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Post by mark687 on May 16, 2023 12:54:48 GMT
If I see a problem with things it's that the forum can be drowned in promotional posts rather than discussion. Agree 100%. Ok so open a few discussion Threads for for what you want to disuses then Regards mark687 |
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Post by timleschild on May 16, 2023 14:20:05 GMT
Ok so open a few discussion Threads for for what you want to disuses then Regards mark687 Ok I will mark687 |
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Post by bonehead on May 16, 2023 15:57:22 GMT
It's always a fluctuating kind of thing depending on my mind. But to reflect other opinions I am really looking forward to Dark Season and the return of The Omega Factor has me buzzing. The most recent River Song release is one of the best (the best even) things Big Finish have ever released. The Bambera sets have been a lot more fun than I was expecting - it took seeing Angela Bruce at a convention to get me to listen though. The last Tom set was also a lot better than I expected, the Iris audiobooks have been amazing, and the last Survivors set has been awesome. And the Audio Novels... I guess I am just a fan of audio drama in itself. If I see a problem with things it's that the forum can be drowned in promotional posts rather than discussion. Maybe there is a general apathy. But not from me. We always promote constructive conversation here - there are a Lot of lurkers here - people who log in but don't contribute which is a shame.
There does seem to be lots of speculation and discussion about releases - which is great - but once released, it's rare to see that discussion continuing. Whether that indicates people are buying and not listening, listening and not being impressed, or just not wanting to chat about it - which is a shame - I really don't know. |
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Post by Kestrel on May 16, 2023 20:43:29 GMT
We always promote constructive conversation here - there are a Lot of lurkers here - people who log in but don't contribute which is a shame. There does seem to be lots of speculation and discussion about releases - which is great - but once released, it's rare to see that discussion continuing. Whether that indicates people are buying and not listening, listening and not being impressed, or just not wanting to chat about it - which is a shame - I really don't know. This is what motivated me to set up the Discussion Thread Index. Only a small percentage of Big Finish customers are going to be active in online communities, and only a fraction of those will participate in discussions, and only a subset of those will be listening to new releases while they're still new, and of that last group they cannot be among the portion that will listen to a story, but not feel the need to talk about it. The people who can jump in to speculate about future releases? They've only gotta pass through two of those filters, not all four. Anyway, the point is: The conversations we have, by necessity, must be conducted over the course of months and years more often than not. It's imperative, I think, that we can sustain these conversations in the long-term, because for most releases I do not think they can be sustained at all otherwise. But, speaking more personally: When I buy a new audio, I'm right there with y'all in the threads... lurking... but the audio itself? I just toss it right into my backlog. Only very rarely do I listen to a new release within those first few weeks. But I like reading what y'all think, and it informs both how I approach a story when I do listen to it, as well as how I think about it it afterwards -- and how I (attempt to) articulate my thoughts about it. The alternative is either something like Twitter, where everything is too abbreviated and ephemeral to have much weight, or Reddit. Prior to finding this place, I'd post in r/Gallifrey. Where you could generally find a dozen or so other users willing and able to talk about the "big" MR releases (like Spare Parts -- but little else. If you were lucky you'd find one other person -- just one! -- to chat about the more niche stories. IIRC, the person who invited me here was one such person -- sadly I don't remember who (it's my crap memory, I'm afraid, but if you recognize yourself in this story lemme know so I can write your name down!) was the one other person in r/Gallifrey who was a big fan of the Gallifrey audio range, and really encouraged me to branch out beyond the usual "big" Doctor Who stories that you typically see being recommended. |
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Post by tuigirl on May 17, 2023 6:23:58 GMT
Totally missed this discussion.
In my opinion, magic has not gone, it is just harder to find.
As others have said, life has become more expensive and I also have become more critical.
I am not a fan of all these x meets y stories, and I admit I have been disappointed by some releases in the recent years.
There are however still some absolutely stunning releases, like Blood and Steel and Friend of the Family. Many others.... good for some entertainment during a train journey, nothing for the classic pile.
So yes, BF can still enchant me, it just has a harder job of it.
