Us and Them · 8:50am May 13th, 2017
This was originally going to be a comment posted in response to one of the blogs written by the authors of The Other Side of the Spectrum in response to recent events, but it turned into a wall of text so I decided to make it a proper blog post instead.
You know, in this day and age we all often have an emotional reaction to things. Something major happens in our sphere of influence, and we have a strong reaction.
What we often forget is that it is irresponsible to have such an immediate emotion-driven reaction to unpleasant or disturbing information. That kind of knee-jerk attitude is a big part of why the world is the way it is now. The responsible thing to do is to let the dust settle and say "alright, let's see this from the other side."
I say all that to say I'm glad I waited to hear the other side of the story. Because when I read the posts by Redskin, I was angry, I was disgusted, I was livid. Not only was my favorite ponyfic being taken away from me, but Red's story was being taken away as well.
And in a way, I do sympathize with Redskin somewhat. Because I've been in a similar situation, and I do feel that at the end of the day when it comes to a collaborative effort, the head writer should get the final say in things. The other authors may have built up the story, but Redskin was still the one who dug the hole and laid the foundation (though in the interest of fairness, apparently most of the first chapters were written by TB3).
If JedR, VoxAdam, Doctor Fluffy and the others don't feel any such sympathy, that is totally fine. This is just the perspective of someone who has barely second hand knowledge of what happened. They knew Redskin personally, whereas I don't know him from a can of paint.
Having said all that, I find myself siding with the other authors over this dispute.
Because, as Bo said in the video: "No man is more important than the team."
Or in this particular instance; no writer is more important than the team.
Looking back on it now, it's hard to not notice the various flaws and problems with the story as pointed out by Jed, Vox, and Fluffy. We may have simply glanced over them before because the story was just so good, or more likely because the story was, at it's core, filling an emotional need. And, in my own personal opinion that is based solely on the facts and statements presented to me by Redskin, Jed, Vox, Fluffy and (possibly) Bendy, that seems to be the core of this schism; the true purpose of the story.
I can't help but get the feeling that Redskin intended Spectrum to be a revenge fic. In the sense that it was meant less as a deconstruction of the premise of TCB and more of a Take That to all the people in the TCB genre that seemed to justify the Ponies wiping out humanity for the silliest of reasons. Chatoyance seemed to be the biggest target. Not that she doesn't deserve it mind you, but creating two characters that are explicit parodies of her? That's stretching it pretty thin.
To me, that explains why Redskin was content with Marcus and the protagonists doing morally questionable things without anyone batting an eye, but at the same time any action done by anyone not part of the PHL was meant to be taken as a sign they were an evil monster. His plans for Queen Celestia's death really seemed to tip me off to his line of thinking: Queen Celestia was not meant to be a character to be explored or sympathized with. She was just an object to be destroyed for the sake of revenge.
Again, this is just inference based on what has been presented to me by the other authors of the story, but it does seem to me that Redskin intended this story to be nothing more than a bloodlust-satiating revenge fic targeted against Chatoyance and all like her who not only justified the extermination of humanity, but celebrated it.
And I'll be honest, if Redskin had acted alone and wrote the story that way himself, I probably still would've liked it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a well written complex fanfic as much as the next brony, but every so often I will pick up a fanfic that will put all logic aside just for the sake of fulfilling an emotional need.
But, as Redskin said in a different context, that story is not Spectrum.
And, thankfully, the other authors saw things differently.
They saw this as a story about these characters being tested, of being put through great challenges not just of the body or the mind, but of the soul. They saw this as a chance to not only explore why the very concept of TCB is ridiculous in its own right (Twilight's rant on the sheer insanity of the premise is still one of my favorite parts of the fic) but also look at what would actually happen if these characters that I love got caught up in this kind of situation, and how it would challenge them in ways they've never been challenged before.
This is what really drew me to the story, seeing these ponies and humans (and changelings and gryphons and other assorted creatures) going up against some of the greatest evil that anyone could ever go up against. Not just because of how much damage the Empire does, but because of the choices the PHL will be forced to make, choices that sometimes don't have an easy or "right" solution. Not to mention realizing that this could very easily have happened to them, if some circumstances were different and certain ponies had been in certain places, they very well could've been the ones hell bent on exterminating a species.
The PHL not only has to take on an Empire, but also the darkness within themselves. So this way, when (if) they eventually do triumph, we'll feel more proud that they stopped a terrible thing.
That's why I fell in love with this Universe. It wasn't because I was craving grimdark things, but because I wanted to see these characters fight against these dark things. And not just by beating people up or shooting them but by standing up for what they believe is right.
That's the way I see the story, and I'm willing to bet it's close to how Jed, Vox, Fluffy and the other authors see it. It's really a shame that Redskin doesn't see it the same way. Again, there's nothing inherently wrong with a story based purely on revenge, but at the end of the day it's not going to be as emotionally fulfilling as a much more nuanced and complex story, which is what they are trying to write.
The fact that Redskin seemed disinterested in even considering letting the story evolve beyond its original concept is disheartening. Again, I do have some sympathy for him as this ultimately was his story that he started, but I do not fault the others for behaving the way they did, not one bit.
