• Project Horizons Comments Thread #1

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    Ponies are the best weapon wielders.

    Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons has capped out! Hit up the section below to continue discussion from the actual story post.
    Sunday, December 11, 2011 op
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    4,997 comments:

    1. Free CoffeeFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:27 AM

      @Random Blank

      Except that Blackjack JUST joined the reapers. Who's side is Big daddy going to take, the person who joined 5 minutes ago and is already causing trouble, or Psychoshy, who's been a reaper for god knows how long, and has the entire gang of flash fillies supporting her.

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    2. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:37 AM

      @Scygnus:
      I'd treat "magical burnout" as a status effect - a sickness. Magic does not regenerate at all, but the effect can be healed with the right potion, as was implied in FoE by Crane. After a time the effect expires but magic still regenerates very slowly.
      OTOH, "dehorned" is an entirely different effect: "crippled body part". Until the part is fully healed (not just regrown) it functions at vastly reduced capacity.

      @Sindri

      The numbers I gave for the army is for carrying full, heavy backpack and weapon, plus supplies for quite some time. But this would be quite expectable here, they carry a lot of supplies and I'm pretty sure Blackjack's combat shotgun is about the lightest weapon they have in the team.

      Of course if you travel light, you can travel further... except you'll be far and without supplies. In the modern world a wallet with a credit card will suffice for most of luggage, but in the wastelands, if you want it when the battle comes, you better bring it with yourself.

      Still, equines. This changes a lot.

      Re magic power: I'd say Endurance rules how strong, how long and how frequently you can cast, Int rules how difficult and how many different you can cast, but there's also a factor of inborn talent... after all, Marmelade wasn't smarter than Blackjack...

      Misfits treats this nicely, spells are gained in parallel with perks. But then, Curatie is an alicorn, a natural.

      @Katarn: don't worry about which character is from which fanfic. They live in the same world and may meet eventually. Try to think of their location, and more importantly about their location in the timeline. This matters much more.

      It's only about now that Blackjack might have a chance to hear about Hired Gun, as currently Littlepip massacres Arbu, which happened around the end of first chapter of "Heroes". And it's still a long time till we ever hear of either Curatie or Aurora, they are still Unity. Someone remind me please, when was Puppysmiles?

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    3. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:47 AM

      @Sindri)
      On the contrary; Every ghoul in Stable City was exposed to full-strength Cloud for a few seconds and (more or less) survived. Goldenblood survived for real, though we don't know the exact concentration and duration of his exposure.

      @Sindri
      "she took a gamble at fixing everything by risking everything"
      When you put it that way, it sounds really badass. Ante up, you son of a bitch.

      @swicked
      I don't really see why Echo would be the mind of a megaspell meant to replace the Princesses, but I will admit that I'd expected to see his fate by now, and he's certainly geeky enough to work on a project like that. I'd have expected him to turn the proper color by the time he started looking young-ish, but you could be right.

      @Scygnus
      Well, Celestia said that ponykind suffered greatly under Discord. I think what he did to Ponyville was just the beginning -- he'd soon grow bored and his antics would become more vicious.

      @Luminous
      Hmm. An interesting theory, I'll admit, taking the word 'ichor' literally.
      So where is Central Dogma?

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum
      Yeah, that... Biomagical Flux, by the way. How could they possibly undo the Elements' petrification, though? Even partially?

      @Section_8
      Homage is not a succubus! Even one as friendly as Fall-From-Grace.

      @WavemasterRyx
      "I absolutely love Scotch on Blackjack's back, acting as her ammo-changer."
      Am I the only one who wants to see a .50 cal machine gun pintle-mounted on BJ's back for Scotch to use?

      "Following the Wasteland Therapy..."
      Rampage, Frontier Psychologist? Purely psychosomatic. The boy needs therapy.

      @Scygnus
      I wouldn't say that specific spells have additional stat limits. Rather, those stats would influence your effectiveness in using the spell.
      So Int would determine your energy output -- how powerful a lightning bolt you could throw, or how loud a sound you could produce -- but you also have to hit with the lightning using Per, and the quality of your musical performance is affected by your Cha.

      So Velvet can create a full orchestra playing beautiful music to perform to, but her absolute maximum volume won't be as high as a more intelligent pony, like say Homage. (I have this headcanon that Homage can turn her amplifier spell up to 11 and cast FUS RO DAH!)

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    4. RoboRedFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:49 AM

      @Random Blank

      Giving a quick once-over of what I remember and crossing the 4 fics together, the best answer I can give is before the most recent chapter of Heroes (Nightmare's Fall is mentioned, which is at the end of Puppysmiles). Al,though, the timeline of Heroes seems a little off. But there are nods in both stories to Security.

      I don't really expect BJ to hear about Hired, Dise is in a municipality separate from Equestrian borders, and who knows how far it is.

      Then again, I don't exactly know where Hoofington is either, but there are the maps that silentcarto made, and Hoofington is mentioned in this mind explosion, which incorporates info from FoE and possibly silent's maps.

      CROSSING FANCIC WORLDS WILL RESULT IN BRAIN HURT.

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    5. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:50 AM

      Psychiatrist, not psychologist. Derp.

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    6. KimFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:51 AM

      @swicked Heh, ok. And "Who knew getting a screwdriver was so hard" xP At least it sounds much brighter then mine heh.

      @Sindri: If I can spare the time, I try to do it a bit.

      And well, Rampage (I think) stated that you'd die in a few hours of "low" enervation. You wouldn't really see it coming. It just gradually sunk in until it was almost too late to run. But who knows, he might could have given her some long lasting whatever. If I recall right, P-21 was a bit woozy after exiting.

      Well, I'm no expert in the matter, likely since I have no reason to even study it. I just know it's mentioned to "avoid sex after x months old". And from what I heard about equines, they have miscarriages if they get "raped" when pregnant.

      And as said, how he had somehow a full effect pink cloud breath is beyond me. And yes, the ones that "saw it coming" had time to make it, they still was exposed to it for several seconds, likely inhaling it as well. Was quite sure none of them had healing potions thou. And BJ's gang had. Pip practically swam though pink cloud, sorta fresh and managed to survive thanks to healing potions. Priest had both healing and potions at his disposal... on a side note, there is technically a very slim chance Priest will do like Hoofington now, since it's been stated it can "take a few days". Also, not that BJ would know, but I seriosly doubt his ability to create more then one concentrated "cough" every few days. I however have to admire that he does like the classy mafia, not like the new one. He at least keeps a promise.

      Anyhow, tbh, that was just a random example, and I honestly don't vaule babies that much, horrible I know, but I ain't normal to start with. And I agree that it was stupid, so pretty much among the lines of BJ then hehe.

      Cold logic can be very efficient at times, even if dishonourable. Why always play by the rules when they don't? I'm an anti hero I think they're called. Since why spare a ex: mind washed necromancer under mindflayer control (sorta PS) to let them go raise a new army by slaughtering another town? Take them hostage instead till it's all over. Then try to talk sense into them or let them go.

      And yeah, that is rather redonkulous. Still, I liked the sorta good parts in it. Even if it could have used more tinkering. But tbh, so could 3 and NV. Heck, from what I heard, the team that made Fallout considered them non-canon. Even if they had some good parts as well. Think I rambled some on that before thou...

      And regarding the flashers: THEY ARE ALL DEAD! What are they gonna do? Haunt her? xD And yes, PS would be free to attack her. It's PS. Big deal, BJ usedto be chased by half the hoof and worse freaking things.

      TOTALLY RANDOM SPECULATION TIME! What if enervation is caused when many ponies are killed in the same area? Since like, corruption of their innate magic or something. Since if I recall, they tossed all in the crusher (even dead ones?) and there wasn't enervation there before.

      @Jacky: Discord would not approve of it entirely, it is chaos, but not HIS chaos. People are dying rapidly and there is little fun to do. After all, he can't play with a dead audience. Discord showed that he liked ponies in misery and annoyance, he didn't indicate any will to harm (much) or kill anyone. He just wants to have fun, sorta. So yeah, like others said it wouldn't be a "fun" place for him.

      think I got all this time.

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    7. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:55 AM

      @RoboRed
      Oh, no, hlissner was making his map long before I started mine. I used him for a certain amount of inspiration.

      Remember, Trixie mentioned Hoofington in Boast Busters. It's certain to appear on any fan-made map.

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    8. ScygnusFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:06 AM

      @silentcarto

      Okay, so a minimum effective limit. Music, for example. With a Cha of 2, you might make random noises that only vaguely sound like what they're supposed to be. At 4 you can play 'pop goes the weasel' and other simple melodies you could probably whistle just as easily. At 5 you can play moderately complex tunes with one instrument. 7 you can use multiple instruments, and at either 8 or 9 you can manage a full band, and 10 gets you an entire damn orchestra worth. That requires higher ranks in the spell as well, but those would be the requirements to get those ranks... of course, that isn't entirely accurate probably, but I imagine Velvet had at least 8 Cha. Volume probably would be more dependent on Int than Cha, since Int is what powers the spells. Homage probably has plenty of Cha to get to Velvet's level, but she didn't pick the higher ranks of sound-production spells (if she had, I imagine she'd have been producing music for the radio herself... and if she lacked the creative talent to do so (which I think she did) then why learn it?) probably favoring technical and hacking-based spells to keep control over the MASEBS and settling for only the second rank or so... as much as she'd need to preform the pre-built DJ-Pon3 voice-over spell.

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    9. KatarnFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:18 AM

      @RoboRed
      "CROSSING FANCIC WORLDS WILL RESULT IN BRAIN HURT."
      Eyup

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    10. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:19 AM

      @WaffleSmart
      I don't care whose side Big Daddy takes.
      Most of Reapers joined Reapers through trial by fire, nearly losing their lives fighting and killing another reaper, one from far down the list. This is their pride, their point of honor.
      Then one shows up, after having - by her behavior judging - quite casually killed two from near the top of the list. She killed two that were sent after her by this one creepy guy who... who the fuck is he anyway? And what right does he have to order them around?

      Authority of a reaper is not rated based on seniority, but on badassery, and killing two from near the top is right on top of badassery list. And she refuses to join, because they aren't badass enough for her. And why aren't they badass enough? Because they are apparently serving that weird creepy fellow. But they are not! He has no authority over them... has he?
      So, Big Daddy steps in, and says Sanguine is there to stay. "So, afraid he'll put you through the knee and spank your ass, Big Daddy?"

      He would either have to make a move that is a solid proof that Sanguine has no power over Reapers (considering his orders killed Deus and Chimera, a daunting task if it's not to involve smashing him to pulp) or admit Sanguine is the real boss - and that would show horrible weakness, that would totally ruin his reputation.
      He might try the third way, to challenge Security, but she could still talk her way out of it ("So scared of the old ghoul you'd rather try to kill one of your top reapers than stand up to him? So what does he have on you? How tight is his leash?") - and generally, make life so uncomfortable for Big Daddy that getting rid of Sanguine would be the easiest way out.

      Of course he could have Security fight Sanguine in the arena, to the death, and that WOULD be dangerous like hell, but still, a (semi-)fair fight (with most Reapers throwing keys to Security likely), versus events of the recent chapter? I'd say preferable.

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    11. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:39 AM

      @Kim
      >I however have to admire that he does like the classy mafia, not like the new one. He at least keeps a promise.

      What promise, to heal Charity?
      If he killed her then and there, Blackjack would enter berserk mode. He would not survive it, I can tell that much. Instead, discarding the wounded filly he forced Blackjack to choose between attack/chase and running back to save the wounded, giving him time to escape. Since he hates Blackjack's guts, he'd delight in her despair by killing the filly anyway. But that would be suicidal, so he choose to run instead.

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    12. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:41 AM

      @Scygnus
      It doesn't make sense to put an arbitrary limit on what you can do at given stat levels, magic-wise. It would be easier to learn things that you have a natural talent for, and you'd have a head start on learning them, but a unicorn aught to be capable of advancing to any level in a spell with sufficient practice or training. Your musical example for instance: charisma might determine what quality of noises you can make on your first attempt, and it would probably make advancing from there easier, but having a sudden barrier at a certain level makes no sense. Someone with a nice voice and a natural talent toward influencing people has an easier time as a singer and will probably get a better reception the first time, but an egghead can study music theory, take vocal coaching, and with sufficient time and effort surpass them greatly. That's why I like the skill system; a better stat means that you start higher and can climb more easily but it doesn't determine where the ceiling is.

      Likewise I don't like there being a specific "force" behind each spell determined by a single stat. There should be a pool of power you draw from, likely based on endurance, and then each spell should draw a variable amount from that with higher skill allowing for a more powerful single casting, low level effects being cheap, and maybe intelligence improving the efficiency of the usage so you can do more with less power using precision instead of brute force.

      As for Homage, she wasn't an artist. Any sound she could create with her horn she could do just as if not more easily with an instrument or her machines. But her original music, like most people's, wouldn't have compared to that of the artists she had records of. She had more important things to dedicate her time and effort to than learning to perform songs she didn't have.

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    13. RoboRedFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:59 AM

      @silentcarto

      *facepalm* Gah...fatal derp on my part. I've only seen that ep once. I should probably go rewatch season 1. (wow, this info changes things a bit)

      Also, I never bothered to check the dates (I was in a rush to finish that post).

      I wish hlissner would mention what was incorporated from where (unless he already has somewhere and I completely missed it, which is very likely). I only recognize influence from "It's Dangerous Business Going Out Your Door", and him explicitly mentioning FoE.

      Vaporia intrigues me.


      @Katarn

      That, and it plus being in a hurry results in multiple typos.

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    14. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:11 PM

      on an unrelated note, spotted a neat wartime poster. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z8--uBjfdJk/TzWbkigOrFI/AAAAAAAAeZQ/bhg5257aplE/s1600/1328842611.littlenapoleon_boomberg-poster-smaller.jpg


      @Sindri
      >

      > If the Dealer was just her crazy, why has he said things on multiple occasions that she had no way to know?

