Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion

[O. Hinds]

...You know, I do hope that, one day, there'll be a chapter about which you say "Yeah, that was a good chapter, wasn't it?".

I will.  It'll be titled.  "Friendship."

I hope so. I'll be looking forward to that day, even if it does happen to unfortunately be the ending. You've done incredible things, Somber, and I wish that you could see how incredible they are. I know I'm hardly one to talk, but at least I can try my best to make sure you know that I think you're a good person.

I'm sorry it's late as always, but at least I managed to finish it. Thank you again, Somber, Hinds, and Bronode for taking so much time to bring this story to life.
*hugs each of you gently*

Chapter 56 Commentary:

You know, the nice thing about internet hugs is that I can appreciate them despite not being a terribly huggy person in real life.

Though, should it be "wild, royal"?

Hm… I think that it flows better without the comma, sorry.

And I don't see what the big deal is at all with Glory giving Blackjack permission to sleep with somepony, but I guess that's just my brain damage talking.

I don't either.  Granted, I'm also not neurotypical either…

[Regolit]

Oh, damn, I did not care about Glory throughout the story. And now after she f****d with some stallion, I suddenly love her!
Great chapter! Can't wait for moar.

[WavemasterRyx]

You know, the nice thing about internet hugs is that I can appreciate them despite not being a terribly huggy person in real life.

Though, should it be "wild, royal"?

Hm… I think that it flows better without the comma, sorry

And I don't see what the big deal is at all with Glory giving Blackjack permission to sleep with somepony, but I guess that's just my brain damage talking.

I don't either.  Granted, I'm also not neurotypical either…

Internet hugs are rather nice that way, I'm not terribly fond of physical contact myself, but it's nice to at least be able to offer the sentiment behind the gesture.

And that's fine, I'm hardly an authority on writing, and the knowledge I draw on is at least a decade outdated. I just thought it was worth making sure of, since it was such an amusing line.

Atypical brohoof! /)

[Kippershy]

Oh, damn, I did not care about Glory throughout the story. And now after she f****d with some stallion, I suddenly love her!
Great chapter! Can't wait for moar.

hahaha, oh Regolit. Never cease to make me smile, you.

[cb5]

I just had a good idea.  You know what would be awesome to see?  For Somber to someday have a writer's panel at bronycon or such.

[Guest]

He was at some event in las Vegas if I'm remembering correctly. I guess it's not the same as having a panel just thought it was worth mentioning.

[cb5]

He was at some event in las Vegas if I'm remembering correctly. I guess it's not the same as having a panel just thought it was worth mentioning.

Wasn't the las vegas convention the one where the convention manager ran off with the money for the convention mission impossible style though?

[Harmony Ltd.]

Indeed it was.

If you rewind this conversation a few iterations ago, you'll get Somber's account of the event.

[Somber]

No, they didn't run off with the money.  They just botched the finances big time.  It was first year con failure 101.  The con organizers didn't have nearly the credit reserves they should have and then the hotel came knocking, they basically faded to the back of the room and disappeared.  Everfree Network basically took over the con.  The vendors shut down early because they were sure the Hotel was going to try and recoup their losses from the vendors... and they did, from both me and others.

As for the con itself, I attended many panels, but I've never been on one before.  It would be interesting...

[Guest]

Checking around I notice a few faces seem to be missing. Do Random and Sindri still visit the forum? What about Kim?

[cb5]

As for the con itself, I attended many panels, but I've never been on one before.  It would be interesting...

I would totally attend it myself.

You would probably need to ask someone to set up a camera and record it for youtube though, cause chances are otherwise everyone in the room would have their cameraphones out recording it.



*DING!
Hey Somber, I just had a brilliant idea.  I read a little bit earlier that you ran into the same problem as I was in financially, as in not having a job, why not capitalize on your internet popularity by becoming a internet writer?  By that I mean if you have another good story idea, not pony related(or if pony related remove the serials and remove the ponies) and sell a epub version of individual chapters on itunes?  Making a epub for itunes is relatively easy compared to actually making a print version to sell.  It's pretty much what you regularly do, except with a cover page, business information and the like packaged into a epub and actual pages using indesign.  Filling a copyright is relatively easy, but it only applies to the actual chapters and such(not the characters).  However if the story gets popular enough there's a two year grace period for filling a trademark.