In addition, my interest waxes and wanes and my mental health has taken a dip, so I am much less active in discussions, like this one. If I feel unwell, I become very critical to unfair, so I often wait with a comment. Also, when I am unwell, it is very hard for me to get concentration or energy for listening, so if I listen, then to the old positive favorites.
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Post by sherlock on May 17, 2023 8:29:24 GMT
I’ve held back on this thread cos I think I’ve moaned more than enough about crossover fever and stories being solid but entirely forgettable as soon as they finish elsewhere. Past Lives for me was the epitome of this; it’s packed with old characters but lacks a real story or point.
Of course good stuff is still being made, but I have to be selective. For me the reliable ranges these days are Short Trips, Torchwood, Benny, Gallifrey, 11 Chronicles and War Master. Everything else is case by case.
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Post by pawntake on May 17, 2023 13:28:33 GMT
My 1st purchase was in 2012,and i have bought a shit load since then.I know that some people have been with BF since the beginning and purchased much more than me! My purchases are much less these days.But i still have a keen interest in what is being released.Still buy 8th Doctor The war doctor,look forward to Torchwood among us and the new paternoster gang series.I remember a time when this forum used to go into meltdown over one new release or another!
Its a bit quieter these days.The ending of the main range(a sad day for many) and price increases have certainly curbed some peoples enthusiasm.But the audios keep rolling,and new fans come on board all the time.For me the magic is still there,but i am no longer awestruck! Have not listened to the weekly podcast for ages.
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Post by grinch on May 17, 2023 13:38:50 GMT
Hard to say for me.
Speaking from a personal perspective, I think perhaps Big Finish have become a victim of their own success.
Greater exposure has led to them being allowed to use more recognisable characters and thus giving them “more toys to play with” so to speak but I think it has come at a cost of the more experimental stories. Instead relying on more crossovers and the like. Not that said experimental stories don’t tend to crop up from time to time.
Mind you, there are still ranges I greatly look forward to. I continue to enjoy the Fifth Doctor’s output (mainly because I think Davison’s clearly aged voice has clearly given his Doctor a new renaissance on audio) and the War Master Range continues to be a delight.
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Post by Kestrel on May 17, 2023 15:37:33 GMT
But the audios keep rolling, and new fans come on board all the time.For me the magic is still there, but i am no longer awestruck! Now there's a good word: awestruck.For us latecomers (more or less) to Big Finish, there's definitely something quite incredible to that first handful of stories we tend to listen to -- usually because there's so much out there we can't help but be guided by recommendations, which inevitably leads us to front-loading our experience with the biggest classics. Going through in a matter of weeks or maybe even days what took others years.And somewhere in there -- for many, if not most of us, I think -- there's that revelatory moment. A singular instant where it dawns on us that audio dramas aren't merely a supplement to Doctor Who, aren't merely capable of being as good as the TV stories, but can, in fact, be better.I don't think I'll ever forget the story that did it for me. It was Doctor Who and the Pirates. I was, indeed, awestruck.
.... And TBH I'm still kinda in awe of that one -- such a banger story that succeeds so brilliantly on so many levels, and it's one that would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to tell in live action, or in any other medium. |
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Post by bonehead on May 17, 2023 15:47:19 GMT
But the audios keep rolling, and new fans come on board all the time.For me the magic is still there, but i am no longer awestruck! Now there's a good word: awestruck.For us latecomers (more or less) to Big Finish, there's definitely something quite incredible to that first handful of stories we tend to listen to -- usually because there's so much out there we can't help but be guided by recommendations, which inevitably leads us to front-loading our experience with the biggest classics. Going through in a matter of weeks or maybe even days what took others years.And somewhere in there -- for many, if not most of us, I think -- there's that revelatory moment. A singular instant where it dawns on us that audio dramas aren't merely a supplement to Doctor Who, aren't merely capable of being as good as the TV stories, but can, in fact, be better.I don't think I'll ever forget the story that did it for me. It was Doctor Who and the Pirates. I was, indeed, awestruck.
.... And TBH I'm still kinda in awe of that one -- such a banger story that succeeds so brilliantly on so many levels, and it's one that would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to tell in live action, or in any other medium. For me, it was The Holy Terror. The lowest seller of the earlier releases, apparently, although I imagine it's caught up a lot since then. I remember listening to part one while doing the ironing. By part three, the ironing was forgotten, and I found myself lying on the sofa completely absorbed by the unfolding story. Has any story had the same effect since? Yes - a few Dark Shadows, Enemy of the Daleks, early Survivors, some 3Das and 4DAs.
