My Little Pony LXXIV: Hats Are Technology!

[Humble Master]

It belongs in a creepy pawnshop!

Speaking of which, who the heck sells a mind corrupting amulet to a pawnshop.

Nothing that happened in the episode was any more outrageous than the stuff that happens in Indiana Jones movies. Ancient temples are almost guaranteed to have a self-destruction mechanism of some kind that is immune to wear over time and is accurate to the ounce.

Yah, traps and self destruct mechanisms are completely stupid. In real life, precious artifacts were protected by simply not putting them in massive grand easily to see monuments.

I'm wondering about the engineering challenges involved on a temple designed to self-destruct by lava. Read It and Weep is never going to be looked upon in the same way by my eyes.

They probably went to the Dwarves for help. I've heard Dwarves are quite good at lava based self destruct systems.

[Dirtytabs]

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This spoiler box is dedicated to my ego.

We can't assume the self-destruction via lava and weird engineering quirks are all just a wizard's doing?

Oh yeah. Today the professor played a short film about keeping kids out of trouble in various cities in Brazil by having them play in an orchestra, but 10 minutes in, I stopped paying close attention because one of the cellists the film focused on had a Pinkie Pie shirt.

[Cuthalion]

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This spoiler box is dedicated to my ego.

We can't assume the self-destruction via lava and weird engineering quirks are all just a wizard's doing?

Oh yeah. Today the professor played a short film about keeping kids out of trouble in various cities in Brazil by having them play in an orchestra, but 10 minutes in, I stopped paying close attention because one of the cellists the film focused on had a Pinkie Pie shirt.

Heheheh. How long did it go on after that?

[Rater202]

So, I just took my Psychology final, and now I'm done with College until Mid-January.

I need pones what to help me relax.

[Tiki Snakes]

Speaking of which, who the heck sells a mind corrupting amulet to a pawnshop.

That's usually not how creepy pawnshops work. What they do is, they wait for the artifact to cause a certain amount of destruction and then simply turn up to reclaim it.

Before casually asking the next arrogant idiot to walk in;

[Dirtytabs]

Heheheh. How long did it go on after that?

Maybe... um, maybe 10 more minutes. I don't remember how it ended except that it was optimistic. Luckily, it was just for our enjoyment.

[Rater202]

Spoiler: further Proof that my OTP is Canon.

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Lok. Dashie accepts the hug after a moment instead of pushes her off. RainbowPie is Totes canon!
no my eyes aren't shipping colored, hoe dare you suggest that.

[otakuryoga]

Spoiler: further Proof that my OTP is Canon.

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Lok. Dashie accepts the hug after a moment instead of pushes her off. RainbowPie is Totes canon!
no my eyes aren't shipping colored, hoe dare you suggest that.

ummm, no...look at how far back Dash's arm is bent..totally dislocated
she is just smiling through the pain and saying whatever she has to in order to make the torture stop

[Soras Teva Gee]

Speaking of which, who the heck sells a mind corrupting amulet to a pawnshop.

One wonders what use pegasi or Earth ponies might have for it...

[MCerberus]

That's usually not how creepy pawnshops work. What they do is, they wait for the artifact to cause a certain amount of destruction and then simply turn up to reclaim it.

Before casually asking the next arrogant idiot to walk in;

Just to make sure I'm getting it, the box is the Gom Jabbar right?

Spoiler: further Proof that my OTP is Canon.

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Lok. Dashie accepts the hug after a moment instead of pushes her off. RainbowPie is Totes canon!
no my eyes aren't shipping colored, hoe dare you suggest that.

Not the true Pinkie ship

[DigoDragon]

Discord's not official comic cover:

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what engineering challenges?
it's magic...i aint gotta 'splain NOTHIN'

Surely even magic requires some expertise with design and mathematics?

Speaking of which, who the heck sells a mind corrupting amulet to a pawnshop.

Perhaps King Sombra did, to pay for a crash course in modern "common" language classes? It had been 1000 years and his vocab was pretty minimal.

That's usually not how creepy pawnshops work. What they do is, they wait for the artifact to cause a certain amount of destruction and then simply turn up to reclaim it.

Before casually asking the next arrogant idiot to walk in;

Pretty much the S.O.P. of any pawnshop in the Twilight Zone.
Sometimes they even came to your door. :/

Spoiler: further Proof that my OTP is Canon.

Show

Lok. Dashie accepts the hug after a moment instead of pushes her off. RainbowPie is Totes canon!
no my eyes aren't shipping colored, hoe dare you suggest that.

Considering I did the same thing when you had that 3-week bearhug of a hug on me... I'm going to say no.

One wonders what use pegasi or Earth ponies might have for it...

Zecora used it as a replacement doorstop in one fan comic.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Just to make sure I'm getting it, the box is the Gom Jabbar right?

You should know the High Handed Enemy is not a box.

[Tiki Snakes]

Just to make sure I'm getting it, the box is the Gom Jabbar right?

Not quite. Also, having refreshed my memory, I'm not sure that's even the name of the box in that scene, rather than the ritual or the poison or something?

Arguably not actually a million miles away, oddly enough.

Pretty much the S.O.P. of any pawnshop in the Twilight Zone.
Sometimes they even came to your door. :/

It's even basically how the little shop in Gremlins works.
Basically, at least.

[Aotrs Commander]

what engineering challenges?
it's magic...i aint gotta 'splain NOTHIN'

Problem with relying on magic - or energy fields, or any non-corporeal materia for structures is that that you are so completely BUGGERED when somepony shows up with an anti-magic field or you have a power cut...

Building spaceship out of force-fields is a really dumb idea... (Yes, the Culture built stuff ON their ships with forcefields, but they are kinda way up there, and I'm not so sure I'd trust them 'em that far either, personally... Gimme a good well-engineered structure that ISN'T going to disintegrate under it's own load or fall apart the second some dude carks it or you take out the load Bearing Mcguffin..._

[Cuthalion]

Maybe... um, maybe 10 more minutes. I don't remember how it ended except that it was optimistic. Luckily, it was just for our enjoyment.

If you had a test:

"Now, students, I'm giving you one question, but it's a doozy. What was on the cellist's shirt?"

"OOH!"

Discord's not official comic cover:

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.

I like how he's swinging from his own tail.

[MLai]

Saw Eps. 04... Put me in the camp that's moderately disappointed. A couple of factors.

I wish the writers just outright stole the fanfic idea that Ahuizotl somehow jumped out of the book and became real. For example, RD tried to use a wishing magic artifact to make the book come out faster, and botched the effect. And then Ahuizotl does what he does (threaten the peace), RD goes to AK Yearling (who doesn't look like DD) for help on defeating the villain, and ends up donning the trademark hat to seal Ahuizotl away in place of her fictional hero.

Why don the hat? Because Ahuizotl (dog monster) is color-blind, and this makes him think RD is the real DD. Throws him off his game.

The "don't lose self confidence" lesson can still be in there. In fact, I think it'd be less forced. RD, having built the fictional character up in her head, would be all "I can't possibly copy what DD does in the books!" The author could tell RD something like, "DD is fictional; you're real. Heroes are not meant to belittle you; they're meant to INSPIRE."

Because face it, RD and DD had the worst chemistry between 2 ponies that I've ever seen. If this was live-action, I'd say DD is just there to collect her paycheck and can't wait to step off the set. She works better as the silent self-insert protag of RD's imagination (the resemblance only helps this, not work against this).

Having the episode end with RD, framed by the sunset, standing in the horseshoes of her imaginary idol, would only make the scene more poignant for me. I would feel it marked her growth of internal character: someone not leaving/abandoning childish longings, but being fueled by them to become something greater. That's the kind of positive nod to the concept of fandom that I'd like to see acknowledged, rather than a play on fan geekery.

Problem with relying on magic - or energy fields, or any non-corporeal materia for structures is that that you are so completely BUGGERED when somepony shows up with an anti-magic field or you have a power cut...
Building spaceship out of force-fields is a really dumb idea... (Yes, the Culture built stuff ON their ships with forcefields, but they are kinda way up there, and I'm not so sure I'd trust them 'em that far either, personally... Gimme a good well-engineered structure that ISN'T going to disintegrate under it's own load or fall apart the second some dude carks it or you take out the load Bearing Mcguffin..._

I don't know about that. At the SCIENCE! levels you're referring to, the high-end energy/matter manipulation Mcguffin is the true brick n' mortar of the ship construct. The composite plates and bolts? They're just basic molecular bonds that any primitive space tech can unravel. It's like saying you want to wear body armor so you're protected from knives, in an ICBM fight.

@ Tiki: That's your response to my post? Srsly?

[Tiki Snakes]

Saw Eps. 04... Put me in the camp that's moderately disappointed. A couple of factors.

I wish the writers just outright stole the fanfic idea that Ahuizotl somehow jumped out of the book and became real. For example, RD tried to use a wishing magic artifact to make the book come out faster, and botched the effect. And then Ahuizotl does what he does (threaten the peace), RD goes to the AK Yearling (who doesn't look like DD) for help on defeating the villain, and ends up donning the trademark hat to seal Ahuizotl away in place of her fictional hero.

Why don the hat? Because Ahuizotl (dog monster) is color-blind, and this makes him think RD is the real DD. Throws him off his game.

The "don't lose self confidence" lesson can still be in there. In fact, I think it'd be less forced. RD, having built the fictional character up in her head, would be all "I can't possibly copy what DD does in the books!" The author could tell RD something like, "DD is fictional; you're real. Heroes are not meant to belittle you; they're meant to INSPIRE."

Because face it, RD and DD had the worst chemistry between 2 ponies that I've ever seen. If this was live-action, I'd say DD is just there to collect her paycheck and can't wait to step off the set. She works better as the silent self-insert protag of RD's imagination (the resemblance only helps this, not work against this).

Having the episode end with RD, framed by the sunset, standing in the horseshoes of her imaginary idol, would only make the scene more poignant for me. I would feel it marked her growth of internal character: someone not leaving/abandoning childish longings, but being fueled by them to become something greater. That's the kind of positive nod to the concept of fandom that I'd like to see acknowledge, rather than a play on fan geekery.

So...you dislike the episode because you have a fanfic idea?

[Asheram]

Speaking of which, who the heck sells a mind corrupting amulet to a pawnshop.

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Well, not exactly but you get the point.

Edit... Kind of want to see a poniefication of him now.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Why don the hat? Because Ahuizotl (dog monster) is color-blind, and this makes him think RD is the real DD. Throws him off his game.

Umm why would you presume a vaguely dog like Aztec monster has the same visual abilities as a dog?

Also dogs are not color blind as in black and white. They see in shades of blue and yellow... so Dashie and Do still look completely different.

And even if he did see in monochrome... he'd need to be blind to brightness to not be able to tell their manes and tails apart. Which would be... well completely blind.

So...you dislike the episode because you have a fanfic idea?

I think any objections to this episode involving the word "fanfic" have become Exhibit A in my case that fan fiction should be banned as an illegal mind altering substance.

Friends don't let friends do Fan Fic.

[Humble Master]

One wonders what use pegasi or Earth ponies might have for it...

The book just says the amulet grants the wearer untold powers. Maybe it augments the Pegasi's weather control abilities and the Earth Ponies' ability to...
um...
plant things?

Perhaps King Sombra did, to pay for a crash course in modern "common" language classes? It had been 1000 years and his vocab was pretty minimal.

"Now mister Sombra, lets try again. Say the sentence on the board."
*Board says "Hello, my name is Sombra"*
"RAHR CRYSTALS SLAVES RAHHHR CRYSTALS SOMBRA!"
"I give up"

[MCerberus]

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Well, not exactly but you get the point.

Edit... Kind of want to see a poniefication of him now.

According to our crazy ponythread continuity, that means Twilight Sparkle sold Trixie the amulet. Also, does anyone have the drawing about that handy?

[BlasTech]

@ Tiki: That's your response to my post? Srsly?

Certainly seems to be a large bulk of what you're saying.

Friends don't let friends do Fan Fic.

Maaan, I'm jonesing for a hit of Mort Takes a Holiday ... anyone got an update of that handy?

If not, I'll have to go back to Stardust.

Interestingly, that last one sounds like a real drug. O_o

According to our crazy ponythread continuity, that means Twilight Sparkle sold Trixie the amulet. Also, does anyone have the drawing about that handy?

I'm so confused right now.

[t209]

Speaking of which, who the heck sells a mind corrupting amulet to a pawnshop.

Ummm, this is a website where people played RPG and sold all the loots to merchants.

[Tiki Snakes]

@ Tiki: That's your response to my post? Srsly?

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If you really must have a more in-depth analysis of the idea you put forward instead, or something?
Well, it's not completely awful, but I prefer the version we got, because it can be summed up with a single pic.

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[Dirtytabs]

If you had a test:

"Now, students, I'm giving you one question, but it's a doozy. What was on the cellist's shirt?"

"OOH!"

I would've aced that quiz.

According to our crazy ponythread continuity, that means Twilight Sparkle sold Trixie the amulet. Also, does anyone have the drawing about that handy?

Oh you mean this here?

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[MLai]

Umm why would you presume a vaguely dog like Aztec monster has the same visual abilities as a dog?

Because it's an excuse to allow RD to play the part of DD? Thought up in 2 seconds flat?
There is no "presumption." He is a fictional non-pony character. He can have whatever biology the plot needs.

Also dogs are not color blind as in black and white. They see in shades of blue and yellow... so Dashie and Do still look completely different.

Oh right I forgot that... put some color makeup on RD, then.

I think any objections to this episode involving the word "fanfic" have become Exhibit A in my case that fan fiction should be banned as an illegal mind altering substance.
Friends don't let friends do Fan Fic.

This is a curious stance in a thread where there's a gushing fimfic suggestion on practically every other page.
And a very curious stance for a fandom that's largely created out of the fan-generated material surrounding the original canon media.
I think you're trying too hard.
And still nobody seems to criticize the actual content of my post. I guess it's a good idea, then.

Certainly seems to be a large bulk of what you're saying.

I've never read that fimfic. Just heard of it. Everything I wrote was my own idea; I don't know if that's how that fan story went down.

If you really must have a more in-depth analysis of the idea you put forward instead, or something?

You wish to know what I prefer, when I draft up a long post talking about a new eps?
I wish to discuss the eps. Ofc someone would disagree with something in a long post. But in disagreeing, I was hoping I'd encounter new ideas that I hadn't thought of or noticed.
But if you're just going to post unrelated pictures and quip one-liners that has nothing to do with the eps or my take on it, then why bother? Just ignore my post on the new MLP eps' plot/characterization, and go on talking about pokemon or space vampires or something.

[Appleshy1973]

Pixelkitties strikes again! (as always with these, nothing here we didn't know about the episode before it aired)

Well done Pixelkittie.

And I loved Daring Don't.

[DigoDragon]

It's even basically how the little shop in Gremlins works.
Basically, at least.

Yeah. It's been so long since I've seen that movie, I wonder if there are other little background things to notice in that shop?

I like how he's swinging from his own tail.

Yes, very Spiderman in it's composition.

I wish the writers just outright stole the fanfic idea that Ahuizotl somehow jumped out of the book and became real. For example, RD tried to use a wishing magic artifact to make the book come out faster, and botched the effect.

Hmmm, would make for a good segway into episode 6, wouldn't it? Continuing with that whole idea of this season being a story arc sort of season... which brings up the question of when will the next episode addressing the keys shows up I wonder?

Building spaceship out of force-fields is a really dumb idea...

Also, redundency is a great idea. The NASA space shuttles had something like a network of five onboard computers to do each calculation. Any machine that didn't agree with the rest gets cut off as a possible malfunction.

Well, not exactly but you get the point.

Creepy! But I see what you're sayin'.

Also dogs are not color blind as in black and white. They see in shades of blue and yellow... so Dashie and Do still look completely different.

And even if he did see in monochrome... he'd need to be blind to brightness to not be able to tell their manes and tails apart. Which would be... well completely blind.

I just assume the dude ate his idiot ball for breakfast before setting out to tackle Daring.

[Appleshy1973]

I Have a Fimfiction Account, but no Stories yet

I'm on Fimfiction too as Appleloosa2011.

Now for the upcoming epsiode on saturday.

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04, E05 (First Aired: December 14, 2013)
Scottaloo becomes convinced that the best way to carry the Ponyville flag at the Equestria Games is to fly.

http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Flight_to_the_Finish/Gallery

[Tiki Snakes]

Because it's an excuse to allow RD to play the part of DD? Thought up in 2 seconds flat?
There is no "presumption." He is a fictional non-pony character. He can have whatever biology the plot needs.

Oh right I forgot that... put some color makeup on RD, then.

This is a curious stance in a thread where there's a gushing fimfic suggestion on practically every other page.
And a very curious stance for a fandom that's largely created out of the fan-generated material surrounding the original canon media.
I think you're trying too hard.
And still nobody seems to criticize the actual content of my post. I guess it's a good idea, then.

I've never read that fimfic. Just heard of it. Everything I wrote was my own idea; I don't know if that's how that fan story went down.

You wish to know what I prefer, when I draft up a long post talking about a new eps?
I wish to discuss the eps. Ofc someone would disagree with something in a long post. But in disagreeing, I was hoping I'd encounter new ideas that I hadn't thought of or noticed.
But if you're just going to post unrelated pictures and quip one-liners that has nothing to do with the eps or my take on it, then why bother? Just ignore my post on the new MLP eps' plot/characterization, and go on talking about pokemon or space vampires or something.

Well, its not like you had much to say about the new episode. You don't like it because you have an idea for a fanfic version of the episodes general premise? Well, good for you, but the fic you proposed is more familiar to me, made up of more familiar tropes and generally less inspiring than what we got. "Your heroes are better than you, aspire to become them!" doesn't do it for me.

What we got, as you apparently don't want to understand the picture version of the summary, is an episode with the moral of "Don't forget that you are awesome too!" and that is a pretty positive message. It also gives the episode an intriguing meta narrative, a surprisingly humble message of appreciation to those watching. It plays with the idea of the mane 6 as the fan community, complete with obsessions and silly debates mild levels of stalking and difficulty waiting for new content. And then concludes with the idea that its important to keep in perspective the idea that the character/writers/stuff is great, good, awesome even. But so are you, the fans. Whose awesome? You're awesome.

And giving the staggering amount raised whenever the pony fandom is pointed at a charity? I think there's honestly a good point there. One that I find much more interesting than a straight forward cosplay hijinks plot with some vague moral of "look up to fictional characters!"

As for Soras stance on fanfiction? I think he may have a point. The fact that you have your own idea for how you could have used the episodes set-up is a terrible thing to base your opinion on. It reminds me very much of the thing some people do where they get into the habit of dissecting their entertainment as if it was a fanfic, tearing it apart with how it should have done things and going on about "constructive criticism" despite the fact that the show in question is already complete and they aren't actually talking to anyone for whom constructive criticism would be relevant. All that happens is that you train yourself to see the negative.