My Little Pony LIII: Stashing Ponythreads Around in Case of Ponymergency!

[Gamerlord]

We might be getting a 66-minute long movie in the future.
Before anyone says it's just 3 episodes compiled together, it says "1 x 66 minutes", not "3 x 22 minutes".

[otakuryoga]

I had hoped that this lullaby song would help me to go to sleep at 5 am (I was too focused on my computer games) and although the beginning of the song was useful the latter parts were ... counterproductive.

try this version

[Kd7sov]

We might be getting a 66-minute long movie in the future.
Before anyone says it's just 3 episodes compiled together, it says "1 x 66 minutes", not "3 x 22 minutes".

And we know that's referring to the tracks or some such, rather than the DVD itself, because...?

[DigoDragon]

Were at least a day away from needing a new ponythread, let wait a few more pages yes?

"Just warming up, your honor."

Spoiler

Show

ALL. MY. YES.

In me news I beat Final Fantasy 3!

Congrats! Which FF3 are we talking here? The US kinda messed up the numbering early on and stuff.

have an image which I think really represents ponythread

Spoiler

Show

So... we're maniacal crustaceans?

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Trixie + Twilight + Slayers = Win

Spoiler

Show

So perfect.

ALL. MY. YES.

Second.

So... we're maniacal crustaceans?

I don't think anyone can argue against the "maniacal" part.

[Soras Teva Gee]

We might be getting a 66-minute long movie in the future.
Before anyone says it's just 3 episodes compiled together, it says "1 x 66 minutes", not "3 x 22 minutes".

Or 1 disc at 66 minutes?

Seems to me more data we should have before jumping to conclusions

[Grif]

Spoiler

Show

I need to write a fanfic on this.

[Thanqol]

And I just finished Fallout: Equestria.

I know that most of you are probably in the same boat I was in: "I'm never going to read it because it's too long! Who has that kind of time? I'll just make the decision to let this one pass me by and be at peace with that choice."

I understand that position. But you should read it anyway.

It's not a story that was, to me, especially heartbreaking or intensely emotional. The language never struck me as singularly beautiful. The humour didn't take my breath away, and occasionally leaned a tad towards referential rather than funny. These are usually the criteria by which I judge a story.

But that's not what Fallout: Equestria was. It wasn't a piece of technical writing that spoke to me in any of the ways I normally understood. It was a different kind of writing. It was a story. The story of the end of the world.

What I mean by that is that it's a story that could be told around a campfire. It's a story that captures interest, captures the imagination, provides so many - too many things to process all at once. It's one that entertains - at no point in the story was I the slightest bit dulled, the slightest bit uninterested, and I kept turning pages non stop for three days until I was through with it. It's a story that will be unpacking in my head for some time. Another core tale. Another forumula, a template. A new set of possibilities.

And it's a story about the end of the world. The most powerful parts of Fallout: Equestria were the visions back into the time before the end and the terrible, relentless pressure that pushed everything in that direction. It's about failure. Catastrophic, absolute, despairing failure. The wasteland segments almost seem like an underscoring and examination of just how dramatic that failure was, and how deeply that event goes. This, more than anything, was the key strength of the work. The structure of everything leading towards it, and how and when it was revealed.

And it's that one event that the story turns around. What it means. What it means for everyone. How it could have happened. How it could possibly have happened. How ponies could have ended the world.


I think this is why Fallout: Equestria has such a huge following and why it's sparked so many side stories. Because it's a new idea. It follows both Fallout 3 and Friendship is Magic remarkably closely. All the characters and factions have direct Fallout parallels, sometimes even sharing the exact same names. But it never once felt derivative. In the combination of those two impossible extremes, Kkat found something... new. A new idea. A new take on the end of the world, and what it means.

I think that's a rare thing.

So take the time. Give it a chance. I don't think you'll regret it.

[Pokonic]

On Fallout:Equestria

Indeed. Something I found interesting was the general impact the war had on the world.

Spoiler

Show

By that, I mean the relative unimportance the Zebra's had on the plot 200+ years after the whole "blow up the world" act. They had, in essance, served there peice. They had no plans on ever giving up, ever, over a conflict that seemed simple at first but was truly supported by myth. Starmetal is strange, yes, but the most horrific things the Zebra had were crafted by there own hooves (The Black Book).

But at the end, the closest we get to learning of the Zebra mindset was Zebratown, a little more than 3-4ths through the story. They had done there part, and a 200+ year old war is rightfuly not given as much closure about as the currant conflict.

[Beacon of Chaos]

@Thanqol: High praise indeed. I guess I can give it a look sometime. I haven't been reading much lately though.

Images, and the dumping thereof.

Spoiler

Show

I have no idea if this is a real game or not, but it looks amazing.

[Deadly]

Don't worry Scootaloo, Science will Save You!

Spoiler

Show

And I just finished Fallout: Equestria.

I know that most of you are probably in the same boat I was in: "I'm never going to read it because it's too long! Who has that kind of time? I'll just make the decision to let this one pass me by and be at peace with that choice."

I understand that position. But you should read it anyway.

[...]

So take the time. Give it a chance. I don't think you'll regret it.

I suppose one day I should. I'm not sure I want to read a post-apocalyptic story. I tend to prefer pre-apocalyptic, but maybe with all this praise I'll make an exception.

I also have to finish the rest of the Discworld novels (got 10 left, IIRC), the Song of Ice and Fire saga (all the books, dear Celestia), and of course tons of epic ponyfics like Background Pony. I've got tons of stories on my to-read list that I'm sort of intimidated by. I mean, seriously, latest chapter of Background Pony is more than 40000 words alone. I like short chapters.

How long is each chapter of Fallout:Equestria, roughly? And how many chapters?

[Soras Teva Gee]

Don't worry Scootaloo, Science will Save You!

Spoiler

Show

That's a pretty elaborate chicken joke there.

[Kd7sov]

And I just finished Fallout: Equestria.

I know that most of you are probably in the same boat I was in: "I'm never going to read it because it's too long! Who has that kind of time? I'll just make the decision to let this one pass me by and be at peace with that choice."

I understand that position. But you should read it anyway.

[snip]

It was a story. The story of the end of the world.

How does it handle this?

Specifically, compared to the Fallout games themselves? I've never played them, but from what I understand, they don't take themselves seriously at all. (Possibly this is why another character of mine, at the same game where I play Fluttershy, has twice gone into the Falloutverse and each time been quite near a nuclear car when it exploded. And is none the worse for wear.) Does FO:E capture that humor? Or is it more like straight postapoc?

[Deadly]

That's a pretty elaborate chicken joke there.

Yes, but Scootaloo strikes me as the sort of pony who would rather be a really cool jetpack powered pegasus pony than a plain old pegasus pony with plain old wings. Any pegasus can boast a pair of wings, Scootaloo is way too cool for that.

[Tvtyrant]

Big picture.

Spoiler

Show

[Anarion]

How does it handle this?

Specifically, compared to the Fallout games themselves? I've never played them, but from what I understand, they don't take themselves seriously at all. (Possibly this is why another character of mine, at the same game where I play Fluttershy, has twice gone into the Falloutverse and each time been quite near a nuclear car when it exploded. And is none the worse for wear.) Does FO:E capture that humor? Or is it more like straight postapoc?

I think it's misleading to say that the Fallout games don't take themselves seriously. They do parody several things, such as using a proxy for Coca-Cola bottlecaps as their currency, referencing all the old Cold War black and white films, using old green-text computes, and having several horribly disfigured people do their comic relief. But the world of Fallout is a world where people laugh, so that they don't cry. Because if you actually take the time to look at what is, and compare it to what was, the loss is staggering. If you have a chance, go pick up Fallout 3. Turn off the radio so there's no jaunty music. Put away all the happy vault-tec figures and 1950s clothing and naming. Then, walk around, look at the towns, at the vaults, at the world. It's not pretty.

I haven't read Fallout: Equestria. But, if as Thanqol says, it managed to capture that feeling of Fallout and somehow make it work with ponies, of all things, that is really impressive.

[Pendulous]

Don't worry Scootaloo, Science will Save You!

Spoiler

Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MwVOS3BPVk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6skaVBzbIM

[Forum Explorer]

"
Congrats! Which FF3 are we talking here? The US kinda messed up the numbering early on and stuff.




So... we're maniacal crustaceans?

The actual FF3. In the wild wild days before save points and buying phoenix downs were invented.

Any ponies don't have any idea how to deal with us.

And I just finished Fallout: Equestria.

Spoiler

Show

I know that most of you are probably in the same boat I was in: "I'm never going to read it because it's too long! Who has that kind of time? I'll just make the decision to let this one pass me by and be at peace with that choice."

I understand that position. But you should read it anyway.

It's not a story that was, to me, especially heartbreaking or intensely emotional. The language never struck me as singularly beautiful. The humour didn't take my breath away, and occasionally leaned a tad towards referential rather than funny. These are usually the criteria by which I judge a story.

But that's not what Fallout: Equestria was. It wasn't a piece of technical writing that spoke to me in any of the ways I normally understood. It was a different kind of writing. It was a story. The story of the end of the world.

What I mean by that is that it's a story that could be told around a campfire. It's a story that captures interest, captures the imagination, provides so many - too many things to process all at once. It's one that entertains - at no point in the story was I the slightest bit dulled, the slightest bit uninterested, and I kept turning pages non stop for three days until I was through with it. It's a story that will be unpacking in my head for some time. Another core tale. Another forumula, a template. A new set of possibilities.

And it's a story about the end of the world. The most powerful parts of Fallout: Equestria were the visions back into the time before the end and the terrible, relentless pressure that pushed everything in that direction. It's about failure. Catastrophic, absolute, despairing failure. The wasteland segments almost seem like an underscoring and examination of just how dramatic that failure was, and how deeply that event goes. This, more than anything, was the key strength of the work. The structure of everything leading towards it, and how and when it was revealed.

And it's that one event that the story turns around. What it means. What it means for everyone. How it could have happened. How it could possibly have happened. How ponies could have ended the world.


I think this is why Fallout: Equestria has such a huge following and why it's sparked so many side stories. Because it's a new idea. It follows both Fallout 3 and Friendship is Magic remarkably closely. All the characters and factions have direct Fallout parallels, sometimes even sharing the exact same names. But it never once felt derivative. In the combination of those two impossible extremes, Kkat found something... new. A new idea. A new take on the end of the world, and what it means.

I think that's a rare thing.

So take the time. Give it a chance. I don't think you'll regret it.

Great review and I agree. Just one piece of advice if you look into the side stories.

Do NOT read Fallout Equestria Project Horizons. In my opinion it missed the point of Fallout Equestria and just tried to 'outdo' it. Cranking everything up to 11 (and the violence to 12) and it's just an overblown mess that's gotten worse as time went on.

[Bayonet Priest]

Great review and I agree. Just one piece of advice if you look into the side stories.

Do NOT read Fallout Equestria Project Horizons. In my opinion it missed the point of Fallout Equestria and just tried to 'outdo' it. Cranking everything up to 11 (and the violence to 12) and it's just an overblown mess that's gotten worse as time went on.

Seconding this so much. I kept hearing glowing review of it so I eventually gave it a shot. I got about 20 chapters in before completely giving up on it.

It's like if you took Fallout: Equestria at its most brutal and dark and made that the new baseline and only went down from there.

[Pokonic]

Seconding this so much. I kept hearing glowing review of it so I eventually gave it a shot. I got about 20 chapters in before completely giving up on it.

It's like if you took Fallout: Equestria at its most brutal and dark and made that the new baseline and only went down from there.

It's like Fallout Equestria 2: Hoofington Boogaloo

The protagonist is a direct opposite of Little Pip, in that inhaling a nice lungful of Pink Cloud would probably not make it on a list of the worst things she's ever experianced. It includes things that were only mentioned hesitently in F:E (Raider habits, the fate of children) and makes it the standered backdrop of which can only become darker if you spread a healthy dose of Game Workshop-grade Grimdark (Good for the lungs) on it. Admitly, it does have interesting concepts and charecters, but eventualy they just fall flat after hearing them (the charecters) angst and get hurt to the point that you are wondering why you care.

I would suggest reading it, but droping it if it gets too dark to the point it crosses the line and becomes funny. I am still reading it, if only in hope for some pay off from hours put into reading it.

[Forum Explorer]

It's like Fallout Equestria 2: Hoofington Boogaloo

The protagonist is a direct opposite of Little Pip, in that inhaling a nice lungful of Pink Cloud would probably not make it on a list of the worst things she's ever experianced. It includes things that were only mentioned hesitently in F:E (Raider habits, the fate of children) and makes it the standered backdrop of which can only become darker if you spread a healthy dose of Game Workshop-grade Grimdark (Good for the lungs) on it. Admitly, it does have interesting concepts and charecters, but eventualy they just fall flat after hearing them (the charecters) angst and get hurt to the point that you are wondering why you care.

