We're getting Izzy back! Sorry everyone, I tell bad jokes when I'm sad. Mark me down as someone who would be pretty devastated if I never get another ride on this (not BBW devastated but at least that was announced ahead of time). Darkastle was tamed over the years but I never had a ride that didn't warrant a spin on this while at the park. Great theming, great story, great ride in my opinion. Also a great way to get out of the sun on a hot day. To my recollection they always kept it pretty cool in there. Maybe they will re-theme it to a park that has a curse on ride themes containing a wolf. Curse of Der Wolf maybe... There goes another bad joke. Don't let these bad jokes continue BG, figure it out and keep Curse of Darkastle open!
Curse of DarKastle
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
BGT actually already filed permits to enclose it at it's current location. It looks like the plans may have been put on hold.
Back on the topic of DarKastle, it appears that what ever exclusivity contract Busch Entertainment had with Falcon's Creative Group has expired. The ride's film is available for purchase for any park now. I don't know how long it's been available since I don't frequent their website.
Something I did notice was that the "show" has a duration of 4 mins and 52 secs. Which makes me wonder if Falcon's Creative generated video scenes that bridge between the various ride scenes for use at a park that might want to use this film in a regular 3D theater or motion simulator.
As I don't know how long they have advertised this film's availability publicly, I have to wonder if it showing up on their website for other's to use has anything to do with DarKastle's closure.
Hmmm...
But who knows, they could have had it listed up there for the last 3-4 years and I just noticed it.
Something I did notice was that the "show" has a duration of 4 mins and 52 secs. Which makes me wonder if Falcon's Creative generated video scenes that bridge between the various ride scenes for use at a park that might want to use this film in a regular 3D theater or motion simulator.
As I don't know how long they have advertised this film's availability publicly, I have to wonder if it showing up on their website for other's to use has anything to do with DarKastle's closure.
Hmmm...
But who knows, they could have had it listed up there for the last 3-4 years and I just noticed it.
I think the licensing from Falcon's Treehouse started in late 2015. I think that was also approximately when all of their CODK merchandise was discontinued.
I know we still don't know for sure that the ride isn't opening, but that started to make me suspicious. These are exactly the events that coincided with the closures of Corkscrew Hill and several other film-based attractions.
Then again, Turtle Trek was added to Falcon's lineup after only three years of operation. TT has SeaWorld trademarks all over it, and I don't see them removing Turtle Trek anytime soon without at least a VR upgrade.
I know we still don't know for sure that the ride isn't opening, but that started to make me suspicious. These are exactly the events that coincided with the closures of Corkscrew Hill and several other film-based attractions.
Then again, Turtle Trek was added to Falcon's lineup after only three years of operation. TT has SeaWorld trademarks all over it, and I don't see them removing Turtle Trek anytime soon without at least a VR upgrade.
Whatever happens, I hope there is a plan in place for the use of the area. Would hate to see the place just sitting there when it's not being used for HOS or CT.
For those who might want to create a model of the ride vehicles, here it the patent for the vehicles and some measurements not listed. The speaker system is left out, but it has a 16 channel, 5.1 surround system. For those interested in that part, this article explains it pretty well.
I hadn’t ever ridden the ride until 2013. Even from 2013-2017 I definitely remember a difference in the experience. If they do renovations they need to reprogram the sleighs. I’ve had rides where i was facing the completely wrong way coming into a screen and only heard audio. I still love the ride and I always ride it a few times when i’m in the park. I’m just hoping it doesn’t close forever, it’s mt favorite non-coaster in the park.
Shane said:
After re-reading this, there's something really funny about the idea of Kings Dominion just buying the DarKastle video and quietly showing it in the Action Theater as a 3D movie.
So, I have pretty compelling evidence pointing to this ride not opening for the 2018 season. Sad to see it go, lots of memories. 
Lord Robert said:Thomas said:So, I have pretty compelling evidence pointing to this ride not opening for the 2018 season. Sad to see it go, lots of memories.
That's sad to hear, hopefully the park can announce what they intend to do with it.
Agreed. It's lost it's luster, but it still held a special place to me. I'm hoping the plan is to do something akin to a BfE overhaul as opposed to defunct but standing status.
