My Little Pony LXXXIX: Ponythread Perfect! Yaks no Smash!

[DigoDragon]

Spoiler

Show

Nope, that's not a good enough excuse.

Spoiler: Friendship Games

Show

That... that wasn't an excuse.
I was just saying that they didn't put effort into the short. Ergo, lazy writing.

[zimmerwald1915]

Spoiler: Short

Show

Hmmm. No, not really feeling this one. It... I dunno. Is it just me or do those three seem more like... steriotypes than characters here (especially the other two)?

I mean Flash shows a little... vanity, maybe...? beyond just "Generic Nice guy" but still... I was sort of expecting we might see something of a character here, but... Well, you could have replaced them with the CMC there and it would largely went the same way. They were sort of acting like children. And it was rather... understated, at that (compared to what, say Lyra and Bonbon were at.)

I think, at the very least, Hippy-chap and Nerd-chap are far too cliched and one dimensional (and worst of all, done-before). I mean, come on, the show's arguable lead and one of the other major characters sort of cover those areas, only with some actual character.

It's not just me right?

Spoiler: Short

Show

No, it's not just you.

The word you're looking for to describe Flash is "self-satisfaction," and I maintain that it's been there since his introduction. Flash has always had these two character traits: a genuine desire to be a good person, and a mindset that lets him believe that he is one very easily. He is capable of real moral accomplishments, but he is very proud of very small things. For example, in Equestria Girls. He is the lone human able to extricate himself from Sunset's web on his own, but what he crows about is how reporting her Photoshop job to Vice-Principal Luna makes him so much "a Canterlot Wondercolt." Or see here. Apparently being in a high school garage band makes him a great artist in his mind; this delusion was also the driver of his actions in Rainbow Rocks, and the chink in his moral armor that the Sirens exploited. He's not small-minded, exactly. That would make him petty and mean, and he's neither of those things. Trixie, for example, is much truer to that kind of small-mindedness in Rainbow Rocks than Flash is. Flash just has a high opinion of himself for all the wrong reasons, and is content to rest on his laurels because of it.

Not that you made this charge exactly, but the above is why I get up in arms when people say Flash has no character. He does. It's not a particularly likable character (Blueblood shares most of Flash's negative traits, though few of his positive ones), but it's there.

The other two, on the other hand, are completely one-note. But that's nothing new. Most of the "characters" in Slice of Life are about as well-drawn.

EDIT: now that I think about it, Flash in Equestria Girls is the only character introduced as a human. We go into the film knowing a bunch about all the Humane Six's pony counterparts, and Sunset is herself a pony, but human Flash is the original, as it were. That snippet of a scene in the Crystal Empire aside, he is introduced and characterized from the start as a human. That makes him the film's window on the human condition specifically. What is revealed tracks to some extent with your uncharitable view of humanity; that it is much too satisfied with how little it has to show for itself. Just thought I'd point that out.

[McNum]

So... gotta do The Sending or you get a Final Fantasy X situation?
(But with better voice acting)

*Looks at McNum's post* Haha, so it's not just me thinking that. :3 Not saying it's a bad idea. Just thought there was similarities to those ideas.

Well it is a good idea for mythology, although we should take steps to avoid it turning the world all death focused and nihilistic like Spira was.

Honestly, I feel like it wouldn't need to be a full on ceremony, just the simple act of ponies remembering the deceased, and in their own way acknowledges them, then that's all it takes. A full on funeral, or a group of soldiers pouring out a drink in the memory of their fallen comrades, or even a foal shedding a tear over a lost family member. As long as the deceased is remembered in some way, and its death acknowledged, it will be able to acknowledge it as well and move on. It takes a lot for the ghost thing to happen. Of course, there should be the usual "unfinished business" clause for ghosts. If somepony really can't let go of the living world, they can break the natural passing through sheer force of will.

I mean, why waste a perfectly good ghost story setup?

On that note, a catastrophic disaster that wipes out a city would be a huge problem. So many "unsent" (that needs a different word...) ponies, and if a group of ponies affect the world... then a group of ghosts would likely as well. A pony necropolis. That's pretty creepy.

You know me, I'm all for good movie referencing. :D

Yes, I lurk the Campaign Quotes thread. Totally rooting for Doc, like everyone else there is.

Ohhhh...

...awwww.

I know, the idea of an undead Celestia (or whatever the good-aligned version of undead is called) who is eternal because she has already died once millennia ago, and is keeping the world alive by carefully organizing and leading the ponies into keeping it so is a terribly tempting setup, if one were to make a dark mirror setting of Equestria. ...but for Equestria as-is, it's a bit of a mismatch. It is a fun idea, though.

The alicorn question will have to be answered, though. What are those things, anyway? They're an expression of the three main pony races, of course. Which doesn't really say much of anything. Even though we saw Twilight become one on-screen, it's still a rather mysterious transformation. It is tempting to say that ponies are reincarnated as alicorns. They're taken to the afterlife, their souls remodeled, and then remade as the form their soul now "remembers", even if it is not their original form. That's some powerful magic at work there. And if Celestia was the first, who didn't have someone to help her with the process... It would explain why she is not saying anything. How did she do that?

Alicorns are weird. I'm not entirely happy with this idea, but it's difficult to come up with a good explanation.

[Pendulous]

And now there's a 10 minute preview of the movie, including a new song.

And another short clip, featuring Flash Sentry.

Spoiler: Friendship Games

Show

Is it just me, or is the term "pony up" really annoying, out of place, and being used way too often so far in this movie?

[zimmerwald1915]

Spoiler: Friendship Games

Show

Is it just me, or is the term "pony up" really annoying, out of place, and being used way too often so far in this movie?

Spoiler: Friendship Games

Show

That's probably just you. To me at least, the fact that "pony up" is a real phrase that means something different isn't terribly jarring. And besides, what are they supposed to say to convey the sense of "become more pony-like" or "sprout pony-ish traits?"

[Fable Wright]

Woo! I have free time again! I can finally stop playing Fallout 4 and maybe do something completely unproductive! Like writing or reading thread or fanfiction or...

...Wait, no, college starts on Monday. Drat.

Still, at least college doesn't demand six-day weeks and starts out slow.

So, Ponythread, what did I miss this past month?

[Pendulous]

Don't really pay much attention to cosplaying, but I haven't seen any Sunset before now

Spoiler

Show

Spoiler: Friendship Games

Show

That's probably just you. To me at least, the fact that "pony up" is a real phrase that means something different isn't terribly jarring. And besides, what are they supposed to say to convey the sense of "become more pony-like" or "sprout pony-ish traits?"

Spoiler

Show

I think the reason is, before it actually became a term for what happens, I heard it way too much on the audio commentary for Rainbow Rocks.

[Aotrs Commander]

Spoiler: Friendship Games

Show

That... that wasn't an excuse.
I was just saying that they didn't put effort into the short. Ergo, lazy writing.

Oh, okay. Same page then!

Spoiler: Short

Show

No, it's not just you.

The word you're looking for to describe Flash is "self-satisfaction," and I maintain that it's been there since his introduction. Flash has always had these two character traits: a genuine desire to be a good person, and a mindset that lets him believe that he is one very easily. He is capable of real moral accomplishments, but he is very proud of very small things. For example, in Equestria Girls. He is the lone human able to extricate himself from Sunset's web on his own, but what he crows about is how reporting her Photoshop job to Vice-Principal Luna makes him so much "a Canterlot Wondercolt." Or see here. Apparently being in a high school garage band makes him a great artist in his mind; this delusion was also the driver of his actions in Rainbow Rocks, and the chink in his moral armor that the Sirens exploited. He's not small-minded, exactly. That would make him petty and mean, and he's neither of those things. Trixie, for example, is much truer to that kind of small-mindedness in Rainbow Rocks than Flash is. Flash just has a high opinion of himself for all the wrong reasons, and is content to rest on his laurels because of it.

Not that you made this charge exactly, but the above is why I get up in arms when people say Flash has no character. He does. It's not a particularly likable character (Blueblood shares most of Flash's negative traits, though few of his positive ones), but it's there.

Spoiler

Show

Yeah, I wasn't going to accuse him of having no personality - like you say, the fragments are there. (Though honestly, you've extracted more in that paragraph than I gleaned from observation myself.) But I was expecting them to at least make some attempt.

Spoiler: Short

Show

No, it's not just you.
The other two, on the other hand, are completely one-note. But that's nothing new. Most of the "characters" in Slice of Life are about as well-drawn.

Spoiler

Show

But at least they were not 100% cliches at the same time.

[DigoDragon]

I can finally stop playing Fallout 4

You were playing Fallout 4?
Beta tester or something?

So, Ponythread, what did I miss this past month?

Well I created Pony races for D&D 5e and accidentally inciting a mob that demands I run a game. Well, with no pressure, but you know how it is. (I actually do want to run a game in the near future so naturally it's not like they're really demanding or anything. I just found it both amusing and welcoming and I'm totally okay with that).

Don't really pay much attention to cosplaying, but I haven't seen any Sunset before now

Spoiler

Show

Even got the skin tone down. That's going the extra mile.

[zimmerwald1915]

Spoiler

Show

I think the reason is, before it actually became a term for what happens, I heard it way too much on the audio commentary for Rainbow Rocks.

Spoiler: Friendship Games

Show

Yeah, I can see how that might get obnoxious. Personally I saw the film in theaters and occasionally re-viewed it online, so I never saw the commentary at all.

Spoiler

Show

Yeah, I wasn't going to accuse him of having no personality - like you say, the fragments are there. (Though honestly, you've extracted more in that paragraph than I gleaned from observation myself.) But I was expecting them to at least make some attempt.

Spoiler: Friendship Games

Show

That paragraph was basically a rehash of everything I've said about Flash since the first film came out, so clearly everyone who does spout the "no character" line hasn't been paying attention

One other aspect of his that I didn't give much attention to ties into the point I edited in about Flash being the representative of the human condition. Flash is the kind of person who needs a FiM-style princess, in the same way the showrunners feel humanity needs to learn various moral lessons. By this I mean that he needs to be pushed beyond his self-satisfaction and into his real potential. Now, this particular aspect of his character was shoved to the side in Rainbow Rocks, because someone wanted to focus on the "romance" and because Sunset kinda took over the part. I'm hoping they focus on it again in Friendship Games, but it is a faint hope.

Spoiler

Show

But at least they were not 100% cliches at the same time.

Spoiler: Slice of Life

Show

Oh, I dunno, Muffins was a walking cliche, the Doctor and the Dude were spoofs/homages, which while not quite cliche aren't exactly original. The creativity in Slice of Life came from twisting fan concepts like Lyra and Sweetie Drops's relationship, or Octavia and Vinyl's which were quite shallow to begin with.

[Fable Wright]

You were playing Fallout 4?
Beta tester or something?

Not 100% sure what it counts as, really. I got an internship at Bethesda and worked on-site, so I think it's technically alpha testing, but again, not sure.

Well I created Pony races for D&D 5e and accidentally inciting a mob that demands I run a game. Well, with no pressure, but you know how it is. (I actually do want to run a game in the near future so naturally it's not like they're really demanding or anything. I just found it both amusing and welcoming and I'm totally okay with that).

...Were I at all capable of keeping up with PbPs, I would join this mob. I don't suppose the possibility of a virtual tabletop is at all on the table?

[DigoDragon]

Juicy.

Spoiler

Show

Not 100% sure what it counts as, really. I got an internship at Bethesda and worked on-site, so I think it's technically alpha testing, but again, not sure.

Ooooh. Well let me be the first not to pester you for info on that game.
I'm sure the 'net will spoil everything in due time. >.>

...Were I at all capable of keeping up with PbPs, I would join this mob. I don't suppose the possibility of a virtual tabletop is at all on the table?

Well... maybe once I find new digs I could consider streaming a virtual game online.

[Jurai]

I'll join the herd of applicants.

Also, if a swirling vortex of hate, fire, and knowledge descends upon us, I summoned Afroakuma to expound on the spiritual and planar implications , and I swear to MUFFINS IF FIREFOX DOESN'T STOP ACTING LIKE A MOOSE ON ROIDS, I'M GOING TO KICK IT.

[McNum]

What are the differences between PbP and a virtual tabletop? If the latter is live, then that could cause some issues with time zones, no? I'm in Denmark, so it could be difficult for me to be available when everyone else is.

Of course, I haven't tried playing D&D or any pen and paper RPG online yet, so I'm not actually sure what it entails.

And yes, I am aware the time of day this is posted. Got a bad sleeping pattern these days...

[Bard1cKnowledge]

To jurai, have you tried turning it off and on again?

I think I may have my 5e pony made, minus art that is

Whisper Swift, Pegasus Rouge/Thief. Fast, Silent, deadly (to the extent of a pony that is, still pretty deadly)

[Jurai]

I looked in Task Manager and found that the browser was eating nearly a quarter of my RAM at any given time. So I gave it the boot. Switched back to Chrome, and aside from a few small points before I got everything up, it's been smooth sailing.

[Fable Wright]

Ooooh. Well let me be the first not to pester you for info on that game.
I'm sure the 'net will spoil everything in due time. >.>

Feel free to pester me after November 10th. The net may spoil everything, but it's hard to match ~750 hours playing it. And I miss having people to talk to about the shenanigans that the game supports. Stupid NDAs. <_<

...I am allowed to say that the game does not stop being fun after 750 hours, though.

Well... maybe once I find new digs I could consider streaming a virtual game online.

There's always the option of voice-chat-only VTTs or text-chat-based ones like Maptools.

What are the differences between PbP and a virtual tabletop? If the latter is live, then that could cause some issues with time zones, no? I'm in Denmark, so it could be difficult for me to be available when everyone else is.

Of course, I haven't tried playing D&D or any pen and paper RPG online yet, so I'm not actually sure what it entails.

And yes, I am aware the time of day this is posted. Got a bad sleeping pattern these days...

PbP are posts on a forum. On the upside, it helps enable roleplaying, as players can take as much time as they need to write out their posts and thoughts. On the downside, it makes things move at a glacial pace, especially combat, and it is a large time commitment to maintain over weeks, months, or years. VTTs mean you schedule a morning/night every week, get together with friends, and game over the internet, much closer to a regular game. Combat is still slower than in person, but it's much quicker than PbP.

Timezones can be handled with a little bit of planning. If Digo started his game at 10am EST, for example, you'd be starting at 4PM or so. Can be awkward at times, but can work well in other cases for people in the other time zones.

[MLai]

Something like that, yes. A coordinated herd of ponies is one of the most powerful things in Equestria. Not so much in the direct combat prowess sense, but in the sense that they shape the world itself around them. That's probably why Friendship is Magic, too..

Grimey, I feel a song comin' up, boyz!

[spoiler=Short]The word you're looking for to describe Flash is "self-satisfaction," and I maintain that it's been there since his introduction.

Wow... that's a great extrapolation of Flash. Headcanon accepted.

[Jurai]

I don't think ponies qualify as Orky. But then, given a choice between Orks and Imperial Guard, it's Orks all the way for me.

I think Crossguard Platine is going to be a very interesting Sorcerer/Paladin Unicorn.

[DigoDragon]

Oh my Celestia. I cannot believe it's possible to get yelled at for turning the heat knob on a toaster.

and I swear to MUFFINS IF FIREFOX DOESN'T STOP ACTING LIKE A MOOSE ON ROIDS, I'M GOING TO KICK IT.

Kick it. Kick it anyway.

Spoiler

Show

I'm in Narnia or something, so it could be difficult for me to be available when everyone else is.

My problem with running some kind of live-chat or streaming game is that my family is not conducive to allowing me the time to do that. If/when I run a game, it would have to be PbP.

Switched back to Chrome

NOM

Spoiler

Show

...I am allowed to say that the game does not stop being fun after 3600 hours, though.

I think it's a safe bet that they'd want you to say something to that effect.

[Jurai]

Okay, that got my day. It's a shame that Nickelodeon won't touch Zim with a ten foot pole for reruns.

And no, I will not touch Microsoft Edge with a ten foot pole for anything.

[Dexam]

Well I created Pony races for D&D 5e and accidentally inciting a mob that demands I run a game.

Spoiler

Show

Well, with no pressure, but you know how it is.

Spoiler

Show

[zimmerwald1915]

It's a shame that Nickelodeon won't touch Zim with a ten foot pole for reruns.

It's true, haven't worked for them since 1999. Well, I don't want their dumb gigs anyway.

* * *

Oh, you meant Invader Zim.

[Jurai]

Wait, wha? What were you responsible for?

[zimmerwald1915]

Wait, wha? What were you responsible for?

Boots's voice in the Dora the Explorer pilot. They recast the part before the show started to air, though.

[Jurai]

Cool! Now I can claim I know a... I don't know? T-list celebrity?

[Balmas]

Not 100% sure what it counts as, really. I got an internship at Bethesda and worked on-site, so I think it's technically alpha testing, but again, not sure.

Much wow. So jealous.

Switched back to Chrome

Spoiler

Show

[Derjuin]

Hey everypony, I know it didn't get much of a response the first time, but I just thought I'd link my story again:

Applejack's Secret Plush Crush. I'd like to get some feedback on it - Digo's already given it a whirl, and other folks I know said they liked it, so I figured maybe somepony else would like to read it as well.

Also, actually finishing a story has given me just a tidbit more of a boost than I had before. I'm already planning another one, and can't wait to get the time to sit down and type it all out...

[RCgothic]

3600 hours is a lot! That's like... 450 work days. Nearly two work years!

[Fable Wright]

3600 hours is a lot! That's like... 450 work days. Nearly two work years!

...That was me typing the wrong number into the calculator, actually.

I do know people who have been working on it for longer than 3600 hours. I worked on it for about 750. Thank you for calling me out, edited my post.