Re: [Official!] Project Horizons Comment Crew Chat thread.

[Admiral Stoic Rum]

It...just...brain...circle-goery...gah!
>flips table.

for fun

[O. Hinds]

If anyone's interested, Fallout 1, 2, and Tactics are on sale on GOG this weekend.

[RoboRed]

...ow.
And to restate: ow.
Why is it always the heavy ponies that attack me?!

...I'm not heavy...

[Ironmonger]

i agree:

[Harmony Ltd.]

Question : does the following strike people as the kind of thing Gawdyna Grimfeather would say ?

“ I'll start this speech with a confession : I've never been a paper-pusher, and quite frankly, I'd sooner be dead than to become one. Since the beginning of my mandate as President of the New Canterlot Republic, I've felt the duty to not simply stay in the Capital and administer it behind my desk, but to try and be as close of the Citizens I have the charge of governing as I can, and this for a simple reason : As a leader, how could I give orders which consequences I cannot fully grasp ? That's why, to the desperation of my guardians – may they forgive the troubles I put them under –, I've decided to tour the brave communities who toil day and night to fuel our war effort, and to meet our soldiers on the front lines.

During this tour I've been able to hear many personal stories. Most of them are full of hatred and bloodshed. Of mistrust, deceit and betrayal. The Wasteland is a dark place, and we all know the perverted pleasure it takes in pushing all of us down, down to our knees, down until all we want is to just lay and let the carrion eaters take us away.

But what I wasn't prepared for was that these stories were equally filled with something I had not expected : Hopes. Dreams. Projects for a better future.

In our darkest hour, as we must assemble all of our meager forces to fight against an enemy that wish nothing less than our complete and utter annihilation, these people, ragged, tired, most of them having lost their brothers and sisters, their parents and their kids to this war, still find the energy to have hopes and dreams. To see the future as something else than the bleakness of today's struggle for survival.

It wouldn't do justice to the sentiment I felt than to say that I have been humbled.

If we needed anything more than our most basic survival instinct to convince us to continue, to carry on and win this war once and for all, then the sheer amount of optimism I've been able to witness among our Citizens is proof enough that victory is not only possible : it is certain.

And this victory will be born of our complete commitment to bring about these dreams of a peaceful future.

Peace. I will be the first to admit that it is a strange word to even pronounce in these times. Most of us have never known it. And in some ways, I doubt any of us really have in the last two centuries.

But I am convinced that we will know it in our times. Already, Littlepip is clearing the cloud cover, bringing the guiding light of the sun we had been denied for so long to more and more of us with each passing days ; and despite the Enclave's ruthlessness to hunt them down, six heroes have already given us more than we could have ever hoped for : clean water and a fertile soil, for everyone.

As vivid as is the pain we must bear with each passing days, not only can we have hope in a better future, we are now more united than we have ever been. Standing together, nothing can take us apart.


Citizens, I assure you, on my Contract as your President, that today's suffering will not be in vain. The Republic will Prevail.

Stand up, carry on and go forth. For Victory is a currency backed in blood, and we all take our part. ”

[Meleagridis]

Question : does the following strike people as the kind of thing Gawdyna Grimfeather would say ?

With a bit of help from someone less touched by merc work, maybe. Or I could just be remembering her as a more gruff griff than she was. Where it come from?

...I can't read that and not see it being broadcast to some bitter souls in the worst way imaginable.

[Harmony Ltd.]

Where does it come from ? I wrote it a few hours ago. Just as a way to flex my writing muscles and try to "triangulate" the character of Gawdyna : to make an analogy with the original Fallout, she's to FoE's New Canterlot Republic the Aradesh/Tandi's to Fallout's New California Republic.

Which is to say, her "dna" will be the one of the Republic. Understanding her character is one of the most important things I have to do if I want my version of the NCR to not completely be Out-of-Character.


Concerning the speech in question, I was thinking that it would be said something like six month after the day of sunshine and rainbows, after the activation of the Gardens a few weeks before but before the implosion of the Enclave as a political entity (its split and the Volunteer proposing their help to the NCR being three to six month away). She'd be holding it in an unimportant town in an active warzone, one of these communities she's talking about (explaining her comment about pissing off her bodyguards), with one of Spike's/Homage's spritebots broadcasting what she's saying to the rest of the wasteland (I kind of wanted to make it one of those "historical speeches" which end up in the history books, but it would be conceited on my part to think that at this point I have the abilities as a writer and an orator to produce something convincing).

As for the speech itself, well... It's mostly her's, though she prepared it in advance and got it looked over by some of her personal councilors. It's not spontaneous. Though she's reciting it by heart - she make a point out of that (to be quite honest, I'm heavily inspiring myself from Charles de Gaulle there )

"Less touched by merc work" : I think I see you point, she seems a bit too... dreamy ? But like she say herself, after having talked to so many people, and heard their dreams, she kind of surprised herself to dream. And given how bleak the situation look for the people of the NCR at the time she give that particular speech, she thought appropriate to try to inspire people to not only carry on with the fight, to win the war ; but also to dream, to make plans for the future, plans for a world at peace. In short, she's trying to get people to hope, to start building now the basis of the Post-War Republic. To get them to think beyond mere survival.

