Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion

[Harmony Ltd.]

My brain just clicked on something that's probably been obvious for a lot of you for a while now...

Black Pony Mountain (that place with the "someone-else-problem" field) is probably PH's stand-in for New Vegas' Big MT. Or at least may be partially inspired by it.

Just wanted to leave this one here.

[TyrannisUmbra]

Out of curiosity, does Stargazer have a defined colorscheme? As far as I could tell, the only description she got was "pale" in her first appearance, and "dark" later on. I kinda need those colors to finish a picture I'm doing. Any help would be appreciated!

[Somber]

... Um... Consistency kinda sorta... yeah.  Not my strongest point.  I imagined she was pale because white is the color of innocence.  Blackjack starts white, Boo is always white, and Rampage is white with red bands forced upon her.  If you want variety, maybe light and dark patches in an appaloosa type coloring?

[Scienza]

My brain just clicked on something that's probably been obvious for a lot of you for a while now...

Black Pony Mountain (that place with the "someone-else-problem" field) is probably PH's stand-in for New Vegas' Big MT. Or at least may be partially inspired by it.

Just wanted to leave this one here.

AND BLACKJACK IS A LOBOTOMITE!

Wouldn't Hippocratic Research be the Big MT?

[Harmony Ltd.]

Nah, Hippocratic doesn't really feel like the Big MT (though you could make a case about Flim & Flam's crazy crossbreeding experiments, but this alone doesn't really make for a Big MT stand-in).

If anything, it would maybe makes me think more of The Glow, with the radiations replaced by bio-hazard (killing joke, the various abominations, etc...), taint and Pink Cloud. IIRC, it was the West-Tek facilities which first designed the FEV (=> Taint), and there was a lot of research done there on various bio-technology (the non-canon idea the designers of Fallout had about mutated intelligent racoons...).


Discord doesn't really make for a convincing ZAX, though.   

[Shady]

Right then I'll keep it brief.  I personally thought this chapter was a pretty good change of pace and helped serve a vital purpose by not only including some important plot points while also serving as a refresher for a number of the story's side-characters, which considering how long and large this story is, has been long overdue.

spoiler!:

Well, given all the radiation, Enervation, degradation, and killer robot... ation, radio jamming wouldn't be unexpected.  It might even be a side effect of something else.

But wouldn't that interfere with the Perceptitron reception also? At least in my head it would make the most sense that that data travels in the same way as other Stable-tech data like location tags.

[O. Hinds]

Right then I'll keep it brief.  I personally thought this chapter was a pretty good change of pace and helped serve a vital purpose by not only including some important plot points while also serving as a refresher for a number of the story's side-characters, which considering how long and large this story is, has been long overdue.

spoiler!:

Well, given all the radiation, Enervation, degradation, and killer robot... ation, radio jamming wouldn't be unexpected.  It might even be a side effect of something else.

But wouldn't that interfere with the Perceptitron reception also? At least in my head it would make the most sense that that data travels in the same way as other Stable-tech data like location tags.

Fortunately, I can now confirm that the next chapter will indeed include an explanation. A good one, in my opinion. :)

[SilentCarto]

But wouldn't that interfere with the Perceptitron reception also? At least in my head it would make the most sense that that data travels in the same way as other Stable-tech data like location tags.

Well, it kind of sounded like the feeds that the Perceptitron picks up on run through some kind of back channels that weren't entirely legal or publically known. "Official" data like tags probably get relayed on a different port, so to speak, which Cogs has deliberately blocked. And, of course, a Pipbuck broadcaster is another step down, being limited by the power and antenna available in a wrist-mounted device.

[SilentCarto]

But wouldn't that interfere with the Perceptitron reception also? At least in my head it would make the most sense that that data travels in the same way as other Stable-tech data like location tags.

Well, it kind of sounded like the feeds that the Perceptitron picks up on run through some kind of back channels that weren't entirely legal or publically known. "Official" data like tags probably get relayed on a different port, so to speak, which Cogs has deliberately blocked. And, of course, a Pipbuck broadcaster is another step down, being limited by the power and antenna available in a wrist-mounted device.