      A form of Pinkie Sense. Pinkie didn't carry a pipbuck and didn't have mysterious programs or megaspell weapons with her...

      In my headcanon, Dealer is mystical, not technological. The spirit of the Wastelands or the like.


      @Canterlot Ghouls: Yes, they were exposed to the Cloud and survived. Meanwhile, thousands next to them died. We don't know what factors decide you survive and what turn you ghoul, but chances of ghoulification are far lower than chances of death. So, Priest just wasn't lucky enough.

      >>"CROSSING FANCIC WORLDS WILL RESULT IN AWESOME."
      FTFY. As previous two chapters prove.

      ...I still wonder what if EC-1101 demands to be brought to SPP hub, and finds Celestia...

      >>Homage is not a succubus! Even one as friendly as Fall-From-Grace.

      Sure, Fall-From-Grace was far less sexually active. Practically chaste for a succubus. Meanwhile, Homage...
      I'd much rather put Fallen Glory as Fall-From-Grace...

      >>Am I the only one who wants to see a .50 cal machine gun pintle-mounted on BJ's back for Scotch to use?

      ZOMG Blackjack as a HWP/tank?
      Better strip Steel Rain of his guns, mount a tank-style turret on Blackjack's back...

      >>What if enervation is caused when many ponies are killed in the same area?
      I like this idea, even though it should be extended. Enervation is created by powered up pest control rings that have been corrupted by massive number of ponies dying, AND something more (because otherwise Manehattan would be full of it).

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    15. RoboRedFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:23 PM

      @Random Blank

      Alright, I'll amend my statement then. *ahem*

      CROSSING FANFIC WORLDS WILL RESULT IN BRAIN HURT, CAN RESULT IN AWESOME.

      You have to admit, there was a level of brain hurt after Pip's encounter with BJ, but I'm pretty sure that most of it was on Somber's end.

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    16. RoboRedFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:29 PM

      @Random Blank

      Also, that wartime poster is indeed very neat.

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    17. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:41 PM

      @Scygnus
      That's kind of why I'm saying the raw stats aren't what determines success with spells. Music is a skill; just because Homage has good Charisma doesn't mean she's automatically great at music. She gets a leg up on it, just like high Per increases your starting Energy Weapons skill, but Velvet has put an immense amount of time and effort into learning to entertain. Homage has focused her skills elsewhere. (Repair, Science, Speech, and Survival.) The spell goes off either way; even with a Cha of 1 and no skill in music, the spell will be successfully cast. What you can DO with it is a different question entirely.

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    18. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:52 PM

      @Random Blank
      "FTFY"
      It's an exercise in futility to try to align fics that were not written to intersect. Somber wrote PH deliberately to connect with FOE, so it works awesome. She did not write it to intersect with Pink Eyes, so trying to force them to match up is the stuff of madness.

      "I'd much rather put Fallen Glory as Fall-From-Grace..."
      I never really liked Grace... but I was more objecting to the characterization of Homage as a demon (devil?) that sucks out her lover's soul.
      Just sayin'. If anything, she's a trumpet archon.

      "ZOMG Blackjack as a HWP/tank?"
      Perhaps more Warthog than HWP, but yes.
      Fuck, just what this wasteland needs... chryssalids.

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    19. ketchup504February 16, 2012 at 1:13 PM

      @Random Blank the "tank" in that picture appears to be an identical copy of the American M10 or M36 tank destroyer, right up to the pintle mount on the rear of the turret. I'm obsessed with learning about armored vehicles and their applications and tactics.
      And yes, Blackjack could indeed have a machine gun on her back for Scotch, but not of 50. caliber strength, perhaps an intermediate cartridge? Or a full-power 308./7.62?

      If brainhurt is caused by crossing them, shouldn't we do it more often? After all, if you treat your mind like a muscle, what doesn't cause you to fall over, confused and fazed, may make you more insightful. Although, as mentioned earlier, Puppysmiles could be interpreted as a myth.

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    20. RoboRedFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:27 PM

      @ketchup504

      SUDDEN THOUGHT: I wonder if World of Tanks is moddable on at least a local level. Now someone will have to make a "Boomberg" skin.

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    21. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:28 PM

      @ketchup504
      "Drive me closer! I want to hit them with my wrench!"

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    22. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:34 PM

      @RoboRed
      It might possibly be.

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    23. Jacky2734February 16, 2012 at 1:35 PM

      New theory for you guys. The dealer is the remnants of the star that tried to destroy TEoS.

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    24. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:37 PM

      @Jacky2734

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    25. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:38 PM

      @Jacky2734
      The remains of that star are Celestia and Luna...

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    26. RoboRedFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:39 PM

      @silentcarto

      1st thought (image was still loading, and what I noticed was a lavender tank, the word "Valentine", and a red star): "From Russia with love?"

      2nd thought: "YES. TWILIGHT TANK FTW."

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    27. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:46 PM

      @Random Blank
      Was that poster in a drawfriend? It looks familiar...

      Yeah, the Dealer is either not a part of Blackjack or a manifestation of her psionic abilities. I think the first is somewhat more likely given the apparent interaction of him and her pipbuck.


      @RoboRed
      We need to make this happen. Ponified tanks, maybe even Ranger armor as a light platform... The ultimate goal would of course be to make Deus explode twice in-game.

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    28. Jacky2734February 16, 2012 at 1:49 PM

      @silentcarto

      Yes Celestia and Luna were the only remnants of the star that escaped the hoofington area. That doesn't mean that they were the only remnants.

      She didn't start seeing the dealer until after she fired off Folly. Folly's rounds were made of the stone of the lesser song, the metal of the greater glory and the ichor of the meddler separating the two.

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    29. Free CoffeeFebruary 16, 2012 at 2:31 PM

      @Random Blank

      >So scared of the old ghoul you'd rather try to kill one of your top reapers than stand up to him?

      Actually, Psychoshy is one of his top reapers, she was able to beat Blackjack in the cage fight, and that was when she was out of her element, when she was able to use her wings in chap. 36, she held her own against Blackjacks entire crew, and almost killed Blackjack. If Psychoshy had had some back up, Blackjack would have been toast.

      Not to mention Blackjack wasn't even fully a reaper yet. Yes, she killed Dues and Gorgon, but she still wasn't willing to help the Reapers out. And now, the very day she's been invited to join, she starts causing trouble? The odds aren't in Blackjacks favor.

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    30. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 16, 2012 at 3:10 PM

      @Kim
      The Flashers are dead now, but they weren't when BJ first met Sanguine, face to face. That's the time frame we're talking about in this case.

      @Random
      That still would not work. You're assuming that taunting will make BD take BJ's side, when it is far more likely that Big Daddy will just off her if he really wants to save face. What's so badass about killing a decrepit old ghoul, one that can make monsters for you? That's bad tactics, not badass. Ultimately, Big Daddy knows the power in that relationship lies with him - he may need Sanguine to win his war (and he does), but that doesn't mean Sanguine is in charge any more than it meant Oppenheimer was in charge of the POTUS. They've got a mutually beneficial relationship. It'd be moronic of Big Daddy to throw away a weapon because he's told that relying on it makes him weak. And Big Daddy is anything but a moron.

      Sanguine doesn't have a "right" to order around Deus and Psychoshy; he has the ability to do so. The former is addicted to his drugs, and the latter is head over hooves in love with him.

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    31. KippershyFebruary 16, 2012 at 3:23 PM

      @Somber


      still trying to get anything out of you at all, so I'll ask again =/
      where about on the map is Paradise?

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    32. Cold ReachFebruary 16, 2012 at 3:35 PM

      After being angry and frustrated with how the show down between Sanguine and Blackjack ended, I have to agree with BJ's tactical assessment. I don't think she knows the regenerative properties of a Canterlot Ghoul, but I'll assume she does for the sake bringing up the probability of success. Sanguine had at least a ripper on him at the time of the showdown and revealed the ability use pink cloud as a breath weapon. BJ had no ranged capability nor the time to spend two seconds to call for help that wouldn't result in Charity's death.

      Assuming Sanguine didn't have an additional ranged weapon on him, he would have only had time to attack one target. BJ would have been hit by pink cloud and seriously maimed her brand new body, forcing her friends to divert finite medical aid that could be used on the injured Charity. Sanguine could have used the pink cloud on Charity, but that would leave him open to attack and BJ would not have let him live at that point. Sanguine, while monstrous, is a little too pragmatic for this course of action. Sanguine suffers from chronic backstabing syndrome, which makes him more of a selfish manipulator instead of a schemer. Very odd, given that a Canterlot ghoul with 200 years of life would likely have more of long sighted perspective. Oh well, Trueblood just isn't that clever of a pony.

      Letting Sanguine take the pipbuck gives BJ time. The pipbuck can be tracked unless Sanguine has a jammer. Right now its a question of how much time before the EC-1101 gets uncorked from the bottle. Will Sanguine be able to hold onto EC-1101 as a bargaining chip? Will it be taken by another power? If EC-1101 does get used, how much knowledge does the user have to exploit the keys to the kingdom? Goldenblood compartmentalized the various projects and it seems that Sanguine would be limited to Chimera as Zodiac would be limited to Steelpony. How useful is EC-1101 without an authorized pony wielding it? Is a descendant of a ministry mare required to wield it without massive damage to the data and huge delays to an operational time table? How much opposition will BJ and crew face in order to retrieve EX-1101. Most of all, just how many people are going to suffer and die because EC-1101 slipped through BJ's hooves?

      EC-1101 strikes me as a big shiny. It's never going to stop being the main source of conflict until either it's destroyed or used up to the point it stops motivating people to murder each other for the potential reward.

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    33. KimFebruary 16, 2012 at 3:47 PM

      @Random Blank Okay, slightly classy at least. If he'd been the "new" mafia, he'd just chopped her leg off, shot Charity in the goods, coughed cloud and ran off, or something, since how well would BJ run with 3 legs? And fair enough, he is likely more like the "new" mafia, just more selfish and extreme.

      @Canterlot ghouls: Actually, we don't know that. One of the CL-G stated he stumbled in there after barely making it in, falling over, then "woke up" after a few days. (it wasn't 2I died, fell over, then got back up" or "I just felt myself changing, and bam, there I was". It was "we felt tired, fell over, passed out, and woke up after a long time) So technically, there could be some very creepy unborrowing going on in a day or so when/if there's some foals, children or teens there mourning. That would be rather awesome thou on a side note... and very creepy. Especially for P-21... and yes, the odds are not high. But they are there, so hope for that natural 20 xP

      @Enervation: The sixth element? Everything naughty? Chimcherrychanga? xP

      @OAC: Oh, well, still. In either case, telling Rampage to make a new hat might have worked out quite easily. Since well... what's the worst that could happen? Also, technically thinking off it. She must have broken that wood chipper, as the stone thingy is made of darksteel or some shit, and that would just go "SCRRGNKL" in it.

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    34. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 16, 2012 at 3:53 PM

      @Kippershy
      Well, it's west of... somewhere, and very near Black Pony Mountain.

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    35. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 3:55 PM

      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt

      >Sanguine doesn't have a "right" to order around Deus and Psychoshy; he has the ability to do so. The former is addicted to his drugs, and the latter is head over hooves in love with him.

      And you, tough guy, what hook will he get on you? Next time he gets new "enhancers" developed, he'll inject you and you'll be his sock puppet begging for some drug only he has. Or are you already addicted to it, but you get it daily in water supply, and when he cuts it off, you'll beg him for a hit? I wonder what he has on Big Daddy, because seriously, the old fart is far too soft and gentle on the bastard. Maybe a daily dose of antidote to a resident poison? Who knows?

      @Cold Reach:
      > Letting Sanguine take the pipbuck gives BJ time. The pipbuck can be tracked unless Sanguine has a jammer.
      Or members of BJ's team are idiots and didn't acquire the tag.

      Anyway, I'd be really happy and not quite surprised, if EC-1101 was trapped against unauthorized use. Not "self-destruct" kind, but "terminate user" kind. Note it's not just a program, it's a powerful spell too.

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    36. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 16, 2012 at 4:09 PM

      @Random Blank
      Maybe that's the Dealer's job, if you buy into the idea that he's part of EC-1101 - making sure that it only works for the right pony, and actively sabotaging anypony else. We'll see soon enough, I expect.

      ReplyDelete
    37. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 4:25 PM

      @Random Blank
      Every Reaper is independent outside of a few common rules. Psychoshy, Deus, and Gorgon weren't working for Sanguine because Daddy told them to, they were doing so on their own. Any Reaper is free to pursue personal interests, take out mercenary contracts, build their own gang, whatever as long as they abide by the few rules there are.
      Big Daddy isn't working for Sanguine in any way, shape, or form. He hasn't killed the old ghoul because there's no reason for him to do so and because several of his family are in mutually beneficial business arrangements with the monster. Heck, now that Daddy isn't worrying about the Rangers, Blackjack is officially named as a Reaper, and Sanguine openly attacked Megamart (the only neutral ground in the Hoof and a source of resources for the Reapers)? I wouldn't be at all surprised if he called out an all-points hit on Trueblood.

      Incidentally, anypony else hoping for Stronghoof to be named a Reaper? He's definitely powerful enough for it, there were several high ranked casualties in the war with the Rangers leaving gaps in the rankings, and it would go a long way towards successfully establishing Applejack's Rangers in the Hoof if they weren't being hunted down with the remnants of Steel Rain's group.

      ReplyDelete
    38. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 4:30 PM

      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt

      ...whoa, my previous reply got eaten by Blogger.

      Anyway, you imagine BJ bargaining with BD about "me or him" behind closed doors. That obviously wouldn't work.

      No, what I mean is BJ - currently reputed to be the Biggest Baddest (she just killed Deus and Chimera) - seeds dissent. Claims they are Sanguine's puppets. Gives support to her claims. Sanguine -might- really be "just mutual benefits" guy, but only Big Daddy knows his real worth. For the rest, he's just a random weirdo with... oddly close ties to Big Daddy.

      ...Rampage would add both authority to her words and raise her reputation just be "being on Security's team".

      Apparently, the group is about to make the biggest acquisition for a long time, BJ's reputation is through the roof. But she has this whim, to get rid of that worthless ghoul. Maybe the ghoul is dangerous, maybe she just hates the smell. But is he worth more than her? To an average Reaper - hell, no.

      Worse yet if Security gets her request denied - Big Daddy either prefers the worthless ghoul, or - oh, woe! - she's right and he's afraid!

      Then Security announces she's not gonna join a faction of servants, and that she's recruiting for her own team. A new faction, not sitting on their asses and playing a circus for every freak in town, but doing things for real, just like they talk on the radio!

      ...even if she draws only a few, for Big Daddy it would be a disaster. Loss of Gorgon and Deus was a serious hit. And now Sanguine brought this Security upon his head and she's stealing his guys and making him look all weak, and making him actually weak! Suddenly, the benefits of the "mutual relationship" with Sanguine don't seem as attractive in the light of all the new losses. It might be definitely profitable to cut the losses and get rid of the ghoul.

      ...especially, that killing Blackjack at this point would serve as ultimate proof of her words: he's ready to kill a top reaper just to keep the old ghoul satisfied. His faction would dissolve at once.

      ...
      It's not weighting "Get BJ and lose Sanguine, or keep Sanguine and lose BJ". It's "Get BJ and lose Sanguine, or keep Sanguine and lose the Reapers." Only then he realizes how bad an idea was bringing BJ in, a mare with not only Guns and Melee tagged, but also Speech. And the only thing he can do is cut the massive losses, pick the least valuable part to discard in order to keep the rest. Which would happen to be Sanguine.

      ReplyDelete
    39. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 4:42 PM

      @Sindri
      >Every Reaper is independent outside of a few common rules. Psychoshy, Deus, and Gorgon weren't working for Sanguine because Daddy told them to, they were doing so on their own

      ...because they became dependent from him one way or another. Exactly my point.

      > Any Reaper is free to pursue personal interests, take out mercenary contracts, build their own gang,

      ...fall into a trap and became somepony's sock puppet...

      > He hasn't killed the old ghoul because
      ...the old ghoul made him need him too much. Made him dependent. Be it drugs, love, military advantages, favors, fears - Sanguine has some leverage on Big Daddy and making this leverage visible - and presenting it in the right light, as a leash - could be disastrous to Big Daddy's reputation.

      ReplyDelete
    40. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 4:45 PM

      @Random Blank
      There is no relationship between Sanguine and Big Daddy. They don't trust each other, they don't like each other, and as far as I can tell they've almost never spoken directly. The ghoul is allowed to visit just like anyone else they're not at war with, and the Reapers are allowed to make their own deals with him if it doesn't violate any of Daddy's rules. But there is no tie between the two for Big Daddy to cut off. There are no secret meetings or long discussions to sow suspicion about.

      And when it comes down to it, Big Daddy is pretty much a father figure to the Reapers you'd be trying to convince... and Blackjack's an interesting and powerful rival who just showed up out of the grey. Who'd you trust? Big Daddy wouldn't be choosing between being friends with Sanguine and Blackjack, he'd be continuing to snub the ghoul and laughing at the baseless and unsupportable accusations this filly is making. And that would be the end of it, unless someone decided to take her into the ring for insulting their Daddy.

      ReplyDelete
    41. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 4:47 PM

      @Random Blank
      What leverage would you present? Nothing we've seen has suggested in the slightest that such a thing exists! You'd be risking everything on a gamble that you can find and prove the existence of something that isn't there in the first place.

      ReplyDelete
    42. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 4:49 PM

      Yeah, holding up the leash would destroy Big Daddy. But this requires two things: first you must find the leash, and second the leash much actually exist.

      ReplyDelete
    43. Cold ReachFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:04 PM

      I think the war are Iron Mare Naval base has set up the cards for the reapers to come out in a better long term position. The destruction of the Filly Flashers and Burner Boys took out the major personality conflicts that would occur between BJ and the majority of reaper gangs. BJ isn't the type to stand by idle while she knows slavering and rape are standard of business anywhere in the the hoof. She's just been busy with bigger threats and it's only a matter of time before the gangs need to reform to face Security's wraith.

      The Reapers gain their influence by being a powerful military organization that can collaborate in extreme degrees of retribution. Their influence is limited by the the expectations of the people they try to influence. The Reapers may have lots some of there top personnel but BJ took out the Celestia and obliterated the Brotherhood's powerbase in a a few days. Something the Reapers collectively couldn't accomplish in decades. Throw in the fact that her team sparked the war and now BJ's whim becomes something every powerblock has to consider. She started and finished the conflict and still came out on top. By wearing her Reaper colors, Big Daddy can use that leverage to make up for any ground he lost in causalities.

      ReplyDelete
    44. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:05 PM

      Location of Paradise:
      - West from Brimstone Falls
      (ch 10, “I didn’t say stay here.” I said with a groan as I looked at the map. Lots would be coming from the north following the Sunset Highway. Others would be coming west from Flank and Paradise.)

      (ch 20, in relation to the Chapel, plans to travel "far up north": “We’d have to travel all the way south to Flank, head into the hills to cross the river upstream of the dams, north through Society territory, past the Collegiate ponies in Hoofington U, past all the Enclave at the skyport OR sneak past Paradise, get past the Steel Rangers, and cross the river again near the coast way up north.”)

      Ch 28:
      again, "going North" from the Hospital
      Rampage snorted softly. “You’ll be going into a meat grinder, Blackjack. That’s Flash Fillies territory. They like Psychoshy and don’t like you.”
      “We could circle around to the east. Towards Black Pony Mountain,” Glory suggested.
      “That’s right by Paradise. Red Eye’s there,” Rampage countered.
      “Well… go past Red Eye and along the eastern mountains.”

      ReplyDelete
    45. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:28 PM

      @Sindri

      Heh, nope. It's sufficient to imply existence of the leash sufficiently, and demand proof of its inexistence: in form of Sanguine's head.

      BJ's reputation at that point was sky high. For any average Reaper she was a Goddess. With a top Reaper and an Alicorn following her faithfully!

      So what she presents to the Reapers: She can be a Reaper if Big Daddy gets rid of the "worthless ghoul", but will refuse if the ghoul is to stay. Whatever BD thinks, it's not what most Reapers will think: be rid of the useless ghoul, get this incredible mare in at all cost! If that's her condition, her whim - so be it!

      But she claims Big Daddy is unable to get rid of Sanguine, even for such a priceless acquisition. Because he's dependent.

      So either Big Daddy proves he's independent by killing Sanguine, or Security continues to damage his reputation, and whatever arguments Big Daddy uses to prove that Sanguine should not be killed, can be used as further proof of his dependency.

      For most of the Reapers the deal is very clear: Security is worth ten Sanguines. Now if Big Daddy disagrees with it, something's wrong with Big Daddy, and possibly - maybe - Security is right saying Sanguine made him just as dependent as he made Deus and Gorgon.

      Security doesn't have to prove anything, the doubt will suffice. She doesn't even need to destroy Big Daddy, just become a real threat of weakening him enough. Being the new star she can steal a lot of his spotlight, and she doesn't need to steal much - just enough to swing balance on the Steel Rangers side, and BD is done for. He can't allow that, and he can't let her die now (because that would be a total proof of her words), he might try to discredit her but that would be very difficult, especially with everypony knowing Sanguine is a manipulative bastard who would just do exactly that. Or he can save his face and prove the ghoul is worth less to him than such an awesome Reaper. He'd lose Psychoshy and Flashers, but he'd keep great most of his forces (plus Security as a consolation prize)...

      Besides, if he's as good as he's hyped to be, he should spot his relationship with Sanguine is going downhill fast, and just humoring Security could be vastly preferable to suffering more of Sanguine's shenanigans. Which IS the objective truth, although he'd need some paranormal skills to know it at that point...

      ReplyDelete
    46. theBSDudeFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:32 PM

      @Random Blank

      Or Big Daddy is like "You think you can manipulate me, little filly? Let's settle this in the Arena." And then he wipes the floor with her flank.

      ReplyDelete
    47. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:39 PM

      Uh... weren't the real "Reapers" actually just the top ten fighters in the hoof? I remember it being something like that.
      Because Sanguine previously owned at least three of them. You know, prior to Blackjack killing two of them.
      Were any of his other monsters Reapers, though? The one that can blow up, or the manticore one? I don't remember them all being identified. In any case, Sanguine was worth exactly one Reaper at the time of Blackjack's arrival... Psychoshy. And Psychoshy beat Blackjack, so Psychoshy was worth more...

      ReplyDelete
    48. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:45 PM

      @theBSDude
      "So you're so horrified of the big bad ghoul that you prefer to challenge me than just get rid of him? Daaamn, he must have really felt my breath on his neck if he decided to employ Big Daddy himself his champion!"

      And then refuse the challenge from the ghoul's flunky.

      The beauty of the situation is whatever Big Daddy does in defense of the ghoul or against Security, it only adds weight to her words.

      ReplyDelete
    49. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:48 PM

      @Random Blank
      Yes, Blackjack is a great deal more valuable than Sanguine from the point of view of anyone other than Psychoshy. But that doesn't matter.

      Before destroying the Celestia, she wasn't anywhere near as important to the average Reaper as you claim. Yes she was powerful, or at least lucky, and Rampage was following her for some reason, but she wasn't even a Reaper. Heck, the majority of the gangs out there, and the Reapers attached to them, would want her gone much more than they'd want her on their side. They would never take her word over their Daddy's, and if forced to choose between a ghoul that had either never bothered them or entered favorable business relations or a mare who gelds, de-horns, or kills everypony she doesn't approve of? She'd be laughed out of the Stadium at best, and attacked by a good number of them if she broke the peace.

      Now? She's not only a Reaper in good standing, but the hero who won the war for them by sacrificing her own life, and then somehow managed to claw her way back from the dead to kick more flank. Sanguine's the psychopath who destroyed their trade at Megamart, attacked their recreational facilities at Flank, and probably slaughtered several of their families for no reason. Blackjack would never need to insinuate that the old ghoul had Daddy's ear because the Reapers would probably already be hunting him for sport. And if Big Daddy held them back now, after everything that Sanguine's done? That is evidence that he's being manipulated, and you finally have the reputation to pull of that little coup you're discussing.

      At this point she's earned the right to a few "requests"; killing Sanguine if they weren't already moving in that direction, naming the pony to fill the other slot she emptied in the top ten (she replaced Gorgon, so who's got Deus' chair?), whatever. But at the time she didn't have anywhere near the influence you're suggesting. And in the long run maintaining friendship with Big Daddy would be a lot more valuable than gambling on a threat.

      ReplyDelete
    50. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:49 PM

      ("...if Sanguine wants me dead, tell him to challenge me himself, instead of sending more servants.")

      Swicked: not ten. IIRC, about 80.

      ReplyDelete
    51. Free CoffeeFebruary 16, 2012 at 5:59 PM

      @Random Blank
      No it doesn't, because she's a nobody, well, at least compared to big daddy she is. Plus, agreeing to blackjacks request would make him seem like even more of a pussy than defending Psychoshy

      ReplyDelete
    52. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 16, 2012 at 6:08 PM

      What are ya'll arguing about?

      ReplyDelete
    53. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 6:25 PM

      @Sindri
      They sent, and nearly got killed three reapers just to bring her in to demand she joins them. Why are you insisting her reputation was low? She survived totally unbelievable bounty, killed TWO top-notch Reapers, "acquired" Flank (they don't know Caprice was left independent, and not "her own"), "acquired" Brimstone Falls, and a whole bunch of other things no Reaper has done in years.

      And they bring her in and give her a bucket and a mop and tell her "all beginner Reapers need to sweep the floor for the more seasoned ones"?

      No, they really, really tried hard to get her on their team. You forget the early game and true it pales next to Celestia and Cyberdemon, but seriously, neither Deus nor Chimera weren't "anywhere near as important to an average Reaper", and a pony who managed to kill both... Laughed off at the Stadium?

      And since they were approving of Deus who would rape every mare he wanted, or of Chimera who would turn anypony he didn't approve of to stone, why would you think they'd disapprove of her gelding or de-horning ponies she didn't like? If anything, "geld on the run" would induce awe! You have some strange view on them, as if they were fluffy little ponies disgusted by acts of random violence...

      Besides, imagine she says her thing, then leaves with nothing (clearly refusing on basis of Sanguine being in) then sinks Celestia. I don't think they'd dare to name her a Reaper while letting Sanguine live.

      ReplyDelete
    54. Random BlankFebruary 16, 2012 at 6:30 PM

      @WaffleSmart
      Well, she can refuse the challenge, giving this excuse. Is he going to attack her anyway, in violation of his own rules, and in what seems like really going out of his way to stand on the ghoul side?

      And they needed three reapers to bring this "nobody" in.

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum
      Theoretical situation at the Arena: Blackjack will agree to join Reapers if they let her kill Sanguine.

      ReplyDelete
    55. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 16, 2012 at 6:51 PM

      I could have sworn that since They arrived up at the Arena, the reapers and all of their gangs were anticipating Security to join, rather they were waiting for her to decide to join and if she did or did not would decide if she would be killed. It wasn't they were withholding the rank or place, it was if Security decided to claim her right to Deus' or Gorgon's places as Reapers as she killed the both of them and therefore by the rules has the right to claim their place.

      The problem was the no fighting outside of the arena rule, and since Sanguine was not part of the Reapers faction, she could not outright challenge him.

      In another line of thought, at which point are we talking about, when she first encounters him face to face in the Stadium? They would have said "No." Flat out... However if it up to the now portion, BJ is a Reaper, even if she doesn't want to be...In all likely hood, she could pull a Deus and demand a duel with Sanguine...even if he did not agree to.

      ReplyDelete
    56. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 16, 2012 at 6:57 PM

      Oh and Random Blank,

      You keep using Deus and Chimera... It is Gorgon, the character you are referring to as Chimera's name is "Gorgon". Called so because he is the Fusion of Stonewing and a Cockatrice given the power to turn those he makes eye contact with to stone.

