Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

i know transtopia is merging with seibertron.com however in my short time here i feel we need our own site or forum so i made this "mock up"(might become real) see what you think.

http://www.runboard.com/believetranstopia

we could make another website and link it to a free forum.

Nice idea, but I think free forums have certain limits as to the traffic that can run through them, and I can well imagine TT oversteps it somewhat, otherwise we'd probably still be on free boards now (and I'm pretty sure we aren't).
Also, as TFM and Ryan have explained, the Seibertron merger is beneficial to TT. Ryan has an experienced staff to help maintain the site, and he can easily incorporate the TT boards onto his own server with little extra hassle. Creating this new site really shouldn't be necessary, unless you personally have issues with Seibertron.

Ramrider wrote:Creating this new site really shouldn't be necessary, unless you personally have issues with Seibertron.

I disagree.

I like large stores. I also like small stores.
Each offers something unique.
The nature of the two are different and cannot emulate the other, no matter how hard they may try.

TT will retain a lot of things from the merger, it will gain some things too.
But it will also lose something unique to TT.

I'm not saying it's all doom and gloom, I'm not saying it definitely will wind up sucking due to exposure to certain aspects of the fandom (that all large sites suffer with).

But I am saying that a part of what made TT for some is no longer going to be there, and all the hopes and good intentions in the world won't change that.

That's not having something against Seibertron.

It's good that some still talk of a seperate site, as the TT/Seibertron merger is going to leave a gap, and one of these guys may be responsible for the Transtopia of tomorrow.

Okay, maybe I didn't explain myself correctly or something.

The impression I got from Phiz's post is that as far as he's concerned Transtopia needs to remain independent.

I'm not saying that Phiz's theoretical independent site is worthless - far from it; variety is the spice of life and all that, and every board out there has its own USPs, which may be pluses or minuses depending on the visitor.
I'm just suggesting that unless you have a real, practical reason that TT needs to remain independent, then surely it's worth giving the merger a go. If you try it and still don't like it - fair play, you gave it a crack, let's try it this way.

I was also pointing out that use of a free forum would probably only work as a temporary measure, since if the volume of traffic even approaches that of TT, then most board providers will start charging for their use.

Ramrider wrote:Okay, maybe Me didn't explain myself correctly or something.

The impression Me got from Phiz's post is that as far as he's concerned Transtopia [Me]needs[/Me] to remain independent.

Yes, that's the impression I got, and I agree with him.

I know it's not going to happen, but I do believe it is an important part of this site.

For example, posting a G1 coloured Alt Smokescreen here will see the figure get appreciated for what it is; the effort is understood, the customisation to the artists preference is appreciated.
Yet in the past I have seen that exact sample figure posted on other sites and watched it descend into arguments between forum regulars about G1 being dead, I've seen artists get told to move on or attacked for "ruining" a realistic toy and so on.
It's not always specific to that, but you get the idea I hope.

People like that are comfortable where they are. They're not going to sign up here just to get into that, but if you're absorbed into their forum, their domain, they'll start sooner or later.

There are people like that in every large forum, Seibertron is no exception.
There is no guarantee that the negativivty will slip into TT as part of Seibertron, but if it doesn't it'll be a first in the entire fandom.
Mass exposure and access is never without a price.

I agree that this suggestion is impractical.
TFM's mind is already made up, a free site would never be able to handle the traffic or help TFM with the other things that weigh him down, and so on.

But I think that those who don't want to give up on TT being as it has been are the best chance of building the type of community we're about to lose as this place evolves into something else.

Its already stated though that Transtopia will have seperate forums over at Siebertron. We aren't going to be posting our kitbashs in the general discussion threads or something. Transtopia will be its own entity with easy access from the rest of Siebertron. We'll be tied into the Seibertron network, but the people that will be predominately reading and posting in the Transtopia sections will be kitbashers, those that aren't interested in Kitbashing won't find it that interesting, and we will have mods to keep things civil should a jackass get bored and decide to harass jsut for the fun of it.

Honestly this is a necessary change in my mind. The site has been stagnating for awhile do to TFmaster's problems, a very small overworked staff, and a rapidly growing population. If the site didn't do something like this soon it would have ended up collasping under its own weight which is what was happening.

A small site is a great thing, but they never stay that way. They either grow into the large sites you apparently aren't a fan of, or they die. Transtopia has grown alot in the last few years, and now its taking a big leap. But in the end it will still be Transtopia, as long as the people who make it great now continue on with it then it will stay great.

i agree with almost every thing you all said, it was just a thought, hopefully it will work out for everybody

try to keep da new forum open till after da change, it wont effect everyone but there are some who want 0A kitbash only forum, if it merges with seibertron and its just 0A kitbash section it wont have much differant then da one at tfw or tfans

tentagil wrote:We'll be tied into *Hick-up* Seibertron network, but *Hick-up* people that will be predominately reading and posting in *Hick-up* Transtopia sections will be kitbashers, those that aren't interested in Kitbashing won't find it that interesting

If you look at any large TF site with a kitbash section you'll find that a lot of bored posters who spend huge amounts of time on the board drift in and comment.

It will happen.

That doesn't mean it will be negative. In fact at first it will be all smiles as people will be happy to welcome everyone on board, but it may not stay that way.

There are people who visit this site and then attack and criticise on thier regular sites.
They don't sign up here because they're lazy and their regular site offers a comfort zone.

If TT is accessible to them, if they can comment knowing they're surrounded by their friends, people who agree with them, they're going to be vocal.

And if even one negative comment comes in as a result of a merger, if any kitbash results in a non basher commenting solely to say that they don't like a bash because they don't like the fiction era or whatever, then the merger just killed a huge part of what made Transtopia Transtopia.

I agree that every site has to grow, I just don't agree that being absorbed or connected to something larger is growth.
In fact, it seems to me to be a step back in many ways.

I'm not fighting the change, I think alleviating the stresses the site gives TFM is more important than this site's direction.

But as TFM said himself, it's something he'd been toying with anyway, it was this site's next step, and that step will bring cons that may be membership breakers for some.
It is wrong to decide it will happen and not give it a chance, but it is right to talk about it, express concerns and look for alternatives.

Not for the name Transtopia, that is TFM's baby, but for the aspects of the community that went beyond any one member.

beings I am a computer retard I have a few questions. Will there be a new web address we will have to go to to get to the new Seib/TT site?
Also will all of our Information (sigs, post, control panel stuff)be transfered to the new boards? I don't jack about how all this works so please forgive me is these questions seem stupid.