...I can't read that and not see it being broadcast to some bitter souls in the worst way imaginable.

What do you have in mind ?

[StoneSlinger88]

Harmony, you might want to give this a listen as well.

[Harmony Ltd.]

I know that one almost by heart.

[Meleagridis]

Maybe cut down on captial C Citizen a little. That's what 'Your President John Henry Eden' calls us.

...I can't read that and not see it being broadcast to some bitter souls in the worst way imaginable.

What do you have in mind ?

Hm.

Someone's trying to open a can of baked beans with a broken knife. Another's trying to force themselves to choke down a chunk of raw radroach flesh with little to no success. The place would be crumbling- probably somewhere outside where there is no shelter from the beating heat of the sun. A building with the walls and roof blown clean away, with half-hearted attempts at creating makeshift shade with corrugated sheets of metal. Someone has to keep watch, always, because it could be the difference between getting out and getting shot. You can't see it, but everything's run dry. Everything useful. Only one left with a few odds and ends and the energy to move under the blazing sun is always working on a project. A hopeless way out that never seems any more done, no matter what goes into it.

Could be anyone. Bandits or raiders, townsfolk or outsiders, travelers or outcasts. Just not warriors. Just not anyone who could pretend that this speech was made for them, couldn't pretend some bird would swear on a sheet of paper to do anything for them. People who heard the world had been saved and they were living in a blessed era where the only difference was that a merciless ball of fire stands in the sky and metal monsters from above the clouds came down to fill the gap left by alicorns.

Or it could overlay soldiers. But I've always been fond of the pedestrian angle- the unfortunate casualties unconsidered and having nothing to do with the tragedy.

[RoboRed]

definitely iron/frost lulz:

[Ironmonger]

definitely iron/frost lulz:

Much appreciated, my motherfucking nigger! Seriously, I giggled when I saw your message.

[Harmony Ltd.]

Maybe cut down on captial C Citizen a little. That's what 'Your President John Henry Eden' calls us.

Hmm, you know what ? This could be an interesting angle to take.

The NCR from the beginning posing itself as an "universal" power, I mean.

Though the idea of having Gawdyna or someone else in her name do regular radio broadcasts is too funny to be left unexplored.


"From the beak of your president, directly your ears, Citizens..."
"Dammit, won't anyone make her shut up ?! Man, I miss the day when we could listen to GNR without getting overwhelmed by all this feel good bullshit. Remember those ?"
"Well.... no. It's kinda always been like that."
"Shit. I wish there were more than the one single fucking radio station to listen to."
"Well, at least take the things on the good side : we're so far from Shattered Hoof we don't risk being killed in an enclave attack."
"To die of boredom instead ? Fuck that shit ! ... Man, I'm hungry. Do we still have cram ?"
"Nope."
"Shit. Well, time to go hunt, then..."

*both puts on hockey masks and arm their machine pistols before going out in the streets*

[Frost]

definitely iron/frost lulz:

I'm good at reading people, and I kept finding myself wondering whether he was angry or excited.

Also, I kept misreading "Curtis" as "Cuntis"

[Frost]

swicked lolz/bait/whatever:

Just so y'all know the score ;P

If only it would show her blood and bruises, it would be that much better.

[Frost]

swicked lolz/bait/whatever:

Just so y'all know the score ;P

If only it would show her blood and bruises, it would be that much better.

If only it got progressively worse as the quickly-dead horse was turned into hamburger, it would be FAR better.

Edit:
It is far too late at night for me to hunger for flutterburgers.

I'm making Roboburgers, if you want one

[RoboRed]

Leavemealone

[RoboRed]

this is pretty awesome:

[Guest]

Robobait:

[Ironmonger]

Robobait:

There's a pun in there, but I'm afraid that if I say it Big Show will appear and hit me with a steel chair.

[Kippershy]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4496843752002

[Frost]

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store, sir."
"I can't, you broke my legs."

[Harmony Ltd.]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4496843752002

The puns, they burn.

Also, lol at the use of "soviet".

I don't know if people are aware of it, but the USSR fell something like 21-22 years ago. It's time to move on, guys.

[Harmony Ltd.]

...I can't read that and not see it being broadcast to some bitter souls in the worst way imaginable.

What do you have in mind ?

Hm.

Someone's trying to open a can of baked beans with a broken knife. Another's trying to force themselves to choke down a chunk of raw radroach flesh with little to no success. The place would be crumbling- probably somewhere outside where there is no shelter from the beating heat of the sun. A building with the walls and roof blown clean away, with half-hearted attempts at creating makeshift shade with corrugated sheets of metal. Someone has to keep watch, always, because it could be the difference between getting out and getting shot. You can't see it, but everything's run dry. Everything useful. Only one left with a few odds and ends and the energy to move under the blazing sun is always working on a project. A hopeless way out that never seems any more done, no matter what goes into it.