The magic is still there, but spread out over more releases and therefore, more familiarity for us listeners. With that familiarity, it's harder to replicate the awestruck-ness and more difficult to resist taking it for granted.
But I sometimes imagine a world without Big Finish. It's not a thought that gives me much comfort!
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Post by muddyviolet on Dec 17, 2023 17:06:51 GMT
I am reviving an old thread here, but I think the reason the magic seems to be gone for some people is that the stories we are interested in seem completely inaccessible.
For example, I'm really interested in the upcoming 11th Doctor Chronicles - but I can't justify buying the first sets until an invertible rollback sale and I feel it will be inaccessible otherwise. So I don't buy it. I'm interested in the WDB line, particularly the most recent box sets. However, I don't know how much I need to listen beforehand in order to understand characters like Case. So I don't buy it. Maybe if Big Finish could provide a list of prerequisites or suggested listening this would be less of an issue. However currently, this makes stories inaccessible due to the required listening.
I'm honestly baffled by Big Finish's strategy. I remember with the 10th Doctor and River Song box set the stories were sold individually and as a box set (same with the old 4th Doctor range) and I really think this would make sense for boxset releases. It would allow people to pick stories they're interested in without having to buy extra stories. For example, I'm interested in the upcoming "Classic Doctors New Monsters" box set but, only the silence stories. So if I buy it half the box set will be stories I don't want to buy. So, I don't buy it. This also makes stories inaccessible as it makes it harder to get the stories you want due to the cost.
Another example that shows both of these points is the 7th Doctor Far From Home box set. I'm interested in Operation Dusk, but because Naomi's arc to someone who hasn't been keeping up seems like a mess across UNIT, 7DA, and upcoming 4DAs I have zero reference for her. So I'm not interested in the story Naomi's Ark as it sounds like a piece focused on her. So, because I can't just buy the one story I'm interested in, I don't buy the box set.
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Post by theillusiveman on Dec 29, 2023 12:07:45 GMT
I am reviving an old thread here, but I think the reason the magic seems to be gone for some people is that the stories we are interested in seem completely inaccessible. For example, I'm really interested in the upcoming 11th Doctor Chronicles - but I can't justify buying the first sets until an invertible rollback sale and I feel it will be inaccessible otherwise. So I don't buy it. I'm interested in the WDB line, particularly the most recent box sets. However, I don't know how much I need to listen beforehand in order to understand characters like Case. So I don't buy it. Maybe if Big Finish could provide a list of prerequisites or suggested listening this would be less of an issue. However currently, this makes stories inaccessible due to the required listening. I'm honestly baffled by Big Finish's strategy. I remember with the 10th Doctor and River Song box set the stories were sold individually and as a box set (same with the old 4th Doctor range) and I really think this would make sense for boxset releases. It would allow people to pick stories they're interested in without having to buy extra stories. For example, I'm interested in the upcoming "Classic Doctors New Monsters" box set but, only the silence stories. So if I buy it half the box set will be stories I don't want to buy. So, I don't buy it. This also makes stories inaccessible as it makes it harder to get the stories you want due to the cost. Another example that shows both of these points is the 7th Doctor Far From Home box set. I'm interested in Operation Dusk, but because Naomi's arc to someone who hasn't been keeping up seems like a mess across UNIT, 7DA, and upcoming 4DAs I have zero reference for her. So I'm not interested in the story Naomi's Ark as it sounds like a piece focused on her. So, because I can't just buy the one story I'm interested in, I don't buy the box set. This hands down honestly i found that to be the best of both worlds when it came to big finish and honestly it should have been done for the 9th Doctor Adventures and The Upcoming Sontran vs Rutan box set (i mean the cover is gorgeous for the range but to just sell them individually instead of a boxset feels weird and it feels like they are backtracking to the days of individual cds instead of boxsets which while cheaper individually it costs way more if you get them in a bundle than a standard boxset)
but in regards to is the magic gone?
honestly i think that big finish are just going through the motions with some ranges like how many times has The 8DAs been relaunched, Another factor is i do think that the new restrictions by RTD and The BBC Could be a detriment to Big Finish to be frank RTD should give creative freedom to Big Finish and encourage them to go wild with all sorts of Concepts and especially the Unbound Range deserves a comeback with New Incarnations if not for the practical reasons that setting up new doctors will help for the future of DW at Big Finish when the classic doctors retire and the new who doctors wont be as easily available.