Right, I thought it was external. That came up in the editors chat for reasons.
Given BJ's pipbuck is in her leg, I wonder if her broadcaster's just, like... sitting next to it, shielded in her leg, or if they've got some external setup with the antenna integrated into her body or heck if I know.

I would tend to assume that the broadcaster still occupies the same peripheral slot on the PipBuck, and the PipBuck integration just replaces the cuff it's normally worn on, both structurally and in terms of the biosensor data feeds.

Makes one wonder what other peripherals were created for the PipBuck...

[TyrannisUmbra]

One thing worth noting is that it seems like signals can /enter/ the core, but can't /leave/ it. All the miscellaneous exposition in Ch63 is talking about how everything inside the core is trapped by it, so maybe this counts for radio signals as well?

The Perceptitron is supposed to work by basically piggybacking on the signals being sent by the pipbucks, at least based on what Chicanery described. So there isn't really a signal being /sent/ by Blackjack when she uses the Perceptitron, she's just receiving a signal.

This would explain why Blackjack can get reception while inside the core, but nothing outside can see her.

[Derpmind]

One thing worth noting is that it seems like signals can /enter/ the core, but can't /leave/ it. All the miscellaneous exposition in Ch63 is talking about how everything inside the core is trapped by it, so maybe this counts for radio signals as well?

The Perceptitron is supposed to work by basically piggybacking on the signals being sent by the pipbucks, at least based on what Chicanery described. So there isn't really a signal being /sent/ by Blackjack when she uses the Perceptitron, she's just receiving a signal.

This would explain why Blackjack can get reception while inside the core, but nothing outside can see her.

I think that the Perceptitron piggybacks the signals sent between Pipbucks, meaning it basically hacks a Pipbuck to extract way more data than it normally would broadcast at all. (And because of magitech, I'd say it's a fair bet that it makes the Pipbuck record more than it would normally be able to.) The alternative is that every pony who's ever worn a Pipbuck has unknowingly had secret memory-orb quality broadcasts, which for most ponies is practically their entire lives. While that would certainly be creepy as hell, it's logically inconsistent with the fact that the Perceptitron was an invention (near the end of the war) designed to snoop on ponies, and that it's the only one of its kind.

[SilentCarto]

One thing worth noting is that it seems like signals can /enter/ the core, but can't /leave/ it. All the miscellaneous exposition in Ch63 is talking about how everything inside the core is trapped by it, so maybe this counts for radio signals as well?

Fairly sure that was being metaphorical, just like how Hoofington itself tends to trap people in insidious ways. It's like the old saw about how to catch a raccoon from Where the Red Fern Grows. Supposedly, you drill a hole in a log just big enough for a quarter, then drive nails in around it. A raccoon will see the shiny quarter and grab it, but now he can't get his paw past the nails. The raccoon could let go any time and walk away, but he will remain trapped there until the hunter arrives because he refuses to let go of the quarter. (I call BS on this, but anyway.)

Hoofington, and the Core, are not literally a black hole -- people are free to leave at any time. But it takes determination to leave all the temptations behind. During the war, it was the illusion of safety and security. Now it's the lure of riches and power. As Finders Keepers said, you never quite hit the jackpot. It's always just enough to keep you going, just enough to feed your hope that the next find will be the big one. Even BJ isn't immune -- she could leave the city to rot, but her conscience won't allow it, and there's always another tantalizing hint of the city's history, beckoning her to delve one more abandoned tunnel, uncover one more secret that just might unravel the whole mystery...

I think that the Perceptitron piggybacks the signals sent between Pipbucks, meaning it basically hacks a Pipbuck to extract way more data than it normally would broadcast at all.

This is the only consistent answer. Cog picked up on the transmission from Steel Rain's Pipbuck, which means it was emitting an unusual data feed rather than some always-on broadcast of everything the wearer experiences.

[O. Hinds]

And 64 is out!

[Icy Shake]

Somepony told me I should post here to notify the editing team of a little thing I noticed while reading.