Could be anyone. Bandits or raiders, townsfolk or outsiders, travelers or outcasts. Just not warriors. Just not anyone who could pretend that this speech was made for them, couldn't pretend some bird would swear on a sheet of paper to do anything for them. People who heard the world had been saved and they were living in a blessed era where the only difference was that a merciless ball of fire stands in the sky and metal monsters from above the clouds came down to fill the gap left by alicorns.

Or it could overlay soldiers. But I've always been fond of the pedestrian angle- the unfortunate casualties unconsidered and having nothing to do with the tragedy.

What kind of project ?

Hmm...


"YES ! Finally ! The water-pump is now functional ! At last we'll be able to start irrigating the fields ! Now to tell the-"

*hit by a plasma bolt and melt as several squads of Enclave soldiers swoop down and proceed to wipe the settlement*

[Harmony Ltd.]

By the way, that's also a reason why people would have started concentrating themselves into NCR cities / refugee camps : because the Enclave started systematically targeting any isolated settlement they came across, to exterminate everyone, Friendship City-style.

[Meleagridis]

By the way, that's also a reason why people would have started concentrating themselves into NCR cities / refugee camps : because the Enclave started systematically targeting any isolated settlement they came across, to exterminate everyone, Friendship City-style.

What about the Enclave dissenters? Where would they be, I mean.

Not to mention a lot of folks were unhappy about the NCR in New Vegas. Handled wrong, Gawd's attempts at peace could lead to a full-blown civil war. Imagine that- world saved, time for a two-way war. Yeesh.

[Harmony Ltd.]

Exactly. Maybe even more sides than that :

You have the three sides of the Enclave Civil War, you have the NCR and its allies fighting against the Enclave and then against the Bitters with the help of the Volunteers, you have the remnants of Red Eye's forces figthing themselves and everyone else, you have the Alicorns as some sort of wild card, and then the Applejack Rangers (on the side of the NCR) pretty much at war with the Steel Rangers (who's to say the Enclave wouldn't propose them an unholy alliance ?), etc ...

Basically, you have all the ingredients for a glorious free for all.

The only thing Littlepip managed was :

- Get rid of the cloud cover
- Kickstart the race to find the EoH to activate the gardens
- Kickstart the creation of the NCR by convincing Gawd to try it.
- Kickstarting Operation Cauterize and thus the fall of the Enclave.
- Ensure the fall of Red Eye.
- Ensure the fall of the Goddess.
- Give the means to her friends of one day allowing the Alicorns to reproduce

Notice that the word "peace" is nowhere in this list. In fact, I'd say she more than anything else deserved the title the Alicorns gave her : "The Destroyer". She's good at breaking things.

It's up to the others to follow in her wake and turn all the chaos she caused into something worthwile.

[Meleagridis]

Ha! Bitter. Speaking of which, who're the Bitters?

(Have to say I really like the idea of the hardline BoS (er, Rangers) going in with the Enclave- with recent dissent and shakeups they could both use the numbers, and it would make for a downright frightening fighting force.)

[Harmony Ltd.]

To answer your question, I'm still thinking about it, but basically what happens to the Enclave kind of has similarities to what happened / is happening with Syria :

- First, pacific protests against the war
- High Command send the troops and crush some skulls
- The public opinion become polarized
- Radicalization of the Opposition (at first they were only calling for an end to the hostilities but more and more they're calling for a Revolution)
- Further escalation of the conflict brought on by the decision of the High Command to impose the martial law. Troops sent to arrest the Opposition leaders.
- Riots repressed in blood.
- Roughly 9 month after the battle of Neighvarro, the Enclave's military fall into mutiny as a number of soldiers and officers feel that what they're doing conflict with their loyalties to the Enclave's people. And on the other side of the spectrum, others feels that the governement of the Enclave is holding them back on fighting the War against the surfacers. Split of the Enclave's military, the Bitters take a third of the soldiers, a fourth of the population, and almost all the ships. The Volunteers take a third of the soldiers and a bit less than half of the Civilians, but not much equipment compared to the Bitters and Isolationnists. As for the Isolationnists, they take the rest.

A large part of the Volunteers flee to the surface and strike a deal with the NCR, the fire of revenge burning in their heart - they wanted to help the surfacers, but to have to -live- there ?

[Harmony Ltd.]

Ha! Bitter. Speaking of which, who're the Bitters?

(Have to say I really like the idea of the hardline BoS (er, Rangers) going in with the Enclave- with recent dissent and shakeups they could both use the numbers, and it would make for a downright frightening fighting force.)

The Bitters are the part of the Enclave who want to fight to the Bitter End against the surface - pushing Operation Cauterize to its logical extreme by pretty much getting rid of the surface completely.

You can see it as President Richardson's Enclave from Fallout 2 which wanted to release the FEV into the atmosphere. Played on that with the Bitters going all bio-warfare during the conflict once they saw they couldn't win the war as easily as they had thought they could through conventional means.

By the way, thinking of putting to use Lighthoove's raider-making / pegasi-killing disease...

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