Re: [Fallout Equestria] Setting discussions

[Harmony Ltd.]

I'll trust you on that.

[O. Hinds]

...Oh. Well, this got rather intense all of a sudden...

[Harmony Ltd.]

What was intense?

[O. Hinds]

...Did I misinterpret your phrasing? Did you just mean something like "We'll go with that"?

[O. Hinds]

I've sent you another email.

[O. Hinds]

I'd really prefer to just go with it. I'm pretty sure that it's fine, but I'm not comfortable having you place your trust in me on this matter. I apologize for apparently giving you the impression that I was that confident in my information.

[O. Hinds]

Harmony?

[Harmony Ltd.]

Almost midnight here. I'll read your mail, can't guarantee I'll answer it before tomorrow, though.

[O. Hinds]

Please, please let's not leave this unresolved overnight.

[O. Hinds]

You seem to have no idea how much weight your statement would have with me, but that alone isn't enough to get me off the hook.

[O. Hinds]

And at least tell me if you're not going to answer; otherwise, I'll be sitting here for hours refreshing my inbox.

[Vinylshadow]

Go to sleep, you're going to make yourself sick

[Harmony Ltd.]

Good thing I had the reflex to check the site before going to sleep then: I had no idea indeed.

[O. Hinds]

re the email, here for public consumption:
Okay, thanks!

Looks like we're just going with it after all. :)

A bit of explanation:
I draw a distinction between a simple "The information we have available, much of it provided by you, suggests that this is indeed a good course of action" and "I will trust you that this is a good course of action". "Trust" is kind a loaded word in such a context, as I consider full, I-have-no-way-of-knowing-whether-you're-lying-and-or-wrong-or-not-but-I'll-follow-you-anyway-even-though-I-have-other-valid-options trust to be an extremely valuable thing. I am aware that I probably was misinterpreting Harmony's statement, but, as sometimes happens with jokes during editing sessions, I would rather make a big fuss about something inconsequential than make light of something very important.

Good thing I had the reflex to check the site before going to sleep then: I had no idea indeed.

Sorry! Goodnight.

[Vinylshadow]

I'll bow out here, good luck with the stuff and things

[O. Hinds]

Here's a rather nice-sounding aviation diesel.

[Harmony Ltd.]

Sounds like an overclocked diesel generator. Which it probably is, seeing the size of that air intake.

[O. Hinds]

I'm pretty sure it's got a mechanical transmission.
Though, admittedly, I don't have any information about the engine in question to back that up.

[Harmony Ltd.]

Well, I meant the diesel part of a diesel generator. I agree that's it has probably a purely mechanical transmission.

The sound simply reminded me of the one diesel generators make while running, but running faster here.

I'm curious to know if the engine is coming off-the-shelf from a motorist with only a few slight modifications (turbocompressor, things like that), or if it's purpose-built.

[O. Hinds]

Ah.

Looks like it's probably either off the shelf or a kit.

[O. Hinds]

Hm. I've been thinking. I've had the Skycross (the Alliance's Fairey-like transport rotodaen) using ducted fans, but I'm now wondering if propellors or propfans would be better. Thoughts?

[Harmony Ltd.]

It was something like that?

The problem with ducted fans, as far as I can guess, is that the duct add weight, but I'm not sure it would have much benefits to justify that.

So I guess more conventional propellers, like on the V-22, might be better in that regard?

[O. Hinds]

It was something like that?

The problem with ducted fans, as far as I can guess, is that the duct add weight, but I'm not sure it would have much benefits to justify that.

So I guess more conventional propellers, like on the V-22, might be better in that regard?

...Um.  No.  You... don't seem to remember how rotodaens work.
I'll paste my notes on Alliance aircraft.

2013-5-24 Alliance aircraft post:

[O. Hinds]

The Fourpair and Skyshark I think ought to continue using ducted fans; the ducts can be armored, a useful feature for attack rotorcraft. The Skyshark isn't a frontline fighting aircraft, though, and has a commonly used civilian version; it's also much larger, reducing the utility of an armored duct.

I've also asked an aeronautically-inclined friend about this, by the way.

[Harmony Ltd.]

I don't really know, as that's not my domain of expertise.

Anyway, after a bit thought...

