Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion

[RoboRed]

Science: bringing you stuff like exploding lemons and crotch eyeballs.

In other news, Kkat on Necromancy: http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/349347/on-necromancy

[Vinylshadow]

....Now I'm picturing Blackjack with penises mounted over her mantel, sipping whiskey

Gordon Freeman collects skulls of the people he kills (In self-defense)

Blackjack collects the severed colthoods of the ponies she gelds (in self-defense)

[FeatherDust]

Technically gelding doesn't involve removing the penis, and given equine anatomy, it would actually be pretty hard to do that in the midst of combat anyway unless the guy was getting turned on by the fight or something.

[Vinylshadow]

You'd be amazed at what males find arousing...

[SilentCarto]

Personally, my main issue with the ending is the Enclave and how they're handled. What we had initially was the awesomely morally complex interplay between Littlepip, Red Eye, and the Goddess, three characters who arguably want what is ultimately right for the wasteland and who each represent an interesting reflection or mutation of the other two. Together, the three characters play with what exactly it means to be a hero and the meaning of good and evil in a morally ambiguous world.

And then we get the Enclave, who still carry all that I disliked from their human counterparts in Fallout 3 (namely that they come out of nowhere and the entirety of their philosophy can be summed up with "RAH RAH WE ARE EVIL! LET'S GO SHOOT YOUR DAD"). While they do make for some epic setpieces (I'll admit, I squeed when the Steel Ranger and the Applejack's Ranger had their last stand), it sucks all the delicious complexity out of the conflict and just makes it a very black-and-white "Us against Evil Sky Nazis".

No argument on that, though I'm curious whether you're implying you liked them better in FO2. They were still reprehensible, of course, but at least in FO2 they served the same function as the super mutants in FO1.

Nope. It's locked to Rainbow Dash, the Princesses, and maybe somebody else that I can't remember.

Not exactly. I think it used to bypass all ministry mares, just like the shield in the MoA basement, but Pip implied that once Celestia inhabited the computer, her soul powered it up and made it impervious to anyone.

...the image of Velvet 'waltzing' facefirst into a force field made me crack up

It's not that I don't like Velvet, but I think I would pay real, actual money to see that.  

Well, okay, I don't dislike her, but she's definitely my least favorite member of that group. I think it's just that when she's good, she's good, but when she's bad, she's a bitch who rarely gets any grief for it.

I really love FoE and Kkat... but I really don't like much from death of the goddess to the end.  I don't know what happened...

You're describing the part of the story where all the various plot threads get resolved -- I get the feeling that Kkat simply wasn't very good at tying up loose ends.

I thoroughly enjoyed FoE. In terms of world-building and internal consistency, it's pretty fantabulous. Kkat really thought out exactly how the adorable pastel world of Equestria could become a desolate sepia-tone wasteland and presented it in such a way that the seemingly impossible transition made complete sense. That's why the setting has become so incredibly interesting and popular to such a wide variety of authors and readers.

Hear hear! For all that we bash on FoE, it's good to acknowledge that.

The Enclave could have been a great opportunity for some really interesting philosophies or moralities (like in PH's characterization of them), especially when factoring in Calamity's perspective, but they just came out really generic and rushed. The feeling of it being rushed carries over for most of the ending as well.

I think part of the issue was that Pip kind of got her boss fight too early, against Red Eye and Autumn, which left nothing but mooks for the allegedly-climactic SPP fight.

As you say, though, the memory orbs and recordings are really the standout element.

And I've also got to agree greatly with Virgil, PH ruined FoE for me. After I started reading PH and I went back go FoE it just felt... lackluster.

"Lackluster" is a great word for it. BJ is such a vibrant character that when I occasionally check back with FoE to reference various events, I'm kind of shocked how bland Pip seems.

[Caoimhe]

Hullo again everyone! I've been traveling the world on work's dime so I've been quite busy lately.

I've mentioned how many times I hate FoE's ending arc and how that ruined a lot of it so I don't need to retread, but the two things that it needed - and PH delivered on spectacularly - were 1) a protagonist that existed as a character and not just a caddy for the reader to see the world and 2) a psychological narrative base that made it not just a video game romp with ponies. Somber set the stage in the first chapter with this and that's what drew me in.

While Pippers just acted a fool and socially awkward weirdo in the first then suddenly becomes a killing machine that barely expresses anything more than mild shock at what's going on (in a very handfisted LOOK AT THE VIOLENCE THIS IS GRIMDARK) way, BJ is established as having a confident but insecure personality that we want to see rise and fall and before we even get to the shooty bits that establish the world paralleling FoE, we have pages of her dumbstruck that the fucking sky is a thing that exists. That's a very "oh shit" moment to see coming from FoE that basically adds 300% more depth and realism.

I do have my issues with PH (antagonists for instance, we had a ton more development for Sanguine and Deus...and kinda wish Dealer's reveal woulda been a last chapter sort of thing or - what I was hoping - it turned out he really was a PTSD manifestation from the very first traumatic thing BJ had to do and she really is mentally unstable... and do we have any outstanding fromthebeginning mysteries left unsolved?) but it's hundreds of times better than FoE by far.

[O. Hinds]

Welcome back, Caoimhe!

[RoboRed]

Welcome back!  

[Stringtheory]

Welcome back!

[WavemasterRyx]

...the image of Velvet 'waltzing' facefirst into a force field made me crack up

It's not that I don't like Velvet, but I think I would pay real, actual money to see that.  

Well, okay, I don't dislike her, but she's definitely my least favorite member of that group. I think it's just that when she's good, she's good, but when she's bad, she's a bitch who rarely gets any grief for it.

Well... I'll make a note so this may happen, eventually... minus the money part... if no one else does it in the month or two it takes me to get around to trying.

Hullo again everyone! I've been traveling the world on work's dime so I've been quite busy lately.

Welcome back, ma'am.

[O. Hinds]

Well, I am once again failing miserably at getting to bed on time, but I happened to be on FIMFiction and noticed that Simply Rarity, despite having been posted for less than a day, is already seventh in the feature box. :)

[Vergil]

Hmm. Imagine that.

[Vinylshadow]

Very nice work, Somber

[O. Hinds]

And now it's third. And this is with mature stories displayed, mind; it's second with that off. :D

[Dutcher]

TIL that Somber wrote simply rarity.
Will we see PH on Fimfiction as well?

[Stringtheory]

TIL that Somber wrote simply rarity.
Will we see PH on Fimfiction as well?

Only when it's finished, if you want to get a head start on it have fun with all the formatting you'll have to do.

[Icy Shake]

I'm going to disagree with you on that. Personally, I feel that the pacing in PH is usually fantabulous. It's a big, epic story, and so it needs the time to reach a natural conclusion and culminate the story arcs of each character, something I felt the original was less than satisfactory at doing. There may be a few points where the story drags on a bit or gets somewhat sidetracked, but hey, I love the characters so much that I'm fine with a rest or detour.

Yeah, I've tended to think that the pacing has been mostly good, too. There are a couple of exceptions, a stretch somewhere I believe in the twenties where I felt two chapters could have been condensed to one or three to two, and maybe 47 and 48 could have been brought down to one 35-40k chapter instead of 52k between them. But on something of this scale, having that happen a total of twice for me is a pretty good track record.

And now it's third.  And this is with mature stories displayed, mind; it's second with that off.  :D

And now it's on top, including mature.


Hi, Caoihme, it's nice to have you back!

[O. Hinds]

And now it's on top, including mature.

:D

[RoboRed]

[Vinylshadow]

My work here is done

*flies away and crashes because my wings use too much energy*

I can see why Blackjack hated her Alicorn upgrade

[Luminous Lead]

Fair enough, since we've got stories that take place alongside FoE

MNS, PH being two I can name off comfortably

They work well as both tie-ins and standalones, which I like

Part of me would love to see a story take place 200 years ago, instead of memories 200 years later

I'm surprised no one has attempted some sort of during-war side story where someone from the wasteland gets their hooves on the Canterlot time travel spells and attempts to avert the future.

The closest thing I can think of is this, which is by an author who, in my opinion, still has a surprisingly small number of readers.

Well, I don't know of any good DURING-war, but if you want a PRE-war and are willing to give AU a chance there's always Lacuna.

[O. Hinds]

And 68 is out!

[Vergil]

Welp. Still drinking after the world cup, but I'm hype to read later!

Also, welcome back Capone!

[Scienza]

And 68 is out!

HYPEHYPEHYPEHYPEHYPEHYPEHYPE

[Luminous Lead]

Partway through 68:

Awesome... Levels... Riiiiiisiiiiinnnnngnggggg!

[WavemasterRyx]

And 68 is out!

*hugs you and Somber each gently*

Well gdocs is still being silly, but I got my copy downloaded, and I am definitely looking forward to reading it tonight.

[O. Hinds]

Partway through 68:

Awesome... Levels... Riiiiiisiiiiinnnnngnggggg!

:)

Well gdocs is still being silly, but I got my copy downloaded, and I am definitely looking forward to reading it tonight.

Enjoy, Ryx!

[Dutcher]

And 68 is out!

Its 3 am here and i need to get early BUT WHO CARES.





Edit: anyone remembers the guy that asked for the chapter when it was released while he is in China?
Anyone got his details?

[Thoroar]

Edit: anyone remembers the guy that asked for the chapter when it was released while he is in China?
Anyone got his details?

That would be this guy.

Is there anybody that could e-mail me a pdf of the next chapters, 68 and 69, when they come out?

I'm going to be in a place for the next month or so that *ahm* china *ahm* that frowns upon google and all it's affiliates, so I won't be able to get on the hub page.

my e-mail is chencharley_el@yahoo.com

if not, i'll be back in a month anyways.

Thenk Yus!

[Luminous Lead]

Quick thoughts:

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