I'm not saying to just drop what you are doing or drop your job search or drop project horizons, rather talk to your pre-readers, talk to the people that normally help you and start potentially start the planning phase.  Find someone that knows how to make books for itunes, find someone to do a cover for it, and someone that knows a bit about copyright and such.  Advertise for a bit with Project Horizon fans and go, "Hey guys I'm thinking of going pro, I know it's not ponies, but if you want to know more about my upcoming story you can find more information at (insert)".

It sounds like a lot of work, but compared to actual physically printing books it's no where near as hard to do cause with physical printing to have to a insane amount more work and involve a ton more people.

If you would like to do that I could give a bit of help if worse came to worse if you needed someone to help with making the epub and putting it in itunes format, even though I'm a rookie in printing production I could do it cause making a epub for reading on a computer is like stupidly easy to do to the point even a first year student in college could do it.  Making a physical copy of a book is a million times more difficult and a million times harder to do.  It's just cheaper and faster to make a digital copy, cause with a physical book you have to make sure that the font isn't bleeding, that it's the printer is printing the colors right, that it's the right paper.  Trust me a physical book is a million times more of a headache cause it's super easy to f*** it up and cost the company thousands of dollars.


Tl:dr; Somber what about going pro and making a ebook?  A ebook is a million times easier to make than a physical book and much cheaper.  It's a similar process too, you would just need to add a person to make a website and help put it on itunes, someone to make a cover and backpage and/or someone to package it and put it in a epub format, someone to help with filing for copyright, later on trademark and legality.  It sounds like it would be super difficult, but not really, and you would only need to add three or four people on the crew.

[Quotidian]

And I don't see what the big deal is at all with Glory giving Blackjack permission to sleep with somepony, but I guess that's just my brain damage talking.

I don't either.  Granted, I'm also not neurotypical either…

My brain-word-filter just automatically replaces "neurotypical" with "boring".

I think the problem is that people don't really buy Glory being okay with an open relationship, which I can kind of understand. She's lost damn near everything. Her home, her family, her cutie mark, her body. I'd think she would be doing everything in her power to hold on to Blackjack, which makes sleeping around the last thing she would do. Unless, of course, she's paradoxically trying to show BJ she's okay with her promiscuity by indulging in it herself, and with a stallion, no less, because BJ had earlier made an approving comment about bisexuality. That, coupled with the whole being in heat thing, makes her behavior seem a lot more understandable, if not exactly healthy.

Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.

RE - Somber!Panel:

I'm not much for conventions, but if the stars aligned and Somber was hosting a panel at a con near where I live, I'd love to go.

RE - Chapter 56:

I've got nothing really insightful to say, and my head's too full of fuck right now to do a proper readthrough with comments and everything, but here's a few comments:

Pros were Hoity Toity, the Royal siblings, P-21 and Glory arguing, and how BJ dealt with the various assassination attempts. Special mention to eating the knife she was stabbed with and convincing the Society that she can kill ponies with her mind. The resolution to Psalm's arc was incredibly awesome, even if it was a foregone conclusion. Oh, and Rampage is still best unkillable murder machine. (It's kind of telling that there's even competition in that category.)

Cons were Glory/Splendid, Lancer's magical EMP grenade thingy ass pull, and Lancer suddenly having the hots for BJ. Is there a pony/zebra/griffon in the wasteland who doesn't have a thing for Blackjack?

Overall, a good chapter, and I'm really looking forward to seeing who BJ chooses for regent. (My money's on P-21. Just to mess with our heads.)

EDIT

RE -ebook:

I'd buy it!

[RoboRed]

Overall, a good chapter, and I'm really looking forward to seeing who BJ chooses for regent. (My money's on P-21. Just to mess with our heads.)

*suddenly remembers Ch33*

Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts. BAD THOUGHTS. BAD THOUGHTS.
BAD THOUGHTS. *curls into a ball, holding head*

(/overdramatic)

[thatguyvex]

I can see Glory/Splendid as a purely hormonal thing, and the reasoning that being in Dash's body is screwing with Glory's head also adds some plausibility to it. At this point she might just be thinking that its kind of futile to try and curb Blackjack's sex-drive and that all things considered they have bigger problems than whose sleeping with who. Huge doses of stress + surging hormones + knowledge of one's mortality = poor decision making.