As I said earlier, I've actually been in a similar situation like this one. It wasn't exactly the same mind you, but the overall circumstances were identical. I ended up being on the wrong side, but I still learned two very important lessons.
1. If you don't treat your colleagues as equals and knock them down more than you build them up, they'll eventually reach a point where they just say "enough is enough."
2. Sometimes, no matter how great you are, no matter how long you've been in charge, a new voice is needed. It doesn't mean you aren't qualified, or that you can't do a good job, or that you're a bad person, or that you aren't appreciated for what you've done. It just means that, in that particular situation, someone else may be better.
As far as the story itself goes? I did feel that the last few chapters (from Stephan's abduction to the thinly-veiled whole plot reference to Inception) were rather incongruent with the rest of the story. That's not to say they weren't written well, quite the contrary. I know Jed may disagree but I thought Pale Moonlight (at least until the hastily edited conclusion) was an interesting arc. I particularly loved the conversation between Doctor Bowman, Marcus and Holmes, as each one had a reason to be frustrated and angry with the others, and it emphasized there was no real "right" solution that would benefit all parties involved.
Having said that, I fully support the notion that the story needs a reboot.
The problem with Spectrum is that it's trying to do way too much right now. The base concept is interesting on its own, and I fully support the addition of various factions and characters to spice things up and add more angles to the story. The problem I have is that we've spent nearly half a dozen chapters dealing with something that probably should've been wrapped up in only a couple. While Weaver neutralizing Discord and breaking Trixie's mind were good twists, I can't help but feel they should've been saved for something more important that Stephan being abducted by Catseye and her gang.
And again, that's not to say that arc didn't have its moments. The death scene in "Only Human" was really gripping, and I felt for Ana. But when I saw Pale Moonlight, as interesting as it was because it put the characters in a situation we haven't seen them in before, my thought was mainly "Oh man we're still doing this bit? When can we get back to Boston already?" I mean, unless I miss my guess, right now the Empire is gearing up for an invasion of Boston. It's really kind of hard to take that threat seriously when we're spending time going through someone's dreams.
The characters are another issue as well. It's not that they're not well written, they are (for the most part), but the sheer amount of them means it's hard to keep track of everyone. It's gotten to the point that I need to keep the TvTropes page open when I read because there's so many people and so many things going on.
In addition, there's some characters that I simply don't think need to exist. I mean we have three versions now of The Doctor. I know there's some big Doctor Who fans on the staff, but that seems like a bit much. I hadn't played GTA 5 when I read the chapter featuring that game's protagonists, so including them didn't have any effect on me whatsoever (the fact they haven't been seen again is equally as egregious). Since then I have played the game and I now know who those characters are, and their inclusion still makes no sense to me.
And then you have Catseye and her Loyalist Conspirators. There's a couple interesting tidbits about them (Berry is the most interesting out of all of them I think) but the problem is that Catseye is yet another shot at Chatoyance. I mean, they work okay as antagonists and they add some variety with the mini-arc with them abducting Stephan, but every time I look at them I just think to myself "Okay, Chatoyance is crazy, we get it. Can we move on to something else now?"
Just so it seems like I'm not picking on all the characters here, I have zero problem with Discord or Chrysalis. Discord was always kind of a jerk in the show so it makes sense for him to be a jerk here (and he does mellow out as the story goes on). Chrysalis suffering from chronic backstabbing disorder may seem annoying to some, but I rather like it. I think the people who have a problem with her probably got spoiled by the alt-universe Chrysalis in the Europe side story. She was a very sympathetic character, but she's also a completely different interpretation than the canon version of Chrysalis. That Chrysalis had to watch her entire species die out, this Chrysalis did not. That Chrysalis literally lost everything, this Chrysalis has not. And now that she knows of the fate of her counterpart and her kin, of course she's going to try to make sure that the Changelings come out with some kind of advantage when this is all over. To me, Chrysalis being the type of person who would say "I'll help you out, but I expect something in return after we're done" makes total sense to me.
But still, the problem I have with Spectrum right now is that it's trying to be Inception, Doctor Who, BioShock Infinite, Lost, A Tom Clancy novel, a Marvel movie, a DC movie, and a ponyfic, when the ponyfic aspect was more than enough. When the story started, it was its own thing, and the characters all felt like they had a place in the story. I didn't start reading because I wanted to see three Doctor's, or the GTA 5 guys, or Discord summon a bunch of anime characters (also Vox claims that Redskin wanted Marcus to be a direct ancestor to Commander Shepard from Mass Effect. Really?).
I mean, this shouldn't be a contest to see how much shit you can cram into the story. Trying to make the conflict seem like a widespread struggle is good, and pop culture references are all fine and dandy, but a good number of these crossovers just seem forced. Especially in instances when we're given almost next to no information about these characters because the story expects us to already be familiar with whatever work they hail from. Just because they have the same name and backstory doesn't automatically make them the same characters.
(On that note, I know a lot of the authors of the main story also have their own side stories with their own characters who are probably all slated to pop up in the main story sooner or later, though IIRC the only ones to do so so far are the characters from the Europe story. These characters have all been handled very well so far, so I have zero problems with it. The fact that the side stories are just as good as Spectrum helps as well).
