Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion

[FeatherDust]

Somber, I have a question for you. Is the theme of identity something you deliberately built Project Horizons around, or is it just something that crept in because it interests you? Because practically every main character has issues that orbit that theme.

And cutie marks are a symbol of identity and such, so they show up in similar ways. I think it's interesting that the main cast all have problems with their cutie marks, but in different ways.

Blackjack has one, one of the only constants through all her bodily changes, but doesn't know what it means. P-21 was given his at a young age, so it was meaningless, and now its only meaning is the one he gave it -- "I survived, you bastards." Scotch Tape doesn't have a mark, because she's still finding her talent, while Boo lacks one because she may or may not be a person at all. Lacunae doesn't (didn't Q_Q) have one because she's a conglomeration of mind fragments, while Rampage is a conglomeration of souls and has too many, which trade out on a regular basis. Glory's mark was stolen from her by an enemy, then later replaced by a mark that isn't hers at all...

[FeatherDust]

In my creative writing class, we called that character development. :D

True enough! It's just hard to see whether he has any identity issues of his own when it's so tough to get a grip why he does what he does at any given moment at all. Our view of his personality, made up of little slices and slivers of contradictory actions occurring years apart, is so broad that it's almost impossible to divine whether any given act is based his real moral compass, a façade he wants to show someone else, or desperation. It would be easier with someone like Deus or Sanguine, whose life is largely defined by a single issue.

And I'm not saying that's bad. It makes him fascinating when we can feel sympathy for him one minute and revulsion the next.

I think there's a point where Goldie wasn't even sure which persona was really him at all.  He's fooling all of the people all of the time, and I think somewhere along the way, he forgot who HE was supposed to be.  He sees the war for all its destructive pointlessness, but does his best to keep it happening.  He knows Luna's reign will either end badly or turn Equestria into something terrible, but he works hard to keep her in power.  He seems to be working at cross-purposes to himself, sometimes.

We have a few moments, a few memories of him that we've seen where we can be pretty sure we're seeing the real Goldenblood with no trickery or artifice, and it seems to me that they're at the very end, like his conversation with Rarity in the most recent chapter.  Something happened to make him finally realize how badly wrong he'd gone.

[RoboRed]

Scotch Tape doesn't have a mark, because she's still finding her talent,

But she got hers in Chapel after helping rebuild everything and developing working plumbing for everyone.

[Luminous Lead]

Somber, I have a question for you. Is the theme of identity something you deliberately built Project Horizons around, or is it just something that crept in because it interests you? Because practically every main character has issues that orbit that theme.

And cutie marks are a symbol of identity and such, so they show up in similar ways.  I think it's interesting that the main cast all have problems with their cutie marks, but in different ways.

Blackjack has one, one of the only constants through all her bodily changes, but doesn't know what it means. P-21 was given his at a young age, so it was meaningless, and now its only meaning is the one he gave it -- "I survived, you bastards."  

 
I must have been blind not to notice this before, but isn't the ultimate goal of Blackjack (the game) to get "21"?  If you're particularly trusting in your luck, don't you keep telling the "dealer" to "hit me" until you reach it?  Didn't Blackjack (the mare) spend ages trying to win over 21 (the stallion) while daring The Dealer (the ghost) to hit her with all the cards he had?

Symbolism, why u everywhere?

[Mister Nikel]

Fifty eight made me feel.

[FeatherDust]

Scotch Tape doesn't have a mark, because she's still finding her talent,

But she got hers in Chapel after helping rebuild everything and developing working plumbing for everyone.

Doesn't, didn't, whatever. Verb tenses are hard.

(Honestly, I was on my phone and not in a position to look it up. I thought I recalled her getting it but couldn't recall what it was.)

[Icy Shake]

Scotch Tape doesn't have a mark, because she's still finding her talent,

But she got hers in Chapel after helping rebuild everything and developing working plumbing for everyone.

Doesn't,  didn't, whatever. Verb tenses are hard.

(Honestly, I was on my phone and not in a position to look it up. I thought I recalled her getting it but couldn't recall what it was.)

It's a toilet.
I mean, I'm not saying it's a toilet in the fic, but it's a toilet.

So, you defecate on the Freemasons? Do they have a say in that?

[Moodyman90]

I can't remember what her Cutie Mark was.... I want to say it was a diamond wrapped in a scroll with either a protractor or a compass on it to show how amazing she is at designing stuff.

[Icy Shake]

The filly’s cutie mark was a strange diamond over an unwrapped scroll.  The four-sided diamond was made up of two strange apparati.  The bottom one was a ruler which seemed to be bent in the middle at a ninety degree angle.  The top was some strange piece of equipment that resembled two sharpened metal sticks joined at the apex by a hinge.  On the parchment was some strange abstract design that appeared vaguely structural.

It's a compass and square over a scroll.



Oh, and in English "apparatus" is its own plural, but "apparatuses" works, too.

[Moodyman90]

Well I right about some of it, my brain hasn't completely given up on me.

[StoneSlinger88]

It's the Freemasonry symbol.

