Animation Source Forums

I've spent some time around the shoutboxes, and on the Balto sections, only to discover that the activity here has been far too low. People are spending more and more time on sections, like Other or The Rant Section.

I find this very disturbing, as it seems that, even though we won't admit it, our interest in Balto is slowly fading. This is very sad, as if the interest in Balto fades, so will the history itself, and it will become forgotten. This is not something I wish would happen, rather the opposite.
During my first few days of being a BaltoSource member, I worked hard to adapt, and learn a lot about Balto, Roleplaying, the forum games, and so on. Everybody was, and still are, nice, peaceful and a really nice gang to "hang around" with. Back then, I also sense a great difference.

One day, however, the bubble bursted, as we finally got our response to our petition, and it did not bode well for Balto and his story. In fact, Glenn Ross merely stated that they would NOT make a Balto sequel, thus crushing the great fortress we had managed to build up.
After that, I've merely... sensed a very steep fall. As if most of the members have lost hope, thus losing the interest in our great hero...
Now, I know that Togo (the dog, not the mod) deserves most of the honor as well, and it's also very sad to know that Balto was dragged into the spotlights by mistake, and it was Togo that did all the hard work. But now I'm going way off topic.
Anyway, this was it for me, and I left BaltoSource... I thought it was for good this time, but... I came back, as you all can see. Right then, I found myself staring at a PM sent to me two days before I returned, and before I knew it, I ended up being the moderator for the Balto/TLK Roleplaying, Other Roleplaying and the Video Games sections. Of course I was happy, but also very sad, seeing there were barely no new topics in the Balto forums, and even far less Balto roleplays than ever before. There's even so few Balto fanfictions that I just don't know where to hide myself.

So, I just wanted to write my thoughts about this, for you all to read, and maybe consider. Am I the one of but a few "true" Balto fans here?

You may think "We are all true Balto fans." But I say different. This is a very serious matter, people, as one of the greatest films ever are about to enter the book of forgotten stuff. Yes, I know I am not an active Balto section poster, but I got my hands full with The Weekly Balto, modding my sections, and competing with Axel on hitting rulebreakers with a large pole.

I'm also aware that I might be posting this in the wrong section, so any moderator are free to move this topic to the appropriate section if this isn't the correct place to put this.


Anyways, all I'm asking for is... what about you? What do you think?

In the small amount of time that I've frequented this place I've noticed that there aren't very many meaningful topics in the Balto forums to begin with. This isn't something I've really payed attention to up to now.

One click of the View Active Topics button shows you that all the posts being made are one-liners in frivilous topics like "What are you listening to?" I stay far away from most forum games and all that roleplaying stuff. There are much better ways of getting to know people.

About the whole Glenn Ross letter, just be glad there won't be another Balto sequel. It wouldn't have been any good. What I would expect from a site like this is fan content with value. Events and contests are poorly organized and nothing gets done. A place like this should be making a slew of Balto content. Not whining about Universal refusing to make another sequel.

From what I see, we need more productive members like you. I respect the fact that you're putting effort into a game for the franchise. I hope you do decide to finish it.

Brilliant post, Wolflux. Very, very well said.

I agree. People here currently spend too much time in "Other" and in the "Fan" sections. Only me, you, and a few others post here regularly. It does bother me that most people here don't even come here to discuss what this place is all about. However, people just need a break sometimes. You may love a video game, but if you play it too much you'll get sick of it. You may really love someone, but if you spend every minute with them, you'll grow to take them for granted. Same goes for movies. If you take a break and then come back, you'll begin to remember how important it was to you. Heck, this is why I never watch Balto more than once a month as of now.

What I do disagree with is the movie being forgotten. Nope, people will never forget Balto. The interest is just at a low point due to people overwatching the movie. Heck, it'll probably re-spark with the new 3-pack DVD set with Balto, Land Before Time, and American Tail coming out in a few months. That is, if Universal plays its cards right. We may have quite a few new members this Winter And on top of that, people will eventually remember. It took me about ten years!

You returned. Others will too. There was a period where you weren't posting here, wasn't there? You and everyone else are the same.

It is sad that the series is over, and that there will never be a 4. People will still never forget the original though!

this was maturely writen topic, wolflux. i can see why steet had asked you to be a mod.

Yeah, most people know each other best from posting well-organized rants and making intelligent arguments.


You've got a good point there. Perhaps if the site was more organized, more people would be involved.

Progress eh? The way to progress is teamwork. In a team, there are jobs and assignments. People need to feel like they have a purpose on this forum. About 99% of the posters on the board are just... well... posters.

I suppose there can be an organization to this board. Senior members who're very good at art can be the officers of the fan art. Senior members who're very good at writing can be officers of the fan fiction. You get the idea. Officers can examine the members within their domain and offer them a specific assignment in a project. For example, one member might not draw very well but is excellent at coloring, while another can draw fine, but is shaky on color, and another member can do shading if they have a good grasp on it.