Still don't quite grasp how Lancer goes from wanting Blackjack to suck a bullet to wanting her to suck his... yeah. Not that she isn't hot, but he's never shown interest before... I keep thinking there had to have been something else going on there. Something screwing with both their minds, because even Blackjack was confused over why she suddenly was lusting after some hunky zebra stallion, especially in that situation with that particular zebra. Maybe Blackjacks' in heat too and she doesn't notice due to being a cyberpony? Do we know if the implant she's got stops pregnancy and heat, or just pregnancy?

Now that someone else has brought it up I would say Hoity Toity wouldn't be a bad choice for king/regent. He's had centuries of experience dealing with the Society's political bull, and is pretty even minded.

Of course she could always just slap the crown on Rampage and tell her to have fun and catch up with the party later.

[cb5]

EDIT

RE -ebook:

I'd buy it!

To be completely honest, even though physical print is a massive way I get profit, digital books and such are a million times easier and cheaper to do.  Like a physically printed book costs a ton of money for paper and the countless hours and tons of people working on it.  With a ebook it's so much cheaper and easier to do.  The problem is that technology, isn't necessarily making my field obsolete, so much as making it easier and faster to produce thus reducing my own profit margin.  On the other hand not needing to go through the million steps needed before physically printed by god is it worth it.

Ebooks replacing books:
Downside for me is that it's reducing my industry's size.
Upside is that it makes it a million fracking times easier to do my job and reduces physical costs of materials.

[Harmony Ltd.]

Now that someone else has brought it up I would say Hoity Toity wouldn't be a bad choice for king/regent. He's had centuries of experience dealing with the Society's political bull, and is pretty even minded.

The way I see it, Hoity Toity is more of an eminence grise, the councilor type, the kind who do the job behind the scene so that the guy with the crown on his / her head doesn't lose it.

A second-in-command, if you want to see it that way.

[Kippershy]

and I'm really looking forward to seeing who BJ chooses for regent.

I know the answer to this.

[thatguyvex]

The way I see it, Hoity Toity is more of an eminence grise, the councilor type, the kind who do the job behind the scene so that the guy with the crown on his / her head doesn't lose it.

A second-in-command, if you want to see it that way.

True, that's the role he's good and and played for a long time, but he could probably handle being in the center stage role too.

Grace still seems the best choice, but she needs someone or something to back her up in terms of keeping the Society from eating her alive. Hoity would already provide advice, but there ought to be something around to keep the other Society members from pushing Grace around...

Maybe leave Deus behind with instructions to be Grace's bodyguard/failsafe; Society assassinates Grace, Deus... Deus' the Society. 

Doubt he'd go for that though. Makes sense in a way, since they can't really load Deus up on an airship and take him with them.

[Guest]

Some part of me says BJ is unable to make a decision and just leaves with the crown. She'd probably return some time later finding the place destroyed by infighting over an intermediate leader.

[cb5]

The way I see it, Hoity Toity is more of an eminence grise, the councilor type, the kind who do the job behind the scene so that the guy with the crown on his / her head doesn't lose it.

A second-in-command, if you want to see it that way.

True, that's the role he's good and and played for a long time, but he could probably handle being in the center stage role too.

Grace still seems the best choice, but she needs someone or something to back her up in terms of keeping the Society from eating her alive. Hoity would already provide advice, but there ought to be something around to keep the other Society members from pushing Grace around...

Maybe leave Deus behind with instructions to be Grace's bodyguard/failsafe; Society assassinates Grace, Deus... Deus' the Society. 

Doubt he'd go for that though. Makes sense in a way, since they can't really load Deus up on an airship and take him with them.

Or say grace is regent and that if grace dies then rampage will become regent then deus >:3

"Well now that grace is out of the way and rampage is tied up at the bottom of a well we can finally gain control of the society"
"TANKS!"
"You're welcome"
"TANKS!"
"YOU'RE WELCOME!"
"TANKS!"
"YOU'RE WELCOME!"
"Firing main canon"
"Oh A tank"
*splatter

[Harmony Ltd.]