I would suggest reading it, but droping it if it gets too dark to the point it crosses the line and becomes funny. I am still reading it, if only in hope for some pay off from hours put into reading it.

Honestly I could handle the violence. The part that really drove me crazy is how it kept trying to 'steal' credit from the original.

Here's what I mean. 'spoilers'

Spoiler

Show

Having Goldenblood behind so many of the atrocities really takes away the horror of seeing the beloved Mane 6 make understandable mistakes that lead to the apocalypse. And he does that to every single one of them. Just put all of the problems on his head instead. Really can ruin the impact it had in the original. Everything about Goldenblood drove me crazy. Seriously getting rid of him would improve the story so much because he isn't even necessary! His purpose seems to be to ruin the original story in every way possible in ways that don't make any sense and create gaping plot holes.

Also having what was happening in Hoofington being more important then the rest of the Wasteland was annoying and just flat out stupid. Then go on and explain the whole mystery star thing. The best part of the whole star thing was it's ambiguity! We didn't know if it was real or not, the characters didn't know and it was better that way! The memory orb spam was very annoying, those that weren't ruining the original were completely irrelevant. I think there was one or two that were fine but that was it.

So many little things were brought up that didn't make any sense and required the Mane 6 to go OCC. Or to ignore the original work. Like the Mega Spell "Factories" which completely ignored that ponies cast the Mega spells and didn't need to launch or build them! That was just the zebras.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Yes, but Scootaloo strikes me as the sort of pony who would rather be a really cool jetpack powered pegasus pony than a plain old pegasus pony with plain old wings. Any pegasus can boast a pair of wings, Scootaloo is way too cool for that.

Ehh I don't quite get ponies and any sort of tech so I'd rather she fly.

(Needs. To. Be. An. Episode!)

[Anarion]

I'm taking a short study break at the moment, but this comic adequately expresses how I feel today (I would be Pinkie, not Twilight). Just, so much reading.

Spoiler

Show

[Pokonic]

Honestly I could handle the violence. The part that really drove me crazy is how it kept trying to 'steal' credit from the original.

Here's what I mean. 'spoilers'

Spoiler

Show

Having Goldenblood behind so many of the atrocities really takes away the horror of seeing the beloved Mane 6 make understandable mistakes that lead to the apocalypse. And he does that to every single one of them. Just put all of the problems on his head instead. Really can ruin the impact it had in the original. Everything about Goldenblood drove me crazy. Seriously getting rid of him would improve the story so much because he isn't even necessary! His purpose seems to be to ruin the original story in every way possible in ways that don't make any sense and create gaping plot holes.

Also having what was happening in Hoofington being more important then the rest of the Wasteland was annoying and just flat out stupid. Then go on and explain the whole mystery star thing. The best part of the whole star thing was it's ambiguity! We didn't know if it was real or not, the characters didn't know and it was better that way! The memory orb spam was very annoying, those that weren't ruining the original were completely irrelevant. I think there was one or two that were fine but that was it.

So many little things were brought up that didn't make any sense and required the Mane 6 to go OCC. Or to ignore the original work. Like the Mega Spell "Factories" which completely ignored that ponies cast the Mega spells and didn't need to launch or build them! That was just the zebras.

The only change to "canon" I thought was good was

Spoiler

Show

Taint. Or, more preferably, Flux. To be exact, in the original, Twilight somehow had taint-purgers before IMP was ever completly done. Flux helps explain the shear amount of what would otherwise be wayword IMP and gives a reason for why mutations are everywhere in the wastes: It was in all sorts crap already.

Also, I would say that the removal of Goldenblood and actualy using Horse (you know, that one guy who shows up, like, three times and is hardly mentioned otherwise?) would be preferable. Golden kinda steals the show from everyone and everything. I swear, if he shows up as a Canterlot Ghoul or something in the last five chapters or somesuch.....

Also, there has been a sort of clarification about the Megaspell missiles: his little orginisation was launching missiles after the moon landing, apparently for the war. While it seems to be a cover for testing another viable moon landing (because the general theory is that the Core is actualy a friggen spaceship), it might be that Luna took him down because he got his hooves on Zebra tech and never told anyone else. Also, there were those megaspell chambers underground, so "typical" pony megaspells were around in some form.

