cks you designed to be ~exotic~ or whatever, and those rabid jerks at Disney can only grit their teeth now!
Two Sufficently Advanced ideas I’d like feedback on. · 4:33pm Jan 28th, 2014
First and the biggest one. The one that might be controversial.
Anthro tag. I’m thinking of adding one.
It was blink and you miss it, but a few of the members of the Pie Clan has been shown with that style of frame. Normally such a clear background detail wouldn’t matter much, but…
I’m heavily considering having Applejack, Lyra and maybe Fluttershy prefer that style of frame. AJ I’ve even written a few scenes like that to get a feel for it, but I’m so far undecided on Lyra and Flutters.
Pros and cons:
+More diversity. Not only will this show a bit more just how the tech can be used, but it will let me have more character stuff and reactions then just “Ponies, ponies, ponies…” and "Humans, humans, humans..."
+Makes sense. Not only are hands quite awesome if you think about it… but somebody preferring a slightly less human look while still not wanting to go quadruped makes… well, sense.
+More varied body designs.
Even what type of anthro style frame the different characters prefer will allow me some more characterization. I lose this if I go with only human and pony with nothing in-between. I'm currently thinking type three for AJ, four for Lyra (with the head design of three) and two for Fluttershy. Thoughts?
+Spoiler for those that headed my words and only read half the synopsis. The freak outs from the actual ponies will be glorious. Not to mention, it will be a good way to emphasis the almost familiar aliens thing.
+Slightly more honest. As a mostly human shaped creature with a distinctly animal shaped head… #431 actually qualifies as almost a type four anthro even with a human frame. I hadn’t thought of it until I set down and started writing this… but I feel it makes enough sense to ignore.
-A lot of people react very strongly to the mere existence of the concept of anthros. Actually having a couple of main characters that fit that style running around might cost me a more than a few readers. Heck, quite a lot react with such vitriol this blogpost may drive them off.
-Equestria daily. A long term plan has been for me to submit this to EQ once I’ve got a couple of more chapters done… but they have a very strong dislike of anthro ponies. I fear that all the actual ponies are actually pony shaped and the few anthros are actually human cyborgs might fall on deaf ears and the story getting an auto rejection based on the tag alone.
-Cyborg humans. I realize it may be hair splitting… but the main characters shown so far are human at the end of the day. They just have extensive body modifications. I realize also it might be debated… but I think the human tag already covers what the anthro tag would just muddle a bit.
For the record, AJ will almost certainly at least show up wearing pants, so to speak. It’s already part of how I picture her, so unless the comments of this post explodes it will probably be that way… but I thought I’d get a little feedback on the subject of the tag.
On other subjects, I’ve mentioned in brief that I have this half finished glossary…
Thing is, it’s half finished because it’s duller than dirt to actually write. I fear it would be worse to read.
But I think I may just have a solution! I’ve been reading a few Mass Effect crossovers lately… and a common thing in that “subgenre” is to have a couple of codex blurbs at the end of each chapter. This gives the one’s that care a bit more meat about the tech and world, while also letting everybody that just wants to see more lasers fly skip those portions with ease.
Below follows taste of what I’m thinking of slotting in at the end of chapter 1 or 2. The idea being a clarification of something mentioned in the chapter that all the characters already knows.
Wikipedia excerpt on the Pie Clan.
Royal family of the kingdom of Canterlot.
Officially recognized by the UN in XXXX, the kingdom is made up of three deep space stations in permanent legren orbit around Earth. The oldest, and in fact the oldest privately owned space station still operational, The Rock Farm, serves as the Clan’s primary means of production, military might and trade. Based on the O’Neil cylinder design proposed as early as 1976 by Gerard K. O'Neill and is is the fifth largest fabricator in the Sol system and the largest privately owned. The complete stats on equipment and production capability are classified, but estimates places at least two particle accelerator energy converters and five hundred nano-forges as part of its compliment.
More commonly referred to as simply The Farm, was initially an experiment in telepresence and 3D-printing by its designer and ruler, Queen Pinkamena Diane Pie the First, and was used to bootstrap the construction of the rest of Canterlot. Its, and by extension Canterlot’s, primary exports are titanium alloys, industrial sapphire and nanotech. It’s full defensive and offensive capabilities have never been revealed, but enough estimates have been put forward for placing the station on Sol Guard’s watch list as a potential threat against system wide stability.
It should however be noted, that Canterlot has a long standing alliance with Sol Guard and has shown no interest in expansionism. “…We’re in space, you silly filly. If I want a few more useless hundred kilometer wide cubes of empty vacuum I’ll saunter over, scream ‘Mine!’ and actually build something in ‘em!” – Queen Pinkie, interview in (add later)
The second station, Sugar Cube Corner, serves as the Clan’s secondary means of income. ‘The Party Capital of the Solar System’ as it has been called by its proponents and ‘The Biggest Eyesore in Sol’ by its detractors, serves as a center of tourism for the kingdom. Also based on the O’Neil cylinder configuration, but a fully stocked habitat. The only of the stations not fully self-sufficient, it is the source of seventy-six percent of Canterlot imports. Mostly foods and drinks not easily or legally replicated, but also music, entertainment and art.
The last and latest, The Mirror Pool, serve as the Clan’s and its employees primary residence. Near identical to SCC, but with residential focus. No official number of residences has been reveled, but an estimated two-three thousand is guessed by Sol Guard analyst. [Citation needed.] Not normally open to outsiders, it is nevertheless on the worlds heritage list and one of the few Partyism holy sites.
The Clan is only loosely organized, their matriarch preferring her subjects/children to handle most things themselves, but is considered a minor if influential player in politics. They often cooperate with SG in R&D projects, but have an almost entirely defencive military doctrine.