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Post by bonehead on Dec 29, 2023 12:33:26 GMT
I am reviving an old thread here, but I think the reason the magic seems to be gone for some people is that the stories we are interested in seem completely inaccessible. For example, I'm really interested in the upcoming 11th Doctor Chronicles - but I can't justify buying the first sets until an invertible rollback sale and I feel it will be inaccessible otherwise. So I don't buy it. I'm interested in the WDB line, particularly the most recent box sets. However, I don't know how much I need to listen beforehand in order to understand characters like Case. So I don't buy it. Maybe if Big Finish could provide a list of prerequisites or suggested listening this would be less of an issue. However currently, this makes stories inaccessible due to the required listening. I'm honestly baffled by Big Finish's strategy. I remember with the 10th Doctor and River Song box set the stories were sold individually and as a box set (same with the old 4th Doctor range) and I really think this would make sense for boxset releases. It would allow people to pick stories they're interested in without having to buy extra stories. For example, I'm interested in the upcoming "Classic Doctors New Monsters" box set but, only the silence stories. So if I buy it half the box set will be stories I don't want to buy. So, I don't buy it. This also makes stories inaccessible as it makes it harder to get the stories you want due to the cost. Another example that shows both of these points is the 7th Doctor Far From Home box set. I'm interested in Operation Dusk, but because Naomi's arc to someone who hasn't been keeping up seems like a mess across UNIT, 7DA, and upcoming 4DAs I have zero reference for her. So I'm not interested in the story Naomi's Ark as it sounds like a piece focused on her. So, because I can't just buy the one story I'm interested in, I don't buy the box set. This hands down honestly i found that to be the best of both worlds when it came to big finish and honestly it should have been done for the 9th Doctor Adventures and The Upcoming Sontran vs Rutan box set (i mean the cover is gorgeous for the range but to just sell them individually instead of a boxset feels weird and it feels like they are backtracking to the days of individual cds instead of boxsets which while cheaper individually it costs way more if you get them in a bundle than a standard boxset)
but in regards to is the magic gone?
honestly i think that big finish are just going through the motions with some ranges like how many times has The 8DAs been relaunched, Another factor is i do think that the new restrictions by RTD and The BBC Could be a detriment to Big Finish to be frank RTD should give creative freedom to Big Finish and encourage them to go wild with all sorts of Concepts and especially the Unbound Range deserves a comeback with New Incarnations if not for the practical reasons that setting up new doctors will help for the future of DW at Big Finish when the classic doctors retire and the new who doctors wont be as easily available.
Since falling out of love with this new iteration of the television show, I've come to rely heavily on BF as my means of new Doctor Who. I hope they retain their individuality and are not influenced by RTD's new 'vision'. I look forward to their announced ranges but am worried by the standards of some of their recent stuff putting crossovers before anything else. If they love stories so much, why don't they try making the story the priority over gimmicks? Although admittedly, I am in a pretty vile mood today ... |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2023 12:34:07 GMT
I do think there's a problem with Big Finish at present, but I'm struggling to understand why.
Some ranges, such as the 3DAs, 8DAs or 11 chronicles, seem to be almost universally lauded, yet others really struggle (Once and Future, 7DAs). And it's a lot of the same people working on both types so I can't identify a particular individual who's missing the mark.
I genuinely don't understand what's going wrong, but something is.
