Richard

I think it's just so Diagon Alley feels like a london back alley. It's weirdly one of the details I really like! As it really does remind me of the similar streets around London where abouts I used to live, with quirky old shops and cobbled streets with the overground trains running overhead. I LOVE the look of the area and am dying to fly over and visit next year. I hope the atmosphere is what I'd hoped. Just curious though about Gringotts, lately I've struggled abit with simulator rides due to motion sickness (never had it before but it seems to have developed) how is the ride for that?

Just been working on my new project, it's a terraining hugging Vekoma Minetrain. I started working on it after retying to improve thr Runaway Minetrain at Alton Towers and just got carried away and it turned into a full blown project! The theme was gonna be a little mexican but I watched O' Brother Where Art Thou the other day so I thought an old time american railroad is a nicer option. The layout has a slight Cheetah Hunt/ Projekt Helix feel to it, with two magnetic launches. But the forces are family friendly, and I'm just trying to create something that would be fun to ride! Here's a few screens and a little video. I've yet to name the thing.

[youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Just a quick off-ride and backwards POV for you. Time to start work on the next coaster I think..

DOWNLOAD [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Background Experience exhilirating flight as you swoop, dive roll and float over rocks trees and a vast lake, like a hawk hunting for prey. Design Based on the concept of Wild Eagle at Dollywood and taking inspiration from Air, Sky Scrapper, Tatsu and Manta to create a personal celebration of everything I love about this ride type, The theming is minimal to allow the scenery to speak for itself as the design is all about natural flight. A massive thank you to Dave Ainsworth for doing all the 3Ds work with the paths and queue-line. Elements - Straight down-dive - Rolling Pretzel - Overbank - Zero-G Roll - Swoop Turn - Flying Air-Time Hill - S-Bend Run - Carousel - Heartline Roll Ride music by The Cinematic Orchestra Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Almost done with it now, hope to release it on Sunday April 6th

Dave Ainsworth has jumped onboard this project to help me out with some pathing. It's coming together quite nicely now.

Little taster video here, if you're curious how it moves. [youtu_be] [/youtu_be]

^ This ride was made 100% on a macbook pro with parallels!

Invested in NL2-Pro (tis payday) which is fabulous! Which means pretty screens but also I've tweeked the friction slightly, as I feel it was running as if it was all hard wheels so needed a trim. But now I can eliminate the trim and it's running as planned.

A few more screens. Got alot of terrain work to do and clearances, along with a finalised name and logo. So watch this space

I was gonna wait for a mac version. But atm I'm using parallels and it runs pretty well!

I may be over-posting images here but NL2 makes everything look so pretty =D and I'm really enjoying working on it atm. Here are the first few elements.

Bit of support and terrain work . Going up the lift. The "swoop turn/overbank" weaves between some of the lift supports.

Just an overview of the ride from the "guest plaza" area (hopefully the main first view of the ride). I'm quite proud of how the layout sits in the skyline from this view. Also if you ever notice a trim brake in any pictures, don't be offended. I've had to add one as I'm a perfectionist. I don't believe pacing means "fast paced" and the second half slightly over sped. But I guess it adds an element of realism .

I've noticed the over use of tunnels. Real rides don't tend to use them alot, and I feel most people hide the best parts with tunnel over-kill! I did have a tunnel on this ride, but it didn't add anything, and I figured as a flyer it's more exhilarating whizzing past the terrain and trees than surrounded by concrete. Thanks for the feedback, I've also decided on a name. "HØG", it's an old norse word for hawk.I have a weird obsession with scandinavia and this word seems appropriate and striking. Maybe not the most original idea, and a flyer named after a hawk, but hey.

Been doing more work on the ride, and I quite like it. I've incorporated some of my favourite flyer elements to the ending. They may not be to everyones tastes and they're a definite contrast to the twist-and-force first half, but I feel it works. I've always been obsessed with capturing that floaty exhilarating flying sensation, and I feel the tracks getting there, I just need to get the surroundings to emphasis this. Screens. Once again ignore the colours for now, I haven't quite figured out how to present the ride as a package. It's getting there though, feels like I haven't done a project in AGES.

Maybe I worded my first post slightly wrong, but what I meant was I was playing around with the colours! The actual trackwork is close to final, and this is a project I fully intend to finish, I'm not sure if you've seen one of my project topics before, but I like to follow a similar template with them, and it's never seemed to be a problem before. The "playing around" with trackwork and layouts is something I've done with this project since early January, so although I'm not showing an awful lot in this screen, ALOT of time went into it, and this screen is part of the final product with regards to trackwork. I would never start a topic unless I was completely happy with what I've created and have a full intent to release the product.

Just trying out a few things, but quite happy with half the layout so far! Ignore the colours for now, I'm just playing about for now.

The Smiler's is brilliant. The drop is pretty huge and you get loads of speed through the prelift corkscrew, and in the dark it's extremely disorientating. Plus it's the smoothest part of the ride.

Alton Towers have posted a professional video online now of the ride. Least we know there's a proper pov somewhere. The video captures the atmosphere of the ride really well, I think it's one of the most sinister themes I've ever seen for a ride tbh. http://youtu.be/SFTreEEOzDs I've been on a fair few times now and I think it's gotten better with each ride. First time I think I was just a victim to hype but once you get to know the ride (and learn where to brace) you can really appriciate theming elements. It's a pretty intense ride with real force and speed between loops. My friend described it as 'scatty' which sums it up, it's quite a messed up experience. I just have to mention though. When your mates are all on the vehicle in front and they perfectly duel, youre in for such a treat, it really applifies the fun looking around for them and shouting across, its a perfect ERT ride!

^ Yeah they've announced they're building a big billboard to fly through, hopefully you'll go through he centre of it so all the seats get a near miss!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2264281/Just-grin-baaaa-Mysterious-smiley-face-symbol-sparks-internet-debate-appearing-hundreds-sheep-country.html And the marketing begins! Strange how merlin or Alton Towers isn't mentioned at all.

^That's in Leeds and there's posters all over London too! Shows how widespread their marketing will be.

Posted on TTF's Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/towerstimes Exciting stuff.

I really do enjoy the TPR videos. But I do turn the sound off. I'm free to make me own noises then .