      So please Call Gorgon by the Name Gorgon and not Chimera, as Chimera is the Name of the project that made Monster ponies like Gorgon, and Brass, and that Dragon filly...

      ReplyDelete
    57. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:01 PM

      I have one more (well, technically two, but the other one revolves around the idea of a PH drinking game, and is thus probably best kept off the thread):

      Scotch is working on repairing the damage to BJ's leg the violent removal of her pipbuck caused. While doing so she references a set of stored schematics and procedures the professor uploaded to Marmalade's pipbuck to assist with the repair of any massive damage like this that the cyberpony parts might be able to endure, but would otherwise be unable to fully repair themselves.
      ...
      Scotch: "Okay, step three, take red and green wires, here… Then, strip and entwine the pair."
      BJ: "Heh…"
      Scotch: "Now… take entwined pair and couple with orange and green pair upon ground."
      BJ: *snort*
      Scotch: "Identify female sockets A and B and connect via dual male-ended plug."
      BJ: "That's what she said."
      Scotch: *ignoring her* "Carefully insert shield and apply insulated calk to the crevasse between it and the casing, making sure to wipe off any excess. It will be a tight fit."
      BJ: *snort* "She said that too."
      Scotch: "Blackjack, I'm working. Now, wipe down shield and ensure its ability to remain erect within the opening."
      BJ: "HAHAHA!"
      Scotch: "Ughhh… now open side panel and insert snubber smoothly into gap, making sure to lubricate it sufficiently beforehand. It is recommended that you use… saliva?"
      BJ: "Oh wow."
      Scotch: "Check rotor for alignment and perform stress test by rubbing mare… what is this?!"

      One month ago:
      99's pipbuck tech: "No, really, you wouldn't believe how often this little macro has gotten me laid. Just let me upload it to her pipbuck and the next time she agrees to practice drills with you you'll have her."
      99 mare: "Are you sure? I mean, I know Marmalade is kinda slow, but won't she notice when it starts replacing the steps in all of her stored procedures with innuendo?"
      99's pipbuck tech: "Believe me, if there's one thing I know about 99, it's that you can get anypony to do pretty much anything if you get something with any degree of authority to tell them to."
      *back to present day*

      Scotch: "Here, Glory, I think you could use this right now more than I could." Tosses pipbuck to her*
      Glory: "Uh, okay, what does…" *reads current instruction* "Use tongue to… oh… oh wow." *blushes furiously*

      ReplyDelete
    58. Jacky2734February 16, 2012 at 7:15 PM

      @Swicked

      They didn't have Marm's pipbuck when they were getting Blackjack fixed, and Scotch has her own pipbuck.

      ReplyDelete
    59. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:15 PM

      @swicked
      There were one hundred Reapers, and ten of them were considered the best of the best. They were all named at one point in or after the war with the Rangers, and none of Sanguine's other minions were in the top ten, but they might have been lower ranked Reapers like Hammer or whatever.


      @Random Blank
      He doesn't have to fight her or even deny it. All he has to do is laugh and dismiss the suggestion as absurd and the Reapers will follow the stallion they've been following for decades.

      And yes, in Reaper terms? She's not that big. She took down Gorgon with a huge team and a lot of luck, and Deus was killed by a zodiac using a bomb that P-21 made; all she did was distract him. She's antagonized maybe half the gangs in the Stadium for one reason or another, and she's pretty important but Big Daddy is so much higher than her that it's laughable that the ponies who'd been fighting to get in his good graces for years and then following him without question would just roll over because this crazy mare that got lucky a few times decided to challenge his control. If she'd joined she'd probably be top ten. Giving her the same voice as Psychoshy and Rampage.

      They aren't disgusted by her violence, they want her gone because it's pointed at them. She says anyone who raids, slaves, or rapes must change or die, and they don't want to change.

      Big Daddy makes the rules. He can do whatever the buck he wants because he could take down half the Stadium at once with two hooves strapped behind his back. There's less a formal set of laws and more 'whatever Daddy says.'

      Now, after sinking the Celestia, saving all their flanks, and returning from the dead? Now she has enough rep to pull that off. Especially since it's highly unlikely that any of the Reapers are particularly friendly with Sanguine after what he just pulled, given that the Psych's fangirls are all dead, so it wouldn't even take a threat.

      ReplyDelete
    60. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:21 PM

      @Random Blank
      He'd lose Sanguine, Psychoshy, the Flash Fillies, that dragon filly, the phoenix-pony, Brass(?) (I'm blanking on names like crazy right now), any other monsterponies we haven't met yet, anypony Sanguine can bribe away from Big Daddy (probably a decent number of his normal forces), anypony who gives up after seeing how decimated Big Daddy's forces are, anypony who doesn't want to lose their own tribe's forces on a common enemy when their rivals and neighbors have pulled out, and thus the war. Because Sanguine would not go gently into that good night. That's a net loss no matter how you slice it.

      And all Big Daddy has to do is say so. "What do you bring to the table, Security? You want something from me - my honor. You want me to look the other way while you kill that big, oh-so-scary 200-year-old freak under my roof. You want the rules of this place to not apply to you. Well, okay: I'm amenable to that - but quid pro quo, Blackjack. What can you give me in return? Because unless you've got an army to your name, I think you're worth less than that little ghoul you're throwing a temper tantrum at. I think you want something for nothing. And if you think that I - or anyone else here - is stupid enough to give handouts, you've got another think coming."

      @swicked
      Haha, nice! I did not expect that to go how it did. =P

      @Sindri
      ... What you said, especially the part about BJ now having enough pull to get Big Daddy to do a few favors for her (like putting out hits or giving her allies). I'd like it if she stops by to say hi while chasing down Sanguine, sees about some reinforcement.

      ReplyDelete
    61. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:26 PM

      Look, the only way to get a top ten spot is to kill the person in that spot. BJ is credited for killig two of them, and then she sunk the Celestia, Shes a top tn reaper, I mean they are cleaning out Gorgon's room for her. or was it Deus'?

      ReplyDelete
    62. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:27 PM

      @Jacky2734
      Oy, details, my mortal enemy :P

      Oh well, probably my last for a while, anyway. I need a new chapter to ruin with bad parody ^_^

      ReplyDelete
    63. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:33 PM

      do you think sanguine is being sheltered by the reapers? I can tell you he is not...

      ReplyDelete
    64. ketchup504February 16, 2012 at 7:36 PM

      Sorry for some late responses. Been sleeping all day due to a cold. Bleck.

      @Robored I love that game. Sorta haven't played it since I got in to this, actually. A Bloomberg skin is indeed possible, but all vehicles of that type would also have the skin from your view, and nobody else would see it.

      @sindri I believe that if Blackjack convinced Big Daddy that Sanguine would become more powerful than the Reapers if he activated the program, he would assist her, perhaps even personally. After all, she did indeed sink the Celestia, as you mentioned.

      And wasn't The Arena destroyed by Celestia's opening volley?

      ReplyDelete
    65. ketchup504February 16, 2012 at 7:39 PM

      And Swicked, 99's PipBuck tech was Midnight.

      ReplyDelete
    66. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 16, 2012 at 8:02 PM

      @swicked

      how long have you been doing bad parody?

      I mean there is a lot of materiel out there I am sure

      ReplyDelete
    67. SomberFebruary 16, 2012 at 8:08 PM

      At this point big Daddy would happily put the stomp on Sanguine and force Psychoshy to 'pick a side' and stomp them. The only problem is that it would take a few days to draw together their full strength. As useful as Sanguine's been in the past he was notably absent during the war. And given the shit he's pulled trying to draw out BJ, Big Daddy would happily turn him into poisonous pink goo. They'd just have to be willing to wait for the word to get out and then form up.

      ReplyDelete
    68. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 8:10 PM

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum

      I dunno. About two weeks? That's when I made a bunch of junk and Somber decided a couple were nice enough to put in a chapter. I've just been doing it since then because I keep getting compliments and I nearly always bow to positive peer pressure, be it from one person or a dozen.

      ReplyDelete
    69. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 8:14 PM

      @Somber
      No doubt. I mean, they decided Security HAS to be a Reaper now, whether she wants to or not. Which means they have to back her up, because if they were willing to drop her as one of them for any reason... well, I guess it'd all be seen as a pretty pointless exercise. After the Celestia her prestige is too high for them to be her enemy, even if she's never done them in particular any favors (beyond preventing the Celestia from destroying them, of course).

      ReplyDelete
    70. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 8:58 PM

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum
      I believe they gave BJ Deus' old room; Gorgon's was still full of Taint and old letters and such when P-21 hanged himself in it. But yeah, she has two slots in the top ten. Plus all the other casualties from the war with the Rangers. She should stop by Big Daddy and make some recommendations once she's not on a time limit anymore (either because she got EC-1101 back or she fell far enough behind that a detour won't make any more difference).


      @ketchup
      We never actually got confirmation of where the Celestia was firing. The Arena is one likelihood, but they might have hit one of the Reapers' closer gathering points first; immediate defense coming before shock and awe by a slight margin. We know there are more surviving Reapers than Rangers though, and Big Daddy is almost definitely among them.


      @Somber
      Yeah, figured as much. It took what, a week to gather forces for a war? The Reapers are not generally the most organized of forces, and they took heavy losses. Still, the "Sanguine has displeased me, Blackjack killed the Celestia and is a Reaper now" message shouldn't take long to get out, so gangers won't be interfering with our heroes, the less horrible of them might offer assistance in an attempt to get on her good side (while the worse ones hide until she goes away), and any low-ranked Reapers they meet along the way that aren't doing anything important ought to be glad to join up. Not to mention that Sanguine's going to find the Hoof a much more hostile place than he's used to... he solidified his position as a complete monster, pissed off the Collegiate, Zodiacs, and Society specifically and everypony else that ever worked with Megamart or Flank on the side, and now the Reapers have declared open season on canterlot ghouls.

      Meanwhile if we ever get a quiet moment again, an alliance between the Reapers and Stronghoof's Rangers should be mutually beneficial if Blackjack can contact both sides and start them talking. Big Daddy gets more allied forces while he rebuilds his own, the reformed Rangers get breathing room while they patch up, dig in, and contact Steelhooves' group, and everypony's happy as long as they manage to get the news about different factions within the Rangers out before they all die...

      ReplyDelete
    71. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:06 PM

      I dunno about the Reapers ever getting along with Stronghoof's group. Reapers are still a petty, evil lot. They are rapists, murderers and slavers, any given one of them likely sporting a karma modifier that keeps them permanently in the negatives due to mere association with monsters like Deus. If anything Stronghoof is even MORE unlikely to get along with them.

      ReplyDelete
    72. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:10 PM

      Plus there had to of been more than enough innocent ponies still on the Celestia to make Stronghooves a little leery about a full partnership with Blackjack. She's dangerous and many of his forces, despite being good ponies, might still hold a grudge if their brother or sister happened to be one of the lower level workers tasked with staying on board as laborers or technicians.

      ReplyDelete
    73. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:12 PM

      Well the Author has spoken, the good side of this because Big Daddy decided Security is a top 10 Reaper, he will back her up and force Psychoshy to take a side. Add to that basically Security is "Family" now.

      I have a feeling that Somber mentioned a slight spoiler. Word gets out, the Reapers form up as Security's allies. While waiting for this, Blackjack and crew take the point, lead the spear so to speak and everyone meaning reapers aj rangers, any remnants of those whom BJ has helped perhaps comes forward. Another United front. Ah the battle will be grand. Can you hear it? The sound of drums signaling the oncoming war...bump-a-da-bump... bump-a-da-bump... bump-a-da-bump... Hoofington Rises and its inhabitants go on the march.
      There is a mystery to be solved yet, perhaps it will take longer than the Day of Sunshine and Rainbows... who knows...even the Skyport will have to take some action, be it for or against our Protagonists...\\\

      I feel like waving my arms about as a conductor before a Grand Orchestra, to sway with the tunes of the Upcoming war... This is only the smallest of the beginnings.

      Oh and Somber...

      The bad things aren't necessarily made better by the good things, but vice-verse, the good things aren't spoiled by the bad.

      ReplyDelete
    74. Section_8February 16, 2012 at 9:14 PM

      Crackpot theory: Sanguine has death breath because he swallowed a very very tiny chip off the Pink Cloud megaspell warhead.

      Yeah, I know, he would have had to have been inside Mouse's stomach to get at it. I'm assuming she ate him and then spat him out because he was too rotten.

      It suddenly occurs to me that Sanguine will be remarkably tough to kill as a Canterlot ghoul. Granted, since he's probably going to become Cthulu's chew-toy, this won't exactly help him. Aaaand since P-21 probably wants to kill him 78 times, his nigh-immortality might actually be pretty therapeutic for them.

      ReplyDelete
    75. DerpmindFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:34 PM

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum
      Getting a little ahead of ourselves here? Sanguine has lost most of his allies by now. He doesn't have a real army by a long shot. Besides, Blackjack and friends have to move far too fast (Can't let Sanguine actually use EC-1101 for anything) to do more than maybe drag a few allies they chance to run by with them.

      There's no spoiler anyways, it has always been possible for the various factions to ally together, there just hasn't been a reason for that to happen. It is more likely that the factions will be united with the Eater of Souls than against it due to the Eater's psychic mind control anyways.