I think an interesting way the Knights of Harmony (Littlepip's posse) could be characterized would as some sort of stand-in for the Men in Black, in that they're the ones most likely to be handling the "out of context problems" (see: The Goddess, Cognitum, the Eater of Souls, etc.): powerful enemies which cannot be defeated by conventional means.

Though I'm not sure if their primary mean of action would be the Elements of Harmony. My guess is that it would more probably be their last resort (in order to avoid getting the really hard to replace bearers killed). And if they were to get used, they would probably get an heavy escort (in term of firepower, not necessarily in term of number - think one or several teams of NCR special forces or equivalent).

Anyway, yeah, the Men in Black. Maybe not the SCP foundation, but I could see them going treasure hunting. Probably with the help of the New Canterlot Archeological Society?

Quite a number of possible intrigues here.

[O. Hinds]

I don't really know, as that's not my domain of expertise.

No problem.

My understanding is that propfans are explosively noisy, but that fans in general are significantly more efficient than props, and that proper ducting greatly increases efficiency.

I've heard scuttlebutt that the only reason turbofans are better for high altitudes is design, and that a properly optimized turbofan with a really huge bypass ratio would be superior to a piston engine.

So probably a turbofan with a ducted fan and a high bypass ratio. Which is, after all, not easy to distinguish from a turboprop with a fan and a duct.

Which is pretty much what I was thinking of already, so no problem there, either!

Anyway, after a bit thought...

I think an interesting way the Knights of Harmony (Littlepip's posse) could be characterized would as some sort of stand-in for the Men in Black, in that they're the ones most likely to be handling the "out of context problems" (see: The Goddess, Cognitum, the Eater of Souls, etc.): powerful enemies which cannot be defeated by conventional means.

Though I'm not sure if their primary mean of action would be the Elements of Harmony. My guess is that it would more probably be their last resort (in order to avoid getting the really hard to replace bearers killed). And if they were to get used, they would probably get an heavy escort (in term of firepower, not necessarily in term of number - think one or several teams of NCR special forces or equivalent).

Anyway, yeah, the Men in Black. Maybe not the SCP foundation, but I could see them going treasure hunting. Probably with the help of the New Canterlot Archeological Society?

Quite a number of possible intrigues here.

Hm, indeed; neat idea.

[O. Hinds]

By the way, I may have mentioned this, but General Beatrix of Alexandria was one of my inspirations for Rose Eye.

FFIX Spoiler:

There are a lot of differences, of course, but Beatrix is an… interesting character.  She's where the rose idea came from, at any rate.

[O. Hinds]

From the discussion thread:

If you want to get linguistic, you could get a lot out of the relationship between Pony/Equestrian (which is basically English) and Zebra Imperial (which is Latin-ish with interesting tribal flavorings). Since English (and by extension, Pony/Equestrian) has a large amount of assimilated Latin loanwords and roots, this could indicate a past shared culture/connection relatively early in their development, such as a progenitor hoofed species from which both are descended.

Interesting idea. Applying it to my headcanon (I'm not sure if I can apply it to PH's linguistic histories), it would make sense. Pony would be a Roaman-Zebra-influenced descendant of the ancestral pony language of the ponies; the Crystal Empire's language would probably be in the same family. And might have a better claim for the name "Pony", really, but they're too isolationist to care much. Besides, there are plenty of Americans speaking "English" who'd be some degree of unintelligible to someone actually from England.

[Harmony Ltd.]

How are sky-chariots supposed to work here?

From the show, it seems like a normal land-carriage can be made to "levitate" when carried by a pegasi. But if you make that carriage bigger, or the load heavier, I suppose this increase the strain on the pegasi to the point where it can't lift it anymore?

So if you had something like an Aerobus, or a Sky-Tank (see: FoE), I suppose it's fair to say that unless you equip it with levitation talismans, you'll need to have it flown by a number of pegasi to have it fly?


Thoughts?

[Harmony Ltd.]

Unrelated:

IIRC, wasn't New Appleloosa built on a still relatively functional trainyard? With relatively intact traintracks leading to Manehatten on one side and Fillydelphia on the other?

Or am I imagining that?

Because it that's the case, then that would be another possible answer as to how Ditzy managed to build the Absolutely Everything Shipping Company.

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