Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Kennywood | Steel Curtain | S&S Multi-looper

It has changed since then actually. I drove by there earlier. There’s 1 only piece left to complete the sea serpent. The drop is still the same though
 
^Once the sea serpent roll and the main drop is connected, the ride track is complete. The area is probably still FAR from being ready, but the ride could be completed fairly soon.
 
Ughhh these guys better get going because I'm gonna be there in 6 weeks. You'd think July would be a pretty safe month for new rides be open by then. I guess it wouldn't be worst spite in the world though.
 
Ethan said:
I underestimated how ugly this coaster could be. It's just... Not pleasing to look at?
Click to expand...

Yeah and it's not even the color scheme anymore. Just.. it reminds me of the spaghetti bowls outside. Just a mess of track and supports that don't look great.. but the bowls at least look ok.. this is a mess.
 
Snoo said:
Yeah and it's not even the color scheme anymore. Just.. it reminds me of the spaghetti bowls outside. Just a mess of track and supports that don't look great.. but the bowls at least look ok.. this is a mess.
Click to expand...
I completely agree. At least Spag Bowls are a mess but a compact mess with an overall shape to it. This just feels like a mess... With no compact, defined shape to the layout.
 
There’s no elegance in it. No thought has been put into the support structure other than to “do the job”. I mean look at the wonky cross section under the Sea Serpent, it’s higher on one side. Then the few cross sectional pieces under the lift don’t line up. And don’t get me started on the supports for the Banana roll. It looks like they’ve been designed on that bridge constructor game you can get on your phone.

And then mixed in with this is the design of the track itself and the complete lack of uniformity with the cross ties. Slap on a paint scheme that should have been reversed (yellow track, black supports), and voila, you have Steel Curtain.

B&M get the big bucks with their coasters because the aesthetics are important, and they realise this. If you’re going to built a massive structure in the air, you need it to look good. S&S need to get this memo, as does Gerstlauer, and sometimes Intamin (that big ugly hyper in China/lift supports on Hyperion).
 
I mean, I'll be over here in my small camp that thought the ride looked aesthetically great from the beginning and looks even better now that it's nearly complete. All of the trusses and bridges they've done give the ride quite a unique, memorable, and functional look.

And no, not a single project in product development puts aesthetics as the top priority. Nobody in the amusement industry, including (especially) B&M, designs rides with aesthetics first and foremost, considering that there is so much safety and functionality that must be considered to make a ride feasible in the first place. Not even in automotive, where aesthetics are actually important, is it a priority.
 
Antinos said:
I mean, I'll be over here in my small camp that thought the ride looked aesthetically great from the beginning and looks even better now that it's nearly complete. All of the trusses and bridges they've done give the ride quite a unique, memorable, and functional look.

And no, not a single project in product development puts aesthetics as the top priority. Nobody in the amusement industry, including (especially) B&M, designs rides with aesthetics first and foremost, considering that there is so much safety and functionality that must be considered to make a ride feasible in the first place. Not even in automotive, where aesthetics are actually important, is it a priority.
Click to expand...

I mean, I don't think most American's can really have an opinion on car aesthetics tbh, all that anyone in the US drives is a sedan, a pickup or a dodge. You'd be surprised by how much time and effort goes into the aesthetics of car design. B&M certainly do design their rides with aesthetics in mind. Their supports are specially made in a far more expensive way to be stronger and simpler, meaning a ride needs less of them, so you're talking out of your ass here.
 
Crazycoaster said:
I mean, I don't think most American's can really have an opinion on car aesthetics tbh, all that anyone in the US drives is a sedan, a pickup or a dodge. You'd be surprised by how much time and effort goes into the aesthetics of car design. B&M certainly do design their rides with aesthetics in mind. Their supports are specially made in a far more expensive way to be stronger and simpler, meaning a ride needs less of them, so you're talking out of your ass here.
Click to expand...

Considering that I work for an auto maker and work closely with the design studio, I'm not talking out of my ass. Aesthetics are a relatively low priority and usually a byproduct of optimized design. In B&M's case, they've been optimizing every aspect of their rides, from specific element shaping to ride dynamics to NVH for over 25 years, and thus the aesthetics essentially become second nature. Compare Raptor to Banshee - the support structure is thinner on Banshee and the elements are profiled differently, and Banshee is a better looking ride as a result of years of optimization.

We're literally discussing a prototype from S&S. They just want the damn thing to work. If it ends up being a hit and they sell more products, I'm sure their future models will look "better" due to refinement and lessons learned.

And considering your opinion on the US auto market, you clearly don't know the US auto market.
 
Crazycoaster said:
I mean, I don't think most American's can really have an opinion on car aesthetics tbh, all that anyone in the US drives is a sedan, a pickup or a dodge. You'd be surprised by how much time and effort goes into the aesthetics of car design. B&M certainly do design their rides with aesthetics in mind. Their supports are specially made in a far more expensive way to be stronger and simpler, meaning a ride needs less of them, so you're talking out of your ass here.
Click to expand...

Interesting number of generalizations you've come to there CC. I expected better from you tbh, especially given your point is not a hard one to back up. But petty insults? Come on now.
 
Antinos said:
Considering that I work for an auto maker and work closely with the design studio, I'm not talking out of my ass. Aesthetics are a relatively low priority and usually a byproduct of optimized design. In B&M's case, they've been optimizing every aspect of their rides, from specific element shaping to ride dynamics to NVH for over 25 years, and thus the aesthetics essentially become second nature. Compare Raptor to Banshee - the support structure is thinner on Banshee and the elements are profiled differently, and Banshee is a better looking ride as a result of years of optimization.

We're literally discussing a prototype from S&S. They just want the damn thing to work. If it ends up being a hit and they sell more products, I'm sure their future models will look "better" due to refinement and lessons learned.

And considering your opinion on the US auto market, you clearly don't know the US auto market.
Click to expand...
I take it that you work for an American auto maker? That kinda proves my point then, doesn't it. ;)

I can tell you that for most european automakers, aesthetics play a hugely important role. I've been going to the US since I was 2/3, I've seen enough of the freeways to work out what the average american drives. It's size over style. It's just an interesting thing I've noticed every time I've been there.

Snoo said:
Interesting number of generalizations you've come to there CC. I expected better from you tbh, especially given your point is not a hard one to back up. But petty insults? Come on now.
Click to expand...
I'm taking the piss, obviously I'm playing when I say that American's can't have an opinion. Y'all are pretty humourless when it comes to your own country. It's like our favourite pastime in the UK to make fun of ourselves.
 
Crazycoaster said:
I can tell you that for most european automakers, aesthetics play a hugely important role.
Click to expand...
*ahem* ​

So I'll actually stick my neck out there and say Steel Curtain actually looks great. Is it overly supported? Absolutely. Does it look like K'Nex was involved in the creative process? Probably. But I really enjoy the layout footprint, and having the track cross across same trusses throughout the ride. It's a clutter-o-steel, but a condensed clutter! (I also think this will look all the better on the ground, once complete)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top