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Post by bonehead on Dec 29, 2023 12:37:06 GMT
I do think there's a problem with Big Finish at present, but I'm struggling to understand why. Some ranges, such as the 3DAs, 8DAs or 11 chronicles, seem to be almost universally lauded, yet others really struggle (Once and Future, 7DAs). And it's a lot of the same people working on both types so I can't identify a particular individual who's missing the mark. I genuinely don't understand what's going wrong, but something is. I get the impression it's lack of interest from the creatives. Can't think of another reason. They do a tremendous job on the ranges you mention but seem uninvested in the others. |
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Post by theillusiveman on Dec 29, 2023 12:46:08 GMT
This hands down honestly i found that to be the best of both worlds when it came to big finish and honestly it should have been done for the 9th Doctor Adventures and The Upcoming Sontran vs Rutan box set (i mean the cover is gorgeous for the range but to just sell them individually instead of a boxset feels weird and it feels like they are backtracking to the days of individual cds instead of boxsets which while cheaper individually it costs way more if you get them in a bundle than a standard boxset)
but in regards to is the magic gone?
honestly i think that big finish are just going through the motions with some ranges like how many times has The 8DAs been relaunched, Another factor is i do think that the new restrictions by RTD and The BBC Could be a detriment to Big Finish to be frank RTD should give creative freedom to Big Finish and encourage them to go wild with all sorts of Concepts and especially the Unbound Range deserves a comeback with New Incarnations if not for the practical reasons that setting up new doctors will help for the future of DW at Big Finish when the classic doctors retire and the new who doctors wont be as easily available.
Since falling out of love with this new iteration of the television show, I've come to rely heavily on BF as my means of new Doctor Who. I hope they retain their individuality and are not influenced by RTD's new 'vision'. I look forward to their announced ranges but am worried by the standards of some of their recent stuff putting crossovers before anything else. If they love stories so much, why don't they try making the story the priority over gimmicks? Although admittedly, I am in a pretty vile mood today ... Yeah same here i guess time will tell, i know that some ranges have been recorded in advanced so perhaps some ranges wont be imminently affected
honestly i think that the crossovers are done purely to guaranteed sales which i cant blame them but yeah i feel that perhaps out of the two boxsets one boxset for fan service and the other for original non returning content could work
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2023 13:03:18 GMT
Since falling out of love with this new iteration of the television show, I've come to rely heavily on BF as my means of new Doctor Who. I hope they retain their individuality and are not influenced by RTD's new 'vision'. I look forward to their announced ranges but am worried by the standards of some of their recent stuff putting crossovers before anything else. If they love stories so much, why don't they try making the story the priority over gimmicks? Although admittedly, I am in a pretty vile mood today ... Yeah same here i guess time will tell, i know that some ranges have been recorded in advanced so perhaps some ranges wont be imminently affected
honestly i think that the crossovers are done purely to guaranteed sales which i cant blame them but yeah i feel that perhaps out of the two boxsets one boxset for fan service and the other for original non returning content could work
Thing is, if they're doing the crossovers for sales, they need to be good, otherwise they're just putting off potential loyal customers. Big Finish is not cheap, so it has to be top-notch. And recently, it often hasn't been. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2023 13:12:23 GMT
Big Finish is not cheap, so it has to be top-notch. And recently, it often hasn't been. Personally I think it's because there is so much output from Big Finish, invariably there will be some poorer stories. When you go for quantity over quality that is the inevitable outcome.
I'm not sure the constant crossovers work long term either. They are just gimmicks. What starts out as being a fun idea ends up getting boring when it's done again and again.
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Post by number13 on Dec 29, 2023 15:35:27 GMT
Big Finish is not cheap, so it has to be top-notch. And recently, it often hasn't been. Personally I think it's because there is so much output from Big Finish, invariably there will be some poorer stories. When you go for quantity over quality that is the inevitable outcome.
I'm not sure the constant crossovers work long term either. They are just gimmicks. What starts out as being a fun idea ends up getting boring when it's done again and again.
I've been buying less, partly because time, partly because money and partly because some ranges haven't appealed or ones which did (like Sixie) have recently not been getting favourable comments. (On here I mean, not the 'everything is amazing in every way for ever' "reviews"  )
If BF really want me to up my ordering, they could at least give a release date for 'The War Iris Vol 1'.  |
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Post by Ela on Dec 29, 2023 17:27:41 GMT
If BF really want me to up my ordering, they could at least give a release date for 'The War Iris Vol 1'.  Ha, The War Iris Vol 1. I could get on board with that. Iris would be a hot riot. |
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