adamico2 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I can't think of anything that Gemini and TG have in common other than steel track and wood structure. Even the track is very different: round pipe vs flat I-beams. Gemini isn't all that fast, has a ton of really slow turns, very little airtime, and its main selling point it racing. Giant is steep, fast, has extreme elements, and looks to be an airtime monster. Kinda like comparing a station wagon and a MINI Cooper because they both have rubber tires and run on gas. I'm thinking that we're all in for a completely new kind of coaster experience. A mixture of the out-of-control feelings of a woodie with the smoothness and acrobatics of a steelie. I do agree that this shouldn't feel like Gemini. I do, however, get quite a bit of air time whenever I ride Gemini, the old-school Arrow throw-you-up-slam-you-down type. When interviewed at IAAPA, one of the designers from RMC stated that the new TG should feel more like a wood coaster than a steel one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 When interviewed at IAAPA, one of the designers from RMC stated that the new TG should feel more like a wood coaster than a steel one. I remember that, but I'm skeptical. The trains will probably feel like woodie trains and there might be a little bit of the shuffle that's inherent in flat, box track... but considering that the Intamin plug and play coasters actually ARE wood coasters and they feel more like steelies than woodies, I can't imagine that TNG will feel more like a woodie than those. Even LESS like a woodie than those, I'd bet. The difference is that I'm not expecting TNG to feel anything like a woodie... but I was hoping the Intamins would (wood?). Perhaps El Toro will change my mind, but I was seriously disappointed in Heide Park's Colossos. It took several rides for me to just appreciate it for what it IS and shake off the "that's not what I wanted it to be" feeling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Speaking of the feeling of anticipointment that one can feel when riding a hyped-up coaster for the first time... I think that there's a significant danger, at least amongst the folks like us who pour over every new picture and video, that no matter how good TNG is, it won't live up to the pre-opening hype it has gotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayzle Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 ^I fail to see how steel supports on the Texas Giant relates to the antenna problem on the iPhone. But anyways, we are talking about something that will probably be a minor aesthetics issue. How it looks will have no effect on how the roller coaster will run or ride. The designers wanted to make a better looking/ more original phone. Also they had to cram in more stuff like the 2 camera's, faster processor etc. They had no place to put the antenna in a place where it would be blocked. Without an antenna a phone can't function. In this case they built the ride bigger, crazier faster to make it better. In the design process they realized they needed more support. So they did the only thing they could, add steel the way they did. Just like apple had to put the faulty antenna, SFOT needed to put in the ugly supports where they did, they had no other option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 ^I fail to see how steel supports on the Texas Giant relates to the antenna problem on the iPhone. But anyways, we are talking about something that will probably be a minor aesthetics issue. How it looks will have no effect on how the roller coaster will run or ride. The designers wanted to make a better looking/ more original phone. Also they had to cram in more stuff like the 2 camera's, faster processor etc. They had no place to put the antenna in a place where it would be blocked. Without an antenna a phone can't function. In this case they built the ride bigger, crazier faster to make it better. In the design process they realized they needed more support. So they did the only thing they could, add steel the way they did. Just like apple had to put the faulty antenna, SFOT needed to put in the ugly supports where they did, they had no other option. Wow. At 17 yrs old, you know EVERYTHING! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry_Gumball Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I've kind of been lurking this project/thread/whatever. I'm sure in the end, the ride's going to be pretty sweet. My first initial impressions was "Wow, this looks nice!" when I saw the first drop quickly changing to "Wow, the frame work's beginning to look strange..." when I saw the overbanks. As much as I'm sure everything will or should work out in the end, it looks quite strange missing the catwalks/side railings, and the overbanks look like they slapped on extra wood to hold things together. I'm sure though that those overbanks will create some sweet headchoppers. Let's look at SFDK's V2 ride. It originally had 2 vertical spikes. The ride had to get revised to fit within the city's limits and V2 looked as ugly as ever. Still to this day looks very funky but in the end, in my opinion, rides better than the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 The designers wanted to make a better looking/ more original phone. Also they had to cram in more stuff like the 2 camera's, faster processor etc. They had no place to put the antenna in a place where it would be blocked. Without an antenna a phone can't function. In this case they built the ride bigger, crazier faster to make it better. In the design process they realized they needed more support. So they did the only thing they could, add steel the way they did. Just like apple had to put the faulty antenna, SFOT needed to put in the ugly supports where they did, they had no other option. Psh, and Robb think's I'm a self-proclaimed internet expert... The ironic thing is - I don't think you know what you're talking about at all... The supports are on the inner ring of the Giant's structure anyway. Who in the general public could possibly notice them from the outside edge of the ride (maybe Hanno and his sneaky camera...)? If they were bright pink with "HEY LOOK! STEEL SUPPORTS!" written on them and were brightly lit up at night while puking out fireworks and free candy for little children, that would be a different story. But they're not. They're brown, and dull, and they blend in with the rest of the structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 ...and I've never had any problems with my iPhone 4's antenna, either. Just sayin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky Cold Medina Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Why be concerned about the looks? It's the experience that matters. Nuf 'Ced Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooz Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I say, the wackier and more impractical thing thing looks, the better. This is a six flags park, not the louvre, and I think that people are gonna enjoy the out-of-your-mind appearance of this killer-looking ride. Besides, they already went for the bright red rails.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Video with some construction shots in angles you might not have seen before: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayzle Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Hahaha hey i'm not saying i know everything here, but the whole function over form thing i disagree with because I'm going to be an industrial design major next year. Basically those are the guys who design how the product looks because that's how most people buy these days: design over function. I own an iPod and my cousin has a zune. I admit that the zune is an oveall better product, but its bulky and hard to use in my opinion. Until they simplify it for the mass market i don't think they can compete with the iPod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 I admit that the zune is an oveall better product The sound you just heard, ladies and gentlemen, was the last bit of Hayzle's credibility flying out the window.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 ^^They can't compete with iPod in general. No other MP3/MP4 player has come anywhere near close to the iPod's success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonR Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Well not to get too off-topic, but I liked the Zune too. The addition of an FM tuner made it somewhat better over the old-style iPods, at least before they turned into the iPod touch and suddenly the device turned into a mini-computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Odd-looking supports or not, I'm still going to try to make it out to Texas to try this thing out this year. I'm very fascinated by this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryeder Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Wow, from the look of the testing video, I would have to say that function does not seem to be a problem! I can wait to see the full train in action and not just the two car "Test" train! Can't wait to see the finished product Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Wow, from the look of the testing video, I would have to say that function does not seem to be a problem! I can wait to see the full train in action and not just the two car "Test" train! Can't wait to see the finished product Go back a couple of pages, there's a video of a full train test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterjohnh Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Ok I give up. I want to check that video, so what page is it on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 It's posted to SFOT's Facebook page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterjohnh Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Thank you for the reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Happy to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zingoman Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) Giant is not the first to be fitted with these steel tube "tension wire" substitutes. Another example of this also resides in Texas. Anyone ever notice Rattler's first drop? http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc33885.php Edited February 16, 2011 by Zingoman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skycoastin Steve Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 ^And not that it has any correlation or anything, but Rattler is the most disastrous piece of trash I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing in my entire life. Soooooooooo yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downunder Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 If this refurb of TG is a success, maybe it will be a case of Rattler come on down to the Rocky Mountain, though I wonder if SFFT is a big enough park to justify the cost. RM can be become like Ghostbusters to crap wood coasters. I've heard Ratller's original first drop before the reprofile could shatter titanium. I can't wait until people get to ride the new TG and tell us what it's like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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