[GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion

[SilentCarto]

Source

Welcome to the Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion Thread!
This is the place to discuss Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons, a Fallout/MLP:FiM crossover fic by Somber. Story discussion is on the left, group therapy to the right. Please try to schedule your emotional breakdowns when they don't conflict with anyone else's.

Rules
We have just a few simple rules here.

1. Don't put down Somber.
   
2. Project Horizons is a grimdark fic which deals with adult topics, so we might discuss subjects that some readers may find uncomfortable. Be mature about it.
   
3. If Somber or a member of the editing team says to end a discussion, please do so.
   
4. Spoilers abound. If you're not current on the fic, we recommend that you catch up before you read on.
   
5. Expect random discussions that may or may not have anything to do with the story.
   
6. Have fun!

People You Should Know
Somber: The author of Project Horizons, creator of Blackjack, maker of awesomeness, is a small gray mare who lives in the head of a guy named David. Ignore her claims of suckage.
Bronode, O. Hinds, and Snipehamster: Your editing team, presented in alphabetical order. They make awesome writing look all shiny and pretty.
Kkat: The author of the original Fallout: Equestria. Not a participant in this discussion (yet), but you should be aware of her anyway. If you haven't read FOE, why are you even here? Go! Read!

Somber's Tip Jar
Thank-yous of the monetary variety may be made through PayPal. Simply click on Send Money, send it to David13ushey@gmail.com and mark it as a personal gift.

Story Links
GoogleDocs chapter index - Links to every chapter, plus FOE and FOEPH resources, media, and story download formats.
.epub Format - Thanks to Scorch_Mechanic.
LaTeX ebook .pdf - Thanks to ThePowersGang.
Nallar's Fanfic Archive - An auto-updated collection of fics offered in a variety of formats including Kindle .mobi, .epub, and .html.

[SilentCarto]

Okay, so it just turned really creepy that Dawn has only female children -- four of them -- and both of the ones we've seen look extraordinarily similar to their mother.

I stopped my attack and looked down at… Glory? Yes, the gray coat was a little darker, the lavender eyes a more purplish shade, and the face a touch more mature, but it was the spitting image of Glory staring up at me.

Her coat was a light dove gray and her mane a collection of purples, lavenders, and highlights of pink.

It's almost as if the father's genetics had no say in the matter...

[SilentCarto]

You're forgetting the Cathedral. The hellhounds were instrumental in the GPE/Red Eye war.

Also, saying that "everything that was accomplished could have been done from the air" ignores that the op's planners did not know exactly what would happen. For all they knew, they would need heavy ground forces.

Most importantly, hellhound claws have the unique property of slicing through alicorn shields. That alone is reason enough to develop them as a weapon system. There's no other way to face down Red Eye's alicorn troops on an equal footing.

[Ketchup]

Four? I thought there were two, I must've missed it.
But yeah, they all do look very similar. More similar than Twilight's or Applejack's family are to their kin.
Not clones as we know them... They have/had cutie marks. It is interesting nonetheless.

[Caoimhe]

There were twins still in school if I remember. Thought there was one dude from whet I remember

[Ketchup]

There were twins still in school if I remember. Thought there was one dude from whet I remember

Oh yeah, now I remember. They were bullied because Dawn left, right?

[SilentCarto]

Four? I thought there were two, I must've missed it.
But yeah, they all do look very similar. More similar than Twilight's or Applejack's family are to their kin.
Not clones as we know them... They have/had cutie marks. It is interesting nonetheless.

They're certainly not Mirror Pool copies of Dawn, but they may well be clones in the real-life sense. Clones have the same genetics, but each develops under unique conditions and therefore has slight variations on the physical theme. And using the PH understanding of souls, each is an independent person with their own soul, unique personality, and cutie mark.

There were twins still in school if I remember. Thought there was one dude from whet I remember

Oh yeah, now I remember. They were bullied because Dawn left, right?

Ah, yes! Thank you for saying that, it helped me find the reference.

“I have four sisters, Blackjack,” she said. “Dusk is the oldest. Then Moonshadow. Then me. Lucent and Lambent are younger. My father lives on his pension through the Enclave. Dusk is an Enclave security officer. Moonshadow is in research. Lu and Lamb are in Enclave schools.

So make that five daughters.

So, since I'm stupid: That thing was indeed in the skin of Dawn, right? Not just a "disguise?" I mean, the dialog makes it seem that way but you never know.

From what I understood, yes. It was wearing Dawn's skin like a jacket.

