(Does it count as a TCB story if it has very little to do with TCB outside of background details)

Operation Exodus was only partial success, while the remnants of Humanity successfully escaped the dying Earth, Celestia unfortunately managed to survive a point black nuclear detonation as it could not kill her essence. But by the time she could reform from her calcified husk, the Arks had long since fled the Solar System. It was soon afterwards that the purification of Earth had completed, it's natural beauty and the Equestrian Principality had billions of new subjects. Strife soon followed as without the agricultural advances made in the last few centuries, and only the most rudimentary of infrastructure, those same billions would starve as they were put to work tilling the old world's bread baskets. And with Earth's natural resources either depleted, and later evaporated as Humanity's works was wiped away from the barrier, most of those billions could not enjoy the same level of wealth enjoyed by Equestria proper. While the new foals dared not question the wisdom of Celestia, their children were resentful of the mismanagement and the needless destruction of the old world by Canterlot. Rebellions, counter culture movements and mass demonstrations swept the Earth territories, a solution was needed.

With Earth essentially a huge money sink, Celestia realized that she needed to expand to other worlds in order to gain access to much needed resources. But with the last of Earth's wealth used to construct the arks that are now in the middle of deep space, and generally lacking in the relevant sciences and industries to even think about constructing rockets, Celestia had another idea. Rather than sending a chunk of Equestria to another planet like last time, she opened up a portal to the nearest suitable planet and colonized it as the barrier slowly terraformed Venus. This would begin the start of the Golden Age of Harmony, and as Humanity laid still during the silent Millennia, Equestria would bring harmony to the solar system, and later on randomly selected worlds across the galaxy. Motivated by the desire to convert the last of Humanity, they were driven to open portals to distant stars in the hopes of finding the New Earth or at least intercept them when they arrive. This never came to be, but instead they found other more alien civilizations that would be brought harmony.

But all things must come to an end eventually, and this came about when Celestia herself was on the throes of death, as she was depleting her essence in the endless expansion and maintenance of empire. In a desperate effort to extend her life, she called for the abandoning of multiple colony worlds and shutting down portals to reduce mana consumption. But this did not stop the degradation of magic that has kept her alive for nearly 10,000 years, and soon she passed away on her throne in the year 11,945 AD. The immediate consequences were apocalyptic, thousands of worlds across the galaxy were suddenly isolated from each other as the portals that had maintained interplanetary travel had permanently closed, barriers that were held up to defend against outside attackers fell leaving them easy pickings for raiders and revanchists, and the climate control systems that had been keeping even the most inhospitable planets Earth like began to fail. It was at this time that on a isolated corner of the galaxy, Humanity was once again taking it's first steps into space, the horrors of Earth having long since faded with time.

By the time Humanity developed it's own means of interstellar travel, Equestrian civilization had long since slid back into chaos and barbarism, It's people unable to use the magical artifacts their ancestors created. Sol was actually relatively close to New Earth, but fear and superstition over unleashing celestia on Free Humanity kept it from being explored for the longest time. That is until a Eshtari gate digger reached Equestria's closest colonies in the year 2545 NE, did Humanity finally learn the nature of Equestria. A virtual gold rush began as settlers, explorers and treasure hunters descended on the Allepony and later Sol system in order discover and profit off of it's secrets. A new space race began as Humanity's greatest interstellar powers used unearthed clues to locate and carve up the former Equestrian empire. This is background, the story proper would follow a band of these treasure hunters as they navigate human rivalries and the dangers of these worlds in order to gain fame and fortune at the risk of life and limb.

Warhammer 40K Ponies

7289688
I was thinking Age of Wonders Planetfall but sure

7289671
Interesting concept. With the right execution it could work. Like TCB: The EarthGate Saga. But with FTL and a collapsed equestria.

7289720
I was kinda iffy on the world building and characterization of EarthGate. Primarily because it's implied nothing at all happened between the launch of the ship and Equestria conquering the planet (The space people genuinely expected the United States to still be around in 5000 years, what?). I think the main theme would be regarding two species that saw each other as distant myths and fodder for horror stories realizing that neither side is actually that bad.

I like your idea, but I'd rather make a chapter or two dedicated to each era.

7289808
Maybe, but then there'd be no mystery. I'd at least want the reader to guess what Equestria was up too and what had happened, as the above would not be apparent to the audience or the characters early on. Not even the ponies know what happened. Though I would want to explore the counter culture movements

7289735
Yea but logical issues aside what your saying is similar to the story of Starsector. Not the same of course but similar.

7289866
Logical issues such as? Yeah I guess there's a bit of star sector. There's two systems in known space that were controlled by Equestria at the moment, so that eases up world building some what

7289949
EarthGate logical issues.

7290101
Oh right.

I wouldn't want to be any major animosity between human and equine beyond colonizer and native, since the major powers would be more than happy to work with ponies to help in staking a claim. Depending on how stable the situation is, they'd probably be the site of proxy wars. Besides both sides forgot what the other looks like.