Blackjack's been using an 'Assault Carbine' in the recent chapters (I can't remember when she got it... but it was sometime within the past 10-15 chapters I think?), but the weapon she's /actually/ using is the Marksman (Markspony?) Carbine. Normally I wouldn't even think it's that important, but the distinctions between the two are pretty substantial. The Assault Carbine is an automatic weapon that uses the 5mm (and thus armor piercing) rounds, and multiple times she's fallen back on it and complained about how it's not good at shredding armor (When the Assault Carbine should be amazing at it, probably moreso than any of her other weapons).

So the times it's been called "Assault Carbine" should be changed to "Markspony Carbine".

Also something minor, but I noticed that the word 'me' was doubled in... ch58. Another word was doubled more recently, I think, but I don't remember what it was.

While his armor tried to lift back to the skies, his viscera were pulled into the dirt.  The three banked and dove again, two blasting the green with a focused barrage while the third still aimed for me me.  The green used some kind of spell… a green ray I’d never seen before.

Keep up the good work, and stuff... I'll keep catching up in my reading, just two more to go now.

Ah, thank you.

Icy Shake, might I please prevail upon you to add the carbine name issue to your next scan?  You are, I think, better-equipped for it than I am.

Sure thing! It's in the "Other Editing" section. I'll say, though, that even pulling out the cases where the assault carbine shows up, it's hard to track what's going on with them. There were at least two or three Blackjack used at different points, some of which may have been good against armor, one which seemed weak, and at least one she used as a semi-automatic. It's not really clear where or when they were obtained, in all cases. In at least one case, she breaks the gun and in a later chapter has another assault carbine without, I believe, ever having mentioned getting another in the interim. For some of the cases, I just kind of assume either she or someone else in the party picked one up and added it to the inventory without it getting called out in narration.
Not having played New Vegas, I can't speak to how accurate this suggestion might be, but could the difference in performance against armor be due to using different ammunition in the same carbine, such as 5.56mm hollow point instead of 5.56mm armor piercing?
Also, "markspony carbines" have been used by the Brood of Coyotyl, so the ponification of "marksman carbine" is already available.

Chapter Six Running Thoughts:

Chapter Six Overall Thoughts:

Chapter Six Editing:

Other Editing:

(snop)
And 64 is out!

Well, that happened. Too late to start tonight if I don't want to split it, so I guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Too bad, too, because I'd just started feeling like I'd caught up with things as I was finishing this post.

[O. Hinds]

Somepony told me I should post here to notify the editing team of a little thing I noticed while reading.

Blackjack's been using an 'Assault Carbine' in the recent chapters (I can't remember when she got it... but it was sometime within the past 10-15 chapters I think?), but the weapon she's /actually/ using is the Marksman (Markspony?) Carbine. Normally I wouldn't even think it's that important, but the distinctions between the two are pretty substantial. The Assault Carbine is an automatic weapon that uses the 5mm (and thus armor piercing) rounds, and multiple times she's fallen back on it and complained about how it's not good at shredding armor (When the Assault Carbine should be amazing at it, probably moreso than any of her other weapons).

So the times it's been called "Assault Carbine" should be changed to "Markspony Carbine".

Also something minor, but I noticed that the word 'me' was doubled in... ch58. Another word was doubled more recently, I think, but I don't remember what it was.

While his armor tried to lift back to the skies, his viscera were pulled into the dirt.  The three banked and dove again, two blasting the green with a focused barrage while the third still aimed for me me.  The green used some kind of spell… a green ray I’d never seen before.

Keep up the good work, and stuff... I'll keep catching up in my reading, just two more to go now.

Ah, thank you.

Icy Shake, might I please prevail upon you to add the carbine name issue to your next scan?  You are, I think, better-equipped for it than I am.