@ Vex : my primary bet would be on Grace as crowned head, with Hoity Toity as second-in-command and designated Regent in case something were to happen to Grace.

Secondary bet is "rock fall, everybody die".

[StoneSlinger88]

I'm still rooting for Lancer. And now Last put the idea of Deus being regent in my head I'm also pulling for him.

[RoboRed]

The way I see it, Hoity Toity is more of an eminence grise, the councilor type, the kind who do the job behind the scene so that the guy with the crown on his / her head doesn't lose it.

A second-in-command, if you want to see it that way.

True, that's the role he's good and and played for a long time, but he could probably handle being in the center stage role too.

Grace still seems the best choice, but she needs someone or something to back her up in terms of keeping the Society from eating her alive. Hoity would already provide advice, but there ought to be something around to keep the other Society members from pushing Grace around...

Maybe leave Deus behind with instructions to be Grace's bodyguard/failsafe; Society assassinates Grace, Deus... Deus' the Society. 

Doubt he'd go for that though. Makes sense in a way, since they can't really load Deus up on an airship and take him with them.

That's...actually a pretty damn good idea...

[Harmony Ltd.]

"Someday, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this mighty guardian as a gift on my cousin's coronation day."

[RoboRed]

[Derpmind]

No, wait, I was wrong before. I've got it now.

Scotch Tape.

She and Deus will stay behind and fix the Society while everypony else in the group goes flying. Scotch Tape is the best choice because she knows how to fix stuff, and Deus is there because every real queen needs a loyal servant of killing people. Celestia has that dragon, Elizabeth has Dracula Alucard, and now Scotch Tape gets Deus.

Edit: Oh jeez, I totally forgot I wanted to say this. About the ending of PH, I just want to say that I have faith that Somber will make the ending amazing, no matter what tone is chosen.

[Kippershy]

Yes... yes everyone. Tell me your predictions so I may laugh manically and rub my hands together like a dirty Jew.

[Gloating Intensifies]

[Derpmind]

Yes... yes everyone. Tell me your predictions so I may laugh manically and rub my hands together like a dirty Jew.

[Gloating Intensifies]

Jews are both constantly dirty and rubbing their hands together, fact.

Also, those are some of the stereotypes that a certain someone convinced an entire country to become a fascist dictatorship and murder a few million people.


What's really hilarious is that every single person in that picture really believed that all their problems could be solved by war, hatred, and patriotic spirit.

Yes I would react this way to any other stereotype. Not because stupid stereotypes emotionally provoke me, but because they're really stupid and only funny in a "fart joke" way.

[O. Hinds]

Oh, damn, I did not care about Glory throughout the story. And now after she f****d with some stallion, I suddenly love her!
Great chapter! Can't wait for moar.

…Huh.  Well that doesn't seem the usual reaction, but I'm glad that you now like PH bestponi.  :)

You know, the nice thing about internet hugs is that I can appreciate them despite not being a terribly huggy person in real life.

Though, should it be "wild, royal"?

Hm… I think that it flows better without the comma, sorry

And I don't see what the big deal is at all with Glory giving Blackjack permission to sleep with somepony, but I guess that's just my brain damage talking.

I don't either.  Granted, I'm also not neurotypical either…

Internet hugs are rather nice that way, I'm not terribly fond of physical contact myself, but it's nice to at least be able to offer the sentiment behind the gesture.

And that's fine, I'm hardly an authority on writing, and the knowledge I draw on is at least a decade outdated. I just thought it was worth making sure of, since it was such an amusing line.

Atypical brohoof! /)

:)

The way I see it, Hoity Toity is more of an eminence grise, the councilor type, the kind who do the job behind the scene so that the guy with the crown on his / her head doesn't lose it.

Aren't you rather mischaracterizing Monsieur Talleyrand (apologies if I'm getting the name wrong)?  I seem to recall that he didn't care so much about the position of the crowned head so long as his own head was sitting smartly on his shoulders.  I could be wrong, though.

[Kippershy]

You guys are far too sensitive.

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