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Mar 7, 2024
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so, the last time rmc worked with six flags/cedar fair was in 2022 and rmc hasn't worked with them since, and giving how bad their build quality in recent years (espcially stunt pilot wheel thing), did six flags dumped rmc like they did with intamin & gerstlauer?
 
They hired them not too long ago to put 208 Retrak on Shivering Timbers I believe, so there’s still some form of relationship there
yeah but im talking about in terms of building coasters or converting rough coasters into better ones
 
We have no good way to know honestly. Anything anyone can say right now is more or less speculation. Would love Hurler to get the RMC treatment tho
 
I think it’s mostly a matter of their core parks either already having a Raptor, not having a woodie prime for conversion (or already having an IBOX), or the lineups not particularly needing it.

Hurler is really the only truly sore thumb I can think of.
 
Seems to me 2 things. One, people running parks think a bit like most of us and have specific expectations about RMC. The other is they aren't really that cheap. Except for Raptors, which is a cost-cutting concept, they've all been first of a kind, probably "deals", or cost reduced by converting an existing coaster (but still in the new coaster price bracket). These together limit the kinds of coasters they're asked to do.
 
I think it comes down to RMC not really offering a product Six Flags is currently interested in. After the most recent round of sales, only five parks owned by the chain lack an RMC creation...

Canada's Wonderland: Probably the most likely park in the chain to get a new RMC at present, especially as one was pitched in the survey, but I definitely wouldn't bank on that being a near term project given the direction the company is moving.

Carowinds: Next most likely, but given that they're surrounded by RMC attractions in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, it might feel a bit late to the party.

Dorney Park: Don't see them getting anything from the company given their two biggest competitors already have RMC attractions.

Kings Island: Eh, maybe, but I feel like they take so much pride in their collection of wood coasters that a hybrid might be seen as sacrilege there. Plus, with Steel Vengeance just across the state, anything that isn't a top two or three RMC ride would be seen as a disappointment at the property.

Knott's Berry Farm: California already has four RMC coasters at other parks. Knott's is very restricted on what they're able to build. An RMC would not be the best use of their very valuable real estate.

At least domestically, RMC is really running into the issue of a shrinking market for their products, and that is not unique to Six Flags. Most parks that want a large RMC attraction already have one, and the smaller raptors don't perform well enough to be worth the investment in larger, coaster saturated parks, but at the same time the price tag (which I've heard is in the neighborhood of $8 million for the basic Stunt Pilot model) is too much for many smaller parks to afford. I'm sure if RMC comes out with something that Six Flags wants to buy we'll see the two companies working together again, but I don't think they'll be the guinea pig for a novel new design the way they were in the past and will wait until a product is established before spending money on it.
 
It’s amazing to me - to @amperedragon ’s point - how quickly RMC ran through it’s core product and the available inventory of what they were known for.

Sometimes I do question how much some missteps in the years hurt them. Lightning Rod’s issues, some of the early hiccups with Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance. I imagine some parks had concerns if they had a coaster go down regularly with issues, that was worse than it just being in rough shape.

The fact that the Raptor never took off, and the TRex never developing into anything really hurt them. Those were supposed to open up a whole new level of instillations they would have and they just lost that quickly.

Random other RMC issue:
The number of dueling/racing coasters that they killed in favor of one track coasters really bugs me and should be in the ‘grinds my gears’ thread. The fact that they haven’t been able to take one of those and do something mind blowing is just — makes me want to scream. Like Iron Gwazi is my biggest gripe with this. I love that coaster, but I can’t tell you what my level of love would be if it was left as a dueling set of RMC tracks, maybe with the different types of track so one felt more airtime and lateral force driven while the other featured more inversions and sudden movements.
 
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