[Derpmind]

So that faction guy who was talking with a bunch of us in the teamspeak server. He's a pretty cool guy. Doing animation stuff, pretty awesome by the sounds of it. Slowly working up to being epic. Also, I said I was gonna leave the chat last, and he beat me. Hats off to you, faction, you're a person who worth talking to even when running on third fourth wind. Sorry I was mostly zombie and you didn't get to talk with the others much about your stuff.

Oh, and I don't really remember the deleted post that was after StoneSlinger's and would have been before mine, but I get the feeling it was funny and good and shouldn't have been deleted and the person in question is very much honest when being honest counts.

[Derpmind]

Sorry for bringing that up again, Swicked. I honestly don't remember much of what the post you deleted was like, but I wanted to try cheering you up a bit. (Deleting a post can kinda suck.)

Here, have some Trixie:

Jedi Trixie
Slayer Trixie
O_o Trixie
Epic Trixie (giant picture)

[Derpmind]

Totally forgot to post this when I found it last week. Wear headphones for maximum effect.

Oh, and this one too.



Same author, tones a zillion miles apart. Both really awesome and worth listening to.

[Somber]

I remember that tune.  Scary!  And I hope folks will really like P-21 next chapter.  He just had a talk with Lancer....

[Moodyman90]

Well if I wasn't looking forward to the next chapter before, I am now.

[O. Hinds]

I remember that tune.  Scary!  And I hope folks will really like P-21 next chapter.  He just had a talk with Lancer....

...Ohhhhhh? :D

[ARoundCorner]

I remember that tune.  Scary!  And I hope folks will really like P-21 next chapter.  He just had a talk with Lancer....

 Does this count as spoilers?

[Moodyman90]

Not really, we don't know what said talk was about.

[Moodyman90]

Joke suggestion: "She does has a nice flank doesn't she?"

On actual suggestions, I'm going with something along the lines of "If you try to kill Blackjack or any of us again I'll personally end you."

Or, and I don't know why this popped into my head, P-21 ends up have a father to son like discussion, which will somehow make P-21 more of a father figure to Lancer then the Legate.

[Somber]

"I hate you."
"Hate?  Really?"  "I know a little something about hate..."

[Vixie]

Psalm has actually been one of my favourite characters since we first met her

...why?
Now, I'm not saying people don't have the right to like what I don't. People have accused me of that before. I am honestly just curious and, if you don't mind, could you explain what you find appealing about her? Lacunae, too, if you like her as well?

I can't get into these characters' heads and have naught but negative opinions of their behaviours and weaknesses, though Lacunae was a bit better this chapter. I'd like to hear "the other side", if you don't mind.

 I actually just find something so incredibly appealing about her whole character. I love how she's almost lost herself, manipulated and hurt after being so strong back in the orphanage. She knows what she is doing is wrong. She's just so broken and Goldie just did an admirable job of screwing up her brain. Evil, but very well done. I feel the way Psalm was (is?) written, gets to me. I find it easy to get into her head. I feel really bad for her, and her monotone mantra of "Forgive me Luna for I have taken the life of another" is so typical of various brainwashed soldiers and victims of dangerous religions and cults. Out of all the characters I've seen thus far, she's my favourite.
Except Blackjack. Blackjack is adorable and crazy and shooty.
Hmm. Lacunae didn't really do it for me, for a long time. I got how she was meant to come across, but it wasn't until we really got the detail on how much the Goddess had done to her, and she grew into herself that she began to grow on me as a character. She maybe began to register as a character back in Meatlocker, trying on the dresses.

I'm still a little confused. The Goddess was Trixie, right? From what I gather, she seems to be mostly Trixie with some of Twilight's smarts thrown in. It wasn't really made clear.

[Somber]

what he says, very Rough Draft...:

[HillBilly-Drew]

somber.... i... cant ... wait!!! lol. but really p21 talks to lancer? its got me runnin a million ideas in my brain. loved the last chapter by the way. my hats off to ya brotha i could never write anything that good. hahaha wat ever the next chapter is like, ill support ya 110% brotha!!!

[Caoimhe]

I ain't reading that post and spoiling the excitement no way no how.

Regardless Lancer is a pretty good character to be on the team so to say. I expect him to be an anti-Rampage brooding over the weirdos he's pretty much forced to be with for a period of time due to moral code.

 Most of that is probably due to Zeebs being just so much cooler in FoEniverse

[Moodyman90]

After struggling if I should read the spoiler or not, I did.

My response?

Ehehehehe, ahahahahaha, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

P-21, survivor, father, bad ass mother fucker.

[HillBilly-Drew]

ok... i peeked... :) love it!!!

[Moodyman90]

I liked the part where he

Spoiler:

 Regardless that's the part that made me laugh the most and is why I am really really looking for the end product in the next chapter.

[Luminous Lead]

I liked the part where he

Spoiler:

Man, that'd be a heck of a slight of hand check.  Automatic critical hit, and no damage resistance in the world could save you.

[Derpmind]

P-21, survivor, father, bad ass mother fucker.

Literally.

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