Well, it was wearing Dawn's skin because, as far as we know, it WAS Dawn. Just (literally) cybered up the wazoo. I'm not entirely convinced that Cog did ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL at any point -- Dawn may just be that crazy.

[Ironmonger]

PH is a good story partly because of the creep factor. And now I expect an Unholy Tank for some reason. Like a Cyberdemon counterpart of Deus.

[CannonFodder]

Well, it was wearing Dawn's skin because, as far as we know, it WAS Dawn. Just (literally) cybered up the wazoo. I'm not entirely convinced that Cog did ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL at any point -- Dawn may just be that crazy.

Or dying and being brought back in a tin can drove the last of her sanity off a cliff.

[Ketchup]

Four? I thought there were two, I must've missed it.
But yeah, they all do look very similar. More similar than Twilight's or Applejack's family are to their kin.
Not clones as we know them... They have/had cutie marks. It is interesting nonetheless.

They're certainly not Mirror Pool copies of Dawn, but they may well be clones in the real-life sense. Clones have the same genetics, but each develops under unique conditions and therefore has slight variations on the physical theme. And using the PH understanding of souls, each is an independent person with their own soul, unique personality, and cutie mark.

Indeed, I see firsthand what having a clone with a very similar epigenome is like every day. But clones in a natural setting only appear in twinning and such, not from normal, separate births. Twinning in ponies appears to be even rarer than it is in real life(1 pair?), unless you count the exact duplicates, in the show. I don't know about real life equines at all, though, and I'm not an expert on humans, either.

[SilentCarto]

Or dying and being brought back in a tin can drove the last of her sanity off a cliff.

Well, yes, I didn't say what might have caused that insanity. But the sense I got from the scene was Dawn taking one last moment to imagine what might have been before she severed that tie forever, voluntarily. When she looked horrified at what she'd done, I thought that it was much the same way Blackjack felt after gassing 99 rather than her body no longer obeying her.

By the way, does anyone else think CyberDawn looks a lot like a cyborg Chrysalis?

[CannonFodder]

By the way, does anyone else think CyberDawn looks a lot like a cyborg Chrysalis?

The technology is probably based off changelings. Instead of using magic to hide the real form it uses actual skin that can't be disrupted by magic.

[SilentCarto]

Indeed, I see firsthand what having a clone with a very similar epigenome is like every day.

As do I.

But clones in a natural setting only appear in twinning and such, not from normal, separate births.

Not necessarily. Parthenogenesis would create multiple clones from separate births, and pseudogamy/gynogenesis would even require Sky Striker's, ahem, 'input' to trigger the process. That line about "being from Flankfurt" is really twitching my weirdometer, especially with the note that she was a pegasus among earth ponies. What the heck did THAT mean?

[WavemasterRyx]

Well, another night without any progress on my commentary... maybe tomorrow...

I did try the tank picture, but it turned out completely unsatisfactory. I guess I'll have to leave anything like that up to someone else.
Sorry.

[Kaidon]

I swear, all I'm doing right now is tearing through the net trying to find the first bits of fanart of CyberDawn.

[Ketchup]

Not necessarily. Parthenogenesis would create multiple clones from separate births, and pseudogamy/gynogenesis would even require Sky Striker's, ahem, 'input' to trigger the process. That line about "being from Flankfurt" is really twitching my weirdometer, especially with the note that she was a pegasus among earth ponies. What the heck did THAT mean?

Ah, interesting. I stand corrected.
As for being born in Flankfurt... I don't know what to make of that.

[O. Hinds]

Chapter 52 Comments:

Editing:

Ah, thank you.

Also, haven't you transposed your threadheading and chapter review posts?

You're forgetting the Cathedral. The hellhounds were instrumental in the GPE/Red Eye war.

Also, saying that "everything that was accomplished could have been done from the air" ignores that the op's planners did not know exactly what would happen. For all they knew, they would need heavy ground forces.

Most importantly, hellhound claws have the unique property of slicing through alicorn shields. That alone is reason enough to develop them as a weapon system. There's no other way to face down Red Eye's alicorn troops on an equal footing.

Oh, right, that too! Though PH makes it less a unique property of going through alicorn shields at all and more a unique property of completely ignoring them. Other melee attacks can do it, but hellhound claws do it effortlessly.

[Cptadder]

You're forgetting the Cathedral. The hellhounds were instrumental in the GPE/Red Eye war.

Also, saying that "everything that was accomplished could have been done from the air" ignores that the op's planners did not know exactly what would happen. For all they knew, they would need heavy ground forces.

Most importantly, hellhound claws have the unique property of slicing through alicorn shields. That alone is reason enough to develop them as a weapon system. There's no other way to face down Red Eye's alicorn troops on an equal footing.

Oh, right, that too! Though PH makes it less a unique property of going through alicorn shields at all and more a unique property of completely ignoring them. Other melee attacks can do it, but hellhound claws do it effortlessly.

To note it appears the Hellhounds demonstrated ability to slice through solid metal like tinfoil implies that they have a frighteningly strong upper body strength combined with very durable claws.... Or alternatively their claws are either made out of Adamantium or have a monomolecular edge.

Either way between their burrowing ability, scent tracking ability and general toughness Hellhounds are nasty enough as it is. Add in the fact they make excellent pack hunters and thus innate users of battlefield tactics makes them more daunting. And now lets toss in the fact they have light sabers for claws and have Rayguns. My no part of this picture is not impressive to a military recruiter or more daunting to potential foes.

[O. Hinds]

You're forgetting the Cathedral. The hellhounds were instrumental in the GPE/Red Eye war.

Also, saying that "everything that was accomplished could have been done from the air" ignores that the op's planners did not know exactly what would happen. For all they knew, they would need heavy ground forces.

Most importantly, hellhound claws have the unique property of slicing through alicorn shields. That alone is reason enough to develop them as a weapon system. There's no other way to face down Red Eye's alicorn troops on an equal footing.

Oh, right, that too! Though PH makes it less a unique property of going through alicorn shields at all and more a unique property of completely ignoring them. Other melee attacks can do it, but hellhound claws do it effortlessly.

To note it appears the Hellhounds demonstrated ability to slice through solid metal like tinfoil implies that they have a frighteningly strong upper body strength combined with very durable claws.... Or alternatively their claws are either made out of Adamantium or have a monomolecular edge.

Either way between their burrowing ability, scent tracking ability and general toughness Hellhounds are nasty enough as it is. Add in the fact they make excellent pack hunters and thus innate users of battlefield tactics makes them more daunting. And now lets toss in the fact they have light sabers for claws and have Rayguns. My no part of this picture is not impressive to a military recruiter or more daunting to potential foes.

The hellhound forces would also, were the GPE so inclined, aid the holding and policing of the surface with minimal pegasi presence. That means that the few who know and are okay with the truth can do the job themselves and avoid getting a larger number of pegasi involved.
Of course, these plans are all pre-Cauterize; I wouldn't be surprised if the original plan was to secretly build up a hellhound force on the ground, scout out targets, and then launch a massive blitzkrieg.

[SilentCarto]

I want to note that, while it sucks to be Glory right now, I'm really glad to see the emotional roles reversed. Ever since BJ and Glory got together, Glory has been the stable one while BJ went to pieces. Now BJ had the chance to be there when Glory needs her, and I love that.

[CannonFodder]

To note it appears the Hellhounds demonstrated ability to slice through solid metal like tinfoil implies that they have a frighteningly strong upper body strength combined with very durable claws.... Or alternatively their claws are either made out of Adamantium or have a monomolecular edge.

Either way between their burrowing ability, scent tracking ability and general toughness Hellhounds are nasty enough as it is. Add in the fact they make excellent pack hunters and thus innate users of battlefield tactics makes them more daunting. And now lets toss in the fact they have light sabers for claws and have Rayguns. My no part of this picture is not impressive to a military recruiter or more daunting to potential foes.

Just imagine if Blackjack does save the hellhounds then that automatically gives her a +50 boost on intimidation cause no one sane would ever attack a ally of hellhounds.

[Cptadder]

I want to note that, while it sucks to be Glory right now, I'm really glad to see the emotional roles reversed. Ever since BJ and Glory got together, Glory has been the stable one while BJ went to pieces. Now BJ had the chance to be there when Glory needs her, and I love that.

......that means Blackjack's job is to act as the mature responsible pony.....

Poor Glory
I mean I'm sure Blackjack will try but the thing is I fully expect Blackjack to get into sitcom worth hijinks trying to sort things out. She has grown as a pony over the last month but I still expect her to try something that would work great in 99 not so much in the Wasteland. She's already done this twice before.

Hopefully she runs her plan past P-21 first before she gets in the banana costume.

