What simulator has the BEST ...

What simulator has the best synchronization between the visuals and the motion?

Please forgive me, I do know TOS, this is an honest question, as my current girlfriend experiences some vertigo from problems in her inner ear. I was wondering if anyone else here would share their comments on which simulators do and do not bother them, and why.

Thanks,

Sprig

never been on one, but i have always heard that spiderman is way better than all the others. would that be consitered a simulator?

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SFOGeorgia.
Can't wait for Superman: Ultimate Flight
Drachen Fire, RIP: 1992-1998 Dismantled 2002

*** This post was edited by SFOGeorgia on 2/28/2002. ***

SPIDERMAN is ten times better than any other sim I have ever ridden! :)

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Charles Nungester
167 coasters and hopes to be over 200 by the end of 2002 :)

I've been on 3. Space Shuttle America at SFGAm, Elvira Holloween at Mall of America, and Texas Giant at Mall of America. I think the best one was Space Shuttle America, even though it has a weak plot. The worst was Elvira... so stupid, and I just don't like Elvira. She is annoying. Texas Giant just doesn't cut it. Riding a motion simulator shouldn't have a coaster showing, it should be some sort of movie. If I want to ride a coaster, I want to ride a coaster, not a seat with a giant community lap bar or a seat belt.

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I still have no signature.

I totally agree. Spiderman all the way!

Spiderman is more of an 'attraction' to us in the industry. It still rocks. For 'interaction', Men In Black next door is awsome, and the price was right, and $30 million less than Spiderman. The best flat out sit down and watch is at Star Trek: the Experience in Vegas. Honerable mention goes to the IMAX Funhouse, and the Richard Petty Simulator at the Sahara.

Spiderman is a DARK RIDE!!!! Not a simulator. Don't insult my precious Spidey like that!

Anyways, I'm going with Alcatraz: The Ride at SFGAdv.

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-Kyle Brylczyk
SAVE INVADER ZIM!

Look, I was one of the first on Alctraz, and it was a stinker. It is a rip off of Independence Day, and I would love to be there and see the operators hold a straight face when they tell the guests it is $13. Good luck with that crowd.

I wouldn't count Spidey, he's got all the other sims "caught in his web". Not really a fair comparison. But I suffer sometimes a small *bout* of nausea from the poorly timed simulators. Body Wars was pretty rough on me, as was the NASTY one BGT used to have based on some professor's invention or something (glad that's gone). Akbar's at BGT is somewhat better, The Dino Island 3-D is better still, and probably the most N'Sync (calm down jeremy, we're not talking about the band, LMAO) that I can think of is BttF at USF...

Spider-man goes beyond being a simulator. It's an experience and it is by far the best dark ride I have ever ridden! It's simply amazing! Your girlfriend will probably experience vertigo on it since there's a part where you seem to fall 400 ft. down the side of a building. It's simply amazing! I thought I was falling when I rode it. It's just that good.

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The 2 best pure simulators I have been on are "Back to the Future" at Universal (Hollywood and Orlando) and "In Search of the Obelisk"at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas. Both are very intense, have very fast changes of direction and sync up very well with the on-screen action. The Luxor ride was so wild, the seat cushion actually flew out from under my butt during an extreme direction change. Both can give you bad headaches, neckaches or nausea if you are sensitive to being tossed around, though (especially if you've been drinking at the craps tables at the Luxor!).

The next level would include "Smash Factory" at Paramount's FX Action Theaters (with individually controlled seats), "Funtastic World of Hanna Barbara" at Universal Orlando, "Body Wars" at EPCOT, and "Corksrew Hill" at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. These are not nearly as intense nor do they sync up quite as well with the on-screen action, but are still a lot of fun. Actually "Body Wars" is pretty intense, but the screen is small and it is not as immersive.

On the low end of the scale are the simulators at the Excalibur hotel in Vegas, "Mission: Bermuda Triangle" at SFWoA, and "Space Shuttle America" at SFGAm. These feel more like sitting in the back of a pickup truck than being on a motion ride. "Space Shuttle" is a little better than the others but the moving platforms are so freakin' big, that the response time is way too slow to accurately match the screen action.

