[NL2] Firestorm - gouldy

[gouldy]

I've messed around with NL2 for long enough now to [sort of] know what I'm doing most of the time, so it's time for a complete coaster!

More of a practice than anything else, but I will be uploading it. It's heavily inspired by Storm Runner @ Hershey Park, although it's been made to fit into a tighter footprint.

Criticism, ideas, hints, and tips always welcome.


Couple of piccies.

Sim:









Editor:

A bit light on originality as you said, but despite that it looks really sweet. Hope to see it finished

[gouldy]

Cheers! Yeah, the aim was definitely not to build a unique ride, more just learning the new editor.

Any comments on the top hat in particular would be welcome, because I don't think it's right. Doesn't look particularly Intamin, given the tight radius at the very top (looks a little more S&S), but it rides so nicely as it is, that I've left it for now.

Yeah the tophat looks a bit tight at the apex. Most all the Intamin tophats are a bit different from the last, particularly those with differing heights, so you have a bit of leeway there. I'd pull some pictures of the most similar tophats and check the radius of curvature at different points along the pullover, the length of the leadin and leadout, the length of straight track at the inflection point, if any, and the ratio of pullout to pullover height. Looking at those criteria should help you get something you're happier with.

I'm unsure about the ending though...seems pretty expensive for not much payoff. I kinda like it though. I'd say it could be better for ride progression at the start of the ride, but that probably wouldn't work out great if your launch is hydraulic. Just some thoughts.

Before I saw your last comment, I was already thinking that the tophat is definitely too tight. If you could work on widening it, I think it would ride even better than it's riding now. It'll just take a bit of time to get it to be shaped correctly and still feel right. The snake dive looks nice. Although the elements are of course Storm Runner's, I really think it's cool how you've rearranged the order. Particularly, the double-up curve right after the immelmann. Maybe change the color of the track so it's not quite so exact to Storm Runner?

[Turbo]

after the first brake run on the 2 tube track have a little more supporting. Looks great otherwise

[mkingy]

Looks good Gouldy! What sort of themeing you going to go for? Fairly heavily wooded or something a bit more open / expansive?

I'd agree with Turbo on the, when you compare it to Superman: Ride of Steel's last airtime hills the 2-tube track has a large frequency of supports!

[gouldy]

Thanks for the comments.

I worked on the top hat some more last night, comparing it to various Intamin top hats. I have something now that seems to much closer resemble Intamin's top hats. I'll take some more screenshots tonight if you'd like a look.

Mkingy, I'll be making it fairly heavily wooded, but there won't be any particular 'theme', I don't think, as this really was just a practice with the editor and I'd like to get it out of the way and get started on a 'proper' project.

I'll add some more supports to the final 2-tube part of the track, thanks for that, Turbo.

And I think I'll take tiepilot up on his suggestion and change the colours, so that it isn't just 'squashed Storm Runner'.

Looks awesome Gouldy!

Looks intense!
Love the colors [8D]

[gouldy]

Sorry Barone, the colours have changed! Although it has to be said that the colours aren't final - just trying to differentiate it a little from Storm Runner. To that end, maybe I shouldn't call it Storm Force?

Cheers, Jakizle!

Tinkered a little bit with it tonight and last night; I'm personally happy with the top hat now, but here it is again in case it still looks off to anyone:



It looks a lot more like an Intamin top hat, IMO. But most importantly, it now rides a lot more like the Intamin top hats that I've ridden.

Some other general screens:










Don't know about the colours anymore, tried quite a few schemes and wasn't happy. I'll probably finish all the supports before swapping the colours again.

I like the colors.

[gouldy]

Yeah, they are a little bit jet coaster-ish...

[Coasterkidmwm]

Drachen Fire much?

I liked the original colors a lot. And this looks really fun.

[TTD03]

Yea I agree, the original colors were much better than the new ones.
The ride looks great so far!

[mkingy]

If you're set on new colours then maybe something a bit more bold and less sky-like?

[gouldy]

The ride isn't far off finished now, I'm happy with the track work and am basically just doing the supports before I add the scenery and trees etc.

Just some colour comparisons for now, although I'm personally steadily arriving at the opinion that Intamin track just looks really good in red.

Sky blue.




Dark Teal.




Blue.




...Storm Runner.





For whatever reason I find it much easier to make colour schemes with other coaster types, but Intamin... I can never decide.

Opinions?

I'd advise against the sky-blue, it doesn't contrast enough with the supports! the other 3 are quite close with the red being the most striking, but least original.

[TTD03]

Do the Storm Runner red with yellow supports. Just like your original colors.
Basically, the same colors as TTD.

[gouldy]

Anyone else have this issue when supporting the ride in tunnels?

The darkness of the tunnel doesn't seem to affect the track connection node, by the looks of it? Looks a bit shart, to be honest. What do?

Those tunnels are still not dark enough. They should fade to pitch blackness like in real life.

Can you color the node a much darker red?

I haven't tested this but maybe there's a way to make a black light (as in the color black) that emits the color black..

[gouldy]

Originally posted by Jakizle

Can you color the node a much darker red?

This was my first thought, but clicking on the node itself just brings up the support style/colour window, not the (if there is one) window for the node.

Gonna have to have a go at somethings like Kyle has suggested.

I might put just normal lights in there so it lights up the track as well at those points, so it's not as obvious...?


Also, I changed the name of the ride to Firestorm, because it fits the new 'theme' of the ride better.