That's all I suggest. Get a chain-of-command going on the board so things can get done. It will spark comradary and that comradary might also rekindle an interest in Balto and other wolf/dog things.

I completely agree with you, Lennox, and it's very annoying. Although, I enjoy forum games and roleplaying very much

So, well... I may be kind of glad, and sad simultaneously about the fact that no more Balto Sequels will ever be made. And you are also right about the events and contests, which really ARE poorly organized, but I hope it will get better in the future.

Thanks for the comment as well, I'm glad I've got support on it. Trying to do as good as I can by sprite-editing and such, but it'll turn out badly if I don't get any professional help from an artist. Although, I'm happy to announce that the game has already begun its creation, and I'm halfway through the intro sequence (believe me, the scripting is NOT easy).




Indeed you are right, BetaWolf. It's in the human nature to grow to take things for granted, or grow sick of something. It's a bit sad, but it's life.
I kind of disagree with myself too, as Universal IS after all, releasing a 3-pack DVD films, including Balto. This gives me hope that we will get many new members to BaltoSource.
Hopefully they'll play their cards right, and spark interest into Balto again, thus re-releasing Balto 2 and Balto 3. Hopefully, if people buy it, they will make another sequel. I said above, to Lennox, that I was both happy and sad about it, but a new sequel would've been nice. There are many good ideas made into fanfics that are good enough for a plot.

The Original movie will never be forgotten for me, even though I have it no longer...



Afraid I'm reaching my post limit, and double-posting is deadly, so I'll keep it short; I kind of disagree with your suggestion, Komodo. Too many "Officers" would create confusion, and maybe make matters ever worse. Opinions are like bottoms, everyone has one, and if everyone becomes an "Officer", everyone wil ltry to get their opinion heard, thus creating an evil circle, which will ultimately destroy us all...

Sadly, part of the reason this section is dying is because there hasn't been anything new or exciting in quite sometime. When there is something new, it only seems to involve a few people.
People are not going to come back just to see and talk about the same stuff, day in and day out. That's become obvious.
I fear the worst, I'm afraid, if something can't be done. We can only hope something interesting and new comes here soon.

I'll always love Balto, no matter what. But I feel that 'true fans' do not always have to have the Balto 1 section as their most active forum. Until now, Universal had done nothing for Balto in the last three years, so no exciting news, sadly.

There aren't so many things to say about the film, that's true.
But maybe the fan sections have taken a too important place on the site.
I will see what can be done.

You're right about that. When a thread is made about something rarely discussed (Dixie's breed, 3-pack DVD, fading interest), as opposed to things that have been discussed time and time again, the thread is usually very active.

Guys, you know what? It's our responsibility to keep the interest ablaze. We're letting the Balto movie forums get bland. Make more threads like this, Wolflux. You too, Lennox and Luka. I'll see what I can do. What we need are more threads like these to keep it alive.

I agree this is sad

I think we have run out of things to say about Balto, ther is only so much in the movies/true story Balto topics that can be said-and most of it ha been said.

That's my theory why we arn't getting many new posts,

Sheba

In all fairness there's only so much you can say about one film before it starts becoming repetitive. To be honest I was surprised to even find such a large Balto Forum going strong 12 years after the movie was made, yet it's here and I feel like the majority members have all joined this site for the same reason; because of Balto.

Whereby now people are posting on the "other" boards more due to these being the only places to talk about current issues or spark up debates unlike with the Balto franchise where the most recent update has been a 3-movie DVD pack (Good stuff though).

To be fair though I haven't been here for very long so I don't know how good these old days are that you speak of but frankly as everyone already knows; everything Balto related never really got the success it deserved and could be doomed to just sit and gather dust on Universal's shelf.

What I'm trying to say is that I don't think it's a matter of fading interest but more a case of only so much can be said and done over Balto (Fanfics excluded) before it becomes repetitive, I'm sure the older members would be lieing if they've said they've never seen the same topic posted twice at least once?

But hey! Maybe one day Universal will be doing their annual spring cleaning and stumble upon Balto up on the shelf, blow the dust off it and attempt to secure Balto as a time honoured film by taking it further and making it better in whatever way they can. Cause truthfully speaking unless they do then fading interest is to be expected.

P.S- Any recommended ideas at all then I'd love to help out on. The first issue of the Weekly Balto was great, looking forward to reading more


EDIT: lol this post took awhile to write and I see that Sheba has pretty much summed up most of what I wanted to say in a few lines regarding how much we can say thread wise. I was never good with words

No, she means that it's getting less and less active, even if this is the number one fan site.

That's what's most disturbing. This is truly the biggest collection of Balto fans... anywhere! If we give up on it, it's all over.