      ReplyDelete
    76. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:54 PM

      @swicked
      The worst of the gangs were wiped out in the war. The worst of the Reapers were killed already by Blackjack. And the Reapers are, at their most basic level, a peacekeeping group; they exist to keep worse people from taking over. And they've lost enough members that, with Blackjack and Stronghoof involved in the reconstruction, they might turn out even better. With the Burners and Flashers wiped, the remaining gangs might not be too resistant to Security declaring a "no rape, or you die" rule. With Usury down and Red Eye in direct opposition to the Reapers (and as an opportunity for Daddy to screw with King Awesome) there might not be much problem with an end to slavery, or at least restricting it to less monstrous forms.
      In any case, Stronghoof has almost certainly taken down at least one low-level Reaper during the war even if they won't let Blackjack give away her extra chair to who she chooses, so if he wants in the Reaper rules allow it. And he might be hesitant to associate with them, but he's smart enough that it shouldn't be difficult to convince him that taking a position as a Reaper would be immensely beneficial to his ragtag band of noble Rangers.
      As for him trusting Blackjack? The ponies she killed on the Celestia were, for the most part, the worst of the Rangers. The ones with no honor, the blood of innocents on their hooves, etc. The ones who sent him and every other good soldier to die while they sat back and pressed the buttons to destroy what little was left in the Hoof. There might have been innocent techs aboard, but there are always casualties in war and a Paladin would understand that.


      @Admiral Rum
      The Collegiate, the Zodiacs, the Reapers, AJ's Rangers, Flank, Riverside and Rover's pack... A choir that might be able to drown out Hoofington's hum.

      ReplyDelete
    77. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:59 PM

      Stronghoof... JOINING the Reapers?
      I really, really don't think so.

      ReplyDelete
    78. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:10 PM

      @swicked
      Yeah, it's highly unlikely. But it's possible, and it'd be awesome.

      ReplyDelete
    79. Jacky2734February 16, 2012 at 10:17 PM

      I don't see Stronghoof joining the reapers, but I do see a truce between the two.

      On another note: What would you say to Stronghoof's sister making an appearance.

      ReplyDelete
    80. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:19 PM

      @Jacky2734
      Oh [buy some apples!] yes.

      ReplyDelete
    81. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:03 PM

      @Jacky2734
      I don't know that I'd like that...
      I mean, I like Stronghooves because I like the personality. Not because it's a cameo (or reference or whatever).
      Armstrong's sister was just a quiet girl with amazing strength. It would be a cameo for the sake of being a cameo. And I'm generally not a fan of those.
      I'd be similarly displeased if Somber added any more cameos Full Metal Alchemist. One is enough.

      ReplyDelete
    82. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:10 PM

      @swicked
      Sorry, should have specified. From the manga or Brotherhood, not the first anime.

      ReplyDelete
    83. SindriFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:16 PM

      @Sindri
      Olivier Mira Armstrong, not little Catherine. The badass character, not the one-shot joke.

      ReplyDelete
    84. swickedFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:26 PM

      Oh.
      I really didn't like her, but at least she's fleshed out.
      I guess that might be okay... but I like Somber's original characters and interpretations of characters from within the two mediums of fallout and MLP more. So it's still a little less than ideal for me, but not something I would dislike off the bat, I suppose.

      ReplyDelete
    85. Jacky2734February 16, 2012 at 11:47 PM

      @swicked

      stop being a stick in the mud. It'd be funny. I could see how the interaction would happen:

      Unnamed Paladin Escort: Elder Olive Stronghoof is not one to be taken lightly, Her leadership and strength is what has made the northern chapter into the well oiled fighting machine it is today. When you meet her, you will be on your best behavior. There are two things the Elder will not stand, disobedience and weakness, I highly suggest you show neither.
      *In walks the Elder. A beautiful mare with nothing to defend herself save for a rapier at her side*
      Rampage: That's Her!? but she's so small, and she's not even wearing armor! We're being punked, there's no way that she could possibly be..*Swing*
      *Rampage's head roles across the floor.*
      Blackjack: Wow. How'd you know her head would grow back?
      Elder Stronghoof: *Glares* It grows back?
      Everbody in the room:0_0

      ReplyDelete
    86. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:59 PM

      Oh Derpmind, you have no VISION!

      There is nothing now but the drumming, the drums of war are upon Hoofington, and they beat mercilessly, none can help but heed their call! Sanguine is nothing more than a small cog in the Machine of War~! Hoofington is WAR itself brought upon Equestria... the battle will be grand...The drum beats and marching... those who do not fight will fall!

      ReplyDelete
    87. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:03 AM

      now insert dramatic music as I make the speech

      Dramatic Music, yes I did go there and yes I totally just mixed something for another aspect...

      ReplyDelete
    88. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:05 AM

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum

      Actually I like this one better...

      ReplyDelete
    89. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:08 AM

      Heya tout le monde, quick question - is it normal for boiling water to not really hurt when you accidentally pour it on your hand? Also, fun fact: I have minor burns on my fingers now! Yay.

      Not sure why I felt the need to share that, but there you go. :) (Everything feels funny when I rub my fingers on it now! 'Tis droll. I think I may be giddy from endorphins. Derp.)

      Here's a thing: who's in charge of telling Seth that we'll be needing another overflow thread soon? Like, probably a day after 37 drops, minimum. (Just curious - I know somepony'll take care of it, be it Somber or Hinds or Random Blank or whoever)

      ReplyDelete
    90. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:15 AM

      @Jacky2734
      Ugh, that bit is overdone. The Worf Effect is way, way too overused.
      Plus: Men in Black 2 did that scene better.

      In any case, I still just didn't like her, and I'm pretty sure I'm still allowed to not like a character.

      ReplyDelete
    91. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:17 AM

      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt
      Sharing is caring, yo.
      And I dunno, I just figured it was mod magic.

      ReplyDelete
    92. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:18 AM

      OAC, that usually means that your sensory receptors are overloaded and were shutdown to protect the brain... likely you will have second degree burning, so do not be surprised if the skin blisters...although it really depends on how much water it was... so its likely to only get to really bad first...

      ReplyDelete
    93. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:20 AM

      it will take less than three days if someone gets a solid argument going... like the one we had earlier... also I guess I will give the heads up that we are a 100 posts away from neding a new comments thread..

      ReplyDelete
    94. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:33 AM

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum
      Hmm. I mean, I did notice it and everything, it just didn't hurt much. You could be on to something. Well, I ran it under some cold water so no worries.

      And thanks for sending off the heads up!

      @swicked
      Mod magic, I like that notion.

      ReplyDelete
    95. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:38 AM

      @Sindri:

      >He doesn't have to fight her or even deny it. All he has to do is laugh and dismiss the suggestion as absurd

      A difficult Speech check, because first, she has a point: Sanguine DID make him dependent to a degree and enjoys protection of grade no pony would enjoy elsewhere. Also, he'd have to convince ALL of the Reapers. BJ doesnt have to convince them all.

      > And yes, in Reaper terms? She's not that big. She took down Gorgon with a huge team and a lot of luck,

      The team got wiped out very fast, then she took down Gorgon by herself. With a lot of very heavy fighting.

      >and Deus was killed by a zodiac using a bomb that P-21 made;

      ...which involved first converting the Zodiac to her side, because at first she fought both. Pulling this off during such a fight? Damned ace.

      > She's antagonized maybe half the gangs in the Stadium for one reason or another

      Not at that point yet, I think. Besides, she got guts not to care, that counts.

      > and she's pretty important but Big Daddy is so much higher than her that it's laughable that the ponies who'd been fighting to get in his good graces for years and then following him without question would just roll over because this crazy mare that got lucky a few times decided to challenge his control.

      But there was always this shadow of a ghoul behind Big Daddy. And now somepony casts doubts about this shadow. What's so important about this ghoul, that he enjoys protection of BD himself? Why a Reaper, a good one at that, can't kill on a whim one bastard who KILLED HER MOTHER AND EVERYPONY SHE KNEW!!!

      If anything, Blackjack should be able to demand fair revenge. For sending Deus to her Stable and wiping it off. So others have their gangs. The Stable was Security's gang. Now they are all dead due to this ghoul's meddling, and Big Daddy still defends the bastard?

      > If she'd joined she'd probably be top ten. Giving her the same voice as Psychoshy and Rampage.

      Having Rampage on her team - being team leader over Rampage - has to count for something, doesn't it?

      > Big Daddy makes the rules. He can do whatever the buck he wants because he could take down half the Stadium at once with two hooves strapped behind his back. There's less a formal set of laws and more 'whatever Daddy says.'

      Big Daddy breaks rules that stood for decades on a whim, to kill a potentially top ten reaper, only because he wants to protect the ghoul she has a legitimate title to kill? Oh, SO not controlled! The bunch would have to be the most gullible suckers to keep standing on his side after a proof like that. Oh, I'm not saying they aren't. It would just mean Sanguine really has BD in his hoof.

      >He'd lose Sanguine, Psychoshy, the Flash Fillies, that dragon filly, the phoenix-pony, Brass(?) (I'm blanking on names like crazy right now), any other monsterponies we haven't met yet, anypony Sanguine can bribe away from Big Daddy (probably a decent number of his normal forces), anypony who gives up after seeing how decimated Big Daddy's forces are, anypony who doesn't want to lose their own tribe's forces on a common enemy when their rivals and neighbors have pulled out, and thus the war.

      And you still have the guts to claim Big Daddy is not on his leash? Sanguine says "I quit, and take my toys from the sandbox" and the same happens.
      And all the Reapers you mentioned? On his leash much? His own personal pets, so to say!

      Big Daddy would have to assert his power to keep them. You are not allowed to quit the Reapers, and any non-Reaper can be killed by any Reaper. Sanguine had years to join. He brought a righteous revenge upon his head and now you throw a tantrum that he's dead? If you need a leash on your neck, I can hold it for you.

      ...

      ReplyDelete
    96. DerpmindFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:01 AM

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum
      I most certainly do have vision! I don't just think about 'what would be awesome,' I also consider realism and believability and possibility and probability. If I had no vision I wouldn't be able to properly think about any of that. While all the groups of the Hoof uniting to go to war would be, who would they fight against? Right now there is no big threat that is visible. That's in the future, either after BJ exposes the organization behind the Hoof being a perpetual death trap or they reveal themselves to make Hoofington Rise and take over/destroy the world.
      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt
      We're 100 comments away. We're going to need a new comment page really soon. :D

      ReplyDelete
    97. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:33 AM

      @Derpmind

      Oh the war has been brewing... yes it has... Hoofington will not only be the setting, it will be the AXIS...

      ReplyDelete
    98. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:39 AM

      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt

      So the ghoul is worth an army?
      You don't want him killed under your roof, expel him. We can do it just outside the gate. Or do you allow every ruffian under your roof permanently, if they seek sanctuary from deserved revenge?
      You brought me here by force, it's you making demands that I join. What are you willing to bring to the table? An unknown injection from the bastard who wants me dead? "Oops, it was meant to make her stronger, not deader!" Because if the ghoul is more valuable to you than two of your top people, I don't want to have anything in common with your pathetic group.

      You want something of value? I'm going to the Steel Rangers and will have them stop fighting you even if it means I need to sink the goddessdamned warship. Once I'm done I expect Sanguine dead. Is that worth enough to you?

      ...or as Ketchup said, she could bring EC-1101 to the table. This is worth more than an army.

      ReplyDelete
    99. theBSDudeFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:45 AM

      Random, calm.

      ReplyDelete
    100. theBSDudeFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:47 AM

      @Random

      When Blackjack first showed up, she tried to throw her weight around and failed. Now she has backing, and could do whatever she wants to Sanguine as far as the Reapers are concerned.

      Personally, I don't think Sanguine ever had any hold on Big Daddy, beyond a convenient source of elite mooks.

      ReplyDelete
    101. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:49 AM

      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt
      ...after 37?

      Yesterday around this time I opened the last page. We're halfway through it now.

      ReplyDelete
    102. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:56 AM

      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt
      Well, I've picked up a soldering iron like a pencil (once), so I know where you're coming from on that.

      And IIRC last time Seth just made one appear like a minute after the last post in the first thread; no idea how he did it.


      @Random Blank
      In what way did Sanguine make Big Daddy dependent on him? In what way is the ghoul enjoying special protection? Did I skip a chapter or are you just making this up?

      There was never the shadow of Sanguine behind the Daddy. A couple of his kids were already working for Sanguine before they joined the Reapers, and a few others might have been hired on a case-by-case basis, but there was no relationship between the head of the Reapers and the ghoul. He never got special protection, just the same rules that everypony else in the stadium operated under. Sanguine was never working with Big Daddy. Big Daddy never protected Sanguine, never obeyed him, never even followed a suggestion that the old corpse made. You're going to either have to offer some shred of evidence that Sanguine had any sort of influence over Big Daddy or stop basing all of your arguments on that assumption.

      Incidentally, you're mixing your quotes up. That last one is from OAC. We know that the Reapers can afford to lose one of the top ten and a single gang because they've done it before dozens if not hundreds of times. Brass, Fury, and Precious were never mentioned as Reapers, and since Rampage didn't recognize them I'm pretty sure they weren't. The rest of the Reapers would be impossible to bribe out of the Reapers after fighting so hard for that title and living comfortably with it, and ordinary gangers aren't all that important; if they decide to oppose Big Daddy they've declared their suicide and he can crush them at his leisure.

      ReplyDelete
    103. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:59 AM

      @theBSDude
      But... but if Random calms down then who else can carry on a rapid debate at all hours? We might need to wait until morning for a new thread, and I won't have anypony to talk to!

      ReplyDelete
    104. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 2:02 AM

      Incidentally,
      " me: we're about 90 comments away from needing a new thread to discuss Project Horizons. Not sure how the new thread process works, so thought you might want to know.
      Sethisto: yep already created one
      Sent at 12:58 AM on Friday"

      So I'm pretty sure the answer is blogpony magic, and we don't need to worry about it.

      ReplyDelete
    105. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 3:53 AM

      @Sindri
      > In what way did Sanguine make Big Daddy dependent on him? In what way is the ghoul enjoying special protection?

      Dependent in a way that him getting killed by one of Reapers would leave Big Daddy completely powerless against Steel Rangers (sorry for merging OAC's reply into yours, he implied that) Protected in a way that would make one of the Reapers completely powerless to kill him without getting Big Daddy's wrath on their head. Don't deny the facts, Big Daddy doesn't have to violate any rules, just kick Sanguine outside the Arena. That would be quite satisfactory for Blackjack.

      > There was never the shadow of Sanguine behind the Daddy.

      So, he appeared just recently? Or was he "cooperating" with Big Daddy for a long, long time?