I know it would be touchy subject for some, but if Battle for Eire is a huge hit...could the park do 2 VR rides? Keep this one as a projector screen ride? The space for DK does offer a ton of possibilities.
My uninformed take: There is a ton of seemingly proven ride vehicle/tracking hardware already in that building. If the biggest issue is the elaborate collection of complicated, expensive, finicky set pieces and projectors and etc., then VR could offer a way out of that trap.
I'm assuming the ride vehicles (Oceaneering's simplified approach to their big-dollar Spider-man vehicle hardware, as I understand it) are not a major source of headache -- or at least not a sufficiently major issue to warrant scrapping the entire ride system.
Barring that, maybe there is an opportunity to build a ride experience atop the existing conveyance system, putting the more complex and dynamic displays in the headset, while keeping the large-scale physical hardware minimized.
One thing I'm curious about... do these headset displays offer the possibility of letting the rider partially see through them like a half-silvered mirror, while overlaying the VR experience in the field of view? Coupled with motion tracking, that would be pretty badass...
I'm assuming the ride vehicles (Oceaneering's simplified approach to their big-dollar Spider-man vehicle hardware, as I understand it) are not a major source of headache -- or at least not a sufficiently major issue to warrant scrapping the entire ride system.
Barring that, maybe there is an opportunity to build a ride experience atop the existing conveyance system, putting the more complex and dynamic displays in the headset, while keeping the large-scale physical hardware minimized.
One thing I'm curious about... do these headset displays offer the possibility of letting the rider partially see through them like a half-silvered mirror, while overlaying the VR experience in the field of view? Coupled with motion tracking, that would be pretty badass...
halfabee said:
What you're talking about is AR, versus VR. Augmented Reality. Essentially, it does just what you said. You are able to apply a virtual image overtop of reality. For an example pretty much everyone is familiar with, look at the down lines on an NFL game broadcast. It's computer imagery augmenting the reality of the camera shot. Pokémon Go is a great example of simple AR on a smartphone. For a more high tech approach, there are quite a few companies playing with AR. Microsoft's HoloLens, Google Glass, Daqri, a bunch of 'em are out there. I'd personally love to see it used instead of VR on a coaster somewhere, just for the novelty of it if nothing else. But yeah, it would be possible.
mtpelepele said:
Augmented reality in the form of something other than using a camera and a screen is also still expensive at the moment, do to the price of translucent screens.
In fact I think a lot of the technologies that he would be thinking of there as somewhere between screens and VR would still be really expensive. AR, holograms, ect.
For the sake of this discussion though:
If you wanted to do AR, maybe you keep the sets, projectors, and screens. Instead of wearing 3D/AR glasses, you wear the 3D glasses, and a AR screen is put on the vehicle itself.
I'll still throw in that is they haven't tried to sell the ride vehicles, I would prefer a retrofit to the vehicles that turns this into a interactive 3D dark ride.
I would love to see a story line of the royals being forced out of their castle by the monsters of the Brothers Grimm, lead by Ludwig, the prince of Werewolves. (So old country Germany shoutout with Brothers Grimm, history of the ride shoutout with Ludwig, and BBW shoutout with werewolves with a deeper tie in). Ludwig once used to terrorize near by towns from here to the Rhine river (Heeeeeyyyy BBW shoutout), and when a tourist company drove him out of town (Verbolten!) he ran to the hills. In the hills he found other monsters, and a castle, which the over power the royals in there to take over the place. You, the rider, is brought in as a renowned "monster hunter" to save the castle and give the royals their place back.
So each "room" would be inhabited with a different monster, and his/her minions, and you shoot at them and get points. As you venture deeper and deeper you get close to Ludwig at the heart of the castle.
The current fireplace 'scene' would become (in my plan here) the "wolfden" where you would hear snarls, see eyes, and shoot all over. And the final room is a showdown with Ludwig.
Hey...a man can dream right?
If I'm reading warfelg's post right, Verbolten's tourist company is a villain in this story for driving the monsters to the castle in the first place? I like that concept.