And I get that when you want to make a shared universe and/or work on a collaborative project, then compromises have to be made. But when you start to lose focus of the heart and soul of the story, is it really worth shoving in so much stuff?
Because right now, instead of dealing with the preparations for the coming war, or checking in on how things are going back in Boston (to be fair that's it's own side story), or even getting an insight into what the resistance in Imperial Equestria is up to (also it's own side story, sort of), we're watching Stephan, Luna, Cadance and Chrysalis do a pony version of Inception, as if that concept has never been done before. (There's also another character involved who appears to be some kind of dreamwalker or something, but that subplot is so convoluted and confusing that I really don't care).
This is why I support the notion the story needs a reboot. Because right now I don't see how the story can get back to the main plot in a way that isn't essentially the characters saying "Oh shit! We still got a war to fight!" and high tailing it back to Boston. And it's because things have gotten so convoluted and so far off track that we're going to look back on this whole arc in Ponyville and wonder why the hell that was even included in the first place.
I know it sounds like I have nothing but scorn for the story, and I want to make it clear that I don't. For all the problems it has, there's a lot of stuff that's still freaking amazing. The characters, the settings, the action, the drama. The reason it's my favorite ponyfic is because when it does all those parts right, it's a really kickass story.
But hey, maybe this is all just the rambling thoughts of some loony brony at 4 in the morning.
Of course I don't want the authors to adhere to my every whim. That's the last thing I want. They are infinitely more qualified to determine the direction of the story than I am, or will probably ever be. I certainly don't envy the decision they have in front of them now, in regards to how to handle the story in the future. Should they more or less keep things as they are, take it in a totally different direction, or just stop it all together? Given the emotional weight of what's happened, I would not blame them in the slightest if they all walked away from the project.
I'm not saying that's what will or should happen. It's my fervent hope they carry on. But if they do walk away, then I can at least say that I'm glad I read the story.
Either way, I wish the Spectrum team the best of luck in their future endeavors, whether it's this story or something else altogether. This is a fine group of authors and they deserve to be recognized for their work.
And as for Redskin? Like I said, I don't know the man from a can of paint so I can't speak as to what kind of person he is. But based on the evidence that's presented to me, it seems very apparent that he has some serious problems in regards to his state of being. I can't begin to tell you if it's untreated PTSD as a result of his military service or something else altogether. But whatever it is, I hope he's able to rehabilitate himself, deal with these issues, and is then given the opportunity to redeem himself.
I'm still not happy with how this situation has turned out, and there's a lot that I don't know and frankly I don't want to know.
But for the sake of everyone involved, I'm glad it's over.
Hopefully I'll still be able to get around to making Spectrum themed animations in SFM someday.
This is a very interesting read, I have to admit, and there are a lot of fair points. Thank you for writing it.
(Side note 1: Would totes love to see a Spectrum themed SFM.
Side note 2: I was happy with Pale Moonlight right up until the swerve, so to see you enjoyed that - even if you considered it a digression too far, which I can agree on - warms the cockles of my old heart
)
4530728
No worries. Like I said, I've had a lot of thoughts on this whole mess and I just kinda needed to say it in some fashion.
I actually did get a chance to read the original conclusion to Pale Moonlight before it was edited at great expense and at the last minute. I went back and forth over the two versions but I think I prefer the original more. The edited one was more upbeat, but it felt forced.
But it was still an interesting arc. I wanted to see how the characters would respond to that kind of situation, and you delivered. Even if ultimately it didn't really connect well with the overall plot. In a related story, I do agree with Vox's assertion that the death of an innocent is something that just can't be swept aside like nothing happened, but it's still probably something that can be resolved in one chapter as opposed to three. But that's just my opinion, man.
As far as SFM stuff is concerned? Ultimately I'd like to make something akin to a cinematic style trailer for the fic, but that'd require skills and resources I simply don't have right now. I do have a few abstract ideas for one off renders, I just need the time to bang away at them.
4530734 Actually, and here's a spoiler warning for what might be in the reboot, there might be a scene with the creation of the Alicorn sisters that would be nice and simple - comparatively, anyway.
In any case, thanks again :-)
You appear to have a keen eye and a thoughtful mind, so thank you for taking the time to offer your two cents in this, it provides a welcome third-party perspective from someone with no investment other than that of a dedicated reader.
I should state that, now these are probably no longer spoilers for a story which can no longer be spoiled, Redskin was willing for Catseye (and even Weaver) to be redeemed, as the end of their paths was a matter brought to him and discussed early amongst a team of people. But Chrysalis, from the moment she started showing just a bit of sass, became a target of "vengeful" attitude.
So it is, indeed, a mix.
Thank you for your blog! That means a lot.honestly, you have nailed it. I know you said you don't want us to follow your every whim, but...
Well, there's a lot to listen to. Hell, I was getting confused and kinda bored, and I was one of the damn writers! And it means a lot to have a reader giving their thoughts, rather than us. Cause I'll be damned if I let Redskin control the narrative of what happened behind the scenes.