From: geoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Re: A simulated coaster ride
Date: 8 Oct 92 21:21:08 GMT
Organization: Roller Coaster fanatic with no hope for a cure

wjf@controls.ccd.harris.com (Bill ``too much time on my hands'' Figie)
writes:

>Geoff,
>   I have added additional comments to clarify some of the things I
>have said that either you misintrepreted or just didn't understand
>where I was going.

And I'll try to clarify confusion in the other direction. ;^)

(For understanding, Bill is quoted as ``>|> >'', I am ``>|>'' and Bill
again is ``>''.  Confused?  Good.)

>|> >It is quite
>|> >popular to put in malls because it is rather inexpensive and doesn't
>|> >take up much space.  It is a fair ride, IMHO.  
>|> 
>|> You must be kidding.  Or talking about a different simulator!
>
>I am not sure which statement you are taking offence to.  Popular or
>inexpensive? 

``A fair ride.''  I thought it was pretty lousy.  IMHO, of course, but
lousy nonetheless.

> Popular? - I have seen 6 to 8 people stand in line to
>ride them in several different malls.  Is this popular?  

It was quite popular at the State Fair here recently.  I rode it once,
since I'd never done it before, and was there on wristband day, so it
only cost me 15-20 minutes of my time to ride.

>Yes those other rides cost many millions
>and the SR2 can be purchased by almost anyone.  I could even purchase
>one and travel the country making some money off of it.  I think the
>major draw back of this ride (SR2) is the screen.  If it was bigger,
>brighter and would fill your field of vision better, it might be a
>much better ride.

So do some of these other simulators you mentioned use a videotape-based
screen?  The quality of the image detracted significantly from the
experience.  The one we saw had permanent ``fireflies'' that seemed to
move with the coaster. ;^)

>|> There was a left-hand turn heading for the first lift hill that was
>|> completely flat, for example, but the %@^*@ simulator leaned to the
>|> *inside* of the turn.  Give me a break. 
>|> 
>
>Because a simulator can't turn on a axis like a flat turn does the
>"simulate" the sensation by "*gently* leaning to the inside of the
>turn."  That is how they have to do it.  

Yes, but for a flat turn, it should lean to the *outside* of the turn,
not the inside.  That was my complaint.  The motion was completely
wrong.

They were running the ``Beast to tunnel, airplane, alpine slide, grand
prix car, Beast to station'' simulation when I rode, and they *did* lean
it to the outside of the turns on the grand prix, and the simulation was
actually not too bad.  The worst was the alpine slide.  The motion of
the cabin wasn't *nearly* like that of an alpine slide.  I just don't
think the SR2 is capable of the high-fraquency motions that an alpine
slide does.

>|> The motion was often not only wrong, but out of sync with the video.

This was especially true on the alpine slide portion of the video. 
Like, you're into the turn before the thing leans.  Very annoying!

>|> The thing gave me a headache.

Because of the aforementioned problems.

>|> Geoff ``Should I ride Star Tours or the Matterhorn first?'' Allen
>
>Matterhorn.

Fantasyland track or Tomorrowland track? ;^)

(Actually, Big Thunder Mountain is probably my favorite ride at
Disneyland.  Loads of fun.  Good gentle airtime in several places. 
Looks great!  A little slow through the helixes, but otherwise a great
ride.  I only rode the Tomorrowland track of the Matterhorn on my last
visit to Disneyland -- during the L.A. riots! -- and thought it was ok,
but not incredible.  Maybe the Fantasyland track is better.)

>   BILL "THIS SURE DID TAKE UP A LOT OF MY TIME EDITING THIS" FIGIE


TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK.

GEOFF ``STILL HAVEN'T RIDDEN SPLASH MOUNTAIN, EITHER'' ALLEN

-- 
Geoff Allen          \  Disneyland is going to be a place where you can't
uunet!pmafire!geoff   \  get lost or tired unless you want to.
geoff@pmafire.inel.gov \                    -- Walt Disney, 1953
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster