My Little Pony III: The Great & Powerful Thread

[AlterForm]

Okay, on youtube I saw a weird video that, I think using the custom pony creator linked to in this thread, had a series of ponies flashing up on the screen for maybe 3 seconds each, though the colors were changed so it was psychedelic. There was a song in the background, that had a repeated chorus. For some reason, combined with the video, the chorus sounded like it was repeating the word pony. Anyone know what video I'm thinking of? I'm trying to remember it/the song, and I'd bugging me that I can't.

This video?

[Tavar]

Yeah, that's the one. Thanks. Have a muffin.

[Serpentine]

I got two. Yeah, in your face.

Ooooh. What for?

The hard part is coming up with mane/tail stylings. None of the people who've asked for one have specified anything, so I have to wing them.

Request reposted with this in mind.

Normal pony: Mid-dark purple, with black hair and brighter purple eyes. Cutiemark a black snake. Mane longish and waved, tail extra-long and swirled in a sinuous sort of way. Possibly standing looking upwards (based on a couple of my own ponies), but don't really mind.

Sea-pony inspired pony: no legs (or possibly only front legs), tail. Very long mane, but no hair-tail. They don't normally have cutiemarks. Same colouring.

edit: Bonus.
Sinuous pony: Unicorn, bright-to-mid/grass green body, yellow/blonde hair, bright green eyes. Cutiemark a yellow snake, probably going in the opposite direction or similar to Serpentine's. Mane shortish and straight, tail long and swirled in a serpentine sort of way. Possibly stomping a hoof looking downwards, but don't really mind.

Serpentine 2: Pegasus, otherwise same as normal pony but with draconic wings rather than feathered ones.

[Mystic Muse]

Hey Kairaven, how do you make your pony avatars?

[Trobby]

More Princess Luna.

Also, because this thread has Trixie, she shall be included.
*THIS IMAGE IS TOO BIG*

Please put this image in a spoiler tag. It is stretching the page for me.

Okay, on youtube I saw a weird video that, I think using the custom pony creator linked to in this thread, had a series of ponies flashing up on the screen for maybe 3 seconds each, though the colors were changed so it was psychedelic. There was a song in the background, that had a repeated chorus. For some reason, combined with the video, the chorus sounded like it was repeating the word pony. Anyone know what video I'm thinking of? I'm trying to remember it/the song, and I'd bugging me that I can't.

I know the video you are referring to! But I cannot remember where it is. ._. That person even replied to me after I pointed out that their saddles/dresses did not stay on their backs properly when they went up and down.

I recently deleted all my youtube mail.

....CURSE YOU GOOGLE MAIL FOR NOT HAVING A TRASH BIN. ;-;

I think the Derpy Hooves flash build-a-pony it was based on was a few pages back though.

[bluewind95]

... Pony creator? Where? I missed it somehow

[SiuiS]

Edit: two warnings- first, my phone autocorrects weirdly. I typed "such things" as one word and it came out auto-corrected to eroticism. So please be gentle; I went through it a couple times but since I wrote it, I may have skimmed too much while reciting in my head.
Second, my signal to noise ratio is worse than most, so it rambles. I promise I trod to tie it all together though, so hang in there!

Then be long winded! I'd always rather have a lot to read that applies to the speaker personally and specifically than a smaller blurb designed to make me "get it". Celestia hates slackers, you know.

Well...

Spoiler

Show

I've spent years trying to become a better person. I can't always agree with myself on what that means, and even knowing there are multiple types of good people, I cannot decide which kind of good person I want to be. But I have settled on a few things.
One, I will always be honest. I do not lie (though I have been slipping these last 8 months, it's all semantic and I catch it fast, correct it immediately). I do not emotionally manipulate people. I make my opinions clear even when doing so is detrimental, because others have a right to judge what I put out into the world. I try not to edit or alter anything I say for any reason other than I'm just not being clear.
Two. Of the two broad, basic camps of people you can rely on, either the active who do things or the passive who support you while you do things, I am most helpful as an active person. Too many folks around me are willing to let others take the lead, and it breaks my heart to see something fall apart because people are too polite to say "no, listen to me, this is how we are going to do things". I don't like being judged. I don't like trammeling on peoples ideas, beliefs or any of that. But it is better for my friends, my family, and even my coworkers and customers that I charge in and act bluntly. So I do.*

I also see myself as a Romantic. It even gets a capital R because it's an important part of who I am, or who I strive to be. "You become the Masks you wear". Knighthood, service to something greater than yourself, self sacrifice, leaving the world better off than when you went into it... These are grand ideas (even if historical implementation sucked). The root word for Samural (a romantic historic ideal) means "service" or "servant". Same with angel. huskarls the same. It's difficult to see in implementation, but easy to find in hind-sight; a good leader, or even a good friend, can serve others by leading. Knights were supposed to be the pinnacle of virtue, because they were noble (in the ethical sense) and willing to back it up with force if need be.

The dichotomy is one that transcends cultures, and I've heard me (and women) from all over espouse the same desires (also, seen a lot of writing on it). The noble warrior archetype Involves the contradiction of killing to saving; cherishing life and showing it by destroying life; promoting creativity through constraint; saving one's soul by damning it for the benefit of others. The Ordeal, the trial by fire, where you struggle against your sense of doing the wrong thing for the right reasons is a beautiful thing to endure, if one can. But all of this falls apart in concrete, and is supposed to be rhetorical. It provokes thought, much like a koan, and when internalized you are supposed to be a better person for it, yes? Especially if you come out as- the perfect contradiction, able to accurately judge when force is needed so you don't have to use force, etc.

This seems like it is veering WILDLY off topic, but I think I've done a good job of keeping it to relevant points so far. After spending years on all of this and more, I have come to feel that even on the most basic level, my obligations are important. I am responsible, utterly, for the lives of three tiny mammals, because they love me. They look to me for food, for companionship, even for discipline-- you know a cat loves you when it allows you to discipline it. And when you compare obligations, unless they compete they are all the same. Feeding that cat is as good for the world, and good for my soul, as feeding a homeless child. As good as building or staffing a food kitchen. As good as donating thousands of dollars to a homeless food kitchen. It's all the same. Sure, if I have to choose between pampering my cats or donating to help tsunami victims in japan, it's no contest- the Japanese need my help far more. But without that distinction, it's all on the same level of merit.

Have you worked retail? It's also like checking money for counterfeit. Say one day a customer comes in and you befriend him. Then later on, he hands you a $100. You check it. He hands you a $50. You check it. How about a $20? What if the other employees don't check the bills like you do? It's a slippery slope. Once you let him slide, it's much harder to not let him slide on something similar. Now translate that principle. Once you slide on a small obligation, well... Why not on the next one, since it's only a little bigger?

No. That's against the grain of who I want to be, even if it is easier to live that way. So I cleave to my obligations. HARD. I tell my friends directly, if what they want from me isn't as important as what I'm doing, they should go somewhere else, because that way there are no mixed lines of communication. When I ask for something, I'm blunt- "are you available? I need a ride, don't have gas money. Y/N?" instead of beating around the bush. If someone is making a fool of themselves, I'll tell them to shut up. I will correct them if they are wrong. I will back up the other guy in an argument if my friend is being a wanker.

But wait? How does that sound like being a good person at all? Well, in a vacuum, it's not. There is a lot more to the story than just me, sitting here and justifying how noble I am for being such a jerk. But I do want you to see me as a jerk; if you can accept the rough side and be my friend anyway, the smooth happy side will be a grand surprise. No, this is important because of what I call the "Valkyrie Principle", cringed from final fantasy tactics;

"a man dies so that your life is saved; you die to save a man's life. Same thing."

I expect the same treatment from my friends. When I'm wrong, we argue it out and I'll gladly eat crow, knowing the Truth has been furthered. When I'm in the wrong I expect- and luckily, receive- the same dressing-down I like to give. It keeps me honest.

My friends trust me. They don't always like me, or even want to deal with me, but I have never had a friend who thought, ever, that I would lie to them; that I would tell them they look bad out of spite; that I would be petty when mad at them; all of my friends know that if I say something mean, there is truth in the statement and not just an attempt to hurt them. They know this because I will also tell them the reverse, such that when I dislike something but it has merit, I say it has merit. I am willing to lose because the Right and the Good and the True in any situation are more important than my personal victories. I'm not perfect at this, but my friends are still my friends despite my callousness because my loyalty and trust, when earned, are unshakeable. My honor is adamant, and doesn't include my ego.

This kind of trust or respect don't come naturally, especially since I'm a callous know-it-all jerk. This respect from people is earned and it is earned the hard way. I test my friends so they can become better, and I support them so they stick around enough to make me better.

If I were magically transported to ponyland I would be ecstatic! I would also still be me. Waking up, it was all a dream? Please, I've done that game before, and we don't let him DM anymore. No, I will assess my situation, and I will handle it like any other situation. I will fight for what is right. I will find a way to fix my issues back home, because getting everything I've ever wanted, at the cost of dropping my friends on their butts? No. My happiness does not trump what I know in my heart to be right. But I earned that respect, I have built my sense of honor and my integrity brick by brick, even when life kicks my brick pile over. Now it is a wall, and you do not build walls just to build them; you build walls to hold fast against the giants, so the people on the other side, the people who put their trust in that wall, and me as it's architect, can enjoy the fruits of their labors.

Fruits? Labors? What?! Simple. These people have put their trust In me as an investment, not a donation. If I fail to pay them back with interest, I have failed in every way that matters to me as a person. This attitude, of asking life for something, and responding appropriately when life says "take it from my hand", is an archetypal PC attitude (and I Appologies for using shorthand in my explanation of shorthand, but I feel I've done a decent job of explaining it that you can let this part go, yes?) of carving your own way through the world.

I don't need to wake up for it to all be a dream; I don't need to frolic in Equestria and leave my past behind. Those choices are simple and weak choices for simple and weak people. I can- no, I WILL have both. I will be the pony who frolics through his adventures, breaks back into "reality", pays off his lease, parts amicably with his women, redistribute his wealth amongst those who still need it, deliver my cats to Fluttershy so she can tend them while I handle My Business (like a boss!) and end up back in Equestria, under the glorious reigns of Celestia and Luna, having earned my respite.

As they say "your name comes from your ancestors, and must be giving back to them untarnished; your honor belongs to you lineage and must be given to them intact." the only immortality is in the memory of those who loved you, and who want to share that memory with others. If I go back now on everything that has ever had meaning to me just for fleeting happiness, then who am I? Certainly not the man/pony I used to be before I cast everything about myself to the winds. I could never have children, because those children would have nothing- no lineage, no pride in themselves or their father. I may as well not even exist to them for all the good I had done.

So rather than just bask forever in a glorious gift, I would do the only thing I could with it, the only thing even Celestia would expect me to do with it; I would polish it, and make it better, so that when I give this gift to those who are important to me- my children, my cats (which are other-species children) and whichever of my friends I could drag with me- it will be better than when I got it myself, because that is the Ideal. That is the life of service I strive to be known for. That is who I am.

The correlation to paladinhood is best expressed by Big-Ears the goblin; "we become a paladin so others don't have to". And the show Heroes has a good line too; "a hero must be strong enough to cut out his own heart". Townsaver, too, gives Inspiration; "Hard roads the sword of fury takes; Hard walls it builds around the soft". The most honor a shield can have is to be destroyed while it's bearer yet stands, because it's duty was fulfilled in all ways possible. As a friend, as a person, if I spend my life bettering and shielding and supporting others, I have won. Having them like me during, or remember me fondly after, or even receiving some reward for it all is just a bonus.

Whew! You asked for it. Heh. 10,962 characters. I do hope it shall suffice? *faints*

[Tavar]

I know the video you are referring to! But I cannot remember where it is. ._. That person even replied to me after I pointed out that their saddles/dresses did not stay on their backs properly when they went up and down.

Thanks. AlterForm linked to it at the top of the page. Oddly difficult to find.

This video?

... Pony creator? Where? I missed it somehow

Here

[Trobby]

Thanks. AlterForm linked to it at the top of the page. Oddly difficult to find.

._. I need to go to bed. I am slowly turning into Derpy.

...And my hooves are tired from all this typing...

NO! NO! MUST RESIST THE PONY! MUST RESIST THE PONY!

[Kairaven]

Hey Kairaven, how do you make your pony avatars?

I use photoshop elements, which is what I have. very basic photo editing software.
I select poses and shapes from other pony pictures or screen cap from FIM episodes, The shear amount of pony picture out on the net means I really never run out of options for poses/shapes.
Then, based on requests descriptions, I usally modify the base picture or screen capture by tracing an outline of the pony pose on a separate layer. For basic ponys, it's usually just a color swap and minor modifications. For more complicated requests it takes longer due to more modifications or items I may have to mouse-drawn.
I add each different element/modification on separate layers until I am satisied, then I merge the layers together in the end, resize it to the sizes showned on the board or avatar size. (tip that I am sure any one who draws know: start you picture big, and then resize it to be smaller, it hides most of the imperfections.)

[PhoeKun]

Whew! You asked for it. Heh. 10,962 characters. I do hope it shall suffice? *faints*

I would be remiss if after I chastised you for taking the easy way out, then proceeded to ignore your efforts to give me exactly what I asked for. And I understand the crux of what you're driving at, even if I could never bring myself to think about life in terms of such pomp and circumstance. Creeds and mantras are all well and good, but after a point they begin to ring flatly in my ears.

But thank you for your very earnest ramblings, and your extended insights into the Problems of Becoming a Pony. Like I said before, there are a lot of practical concerns in just up and vanishing off the face of the earth that most people would probably feel pretty guilty about just abandoning at some point or another, to say nothing of the people that would be left behind. The difference is plainly one of motivation. Some might turn back to Earth to gather belongings, some to say goodbye, some to bring friends along for the ride. Some out of moral obligation, and I'd have to suspect there's more than a handful who would simple canter in without a single look back. It's a personal thing, as I'm sure you know. As epic as you make it... or don't.

In either case, wheeeeeee~ Ponies!

[Entertainer13]

I so far have only one suggestion for "my little pony" avatar over on the left. Any other thoughts?

He's anti-authority, and likely helps farming with his magic. He also raises falcons and often will go on long trips to study new forms of magic. He's also cranky at times and likes personal freedom!



On another note, who wants to be freaked out? If so, watch this!

[Alarra]

So, I apparently missed the existence of this show until yesterday. Do I live under a rock? Maybe. But, you know, I still have my entire (rather large) my little pony collection from back in the 80s. I so should have seen this before now. Buuuuuut...Pickle and I have started watching it tonight, so all shall be right with the world.

And as for avatars...having said I'd make some, I've no idea who needs them other than the people that have posted really recently. And I'd rather take on people's that have been waiting awhile than new requests. So, um... where do I start with that?

[SiuiS]

I could never bring myself to think about life in terms of such pomp and circumstance. Creeds and mantras are all well and good, but after a point they begin to ring flatly in my ears.

I know what you mean. I do my level best to not let it be just pomp though, and on the other end I also try not to go around with something to prove. Being conservative and decisive is a fun balancing act. I often fall. It's often painful. But tempering my logic with romantic appeals helps keep me from sane.

It's a personal thing, as I'm sure you know.

Aye. I liken it to the ending of old sagas, like the book of three or the LotR. That poignant moment where they want to get on the boat to go to eternal paradise, but here is so much work to be done? I honestly don't know how I would handle it. The dramatic tension and the emotional tension are delicious.

[Serpentine]

But, you know, I still have my entire (rather large) my little pony collection from back in the 80s.

Which ones do you have? I only have a few, but I was thinking of starting proper collecting... I posted the ones I have in the last thread or so. I'll see if I can find it. In the meanwhilst, I recently showed a comb and a sea-horse pony I'm pretty sure I own.

edit: Here we go, here's some of the ones I own (or something very like them):

Spoiler

Show

[Jarian]

And as for avatars...having said I'd make some, I've no idea who needs them other than the people that have posted really recently. And I'd rather take on people's that have been waiting awhile than new requests. So, um... where do I start with that?

I'm not sure who all has been waiting longer, but I did request to have my avatar redone as Angel the bunny from the show way back in the other thread (so all of about three days ago. ). As far as I know, nobody picked it up yet, so there wouldn't be any overlap.

If someone's been waiting longer, feel free to skip this one.

[Alarra]

Which ones do you have? I only have a few, but I was thinking of starting proper collecting... I posted the ones I have in the last thread or so. I'll see if I can find it. In the meanwhilst, I recently showed a comb and a sea-horse pony I'm pretty sure I own.

I have no idea. They're in South Dakota (so about a 28 hour drive away) in my parents' attic. I remember having a bunch though, somewhere between 30 and 50. I know I kept all that stuff though. I'll have to look for them sometime when I'm there.

[SiuiS]

Alter-form's signature has his list of avatars to be done. Kairaven has a couple. I think you would be safe starting from now, and we can just have several queues going at once. Seems most efficient and that way no one has too long of a wait.

