Curse of DarKastle

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That it's been more than a decade since either the ride system or video has received an update is mind-boggling to me. What was cutting-edge technology in 2005 is now dated, which doesn't account for the damages caused to the ride system over the years.

Aside from the increasingly weak and out-of-sync movements, I recently realized just how dated the picture itself looks. Computer animation has come a long way in 12 years, and now DarKastle's CGI looks unfinished by modern standards.

I'd say DarKastle is due for a lengthy, full scale refurbishment- not just a little fix-up. At this point, I would not protest closing the ride for a season to completely rework it. I'm talking an all-out renovation for improved motion, new HD show scenes and/or an HD re-animation of the video, and so forth- much like the Spiderman renovation at IOA years ago.

If a full-scale redo is ever on the table (I doubt it is at the moment), perhaps the sleighs could be designated as "mild" or "wild" rides like Antarctica at SWO. This would help reduce the motion-sickness issues the ride faces, although I am not sure how feasible or reliable this would be.

Also- just as a fun personal idea (not a legitimate suggestion)- I think it would be interesting if for a select few scenes, multiple interchangeable videos were created. The scenes could randomly change between rides, creating dozens of potential combinations of experiences (not unlike Star Tours at DHS). The downside, of course, is the cost of animating and producing the additional scenes.

But really. A massive DarKastle overhaul, with the proper marketing, could prove large enough to make it the "big" addition for a particular year. It's really past due.
 
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The trackless ride system on Antarctica as it is would not work, but Oceaneering could probably create a new vehicle with the trackless technology befitting Curse of DarKastle. In my opinion, the updated scenes in 2006 look fine. However, it would help all scenes if they could have seamless transitions such as continuous CGI snow in the first scene, until the video is triggered.

The ride as is already practically has a "mild" and "wild" but they can't really control it like on Antarctica. In other words, the ride has a various range of intensities. What matters is why it varies so much and if they can harness the potential more, like on Antarctica.

Another issue is that the 2006 programming didn't take the physical scenery into consideration as much. The original footage fits better with the scenery, because the scenery didn't have to look very realistic to blend in with the video. The flat window curtains in the dining room scene are a perfect example.

Super78 was able to upload firmware updates remotely to the park by visualizing the ride and motions using VR headsets of that time. This means that they were not able to get a very good idea of what the physical scenery looked like, so it was forgotten in most cases. The recent rebirth of VR might help them tremendously throughout the process of an all out update.

Although the technology on this ride has been declining for years, it's a very recent thing that we are actually able to do something about it.
 
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What I want to happen is a full re-imagining of this ride from the ground up. To be real, though - that's probably not in the cards.

Short of that, I think they should just install VR headsets in the sleighs and call it a day. I'm not a fan of VR necessarily, but I just don't see SEAS putting money into this ride and doing it justice. So they might as well gut it and refurb it with cheaper and (possibly) more reliable technology.
 
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This ride needs a serious overhaul. When I last rode it during Howl-O-Scream, a lot of the scenes looked blurry and the audio wasn't properly synced.

My suggestion would be the same upgrades Universal did to Spiderman at IOA. They use new 4K projections and the visuals are much more clear than before. They blended in well with the actual props inside the ride. The transitions between each scene are seamless now and not as frenetic as the original. And with the enhanced visuals they are able to use the newer dichroic 3D glasses providing the rider with much improved quality.

I vote NO for VR on DarKastle. That would just create absolute shit capacity especially on a busy day.
 
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I think a 4k refurb is pie in the sky.

I wouldn't vote for a VR experience, either, but from my understanding the standing technology is Windows NT/2000 era and an incremental upgrade is probably unobtainable, or more expensive than SEAS is willing to fork over. So from my perspective they either let the ride sit and rot, or gut it in favor of something easier and/or more reliable while maintaing the essence of the original ride.

Or they could just tear the whole thing down and build a new attraction, which I doubt isn't on the table.
 
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when I toured the ride during the Ultimate Insider's Tour they told us they were replacing the projectors a few per year. I have also heard that the ride you get depends on the sleigh you ride. They each carry their own program and no 2 are alike.

Having said all that, yeah it is time for something new. But remember that is how we went from Questor to King Arthur's Challenge...
 
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Zimmy said:
when I toured the ride during the Ultimate Insider's Tour they told us they were replacing the projectors a few per year.  I have also heard that the ride you get depends on the sleigh you ride.  They each carry their own program and no 2 are alike.

Having said all that, yeah it is time for something new.  But remember that is how we went from Questor to King Arthur's Challenge...
Click to expand...
Having worked DarKastle for four seasons, each sleigh gives the exact same ride. There might be a few slight variations in the programing of each one for the roll, pitch and yaw; but to say each one gives it's own ride experience is disingenuous.
 
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I have always wondered what causes those minor variations. I realize that not all 15 sleighs have their own unique programming, but I wonder what causes some to run feeling very rigid, whereas some feel almost like the 2006 ride programming, aside from the lack of spinning in the fireplace.

Sometimes I feel more exaggerated side-to-side movement while the sleigh seems to be moving along the track slower than usual. Can any given sleigh can change intensity based on timing and spacing or does the same sleigh deliver the same program each time?
 
They've had them since at least the 2016 season from what I understand and some of the sleighs have them in the back row as well. The employees must have gotten tired of having to clean up spilled drinks on the floor, I know I would have.
 
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So are these for covered drinks or for the drinks that they give you without lids? They should bring back the full motion of the ride if they are taking these measures to prevent spills. Unfortunately, the toning down of the motion might have been due to another, nastier type of spill.
 
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I guess I wonder why the protocol has EVER been that drinks can come on the ride at all. It's both odd that the park never prohibited it, and equally odd that people just naturally bring soft drinks onto a ride. *shrug*

Wouldn't it be great if, for 2018, the park got a double dark ride reboot? New VR simulator AND an HD-reformat, ride tune-up for DarKastle.
 
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