Great info, thanks. I've thought of AR as NFL broadcasts, the hideous 90's-era NHL puck halo, and more recently Ingress (as I'm not a Pokemon Go fan). Seems like true orientation-aware AR would be a natural fit for headsets, though it also seems from the post above that cost is still an issue at this time.mtpelepele said:
I don't see much value in the Darkastle headset route if there will be no way to look at "real" prop scenery beyond the headset images. That's likely to yield literally a ride through a cavernous dark empty box with an immersive headset on, and I don't believe you need an entire building to achieve that. The AR experience I had in mind may not yet be cost-competitive if the tech is still really expensive, but I feel that would otherwise be the sweet spot that allows you to retain the convincing presence of physical scenery without deploying a brigade of projectors and massive screens to create visual action.
Maybe someday.
I personally would strongly be against a VR overlay in DarKastle for several reasons and would essentially view it as a downgrade even if it was done in the best form possibly.
1. DarKastle is designed as an attraction with a mixture of screens, physcial sets, and practical effects. This all combines together to create an immersive environment. As the ride has aged some effects have been turned off, but the ride still has a mixture of screens and physical sets that blend together as one in synchronization. Putting a screen right over guest faces is wasting the existing massive show building that could hold so much more than just being shuttered into darkness and only home to the vehicle traveling through with guests wearing VR headsets
2. Operationally VR attractions have ranged from doable and succesful on attractions like Derren Brown's Ghost Train as well as Galatica. However, some VR experiments such as Six Flags attempts on several coasters have lead to several hour long waits. Adding VR limits the capacity forcing guests into the queue and instead of spending time on the parkways making purchases or going on other attractions they could be potentially waiting in significant queues.
3. Cleanliness comes to concern on VR attractions and with small but many trains on the course at a time this would add to the exsiting load time to clean the headsets. The park would attempt to combat this most likely with more employees as seen in Kraken: Unleashed with an increased number of employees and even here at home on Tempesto when they have an employee collecting small loose articles. Now the rides capactiy is being slashed and more employees are required to operate this attraction.
4. Finally, if this attraction was to see a retrofit it would automatically be compared to Battle for Eire. There is no need for a second VR attraction similar to how there isn't really a need for two of the same type of coasters in the park or any park in general. Theoretically, if this happened less than five years from the opening of Battle for Eire now the park has stolen the spotlight off of their heavily marketed VR attraction in an attempt to showcase another VR attraction re-utilzing another simulator based.
Now I know this is entirely speculation and banter amongst the community. I don't think DarKastle will ever get VR just thought I should throw in my two cents.
1. DarKastle is designed as an attraction with a mixture of screens, physcial sets, and practical effects. This all combines together to create an immersive environment. As the ride has aged some effects have been turned off, but the ride still has a mixture of screens and physical sets that blend together as one in synchronization. Putting a screen right over guest faces is wasting the existing massive show building that could hold so much more than just being shuttered into darkness and only home to the vehicle traveling through with guests wearing VR headsets
2. Operationally VR attractions have ranged from doable and succesful on attractions like Derren Brown's Ghost Train as well as Galatica. However, some VR experiments such as Six Flags attempts on several coasters have lead to several hour long waits. Adding VR limits the capacity forcing guests into the queue and instead of spending time on the parkways making purchases or going on other attractions they could be potentially waiting in significant queues.
3. Cleanliness comes to concern on VR attractions and with small but many trains on the course at a time this would add to the exsiting load time to clean the headsets. The park would attempt to combat this most likely with more employees as seen in Kraken: Unleashed with an increased number of employees and even here at home on Tempesto when they have an employee collecting small loose articles. Now the rides capactiy is being slashed and more employees are required to operate this attraction.
4. Finally, if this attraction was to see a retrofit it would automatically be compared to Battle for Eire. There is no need for a second VR attraction similar to how there isn't really a need for two of the same type of coasters in the park or any park in general. Theoretically, if this happened less than five years from the opening of Battle for Eire now the park has stolen the spotlight off of their heavily marketed VR attraction in an attempt to showcase another VR attraction re-utilzing another simulator based.
Now I know this is entirely speculation and banter amongst the community. I don't think DarKastle will ever get VR just thought I should throw in my two cents.