[Kd7sov]

I think it's misleading to say that the Fallout games don't take themselves seriously. They do parody several things, such as using a proxy for Coca-Cola bottlecaps as their currency, referencing all the old Cold War black and white films, using old green-text computes, and having several horribly disfigured people do their comic relief. But the world of Fallout is a world where people laugh, so that they don't cry. Because if you actually take the time to look at what is, and compare it to what was, the loss is staggering. If you have a chance, go pick up Fallout 3. Turn off the radio so there's no jaunty music. Put away all the happy vault-tec figures and 1950s clothing and naming. Then, walk around, look at the towns, at the vaults, at the world. It's not pretty.

I haven't read Fallout: Equestria. But, if as Thanqol says, it managed to capture that feeling of Fallout and somehow make it work with ponies, of all things, that is really impressive.

Ah? Well, that wasn't exactly the point I was meaning to make. I have no objection to long; I started late enough into Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, and into Embers, that they were huge before I found them. But there are many things classed as Dark that I don't care for in a vanilla form, but that can be mitigated by other elements int he story.

[Deadly]

Ehh I don't quite get ponies and any sort of tech so I'd rather she fly.

(Needs. To. Be. An. Episode!)

Well, yeah, we need several episodes dedicated to Scootaloo at this point, based on how many the other two have got.

I'm not sure she needs to fly, or at least not very well. I think it's fine that she does her own thing. Jetpacks are a little high-tech for canon, sure enough, but she already has her scooter which is basically the same idea. She doesn't need to fly to be cool and special.

[Forum Explorer]

The only change to "canon" I thought was good was

Spoiler

Show

Taint. Or, more preferably, Flux. To be exact, in the original, Twilight somehow had taint-purgers before IMP was ever completly done. Flux helps explain the shear amount of what would otherwise be wayword IMP and gives a reason for why mutations are everywhere in the wastes: It was in all sorts crap already.

Also, I would say that the removal of Goldenblood and actualy using Horse (you know, that one guy who shows up, like, three times and is hardly mentioned otherwise?) would be preferable. Golden kinda steals the show from everyone and everything. I swear, if he shows up as a Canterlot Ghoul or something in the last five chapters or somesuch.....

Also, there has been a sort of clarification about the Megaspell missiles: his little orginisation was launching missiles after the moon landing, apparently for the war. While it seems to be a cover for testing another viable moon landing (because the general theory is that the Core is actualy a friggen spaceship), it might be that Luna took him down because he got his hooves on Zebra tech and never told anyone else. Also, there were those megaspell chambers underground, so "typical" pony megaspells were around in some form.

Spoiler

Show

I'm not sure if this was the worst Goldenblood moment but it is pretty close. Where Spike betrays Twilight and wipes her mind because Goldenblood convinced him it was the better idea. Despite her somehow knowing about the Gardens of Equestria anyways in the original.

I gave up on Project Horizons since Security convinced Little Pip to take drugs, thus stealing away one of her morally ambiguous decisions. That was the tipping point for me. So the latest stuff I don't even know about. In my personal headcanon Security died in the water fighting the Steel Rangers and never found a single memory orb.

I would like to point out that in the original Taint was very rare. We see it in the areas around Maripony and nowhere else. If I'm remembering it correctly.

Ah? Well, that wasn't exactly the point I was meaning to make. I have no objection to long; I started late enough into Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, and into Embers, that they were huge before I found them. But there are many things classed as Dark that I don't care for in a vanilla form, but that can be mitigated by other elements int he story.

I'm not entirely sure what you're saying here. So correct me if I'm wrong.

Fallout Equestria is dark, and has some pretty dark moments. However most of it comes from the horror of how reasonable the fall of ponykind is. Well and Raiders. Besides that I wouldn't say it's darker then Fallout 3 at a close look.

[Maxtronaut]

Hey guys. Had an idea for a story earlier, and I ended up browsing pictres of Pipsqueak. Take a look at this one. What kind of animal has a skull like the one on Pip's eyepatch?

Spoiler

Show

[Soras Teva Gee]

Hey guys. Had an idea for a story earlier, and I ended up browsing pictres of Pipsqueak. Take a look at this one. What kind of animal has a skull like the one on Pip's eyepatch?

Spoiler

Show

A monkey of course!

[Aotrs Commander]

Barely one page in twenty four hours? Okay, who's been eating ponythreaders?