      > A couple of his kids were already working for Sanguine before they joined the Reapers

      And they are still working for Sanguine, despite being Reapers.

      > and a few others might have been hired on a case-by-case basis, but there was no relationship between the head of the Reapers and the ghoul.

      This remains to be shown. Currently Sanguine controls so many things(/ponies) Big Daddy takes for granted, that breaking the cooperation could - as OAC implies - totally ruin Big Daddy. If that's not a dependency I don't know what is.

      > You're going to either have to offer some shred of evidence that Sanguine had any sort of influence over Big Daddy or stop basing all of your arguments on that assumption.

      OAC did this. He presented a viable scenario of Big Daddy's downfall, if he just lets Security kill Sanguine. No matter if along with the rules or just throw him out of the stadium to let her kill him.

      If you oppose him - no special reason why Big Daddy couldn't help and just toss the old ghoul outside. It's very little to ask. Unless he really grew far too dependent and the ghoul really receives special protection. Blackjack has a very good reason, and Big Daddy protecting Sanguine - letting him use the sanctuary for indefinite period of time - would be totally assholic. He nearly got another three reapers killed just trying to pull her in. And now he's unwilling to grant one simple wish, one everyone would agree she deserves? To let her fight the one who ordered her mother killed?

      Because business? Fuck you Reapers, you have no honor, I'm siding with Steel Rangers. If I can't use my shotgun to kill Sanguine, I bet Celestia's cannons will have to do.

      ReplyDelete
    106. Cali-NipponiaFebruary 17, 2012 at 5:08 AM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      ReplyDelete
    107. Cali-NipponiaFebruary 17, 2012 at 5:12 AM

      Sorry about that; got confused as to the post I was replying to, and it wouldn't make sense out of context.

      Time zone arbitrage is good to avoid being ninja'd, but plays merry hell on having a conversation.

      ReplyDelete
    108. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 5:47 AM

      Just putting this out there... I hope our new thread image is of P-21. The one we have here for Glory is nice and all, but she's not my favorite character, so I'm hoping for a switch...

      ReplyDelete
    109. Spitfire8aFebruary 17, 2012 at 5:55 AM

      There is already a new thread? but we didnt finish this one... yet.

      ReplyDelete
    110. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 6:26 AM

      Let's finish up this one before moving.

      ReplyDelete
    111. KimFebruary 17, 2012 at 6:42 AM

      @swicked Wouldn't surprise me if some mare in technical/maintenance played around with other's Pipbucks or so. And random pitched ideas: Have Scotch find "that funny stick" in Glory's bags, she managed to repair the wiring, but all the thing does is vibrate. Is it a weapon?

      @OAC: Are we still talking about the past? And I am not sure if the monsterponies have any aligence with him, sure, he made them, but really, how many times has not the "product" turned on their creator. They don't need him anymore.


      On a side note, it can be rather nice with the bustling activity here. Sure, many skip and skim through stuff, but it's useful for stuff like, confessing and whatnot (in moderation ofc) as it is keen to be missed, but generally noticed by at least once. So quite efficient venting if you ask me. Plus, with Somber being busy and whatnot, it's even less chance she noticed my freak out. And tbh, what they don't know won't hurt them :P

      And another random since I live in the gutter: Ship Scotch-Dragonfilly? (since really, there's not much other good choices out in the wastes. Sure, there's a few in Chappel, but without Priest... well, I guess it can be run on Zebra+Ghoul power for a while but... and besides, it seems like it could take a few hits with those scales.

      About the new thread: Yeah, we still have some beating left to do on this one xD WE'RE NOT DONE WITH YOU!

      ReplyDelete
    112. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 7:02 AM

      @Kim
      In a stable where thinking was discouraged I always imagined there was a lot of underhanded manipulation going on by anyone with the power to do so :P

      ReplyDelete
    113. Cali-NipponiaFebruary 17, 2012 at 7:09 AM

      @Kim Oh, all right. Sorry for scuffing the paint up...

      ReplyDelete
    114. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 7:09 AM

      Didn't somber say she was originally going to have sekashi shot straight off to show sanguine was serious? I figure its her intention for follies and colts to run chapel all by themselves.
      Well, that or for it to be just one more destroyed bastion of civilization, like megamart and brimstone are.

      ReplyDelete
    115. ketchup504February 17, 2012 at 8:29 AM

      It is reasonable to assume that not all Reapers are evil. Sure, they lead larger groups of raiders sometimes, and in the case of Deus, rape anything. But there could be Reapers just like Blackjack, forced into being one for defeating a Reaper or defeating an enemy of the Reapers.

      I hate being sick on school days...

      ReplyDelete
    116. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:36 AM

      @Kim


      >And I am not sure if the monsterponies have any aligence with him

      ...unless he has some kind of "leverage" on all of them. Like the painkillers on Deus. It's easy to include a safeguard mechanism assuring that with death of the creator, the creation is utterly fucked.

      They may be following him out of necessity/fear/dependence/addiction, not out of loyalty. Deus certainly didn't love him for skimping on the painkiller.

      @swicked
      But his talent, his little pony in his head forced him to do otherwise, and I'm pretty sure good things will come out of it.

      It's a wonderful feeling when you plan a section of a story, then need some kind of generic matching filler. Someone doing what they would completely normally do right then. A meaningless choice from a hundred possibilities, just to make the image seem realistic. Then you choose - on a whim, on a little voice in your head - one of the less probable (but still quite generic) ones, and include it, "it will do fine." Then three paragraphs later, as you follow up with the story, and just keep the activity, the element, the piece in your head, you suddenly notice that this particular one, in this particular context and place isn't generic at all. It's very, very special and the consequences are completely changing the flow, the generic follow-up goes into waste bin, and you suddenly know in what totally unexpected direction the story will develop.

      Seriously... like braiding hair, a somewhat cute if totally innocent activity, right? A colt owes a filly a favor. She wants her mane and tail braided. Soft, cute and generic, right?

      Now she asked specifically for multiple tiny braids. He's an earth pony, hooves are useless for that, he must be using his mouth. There's enough work that he got a real knack to it over a few hours of work on her mane and his tongue gets really skilled at the job. And then as he finished with the mane, he begins to braid her tail.

      ...where's his nose now?
      Didn't the naughty filly intend this from the very beginning?

      Seriously, as the author, I had no clue until it became obvious.

      Same here, Somber may have no clue why, for what reason Sekashi had to survive. It will become obvious to him when the right time comes.

      ReplyDelete
    117. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM

      If you're going to take inspiration from askredeye you should, at least, reference it :P

      ReplyDelete
    118. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 9:05 AM

      @swicked
      it wasn't an inspiration but an example and I didn't reference it to avoid shameless plugs. :P

      ReplyDelete
    119. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 9:20 AM

      Oh? You are askredeye?

      ReplyDelete
    120. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 9:31 AM

      @Random Blank
      Letting Sanguine die would leave Big Daddy nowhere near powerless. The only forces that Sanguine provided that hadn't already been killed by Blackjack before they met the first time were Psychoshy and debatably the Flashers; she never joined the fight and they were already effectively destroyed by BJ before the war really started. Like I said, there was never any indication that Brass, Fury, or Precious were Reapers and when they entered the melee at the end of the big war scene it was purely to target Blackjack and they fought Ranger and Reaper alike toward that end. Once Deus and Gorgon were down, Sanguine really offered very little to the Reapers and certainly was not vital in any way.

      There has never been any cooperation between the two. Coexistance is the term you're looking for, and Big Daddy coexists with a lot of people who don't have any sort of control over him. Such as, say, everypony else in the Wasteland.

      The Reapers are allowed to have their own personal goals and allegiances as long as they don't go against the rules. Otherwise he couldn't offer the status to Blackjack until she abandoned EC-1101, gave up on trying to remove the worst of the evil in the Hoof, and cut all ties to Chapel. Unless of course Priest is secretly exerting mind control over Big Daddy to force him to accept Rampage and Blackjack? 'Cause there's just as much support for that as your other claims.

      I said evidence, not more baseless and easily disproved claims. Especially ones I've already explained the invalidity of, unless you come up with an actual counterargument for them.

      Big Daddy would lose very little by throwing Sanguine out at the time. But he would gain nothing. Blackjack'd already refused his generous offer, and Psych and the Flashers would be upset if he did. Besides, if Blackjack's as badass as you say she is, why can't she handle her revenge herself? He can't follow all his kids around and fight their battles for them all the time, aren't they supposed to be the toughest out there? If he threw Sanguine, or for that matter anyone else, out without provocation then either he must have some reason to want them away from him or he must be being manipulated. Why's he taking the word of this newcomer so seriously that he's tossing out somepony who's been coming here and working peacefully with the lower level Reapers for years, never breaking the rules or insulting anypony? If she wants in then she's a Reaper like the rest of us and she deals with her problems like the rest of us instead of running home to Daddy all the time. If she doesn't want in, fuck her. Best case we never see her again, worst we kill her on the field. Her position in the Reapers was an offer, not a plea.


      @Kim
      Hrm. Scotch is still a bit young for serious shipping and there's a good chance that Precious is really two hundred years old. And we don't know anything about the dragon filly's personality. I'll hold off on any decision on that point for at least a couple chapters. I do hope they continue to get along; Scotch needs a friend her age (especially a bulletproof firebreathing one). I really hope they can break whatever control tie Sanguine has over her...


      @Random Blank
      Yeah, of course the monsterponies are tied to Sanguine. But most of them have nothing to do with the Reapers is what we're saying.

      A plug is only shameless if it's your own work or you have some stake in its success. For example, it would probably feel awkward for Somber to pimp out her story across the internet. But I have no problem with recommending it to everyone I meet :P. Leaving a reference to where the idea originated from is just good manners if you paraphrase someone or build on a concept that was pretty much unique to their work.

      ReplyDelete
    121. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:15 AM

      @swicked: yes.

      @Sindri

      So you're arguing against OAC quite efficiently. Let's assume you're right, if you're not, you two duke that out between each other. I'm not in mood to argue whether Sanguine is somepony Big Daddy protects (for one reason or another) or just somepony living there, with no bonds at all. Both lead to similarly profitable conclusions.

      I've already argued the more difficult side, what if OAE is right. Big Daddy's dependency would be a very shameful thing to poke at, but let's leave it alone.

      > Big Daddy would lose very little by throwing Sanguine out at the time. But he would gain nothing. Blackjack'd already refused his generous offer,

      She really hesitated. She weighted that and came to her conclusion without making offers or demands either way. Now what if instead of "give me time to think" she'd say "give me Sanguine to kill"? Agree to join and owe some more favors/extras for Sanguine. Make it clear that protecting the murderer of her mother and friends from her revenge puts Reapers really on her bad side, and is despicable. Not play the "control" card unless her demand is refused: Big Daddy proves that life of Sanguine really, really matters to him.

      She has quite a few bargaining chips on her, her membership and compliance being quite a valuable one. Reapers' actions (at Megamart) prove she's quite valuable to them. Would Big Daddy refuse such a bargain? If so, she can up the price with various other offers. Either Big Daddy agrees, or his insistence on protecting the murderer becomes... suspicious.

      ReplyDelete
    122. KimFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:18 AM

      @swicked I'm actually a bit surprised they didn't start a cult in there, I mean, religions are a great way to reduce the amount of thinking required. (also, was my random example of "events" to... brain can't come up with words atm, come back later)

      @Cali: I am honestly not sure what you replied to ^^'

      @Random: Yeah, I can easily see him having a something on them.

      And while it was an interesting piece of read, I'd have to object that some EP's in canon have shown impressive sleight of hoof skills. And personally, if I wanted head, I would not have worked out his tongue. Since the pony braiding my mane would be rather tired after all that... technically, and I dunno where I was going with this.

      @Sindri: I know she is, but going from her upbringing, the company she's in, and... well, what she's said so far, I wouldn't be surprised if she'd... explore/experiment(?) as she is ~8-10 or so. That's about the age quite a few girls start to "find out" about themselves. (and around like ~7 is when kids "check anatomy out") and I forgot where this was going, but point being that as I'm quite sure all of you know, we don't exactly "just become" sexually active once we're 15. We might not be ready for a relationship (in theory) So unless Scotch is even younger, asexual or a VERY late bloomer, she has questions, thoughts and whatnot. And not really having anyone to "talk to", and again: with her company, I wouldn't be surprised if stuff happened. And I know she might be to young to have started "exploring herself". (but I had a friend that started at 7, and.. lets just leave it at that she was veeeery awkward in my opinion when I was the same age) Even thou I have to admit it would be incredibly adorable if BJ woke up one night and heard a noise, and *cough* (don't judge me! I find strange things cute) ... I was going somewhere with this then trailed off into something else... well, this is to be preferred over my thoughts three days ago. (I will however have to say I would laugh so fucking hard if they turned out to be a "pair" later in a few chapters, Glory going all "rambling" as she does, just to find out Scotch out-do her in every single area of sex. (times, endurance, techniques etc) That would be so wrong xD. And yes, this you may judge me for hehe)

      ReplyDelete
    123. theBSDudeFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:33 AM

      @Random

      That's a much different argument, for one significant reason: she's not challenging Big Daddy anymore. That was my big issue before. If she's asking permission to handle Sanguine herself instead of demanding somepony deal with him, it seems much more likely that Big Daddy will go for it.

      ReplyDelete
    124. theBSDudeFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:34 AM

      Blackjack never would have thought of that though.

      ReplyDelete
    125. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:46 AM

      @Kim: You just hit another such one. "We should do that more often". What would prevent them from stargazing every night? I discounted nasty-bad side effects - this should be a pleasant experience, and harmless too. I disregarded risk of addiction without even thinking why. I dismissed rare ingredients, just because. I picked "this is draining in the long run" because it felt just right. What happens to the energy drained? Why, gets expended over a shorter time in form of hyperactivity, I was taking some drugs in the past with similar effects, a weird but pleasant feeling, and gave the characters my own experiences. So, for that night they are really tireless. Convenient, I can keep them awake longer.