In general, I feel the size of the motion unit and the size of the size (and your proximity to it) make the most difference. Simulators that seat less than 15 people have faster response times and a wider range of motion. And the more the screen envelopes your range of vision, the more your body and brain sync up the images and the better the ride is.

Spiderman all the way.

Coasterman Mike

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Now, a card carrying member of ACE.
Total rides on Pittfall: 255
Total rides on Superman:UE : 633

Coaster131 said:

Spiderman is a DARK RIDE!!!! Not a simulator. Don't insult my precious Spidey like that!

So the ride doesn't simulate a 400 foot drop at the end? It doesn't simulate a ride a building top level at any point? It doesn't simulate a romp through the city in the middle of the chaos? It doesn't simulate attacks by fire among other things?

I must have rode the wrong Spiderman at IOA because the one I was on sure simulated a whole bunch of things...and quite well at that! ;)

For what it's worth -

The sync on iWERKS motion rides is heavily dependent on the opening of the attraction. The film's audio track is synced via a sort of keyframe system.

That is, if I remember correctly, you are to line up the first frame of film in the projector as best as you can, and input the total number of frames into the computer. From there, it syncs the audio and seat movements.

If the first frame isn't properly aligned, the sync is off. As the day goes on, and you run through the program more and more, the sync gets progressively worse. The easiest way to fix it is to go back and realign the film. It's a moderately tedious process.

Also, splicing the film together has, of course, the same effect. Once the program runs past the spliced film, the audio and motion syncs are a few frames off. It's usually unnoticeable to the public, but when you've seen Superstition (for example) 2000 times, you learn to notice these things :)

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~~~ M ~~~
Official Driver for the Long Island Regional.

I agree with Lord Gonchar all the way. Spidey senses must be tingling !

Soaring over California at DCA is hands down the best and most beautiful sim I've ever been on. Being shoved into a giant curved/domed Imax screen in a swinging chair it so cool. You don't get the nasea since you're not bouncing around in a small cabin or anything. And the aroma effects throughout are a nice touch. You are so completely engulfed by the giant domed screen, you can actually look down past your feet and see scenery flying right underneath you. Like a great coaster, everyone always applauds at the end of the ride, everytime, it's that good! Really an amazing unique ride.

Honorable mention goes to Back to the Future, and the domed Imax 3-D Race To Atlantis in Vegas.

*** This post was edited by Draco on 3/1/2002. ***

Wow. I didn't even think of Soarin'. That is the obvious answer here in my opinion.

Its gentle, yet breathtaking. Very immersive. Really a masterpiece among the simulator rides.

And yes, people clap at the conclusion of the ride. That may happen at Cedar Point, but in Southern California, no one ever claps that the end of rides, no matter how good they are.

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Xcelerator-
0-82 in 2.3 seconds! =Wow!

I loved Soarin' so much. My dad talked me into riding it because I had no interest and California Screaming was calling me. When I saw the "pods" my jaw dropped! Everything from the scents to the amazing screen makes that ride one of the best Sim's anywhere.
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Those who think young say Pepsi please!

I can only speak for myself here, but I've been on several of these, and I do get neaseous on some. No matter the size of the screen, no matter the soundtrack, I definitely notice if the motion of the seats is off vs. the on-screen image timing-wise, even by a *little*. I think a larger screen makes a good one better, and a "wonky" one way bad...I'm rocking and getting queasy just thinking about it...

Sprig said:
What simulator has the best synchronization between the visuals and the motion?

Well... if you're counting Spiderman, then the discussion is over. NO simulator // dark ride synchronization is anywhere near as good. When Spiderman jumps on your vehicle in the beginning and it moves accordingly -- wow...

Most motion sims, other than Spidey are pretty much the same. BTTF is my personal favorite, Body Wars is the only one that has ever made me a bit ill. Maybe it was because of the synchronization?

EDIT: Haven't been on Soarin' so I, naturally, forgot about it. From what I've heard that would be your best bet second only to Spiderman. Of course, neither Spiderman nor Soarin' are "traditional" motion sims.

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Rollercoaster -PA
http://gandc.20m.com/index.html

*** This post was edited by HPWildcat on 3/2/2002. ***