u/crybaby_boobie

I remember riding the Black Diamond Mining Company coaster years ago, and thinking it was a pretty good thrill ride in addition to being a fun spooky dark ride. I remember the drops and turns being pretty quick and somewhat intense.

However, I rode it this past Saturday (after explaining to my friends what I thought they should expect) and it seemed like there were brakes kicking in on every drop? As in, before the car even got to the bottom of the drop, at was slowed down?

Did they add something to make the ride slower, or am I just misremembering how it used to be the last time I rode it? It's not a case of me being a kid when I first rode it, I couldn't have been younger than 25 when I first rode it.

So, say I'm tuning down at the bridge, with the hex key, while in zone 2. If I go too far, does that mean I'll just go into zone 1? So I just have to tighten at the headstock, and hopefully it goes back into zone 2? And if the tension is too low, tightening at the headstock pegs won't put it into zone 2 and will just go past the pitch without ever "balancing" on the one pitch you turned to with the hex key? Am I thinking about that correctly? I'm trying to imagine how to test how low I can get away with tuning while still having the bridge function. I already have low-tension modules and would like to avoid having to get thicker strings if possible.

For example, say I want to tune a set of Zippy Slinkys to Eb standard. According to their tension calculator, this would put the top two strings at about 7lbs of tension each. The site says low-tension saddles can handle 8-22lbs of tension.

Can I expect it definitely won't work and I'll need to bump up a gauge? Or is there a chance it would still be fine?

Personally, I'm ecstatic about the game and super hyped in general. But in regard to the theme presentation, I have mixed feelings. The visuals seem kind of "safe" and generic, without a lot of imagination. The art seems to be dominated by pretty generic-looking 3D renders and the screen seems to mostly just display Sonic Generations gameplay.

The response I've seen from other sonic fans seems largely disappointed with how generic it looks. It's such an extensive property that there is so much opportunity for "love letter to the franchise" style deep cuts and references, which can be a perfect template for something as ornate as a pinball machine. I'm thinking of comparisons to games like Wizard of Oz, or The Big Lebowski, where it seems like the design philosophy was catered more to big fans of the property rather than a general audience. Those games give the feeling of, the more you know about the movie, the more you will find to appreciate in all the details of the game, which I find very fun.

Of course, it's hard to compare movies to a video game franchise, particularly one mainly aimed at children. But I do think there was plenty of room to cater to all types of audience here rather that do what seems most safe. It makes me wonder if extensive direction came from Sega along these lines, or if the game presentation would have turned out differently if a different manufacturer had gotten the license?

And obviously it would be better to reserve judgement until I actually get my hands on the game, but I'm interested enough to speculate ahead of time anyway.