      Then I arrive at that point... wouldn't his tongue be totally numb from fatigue by then? Such a pity, but... oh, wait!

      ...as for hooves, both FoE and askLittlepip are in my canon, and Littlepip explained agility of hoof-grip as comparable to wearing an oven mitt, so managing three thick strands of hair would be quite doable, managing three tiny strands - totally not.

      ReplyDelete
    126. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:47 AM

      @Random Blank
      Sanguine wasn't living at the Arena. He lived and worked in his labs, with occasional visits elsewhere when he had business to do.

      All of your arguments hinge on the assumption that Big Daddy would be willing to do all sorts of favors and make all sorts of concessions because he needed Security on his team and really wanted to do whatever he could to make her happy. That's probably the case now that she's sunk the Celestia and destroyed the Rangers, but at the time it just wasn't. She was somepony that it would be easier to work with than against, but she also has a lot of enemies and a lot of radical ideas about how the Hoof needs to be. If she started making demands like you suggest then she tips the balance between asset and liability. Their actions at Megamart in no way suggest that she was worth that much to them; he sent a low-level team to retrieve her because he demands to speak to all Reaper candidates, and they nearly killed her despite aiming for a non-lethal takedown.

      The simple fact is that Sanguine and Big Daddy are unrelated, and he's not going out of his way to help you against the ghoul unless he has an actual reason to. Any attempt to coerce him into helping is first and foremost an attempt to coerce Big Daddy, which is laughable at best and suicidal at worst.


      @Kim
      Point. Scotch would be pretty close to that age, if not already there, by Stable 99 terms. I'm still going to hold out on commenting on that pairing until we know Precious better.

      ...Unless of course that was how Scotch kept her distracted for the entire fight, since we have to assume that Sanguine has some means of ensuring the loyalty of all his monsterponies and ohgoddesseswhyamIthinkingaboutthis.

      Damnit Kim.

      ReplyDelete
    127. Admiral Stoic "Crusader" RumFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:49 AM

      @ new thread
      I guess hes coded the thread to appear when this one reaches 5000...

      which is awesome!

      BTW... he answered me pretty quick

      ReplyDelete
    128. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:53 AM

      @Random
      OAE - hee, Overlong Arab Emirates. Or... Otoacoustic emission, according to Wikipedia. Anyway, my only real problem with your initial argument was the idea that Blackjack could just kill Sanguine without consequences at the stadium. Asking Big Daddy for permission or help once the war with the Rangers was over would've been a great plan, at the very least in retrospect. There may have been issues with getting in Big Daddy's debt at that point (she was trying to be a neutral broker between the Reapers and the Rangers, sort of, for at least a little while), but mostly I think that would've been a good thought. Might not have worked, since Sanguine might not have been within Big Daddy's reach when the HMS 'Tia got asploded and the war ended, and Big Daddy might not feel like BJ's in a position to demand anything, but still: not a bad idea, I reckon.

      @Kim/Sindri re: Precious Tape
      I dunno about shipping (she is rather young, maybe not for '99 but Somber's implied that she's not going to go through that stuff in the near future) but it'd be adorable if they became BFFs forever. Oh, and my headcanon so far is that Precious may be 200-odd years old, but she was in stasis for most of that so it doesn't exactly count.

      At any rate, any friend of Scotch's is okay in my book. :) At least until we see otherwise.

      ReplyDelete
    129. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:01 AM

      @Random Blank
      I've never liked the concept of magically gripping things on the end of a hoof. You can do a lot of manipulation with just a blunt tip (as I know from experience with hand injuries), and they can clearly hold something between the hoof and foreleg because their ankle joints bend much more than horses in out world, but there's still no thumb. That's why they hold pens to write with in their lips, fire guns with either teeth and tongue or external assistance, etc. For purposes of braiding, yes you could manage a rough, loose braid with just hooves, with practice. But at no point would you be gripping the hair. A combination of lips and hooves would make a lot more sense. And the lips shouldn't tire any faster than human hands do, given what they're used for (for that matter, human heads have horribly underdeveloped muscle structures compared to any other animal; our faces would tire out a lot faster than a pony's would).


      @Otoacoustic emission
      Yeah, IIRC Scotch wasn't going to be at that age for quite a while yet. And Precious might be two hundred years old, but she probably hasn't been awake for much more than twenty of that and what little we've seen of her seems to indicate that she still mostly thinks like a filly. I'm hoping for them to become close friends for now see what happens in years to come.

      ReplyDelete
    130. Jacky2734February 17, 2012 at 11:09 AM

      @Kin
      RE: Precious Tape

      I see Friendshipping going on, but not full on shipping.

      ReplyDelete
    131. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:12 AM

      @Admiral Stoic "El Cazador" Rum
      The new thread is already up and linked on the main story page.

      @Sindri: I always assumed the labs are a part of the Arena complex.

      We're not talking about Big Daddy catering to every BJ's whim. He was definitely sympathetic to her case, and this would be VERY big for her. She's not "making demands", she wants one enormously important to her thing, that for him is quite cheap to provide. He'd put her at significant debt to him or could demand much more. And on top of that, seriously cross her with his refusal.

      Of course he could go all big ego "STFU noob" and refuse to even listen to her plea. Not really IC for what we've seen of him, and she'd really get to hate him for that. And of course this would mean his whole endeavor with bringing her to the Arena was entirely pointless, because he'd doom any chance of her joining.

      ReplyDelete
    132. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:46 AM

      @Kim
      Security and the overmare would likely be working against any open cults. They undermine authority. They might have existed in secret, but BJ would never know of them.

      ReplyDelete
    133. SomberFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:51 AM

      At this point I think there's only two groups that would dare dick around with BJ and that would be the Enclave and the Remnant. Of course there are other threats starting to arise...

      ReplyDelete
    134. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:58 AM

      Somber, you already introduced the children of the apocalypse. Clearly they are willing to dick around with her :P
      Hoofington Rises!

      ReplyDelete
    135. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:08 PM

      @Random Blank
      Suddenly everything makes a lot more sense...
      Yeah, if Sanguine's lab was in the Arena, that would mean that they'd been working together closely for decades at least, and since Sanguine's so much older than the Reapers and has presumably been running the lab since before Daddy's group swept through the Hoof, they would have been established at his sufferance. But it's not, it's in a completely different geographic location.


      @swicked, Kim
      There was a cult. The Overmare's birthday was a major religious celebration and no other births were allowed to be celebrated, every word she spoke became law... They pretty much worshiped their leader in 99.

      ReplyDelete
    136. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:11 PM

      @Sindri
      Okay, the map isn't in the images at the top of the story post and I don't want to dig through ten thousand posts for the link to it. Where's that cartographer?

      Also, why is the new comment thread topped by Littlepip and Homage?

      ReplyDelete
    137. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:18 PM

      @Sindri
      Here ya go! I ain't silentcarto (clearly) but I totally kinda stuck both this and the FOE map in my Utility links folder.

      And, um, because they're adorable? I dunno, seems a bit silly but, to be fair, I don't think the blogponies have read FOE or FOEPH. For all they know might know, FOEPH has those two in it.

      ReplyDelete
    138. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:48 PM

      @Cobalt
      They were elected to lead, not to read XD

      ReplyDelete
    139. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:53 PM

      @Kippershy
      It's somewhere in the east, I think a little south of the Core. It's hard to orient everything over there without knowing where the Collegiate is.

      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt
      It would be hilarious to walk in and see Sanguine ranting at the air.

      ReplyDelete
    140. UnknownFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:41 PM

      is it OK to start before you finish the original.

      ReplyDelete
    141. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:49 PM

      @Overlong Analysis Cobalt
      Thanks! I should save this somewhere.
      But yeah, Sanguine's lab is relatively close to the Arena but definitely north of it by a good distance.

      And incidentally, the Arena is directly along the way to Hippocratic Research. It wouldn't even be out of her way to visit Big Daddy on the way to retake EC-1101, if Sanguine hadn't already gone into the Core or something with it.


      @brony boy
      You can definitely start this before finishing Kkat's if you like; at this point we're only about 2/3 of the way through Littlepip's journey, chronologically. Fair warning; this story turns the complexity, mature content, and darkness up much more than Kkat did.

      ReplyDelete
    142. Random BlankFebruary 17, 2012 at 2:00 PM

      @brony boy
      ...recommended that you read at least past Fillydelphia events before starting this, preferably at least past Arbu before getting as far as the story is now.

      @Somber
      I find it eerie and quite pleasantly surprising that you excluded Red Eye from "groups that would dare dick around with BJ". I'd (obviously) love to see Red Eye as much more than a villain in this.

      ReplyDelete
    143. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 3:30 PM

      @Random Blank
      Red Eye's primary strength is his strategic expertise. At this distance and with everything else he's dealing with right now, he has to delegate matters in the Hoof, and Blackjack's already proven herself more than capable of taking down his representatives here. I don't think he'll consider her a high enough priority to dedicate enough resources to actually present a serious threat to her, at least with all the other things he needs to organize this week...

      ReplyDelete
    144. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 3:32 PM

      @Sindri
      And of course next week he's calling all his forces back to simultaneously fight a war and prepare for his ascension, and the week after that he's trapped as a pile of goop under his old cathedral.

      ReplyDelete
    145. Jacky2734February 17, 2012 at 4:12 PM

      Out of Curiosity, When picturing Shadowbolt Tower, does anybody else picture an oversized Seattle Space Needle? Because that's what I always imagine.

      ReplyDelete
    146. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 4:16 PM

      @Jacky2734
      *raises hoof*
      It makes sense; they'd want to have quite a bit of stuff on it at cloud level, but there's little reason for more room to be spent on the support (especially with magically reinforced structures making architecture easy). So I tend to think of it as a tall, narrow tower, with a large disc full of smaller structures at the top serving as the actual facility.

      ReplyDelete
    147. RoboRedFebruary 17, 2012 at 4:37 PM

      Fifty post to go, eh?

      ROBO CASTS RANDOM PONY-RELATED FILLER!!!

      ReplyDelete
    148. Jacky2734February 17, 2012 at 4:52 PM

      Anybody else wish that the yao guai had been introduced into the FO:E universe?

      ReplyDelete
    149. SindriFebruary 17, 2012 at 5:11 PM

      @Jacky2734
      ...
      We've got radigators, mutant dragons, multiple basic varieties of ghoul, giant sentient talking carnivorous frogs with acid for blood, at least seven distinct sentient races, giant leeches, tentacled monstrosities, beasts from the stars, evil plants with a bad sense of humor, radioactive phoenix... and you're disappointed by the lack of ordinary bears.

      Not everything has to be an expy, and we've already got much more variety of wildlife than the video games ever had.

      ReplyDelete
    150. WavemasterRyxFebruary 17, 2012 at 5:22 PM

      @Jacky2734

      Actually I believe a traveling merchant in FO:E had a yao guai companion - it was near the end, I want to say at a point in time when they're traveling with Derpy, but I can't remember exactly.

      ReplyDelete
    151. KippershyFebruary 17, 2012 at 6:12 PM

      @Random Blank

      Much love on getting such a detailed explanation to me <3

      sounds reasonable.I should be able to make my character visit in that case.

      ReplyDelete
    152. Free CoffeeFebruary 17, 2012 at 7:49 PM

      @Random Blank
      I don't think you get it, he's not standing on the gouls side. He doesn't give two shits about sanguine. He's standing on Psychoshys side. It would be like if Psychoshy walked up to Big Daddy and asked if she could kill Glory. Big Daddy doesn't care about Glory even in the slightest. But he does want to be on good terms with Blackjack, so the answer to that question would be no. Big Daddy may be a Reaper, but I don't think he wants to start pointless violence

      ReplyDelete
    153. Free CoffeeFebruary 17, 2012 at 7:53 PM

      @brony boy 6000
      I definitely wouldn't recommend it. First of all because Project Horizons has Fallout Equestria spoilers, Fallout Equestria is a great story, and it would stink to have it ruined for you. You also probably won't get a lot of what's happening, Project Horizons often glosses over subjects already covered in Fallout Equestria, since Somber assumes the reader has already read the original.

      ReplyDelete
    154. KimFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:24 PM

      @Somber: Okay, just got it confirmed that in FoE canon, the mane six were straight. Cept one that was a bit bi. (guess which, herp.) And seeing how you are... technically following FoE canon, it does add up. Still, could've been more IC imo. It fits in some parts, but part of me thinks it's just to have "important" characters in it, and to hint at they weren't stone at the same time.

      I'm still going to be grumbling about the rape topic thou, despite what I almost said during that one time.

      @Random Blank Not entirely sure what you replied to, but for stargazing, I'd say the cloud cover would? To tired atm to make sense of the reply xP

      And well, seeing how BM in the latest episode manoeuvred a TOOTHPICK with his hoof, I'd say they could at least do quite a few things with them. Not as good as with a mouth, but still good if trained enough. And going with how EP's and pegasi use their hooves to hold and retrieve objects such as ammo, potions bits and etc. They have to have a little more dexterity then oven mitts, just a bit.

      @Sindri: ... ok, wow. You managed to make even me impressed with that xD Come down here, there's a spot next to that friendly hobo in the gutter, right beside that heap of saggy magazines xP

      @OAC: As said, she is either close to ~7 then, a very late bloomer, or possibly just too mentally scarred to be able to get it up right now. I know there's a difference between "puberty" and "puberty", still just pointing it out. Althou I can totally understand that she is staying away from the matter. Since it could turn out incredibly awesome and interesting, but it can also be VERY likely to be hard to write properly.

      @Regarding Scotch: ... gah, why did I even give myself the idea? Now it seriously kept spinning out of hoof. I can however gladly say that I managed to beat down the starting urge to write something with her. Besides, still gotta work on the unfinished P-21 one. (Really, the idea of her finding a "special stick" in Glory's backpack, repair it, and then wonder why it is vibrating. And yes, I know she knows most of sex, but I sincerely hope toys was not included in sex ed... seeing how they got it at like, 6 years old...