Sure thing! It's in the "Other Editing" section. I'll say, though, that even pulling out the cases where the assault carbine shows up, it's hard to track what's going on with them. There were at least two or three Blackjack used at different points, some of which may have been good against armor, one which seemed weak, and at least one she used as a semi-automatic. It's not really clear where or when they were obtained, in all cases. In at least one case, she breaks the gun and in a later chapter has another assault carbine without, I believe, ever having mentioned getting another in the interim. For some of the cases, I just kind of assume either she or someone else in the party picked one up and added it to the inventory without it getting called out in narration.
Not having played New Vegas, I can't speak to how accurate this suggestion might be, but could the difference in performance against armor be due to using different ammunition in the same carbine, such as 5.56mm hollow point instead of 5.56mm armor piercing?
Also, "markspony carbines" have been used by the Brood of Coyotyl, so the ponification of "marksman carbine" is already available.

Chapter Six Running Thoughts:

Chapter Six Overall Thoughts:

Chapter Six Editing:

Other Editing:

(snop)
And 64 is out!

Well, that happened. Too late to start tonight if I don't want to split it, so I guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Too bad, too, because I'd just started feeling like I'd caught up with things as I was finishing this post.

Ah, thank you very much as always.

…Why are you using a different format in the "Other Editing" section? Well, I shall try to do the best job I can...

[Icy Shake]

…Why are you using a different format in the "Other Editing" section?  Well, I shall try to do the best job I can...

Sorry. I'm cleaning it up now. It was because I thought I was only going to be looking at the carbine stuff, but then it exploded a bit afterward and I screwed up, forgetting to get it closer to normal.

And it's done, changes edited into the original post. Don't know if you'll see this before you continue, but it's worth a shot.

[O. Hinds]

What do you mean, before I continue?

I think that I've got everything now, though; thanks. It turned out that I had indeed missed a few.

[Icy Shake]

Finish the pass before seeing the edit. Though I guess you could always have gone back. I'm afraid I've been a little frazzled and fatigued lately, so that possibility didn't occur to me at the time.

[O. Hinds]

Ah, yes, I see. I don't make the posts until I finish the passes. Sorry for the confusion.

I hope that things improve for you.

[RoboRed]

response to new chapter:

running thoughts:

On a completely tangential sidenote, I listened to the C&C soundtrack while reading this. It matched up at almost every time with the action scenes. Odd, since not all of it is action music.

[O. Hinds]

@RoboRed:

Spoiler:

WHAT?!?!? NOO! NOOWHATFUCKWHATNOGODWHATNOGODDAMNITWHAT-*brainfailure*

We also debated telling you a bit more about what was going on, but we decided to leave it as a cliffhanger. :D

[Somber]

I'm sorry, Robo.

[WavemasterRyx]

Okay, well it took half an hour, but I finally got to save my copy...

*hugs Somber very gently*

I really don't know when I'll be able to read it though, with how my current schedule is. I'm certain it will be a great chapter, and I'm really hoping I'll get the chance to enjoy it soon.

[RoboRed]

I'm sorry, Robo.

[pained groaning noise intensifies]

[O. Hinds]

Okay, well it took half an hour, but I finally got to save my copy...

*hugs Somber very gently*

I really don't know when I'll be able to read it though, with how my current schedule is.  I'm certain it will be a great chapter, and I'm really hoping I'll get the chance to enjoy it soon.

Sorry about my delay. Did you get my email, by the way?

[WavemasterRyx]

Sorry about my delay.  Did you get my email, by the way?

Oh don't worry, sir, the delay in getting a copy wasn't because of you... I had tried opening the page a few times and gotten a script error, by the time firefox decided it had had its fun, the document was full, so I just had to wait for a spot to open...

I did get it, thank you. I'll be sending a response shortly.

[RoboRed]

Spoiler:

I forget these things. Especially when they happened a long time ago.  

[O. Hinds]

Sorry about my delay.  Did you get my email, by the way?

Oh don't worry, sir, the delay in getting a copy wasn't because of you...  I had tried opening the page a few times and gotten a script error, by the time firefox decided it had had its fun, the document was full, so I just had to wait for a spot to open...

I did get it, thank you.  I'll be sending a response shortly.

Ah, good.

[OneMoreDaySK]

And 64 is out!

Busy Saturday, Occupied with RP Sunday, will read when not insane from sleep deprivation.

[Guest]

argh

no has time

must prepare for valentines day and do homework

arrrgghh

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