• Community Soapbox #40 - Official Fan Content, Magic Vs. Humans, S8 Animation Update, and More!


    Since there was so much news yesterday, we had to bump the soapbox back to today. What a crazy day it was.

    Expect these posts normally every Tuesday at 2:00 PM PST. To submit your own, see this post.

    Note: These soapboxes do not at all reflect the ideas of EQD. They are an open forum for anyone to post whatever crazy theory they want.

    Headlines for the week: 

    • How Much Fan Content Has Become Official?
    • Magic and Its Effect On Humans
    • Can an Earth Pony Be the Most OP Race?
    • Should FiM S8 Update it’s Animation?
    • Spike's Family

    And get your soapboxes below!




    Should FiM S8 Update it’s Animation?
    By: AlexshowProductions


    When it comes to Animation, we have seen cases to where they have updated animation to accommodate for multiple reasons. As we reach the upcoming Hasbro/Lionsgate movie, the question must begin to come up on the possibility that the series may receive an animation update, to be more done on Toon Boom Harmony. For some cases, there are reasons to why; but mostly, it’s for the sake of new animation tools. In this case, TBH is the main animation software used for the upcoming film, and that while Adobe Flash has been used for multiple season’s now, TBH gives more potential possibilities for the animator’s in DHX to bring a higher quality. But, there would be individuals who would not be up for this, as it’d be a major jump to a different art-style. There would be a potential alienation of people accustomed to the series, and that in turn; they may leave. But I would accept it, as it would allow more unique scenes to be done, as Toon Boom Harmony brings more flexibility for the animators. I would love to hear your thoughts below on if you want an update of the art style!

    How Much Fan Content Has Become Official?
    By Games


    Because there's so much fan content that’s been going for so long, sometimes official creators accidentally(or purposely) use fan content in the series by confusing fan material for official material, some examples of this include the Starswirl game art fiasco last year, the Guardians of Harmony Comic using Equestria-Prevails Armor designs and that’s without counting fanservice like Cloud Kicker and Button Mash’s names getting canonized or Ted Anderson putting cuteosphere into the Power Ponies comic. This relationship is questionably legal and the only thing I can suggest to advance it is working out CC-BY-NC licensing deals with Hasbro to minimize C&D's and maximize profits on both ends.


    Can an Earth Pony Be the Most OP Race?
    By: Nightmare Muffin


    Its only been implied that earth ponies have an inherent magic to be super strong, but also have an affinity with the earth itself. What if there were earth ponies who harnessed their true potential, which was using the earth to the full? Earth is more than just dirt and rock, but at its core lies magma- fire, its sky is shifted by wind, and water is abundant in its seas, oceans and rivers. On top of all that, energy is evident in the life that inhabits the earth, but also in magic. Suppose an earth pony could utilize all of that, all of what the earth gives and holds? Would that make earth ponies the ultimate pony race?


    Magic and Its Effect On Humans
    By: AspieFluttershy

    It's clear after seeing Legend of Everfree that the Tree of Harmony has roots in many different dimensions. However, magic is obviously a new thing in the human dimension, so when it inhabits the Humane 6 at the end of the first Equestria Girls movie, it isn't inhabiting naturally magical beings. Unicorns have horns, pegasi have wings, earth ponies have hooves. Humans have nothing. That's why the Humane 6 "pony up" when accessing their magic. They have to change form to be able to use it properly. And that's also why both Twilights have a vortex of magic on their foreheads. That's where their horns would be if they were ponies. Rarity and Sunset do not have the vortex because they are not alicorns.

    Also, music is well known for its interesting effects on the human brain, so the Element bearers using music to channel their magic in Rainbow Rocks makes perfect sense. It's only after they learn how to channel their magic through music that they can further explore their abilities, which is how they can "pony up" without music in Friendship Games. The music rewired their brains to better control magic.


    Spike's Family
    By: MegaSean45


    We know that Spike has had alot of friends during his time in the series, but other than that one time in Dragon Quest, we don't really know anything about Spike's family values. Yeah that one time in Dragon Quest he said he considers the Mane Six family, but that's more like a Super Speedy Cider Squeezy kind of thing when AJ considered the Mane Six family. I mean a more of an intimidate family. Is he close with Twilight's family at all? Cause it seems every time we see Shining and Cadance, they give Twilight a greeting, but not him. I know they see him as a hero and all, but as family? How about Spike's real family? Is he concerned at all? We've had a ton of families introduced recently, and we haven't met Scootaloo or even Starlight's families yet, and we don't know how Starlight's relationship with her family currently is, but what's different about Spike's family is that he never even met his. I know there are people who think it's unlikely for his parents to appear, but that doesn't make sense to me; I mean even if he does meet them, we know who he's gonna stay with, but at least one of his unanswered questions would be solved and he'd feel at peace! The season ain't over yet, so hopefully we can something outta him soon whether it's how he feels about not knowing his family, or his relationship with the Sparkles (other than Twilight).