      @Swicked: Actually not, a "I am Celestia's chosen mare" cult would quite easily benefit the overmare even more.

      ReplyDelete
    155. theBSDudeFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:30 PM

      @Kim

      Scootaloo's Chosen Mare is practically the same thing.

      ReplyDelete
    156. KimFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:33 PM

      @theBSDude Not really... compare that to "X was chosen by the queen/overmare to rule over you all!" to "X was chosen by the goddess herself to rule over you all!"

      ReplyDelete
    157. theBSDudeFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:34 PM

      @Kim

      It was a joke.

      ReplyDelete
    158. DoctorkabaFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:39 PM

      So close to a second maxed out thread, wow.

      Anyway I have started work (today actually) on a small project to create a desktop pony set for the crew. Before I went to bed, I just wanted to post the first slide for Blackjack( http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/6153/bj2q.png )

      Could just be sleep crazed drawing here, but does this look good so far? Any suggestions? Does that cutie mark even look like blackjacks? I never thought it would be hard drawing a pair of cards a few pixels in length but geez! Anyway I will be working on it through the Mardi Gra weekend and wanted to get some early criticism in before bed.

      (also has this been done before? I have been checking my e-mail updates but never saw one for this.)

      ReplyDelete
    159. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:49 PM

      @Doctorkaba
      She looks very slightly squashed but perfect, otherwise, to me :)

      ReplyDelete
    160. Overlong Analysis CobaltFebruary 17, 2012 at 9:21 PM

      @Doctorkaba
      D'aww, elle est mignonne! I don't think it's been done before, no - it's a good idea, though, I like having desktop ponies walk around while I'm working. :)

      ReplyDelete
    161. ketchup504February 17, 2012 at 9:23 PM

      That looks excellent, Doc. The cutie mark is nicely done, given the space. The glowing eyes are cool, too.

      ReplyDelete
    162. Anon3mousFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:30 PM

      Okay, new theory: Sanguine will have to kill Blackjack before EC-1101 will open for Psycoshy (who is a descendant of Fluttershy), because Twilight's descendant takes precedence over Fluttershy's (order of succession). The program will not transfer power while it knows a higher authority is still alive (thus preventing it from ever being used to usurp the authority of princess Luna).

      ReplyDelete
    163. MechFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:15 PM

      Probably my last post here before the new comment thread.

      Colorized shooty look!

      http://MisterMech.deviantart.com/art/Shooty-Look-285687579

      ReplyDelete
    164. RoboRedFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:33 PM

      @Anon3mous

      That's extremely speculative. There's been no confirmation that Psychoshy has any sort of genetic relation to Fluttershy, only a physical resemblance, and the crazed temperament resembling the angry Fluttershy seen at the episode at the Gala, and that itself is magnified to extremely violent levels.


      @Mech

      Zappity zap zap.

      ReplyDelete
    165. swickedFebruary 17, 2012 at 11:41 PM

      @Anon3mous
      And yet, if she's a clone, an original ministry mare would take precedence over a descendant.

      @Mech
      :)

      ReplyDelete
    166. Jacky2734February 18, 2012 at 12:05 AM

      @Sindri

      Yao Guai are not normal bears, they've been severely mutated and are far more ferocious. They were also the second most dangerous wildlife you faced in FO3.

      And yes, I'd like to see them in FO:E just for the enjoyment of seeing one of the characters wrestle it into submission.

      ReplyDelete
    167. Random BlankFebruary 18, 2012 at 3:31 AM

      @Kim

      Okay, so there's no avoiding it. Scout makes a wish for one impossible thing: see the sunset, and Willow just fulfills it quite casually, whipping out a potion of spectrum shift, that allows them to see wavelengths for which the clouds are transparent.

      ReplyDelete
    168. Random BlankFebruary 18, 2012 at 4:50 AM

      @Sindri
      Part of RedEye's power is good intelligence. I'm pretty sure he's well aware of Blackjack being the Security Mare, and since Hoof area is well beyond his zone of influence, he - yes, has to delegate matters in the Hoof. And he'd gladly delegate them to the most competent pony in the area providing she does not interfere with his operations. Anyway, as shit hits the fan, he'd be willing to make serious sacrifices to his standard "profitable harvest" operations (slaves, looting) in favor of peacekeeping and control of the area and control over technologies in there (not even acquiring them, just not letting anypony else do that), and considering he's quite willing to pass control over most of the empire to Littlepip, I wouldn't be in the least surprised if he considered the Hoof as the Shiny new Australia to be given to Security.

      ReplyDelete
    169. ketchup504February 18, 2012 at 8:37 AM

      @anon3mous Blackjack may not even be related to Sparkle, since the Tenpony test was not successful. Also, Flutters is still alive at this point, in tree form, if that matters any.

      @mech If her looks couldn't kill before, they can now.

      ReplyDelete
    170. DoctorkabaFebruary 18, 2012 at 8:42 AM

      @Mech

      That's awesome!

      Also I have finally turned my images into a gif (hope the link works)
      http://how-to-make-gif.com/r2492301cbb

      Her butt wiggles on two slides, which I will need to investigate but besides that what do you all think?

      ReplyDelete
    171. ketchup504February 18, 2012 at 8:49 AM

      @Doc I suggest making her stride faster, and making her rear left leg extend farther back, she kinda looks like she is limping.

      ReplyDelete
    172. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 11:16 AM

      @Jacky2734
      @Sindri


      Without trying to spoil to much from my story...
      *cough cough*

      Don't worry. there's no lack in my story.

      ReplyDelete
    173. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 11:20 AM

      @Kippershy

      Actually. no. I'm going to spoil a little something in my story.
      because you know what? it's a fucking epic scene [or will be] and... well. it'll satisfy you perhaps.



      ...How do you feel about the idea of a unicorn with a sniper rifle riding on the back of a bear into battle?


      that's all I'll say.

      ReplyDelete
    174. Jack DorkingsFebruary 18, 2012 at 11:27 AM

      I noticed people wondering if World of Tanks was noddable on a local level earlier. It is. You can modify the texture files for the skins in GIMP. There's a pretty large collection of pony skins on the internet- I made quite a few myself but I've run out of steam lately, but my Luna VK3601 was pretty popular.

      Wow the thread is so close to maxing out- the comment rate on this is phenomenal.

      ReplyDelete
    175. RoboRedFebruary 18, 2012 at 11:40 AM

      @Hawkeye92

      Indeed. I was hoping that this comment page would finally fill out yesterday though...I really want to start on the new one.

      ...I should really actually go and try this game.

      ReplyDelete
    176. KatarnFebruary 18, 2012 at 11:57 AM

      @Kippershy
      I say, while unicorn will fight the battle this http://youtu.be/1op4NEswX00 must play in background :D

      ReplyDelete
    177. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 12:01 PM

      @Katarn

      -notes this song down-

      thank you so very much. I'll definitely use this as inspiration.
      because that's how I'm writing my story. I'm taking a lot of songs and using them to inspire major plotline points and character development.

      this will make awesome battle music.



      also - do you reckon adding single character links to songs mid chapter would be out of place?

      like, not mid sentence, but between paragraphs, a single * which links to an appropriate song?

      ReplyDelete
    178. KatarnFebruary 18, 2012 at 12:10 PM

      @Kippershy
      If I understand you correctly you say: "would it be ok if I put link to song mid chapter?" Probably, I didn't see some one do this. Give it a try, if it will be bad - you always can put link at start of the chapter or don't put them at all.

      Trying write fic myself, alot of problem...first it was story, then lack of correct words (english - not my native). Also I write directly in english - translating ready text sux. Well..my english probably sux too :D

      ReplyDelete
    179. Random BlankFebruary 18, 2012 at 12:27 PM

      Yes but instead of single character, give asmaa lext of [song title - artist name]. Links to multimedia undergo bit rot faster than any other data on the net, and people are perfectly capable of re-finding given song with this data if the link goes bad.

      ReplyDelete
    180. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 12:41 PM

      @Katarn

      Yes. I was thinking of having it mid-story.
      between paragraphs in a chapter, if there was a specific song which had direct importance/influence, I would have something to give the reader a deeper level of intensity.


      @Random Blank

      what if it was closer to a reference, like [1] or [2] and then at the bottom of the page, a reference list for any songs?

      for example:



      storystorystory.
      story
      storystory.

      [1]

      storystorystory

      -----

      [level up. thanks.]
      [1] band name - song name

      ReplyDelete
    181. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 12:50 PM

      Hey guys; I just want you all to see something...

      http://www.themostawesomepageintheuniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/bear-cavalry.jpg

      ReplyDelete
    182. Random BlankFebruary 18, 2012 at 12:55 PM

      Kippershy: no, nothing to jump to from the middle! Problem with "spoiler eyes". If you can make them appear on mouseover, or readable on click or such...
      Keeping them in teeny-tiny font should suffice.

      Or if you can't - keep the list at the beginning, not at the end.

      ReplyDelete
    183. KatarnFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:02 PM

      Well, it's like Random said, better [band-song] then link to the bottom/top of chapter, because it's annoying to scroll back to where you read and it's even worse if you accidentally read some 'spoiler' =)

      ReplyDelete
    184. Random BlankFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:12 PM

      What I meant: instead of [*] do [Pinkie Guy - Lil Pip]. In a really small font. On section breaks, this is really non-obtrusive.

      ReplyDelete
    185. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:14 PM

      @Random Blank

      oh no no, it wouldn't be a jump to like Somber did. it literally is a case of *click link* *new page opens*

      here; the easiest way to explain is this:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WMzY04GuNJJ5zkXWSTt4rzw9a8-NbI9u9J972YVnktI/edit?pli=1


      its my template page, which I'm going to be using to quickly start new chapters without having to check how to format the header and such.

      I'm adding a song into it now to explain how I mean and double check my theory works properly.

      ReplyDelete
    186. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:15 PM

      @Random Blank

      Ah, now I get ya.

      ReplyDelete
    187. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:22 PM

      @Random Blank

      So. how's that look? I'll edit a real section of story into it to give it a proper feel. just want someone else to say if it looks okay in actuality.

      ReplyDelete
    188. SindriFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:27 PM

      @Mech
      That's one heck of a shooty look.


      @Random Blank
      Yeah, I doubt that Red Eye would expend enough forces to take down Security, especially when the only thing she's doing against him is disrupting one little corner of his slave acquisition operation. He might help or hinder indirectly by passing intel or assistance between the other factions of the Hoof, but he wouldn't ever make himself a direct threat.

      On the other hoof, if EC-1101 is proven to be more than just the ramblings of one old ghoul, acquiring that or at least making sure nopony else can use it might become a priority to him. No point in making his big sacrifice and tossing the keys to his kingdom to Littlepip is some psychopath from the Hoof is going to take over a megaspell production facility and play a rerun of the apocalypse next week.


      @ketchup
      The Fluttertree wouldn't matter unless EC-1101 got proof of its existence. It already searched for Fluttershy and found nothing before the timeout, so she's 'missing, presumed dead.'


      @Doctokaba
      That's lovely. I need a copy. And the rest of the nakama.


      @Kippershy
      I'm torn. On one hoof a charging bear would be one of the most impractical sniping platforms possible. On the other... it would be awesome.


      @Katarn
      Children of the Elder God?
      Iä! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!


      Hrm. I've seen song links in the text work before; don't remember where. If you're going to be linking to youtube then you'll either have to check through them regularly for maintenance purposes or offer enough information for readers to find it themselves if/when it goes dead; you might be able to put artist and title in as a pop-out thing to avoid interfering with the flow of the text, or use a reference number instead of just and astrix for the link and then a list of referenced songs at the bottom or something.

      ReplyDelete
    189. swickedFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:28 PM

      I absolutely cannot read with lyrics, or anything speaking, in the background. Let alone write. My mind begins to concatenate all sources of the english language into a single string of thought. I'm not really sure how you people do it :P

      ReplyDelete
    190. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:31 PM

      @Sindri

      Eh, Sergei could always stop and hold for a moment if [spoiler] needs a moment to aim.
      other then that, [spoiler] should realistically be carrying more then a single gun anyway - a sniper rifle isn't going to be practical for every situation, and my group is going to be smaller then BJ's.

      I think.


      I'll have to see while writing. things have already changed so much from the original notes its unreal.

      Such as the main character - with is cutie mark [only slightly] and the first name I thought up for him but decided was too girly has gone to a secondary character who I had no intentions of being in the group at first, but now is going to be for sure.

      ReplyDelete
    191. KatarnFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:36 PM

      @swicked
      Song makes right mood and you just concentrate on right words. For example while I write chapter I'm listen to Max Payne 2 ost (sets the mood for the chapter), when it's battle or some action part I switch to some rock music

      ReplyDelete
    192. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:39 PM

      @swicked

      I find it helps. my story is actually taking form BECAUSE of songs playing at the time.

      what I do is I listen to songs on my walk to work [20 minute walk] and I say to myself:

      well, this about this song would work well. I could have _____ do this, or that happen to them, like the song expresses.


      At first I felt a little bad because it seemed like cheating almost, like just copying someone's work, but then I realised I'm only taking influence and not word for word copying. nor do I take the whole song; but sections and I take its essence and use it to inspire my plotline.

      and thus, when I'm writing a sequence where the song has inspired the idea of that particular bit, I'll listen to the song on repeat a few times while writing or beforehand to remind myself of -why- and -how- I'm writing that, and obviously make my own twist and applicable to my own story/characters.

      none of the characters are inspired by songs, just some of the action points.

      ReplyDelete
    193. §torm's SalvationFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:40 PM

      Uh guys, there's something rather strange going on in the comment thread... You'll know it when you see it.

      ReplyDelete
    194. §torm's SalvationFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:41 PM

      new* comment thread

      ReplyDelete
    195. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:41 PM

      There is?

      I've not noticed anything out of the ordinary.

      ReplyDelete
    196. KippershyFebruary 18, 2012 at 1:41 PM

      5000

      ReplyDelete
    197. firestarianApril 17, 2012 at 9:41 PM

      5000th comment!

      ReplyDelete

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