feeling the force that I've created over the past year... But let me be the first to tell you that there's a lot more where that came from! Phase II is well underway, as I already have 8 out of the 9 rides started, named, and developed. Within the next few weeks and throughout August, I'm hoping to release two or three of the attractions from Phase II, and I know that some of these designs are my best yet. While some say that my design style is becoming repetitive and dull, some of these will definitely alter that idea, and I can't wait for you all to delve into my DNA a little more...oops, I've already given away too much! Until then, griffonj2022

I'm thinking about heading down for a day trip to the park in the near future and was wondering how "good" of a park Great Adventure is. I know I want to go mainly to ride El Toro and Kingda Ka, but other than that does the park have more extreme rides to offer? I've also heard that the park can be a zoo, and has bad operations.... Just curious!

The first half of Stealth looks so much like N9NE to me, especially the first drop. Regardless, it's still fun to see wing coasters becoming so popular! I really like the idea for Raptor, as I have one design similar to that as well, and hope to see more from you soon! Keep using the custom scenery too - the more you work with it, the more experienced you become with it!