[CannonFodder]

I want to note that, while it sucks to be Glory right now, I'm really glad to see the emotional roles reversed. Ever since BJ and Glory got together, Glory has been the stable one while BJ went to pieces. Now BJ had the chance to be there when Glory needs her, and I love that.

......that means Blackjack's job is to act as the mature responsible pony.....

Poor Glory

I foresee tons of booze in the future.

[SilentCarto]

Also, haven't you transposed your threadheading and chapter review posts?

Nope, the first post on 34 is the last post in the old thread; the second post on 34 is the new first post.

Oh, right, that too! Though PH makes it less a unique property of going through alicorn shields at all and more a unique property of completely ignoring them. Other melee attacks can do it, but hellhound claws do it effortlessly.

Well, yes, you can batter through standard alicorn shields by any method you like, it's just that the hellhounds tear straight through. However, the Green cooperative shields seem to be completely impenetrable to conventional man-portable weapons, even Little Gilda. (I won't make any guesses about balefire eggs or vehicle-mounted weapons.) To hellhound claws, though, they're tissue paper.

......that means Blackjack's job is to act as the mature responsible pony.....

Poor Glory

Sometimes all you can do is offer a shoulder to cry on.


And now it's time to do the time warp again, because I'm catching up on everpony else's chapter comments while keeping up with current posting. Whee!

Cover, concealment, and A BIG FUCKING WEAPON. Or at least something that works. Not wise to get close to a tank. Read something about magnetic charges where soldiers would have to get right next to the blasted thing (pun completely intended) and attach it. Or something...damnit I don't know what weapon it was...

Actually, getting close to a tank is a soldier's best chance. In close, the tank can't bring its guns to bear and the soldier can deploy weapons capable of disabling the tank. Deus has automated machine guns that can sweep his own deck, but most tanks can't do that; the crew has to leave the safety of the interior to deal with boarders.

[CannonFodder]

Well, yes, you can batter through standard alicorn shields by any method you like, it's just that the hellhounds tear straight through. However, the Green cooperative shields seem to be completely impenetrable to conventional man-portable weapons, even Little Gilda. (I won't make any guesses about balefire eggs or vehicle-mounted weapons.) To hellhound claws, though, they're tissue paper.

Maybe it's not so much as their claws are super sharp or made out of adamantium, but rather the taint they've been exposed to mutated not only their bodies but tainted their claws too? The taint has Discord's chaos magic in it. IMP was made to use alicorns by using starmetal to stabilize the chaos magic. Without the starmetal to stabilize the chaos magic then most creatures exposed to taint would have extremely chaotic mutations. Hellhounds would be walking jars of chaos magic. Chaos magic can just ignore regular magic.

Basically what I'm getting at is maybe it's not that the hellhounds actual claws are sharp enough, but rather the taint they've been exposed to and the chaos magic makes them able to ignore regular magic? Not so much as a bypass spell, but rather something the magic shields just can't block out.

[FeatherDust]

Heh.
P21 has a 'splodey look.

[Harmony Ltd.]

[magical claws]

Given the setting, I thing the theory of hellhounds having magical claws is more probable that one where they would somehow have INCREDIBLY sharp claws from a purely mechanical standpoint.


I mean, we're talking claws that cut better than if they were made of fucking DIAMOND.

[CannonFodder]

[magical claws]

Given the setting, I thing the theory of hellhounds having magical claws is more probable that one where they would somehow have INCREDIBLY sharp claws from a purely mechanical standpoint.


I mean, we're talking claws that cut better than if they were made of fucking DIAMOND.

I think it's more of a mix. They have traces of chaos magic flowing through their bodies. Also that with enough force and it focused to a point it could go through a shield. Theoretically you could put the sharp end of a knife into taint until it's completely contaminated and then use it the same way.

Much like how necromancy and enervation don't care whatsoever if there's a shield up it's getting through.

[Harmony Ltd.]

Random thought :


New Dawn looks awfully like a ponified version of a Necron, right ?

Does that make The Eater of Souls a C'Tan ?

I mean, it's a Star. That eat souls. That... kinda make sense, right ?

That's what I've been thinking for quite awhile, especially after Somber did mention that it ate other stars...

Well, when I heard there was a Fallen Star in Hoofington sucking the life out of the area, and which would eat the life of the whole planet if it could,

and knowing that it turned a benevolent Princess into a monster fascinated by its own power,

I thought more of Lavos.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaSPXr2syLQ

[Kippershy]

The reason why everypony descendant from Dawn looks pretty much the same is...

Spoiler:

[Sponsored content]