Note to tourist: Queen Pinkie is a staunch opponent to Partyism, considering it nothing but ‘A joke gone more than far enough.’ and the punishment for trying to worship her in her precence is to be ritually tickled with The Feather Duster of Shame in The Plaza of Idiots.
Repeat offenders will have their cries of uncle ignored.
Repeat offenders that are clearly enjoying it too much gets a six standard month ban.
And no tickling.
A bit verbose and in need of editing, but something like the above after each chapter proper. Thoughts?
Minicodexes sound great, but I'd say don't feel the need to do them every chapter if they absorb time like a black hole. As for anthro and tagging, well... I think, make it clear in the synopsis the situation, even if some of it has to be moved to the second half, then tag it if you're going to do it. I honestly don't mind anthro, but I have met people who begin to spew vitriol at the very idea. I think, in this instance, it is a good idea, but you may end up losing readers for the thought. It's strange. I know one guy who freely admits he can't tell good fiction from bad fiction other than to laugh at the horrible stuff, but he just won't read anything tagged Anthro, despite whatever else may be present with it.
I'd say the anthro tag depends on how much they will appear.
The fact that they will appear at all makes too much sense for them not to.
Someone doesnt have to be a Furry like myself to see the advantages in occasionally swapping into a body that has hands, especially the ones that had originally born as humans and not pinkieclones. -And of course cyber-Lyra wearing an anthro or human body occasionally makes too much fun sense..
I find the Microindex fun, informative, and definitely adds to the worldbuilding, but might turn off some who are too "Rainbow Dash" in reading material choices. Maybe make them an occasional thing since as you say they really drain your writing time? Its too bad they have minimum wordcounts for chapters as Microindexes might work as sub-chapters that the impatient can skip over. Hmm, maybe drop them in at the end of chapters?
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It's actually not that the codex stuff takes time, per say... it's that they feel like I'm rewriting what's already in the story but in a more boring manner.
A boring but easily understandable manner so I know it's good for the readers new to this style of SF, but... It's just dull to write.
Still, glad that the idea of tacking them onto the end of chapters seems interesting to people It's a near perfect two birds one stone scenario.
As far as the anthro stuff... I guess what I'm really fishing for is what my followers tolerance slash liking of the concept is at. I realize you can't please everybody, and it does make far to much sense to just ignore... but at the same time I'd rather not write a single chapter that gives the fic fifty downvotes overnight just because a character shows up with a digigrade leg design.
If I thought it was a central part of the fic, sure, then them's the breaks... but it's really not. In my head it's just a different design I could do a couple of scenes with.
If the reader hasn't noticed the anthro ponies yet, they're an idiot.
Also, I like the blurbs.
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Still, I'm primarily asking because I don't want to come off as dishonest. If people don't have a problem with my plans for AJ, Flutters and Lyra then I really don't see much reason to change things tag vise.
Besides, at the end of the day they're all
vaguely horse shaped metallic skull spidershuman, anyway...1768976
We got freakin' dragons. Heck, in your world, as long as you have the blueprints, you can be whatever you want to be. Even a disembodied head.
Somebody's going to go digitgrade sometime, Heck, a Satyr could walk by. That's digitgrade right there, and its not even anthro ponies.
Everything is in here ohgodwhycan'tibethere.
Go for it. It would make sense in the story as it is, and any readers who leave just because of an Anthro tag... well, their loss.
As for the codex entries, they'd be interesting, sure, but only put them in if you think they'll fit and don't do it if they take up too much time to write.
I myself would put AJ as either a 4 or 5 anthro, Lyra as a 4, possibly a 3 and Fluttershy as a full pony, maybe a 2 if you really want her anthro. I just find it hard to picture Fluttershy as anything but a pony - that said, i'm certain with your skill of writing i'd be able to imagine an anthro-Shy clear as day.
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Thank you for the feedback. I'm quite relived that this seems to have been mostly a non issue.
I must admit I'm the most undecided on the main body of Fluttershy at the moment... but the plan all along has been for her to be team robot/drone expert and the one in the group most far out physically.
I struggled a bit with translating her into a SF setting... but the current plan is for her actual body being almost an afterthought, just lost in this near cloud of her 'little drone bodies' she's spread her consciousness out into.
Should make a bit more sense then dragging a animal expert into deep space as well... so, bonus.
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I don't think you need an anthro tag for posthuman pony cyborgs to be anthro. I mean, they came from humans in the first place, so it's more like Equinomorphism, if that was a word.
I have to say I look forward to what you write in the future (and you should really get on with it, pretty please...
) And I do want to see your original ideas on the sliding scale of anthro. I don't like number three's look at all, but that's more because of the artist's style. I really like number two for Flutters, and four for Lyra.
That said... Know your audience. Having your story as a posthuman quasi-utopia shut off a majority of human readership. Ponies being involved shut off quite a few more. Does anthro really matter to the rest of us? I mean, if it's the future, then wouldn't there be anthro pony beings anyway? Having it otherwise would be kind of like Orson Scott Card's LGBT erasures, except not vehement on your end and not nearly so oppressive on the anthro end.
Having Wikipedia as future Earth's codex? Priceless and probably true.
Also, more pony freakouts just add to the awesome.
Sorry for rambling. All in all, I'm saying you should do it, fgt. And please update soon?
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Why have a main body at all? If you want, the 'main body' could be a mainframe server orbiting Jupiter or something that does all of the complex mathemagic it takes to synchronize thousands of Flutterminds. They could be a genuine hivemind!
And then there would have to be some sort of mini-server for their trip. Forgive me, does your setting have FTL travel or communication again?
U want sum
fukediting?