With what we've seen in the show, terra forming worlds should be pretty easy. Every large enough rock within the Sol System would be made into life bearing worlds with amazing climate control. It's when those systems fail from the collapse do things go to shit, any world outside the goldilocks zone is at best made inhospitable to sentient life, at worst perishes. Otherwise the ponies would have to contend with unstable weather patterns for a good while

7290115
Yea and with the diversion of cultures on the former pony empire rocks... Lot o proxy wars is guaranteed.

7290128
And profit to be made

I remember in that one fic where Equestria disappears but left the landmass, then the world immediately started nuking each other, which is stupid. Hopefully it's not very hypocritical to note that the race to claim Sol almost started a war because MAD isn't a thing in space

7290135
Yep.
And I can't thing of any group that would nuke themselves to death.
Also idea. The pony's can somewhat use the old equestrian magitec but they can't make more. They just don't have they knowledge to.

7290148
That goes without saying, there should be a character that guides our main protagonists through the ruins to achieve whatever their goal is

7290225
Would definitely be good.

7290225
Also nother idea. The gates instead of just being magic also had a physical 'gate' a ring or box or whatever covered in runes that, if they could convince enough unicorns to get together they, could be reactivated.

7290333
If it was that easy they would've done it long ago, but I imagine the more stable Equine powers establishing a base around them researching them anyway

7290361
Yea either that or the power to open them is so high they just can't activate them without lots of magic being shoved in.

7290363
That would be a longer term arc, when Humanity throws enough money to gain some grasp on magic.

7290428
Yea and you'd need magic in amounts equivalent to an alicorns level to open it. Keeping it open would have rather low magic costs but opening it would be infesable unless they find Luna or Cadence. If they're even alive that is.

7290436
Depending how you interpret Celestia they would've been long since been sidelined, for example Cadence might not be a thing due to the whole sharing power thing. Maybe Nightmare moon was slain

7290450
Yeah. But like I said, If they are still alive. Heck they could be in disguise for the human and pony factions know.

7290455
Honestly I didn't think about them much because they never do anything in these stories

7290466
Yea with convenient ways to get rid of them.
Any hoo, Starship design. How things look will impact first impressions.

7290529
How so? I would just imagine that depending on who finds it any vessel that appears over the planet would appear to be relief from the throne world. Equestrian loyalists are emboldened by it's arrival, secessionists panic. That sort of thing.

7290693
Eh a big imposing ship would cause fear a small ship might not even be noticed a ugly ship might turn off certain people/ponys while beautiful ships might improve opinions.
Lots of differences. Lots of potential issues.

7290709
The first ship that reaches the system will be a massive industrial looking ship. Since in my setting it's a ship designed to construct large jump gates to connect the system to the rest of Humanity. So definitely the former

7290719
Okay... Makes a scary-ish appearance and although some may be interested in what it is. Then the humans show up. Teck level?

7290738
Late 24th century? Honestly the near future kind of stuff because it's impossible to know how advanced we'd be by then

Honestly, as the idea seems to be developing, you might as well tag it a MLP/Star Wars crossover.

7290795
Pew pew energy weapons, particle weapons, and am torps.

7290967
Why star wars specifically? If it had to be anything it'd be the various space sim games
7291054
I prefer railguns, but that's preference

7291087
Rail guns and particle peams follow similar principals. Shot stuff out the front at high velocity. One it's a shaped hunk o metal there other is charged particles.

7291102
That makes sense, I feel like for danger the remnants should also have powerful weaponry they've been barely able to maintain. That's what makes these warlords stronger than the rest

7291103
Remnants(pony) have old barely functional sto weapons with minimal knowledge on how they really work.
Humans have some form of weapon. Particle weapons+missiles or rail guns+missiles.
Splinter faction(s)(pony) have little of use to start with.
Pirates(any) have whatever they can get their hands/hoves/whatever.

7291130
Pretty much I guess. Ground side the most fancy thing I can think of is metal golems

7291132
For the pony and pirate factions yes. The human Faction(s) likey have afv's or mechs or whatever.

7291165
You're implying it's a war story, I was going for group of explorers wander the planet

7291087
Basically, if you don't want to write a dozen prologues to explain how we got to the present day, you might as well go the Star Wars route of saying "the human diaspora happened so far ago that we no longer even know the name or location of our home planet." Furthermore, you're saying that humans begin meddling with magic (the Force), and that your weapon of choice is a railgun (a turbo laser).
You can draw more similarities.

7291234
What. Thing is that at least in the movies, nobody ever fucks with the force, they just learn how to use it. There's no scientists studying the force to make stronger weapons or anything like that, it's just a bunch of monks learning to lift rocks with their brain

7291226
Well they'll still have some form of light armor/transports for hostile environments so they will have light afv's for hostile situations and depending on how militarized the humans are they may have more or less armor.

7291373
Very little, since it's essentially a ship of oil rig workers. The biggest gun they have is the ship's drive

7291421
Hmm so small pd and antipirate weapons maybe some light transports and maybe a small armory incase of boarding actions by pirates. And since they are probably equiped with a few exploration vehicles for save atmospheres... Those might have an mg or equivalent for defence against hostile fauna but that would be it. Sound bout right?

7291461
Yeah I guess, where are you going with this

7291530
I ain't I can't write for shit. Period. Literally this just gives someone at TCB story Idea.

7291535
Right, while it seems you're looking for a war story when I want a pulp adventure story

7291648
Hey they can be combined. Besides most sci-fi adventures have atleast one fight.

7291820
Yeah but context wise it's mostly going to be shooting at monsters and bandits and such. Hope things don't get space man's burden but whatever