Launch VS Lift Hill?

[Samuel]

So I think what I'd like to see is a launch into an interesting layout. I don't particularly care about climbing up a lift hill. Maybe the ideal would be an Intamin cable launch like Dragster/Ka up a hill that leads to a layout like the hypers and gigas that I like. This is part of why Lightning Rod appeals to me so much. (I have yet to ride.) The launch should be fun, but if the lift were made taller so that the drop reached the same speed at the bottom, the rest of the ride would be fun and still contend for the top wooden coaster in the world. And maybe the launch is really forceful. I'd be pretty happy to feel Dragster-style acceleration before going into an awesome layout.

 

What are your thoughts on Taron, iSpeed, Blue Fire, &/or the newer S&S thrust air coasters? I'm sure it's been talked about dozens of times on TPR, but "Dragster + more stuff, please" seems realistically prohibitive for so many practical reasons. It's awesome to see such a concept in NL2, but I don't know what park has the money, space, and experimental patience to bite on such a coaster. I don't disagree with you, I just think we'll both be dreaming long into the future!

 

I will cast my vote for the lift hill, love nutty launches as I do. I think there's a societal expectation of what a roller coaster experience should be, and the clackety-clack of slowly heading up the "big hill" is a major part of the recipe.

[BigBad]

I've not ridden any of those, but I don't think those would be among my favorites. Taron could be, but that's because of how amazing people say it is, not because I'm particularly impressed. It looks fun, but not Fury or El Toro. (If I ever get to ride it, though, or any of the others you've listed, I'd be very happy to be wrong. I didn't think Knoebels' Phoenix looked impressive. Then I rode it, and it possibly could beat El Toro for my top wood coaster spot.)

 

I don't think a 400ft top hat and then more stuff is necessary for a great launched coaster, though. Lightning Rod appears to have gotten it right. Storm Runner could have been longer if Hershey had wanted to make the kind of coaster that takes $20-25 million (the price of Ka and Dragster), not the $12.5 million listed on Wikipedia for Storm Runner.

[SixFlagsAstroworld]

Why not both like The Incredible Hulk coaster?

[Keetz]

I gotta go with very fast lift style for this based on my top coasters

 

1. Lightning Rod

2. Skyrush

3. i305

4. El Toro

5. Maverick

 

Crazy fast lift right into crazy airtime is a winning combo

[MrSum1_55]

I agree with what others have said. Unless the launch is super amazing (like on an Intamin accelerator), a launch should be seen only as as alternative to a lift, and not the main gimmick of the ride. This is why coasters like the Premier Spegetthi bowls, Cheetah Hunt, California Screamin, Rock n Roller Coaster, Maverick, and many more are great, because they do not entirely rely on a lunch as the main gimmick of the ride. By contrast, rides like YOLOcoaster rely a bit too much on the launch as a feature of the ride, as opposed to just an alternative to a lift. Xcelerator and Stormrunner are guilty of this too, but at least these rides have some very amazing launches.

 

But whether or not a lunch is better to me depends on whether a lift and drop with descent airtime would have been better than a launch. And in about 80% of all cases, I would have rather had a descent drop than a launch. The exceptions are if the launch is especially powerful (Intamins) or if the lunch ties into the theming of the ride in some way. As in, I love how RnRC and FoF launch you through a dark tunnel into the unknown. (Though I have ridden these coasters more than enough times to know exactly what happens, it is still a cool effect).

[LiftThrill]

As long as the coaster after it is fun, I don't really care which.

[IdahoKat]

I enjoy both. Voted on launch since I love speed. I never had the anticipation thing. On the chain lifts I remember sitting next to others who would squirm and be nervous, which was amusing to me. I love Full Throttle and multiple aspects of that ride.

 

If asked, non-expert me would have considered Maverick a launch type coaster.

 

On Mean Streak, the lift hill was the smoothest part of the ride

[Physical]

I feel that both have their place. Launches work on launched coasters, because they were designed to incorporate it. Same with lift hills.

[RollerManic]

In general, a really fast lift hill into airtime on the first drop. In other words, cable lift hills, blah blah blah, we've already had this discussion...

 

Only if the launch is super intense (Like TTD, KK, or Dodonpa ) do I prefer launches.

[XII]

Hard to really say. It really depends on which ride. Sometimes the lift is better, while sometimes, you're better off with a launch. As long as it's a fun ride, it doesn't really matter.

[Stonem]

Drops are the best part of a coaster (imho) , so I'll go with Lift Hill I love the feeling of going slowly higher and higher and then falling down <3

[JT325]

Since we're talking about lifts, I'll give another opinion from a "lift hill enthusiast/geek" POV. I like lifts that change speed; Demon at SF Great America does this thing near the top for the past 3 or so years, it almost seems like the train is going to fall backwards, then just slows down. They even worked the VR into that quirk! The Gargoyles land on your helicopter when that slight jerk occurs (the VR is ok, but I love my plain old Demon). It makes the lift seem like it's got a mind of it's own. The Beast used to change speed on both lifts for blocking purposes, does it still do that?

[FifthArchitect]

^ I love the lifts that do the opposite, like Millenium Force and Fury, that suddenly speed up about 2/3 of the way up. It's like they're throwing you over the top.

[Nrthwnd]

Twisted Colossus at Magic Mountain proved to me that lift hills' speed can be varied

and just as exciting (to me) as a launch can be. I know launch speed can be varied too,

but I just always enjoyed lift hills better. The view is usually great, since you're hardly

going to see any more scenery once you 'launch' over that first hill, lol.

[Geauga Dog]

My pick is lift hill. Love the sound of the anti-rollbacks as that's such a classic amusement park sound. I especially like The Beast's first hill and getting a good look around since you are going up so slow.

[LiftThrill]

The Beast used to change speed on both lifts for blocking purposes, does it still do that?

 

I'm pretty sure they only do it on the first hill, but it definitely is variable speed.