I'm going to look for my tablet tonight. Whether I can do anything other than murder perfectly good art with my hands of thumbs awaits to be seen. Ugh.

[Castel]

A new awesome game is out.

Warning: Your eyes may end up all funky on you after playing this.

(The objective of the game is to get all the wing thingies to fill your bar on the top right corner, shooting [space bar] takes a point from your bar. Have fun! )

[Serpentine]

I have no idea. They're in South Dakota (so about a 28 hour drive away) in my parents' attic. I remember having a bunch though, somewhere between 30 and 50. I know I kept all that stuff though. I'll have to look for them sometime when I'm there.

Wooooow. That's a lot Possibly worth a pretty penny by now
Incidentally, if you have doubles of any, there's a movement of custom My Little Ponies for which you could use them... One of the ones I posted above has had that treatment:

Spoiler

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Braided Beauty is beeyooootifool :3

edit: Also, if you're willing to sell, I'm interested in buying.

[Hawkflight]

Plus APR has unofficially been designated as Pony FB profile pic month so I am guessing some people with FaceBook and feels brave would jump at the chance to display their OC ponies.

Do you mean this?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...80760711941144

Or is there another page I should Like?

....CURSE YOU GOOGLE MAIL FOR NOT HAVING A TRASH BIN. ;-;

Yeah it does. Right below the SPAM folder.

[darthbobcat]

A new awesome game is out.

Warning: Your eyes may end up all funky on you after playing this.

(The objective of the game is to get all the wing thingies to fill your bar on the top right corner, shooting [space bar] takes a point from your bar. Have fun! )

It's really fun, aside from the space level, which is purely luck. Although, Rainbow Dash mode is roughly 63.7% too hard for me.

[Castel]

It's really fun, aside from the space level, which is purely luck. Although, Rainbow Dash mode is roughly 63.7% too hard for me.

But, but... playing as Rainbow Dash!



I actually dived right into Hard Mode. Died about 12 times in the first level for my problems, but it was still worth it!

[darthbobcat]

But, but... playing as Rainbow Dash!



I actually dived right into Hard Mode. Died about 12 times in the first level for my problems, but it was still worth it!

Gah, okay, I'll try again! Just... just put that thing away!

[Castel]

Gah, okay, I'll try again! Just... just put that thing away!

Great!

Spoiler

Show

I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in ten seconds flat!

[darthbobcat]

Great!

Spoiler

Show

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/317/e/6/rainbow_dash_on_cloud_nine_by_shelltoontv-d32se0p.png

I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in ten seconds flat!

Huh. I actually breezed through stages 3, 4 and 5, though I died a bunch in stages 1, 2 and 6. Weird. I guess playing Rainbow Dash makes you 20% cooler.

[Gaelbert]

So, I apparently missed the existence of this show until yesterday. Do I live under a rock? Maybe. But, you know, I still have my entire (rather large) my little pony collection from back in the 80s. I so should have seen this before now. Buuuuuut...Pickle and I have started watching it tonight, so all shall be right with the world.

And as for avatars...having said I'd make some, I've no idea who needs them other than the people that have posted really recently. And I'd rather take on people's that have been waiting awhile than new requests. So, um... where do I start with that?

[SiuiS]

Huh. I guess playing Rainbow Dash makes you 20% cooler.

I believe it.

[SiuiS]

Bollocks! A double post. Gotta cover quick... Hm.

Any speculation on why the elements of harmony were in the everfree forest? Or why there is an abandoned evil castle in the everfree forest? Is it even in the everfree forest? I plan on doing research when I get home (ie watch more ponies) but wouldnt mind suggestions on where to look.

[darthbobcat]

Bollocks! A double post. Gotta cover quick... Hm.

Any speculation on why the elements of harmony were in the everfree forest? Or why there is an abandoned evil castle in the everfree forest? Is it even in the everfree forest? I plan on doing research when I get home (ie watch more ponies) but wouldnt mind suggestions on where to look.

I don't think there's an official explanation, aside from yes, it was in the Everfree Forest.

As for everything else: My theory is that it was Luna's old castle. The elements were there because that's where Celestia confronted her. The Everfree Forest may have come about due to Luna not being there to maintain it, or it may have been intentionally created to keep ponies away.

Edit: Holy crap. I just realized that at this rate, we'll need a new thread by next Saturday or so.