Answers to your Ranger questions! · 6:22pm Nov 2nd, 2018
Hello! Today I'll be answering your questions submitted both via PM and the Ranger AMA blog!
As stated, I might not answer some questions which would be considered spoilers. The questions have been copy pasted and unedited.
So, without any ado, here we go!
Where are you getting the inspiration for the Blood Magic?
Blood Magic as a thing is nothing new, so I can use several sources for how it looks and some spells, however the actual mechanics of how it affects the user are 100% mine, although I guess you could draw comparisons with the One Ring and other infamous semi-sentient McGuffins.
When are we getting some sexy SunAngel action?
If the story demands it, it will happen, if not... maybe I should write the cloppy side stories?
how could it possibly get any worse
I mean... is that a challenge?
How, and why (for when), do you decide when to write/release a chapter in a different perspective?
To me, it really boils down to story flow. As much as I'd like to tell you what I'm thinking, it's basically instinctual. A part of me says: "You know, this is a good moment to switch POV. This character needs attention," Sometimes I have already planned that say, Chrysallis and Bradford need a scene together, or Luna and Celly, etc. The flow as I write sort of tells me the right moment.
where did the idea for this story come from? I feel like I've read something very similar to this before...
You've read a crossover between EgQ and XCOM with the Sirens and Tirek as Chosen, where Twilight joins XCOM for a bit, where Vahlen does "Scientists Gone Wild" and Sunset's counterpart was big war hero?
I mean, I just thought it would be a cool crossover. So I'm writing it.
What is the in universe basis for blood having magical power in the story?
This will be explained in-story (and in-depth) in future chapters.
What is your general timeline of events? How long have we been watching Sunset? It can be vague, and I'm not sure if
that's completely intentional.
It is a bit intentional, but Sunset's going well on her fourth year on Earth. Twilight was there for about five months.
How lethal is being affiliated with XCOM or the resistance if you don't have plot armor, in your opinion?
I hate the words "Plot Armor". In a story, everyone has a "Plot Armor" of some sort, it just fails when it's convenient. (Also, Protagonists don't have plot armor in the way some people accuse: They're the protagonist. The story is about them. The term is demeaning.) Having vented that... it is very dangerous. Sonata has wiped out a whole XCOM team already, and countless resistance members die all the time in Terror missions.
How quickly does Chrissy have to recruit in new troops to replace losses, let alone try to grow?
In this story, Chrysy is concerned with making her teams strong, so she's less concerned about quantity and more about quality, as will be revealed in some planned events.
How many people do you think the Avenger can sustain living on it permanently?
Hm. It's a big ship and in-game we only see a general midsection cut of it. I'd say about 500 people, give or take. Including staff, science team, engineers, soldiers, medics, Luna, etc.
What happens when Chrissy has people who can't pull their worth on the craft?
As you say, it depends on the situation. Rookies that don't pan out are generally dropped off with the resistance so they can keep fighting. Non rookies might be of benefit to some faction or another. It really also depends on the person's loyaty to the cause and how much access they had to the Avenger's secrets.
Do you think the Avenger might have a drug abuse problem
I think the main drug would be alcohol, although Sunny has proven that people can hide many things from others. I wonder...
Will we get a rapping pumpkin monster?
Nope
How much do I have to donate to your patreon to get more sexy vipers?
PM me.
Please respond to this idea people keep throwing out, if it's not spoilers. (Idea that Jane is a Blood Witch)
Jane is not a blood witch at all. Her powers are basically borrowed from the Blood Bind that Sonata pointed out to Sunset in Chapter 154: Mindscape. When Sunset went Demon, the bond—in turn—affected Jane.
What's the deal with Canterlot? I mean, did the mirror influence everyone in a certain proximity to have the same name as their counterpart?
Pretty much if you lived in Canterlot City, you had a counterpart named the same, but counterparts exist in both sides of the mirror for a lot of people, and if they don't maybe they did at some point.
On that note, concerning Galahad. At first, I thought it was just a nickname Sunset gave him.
Galahad was first mentioned by name in: Chapter 3: Enemy. And he was revealed to be a griffon teacher.
Human Galahad appeared in: Chapter 13: Missions, and it was revealed there that it was his XCOM Code-name.
Why does Aria have blue skin in Ranger, when she had purple skin in Rainbow Rocks?
In XCOM canon, the Chosen were humans that were modified and transformed by the Elders. When they emerged from their transformation, besides other physical changes, their skin was blue.
Now that the tactical legacy pack is out, do you intent to incorporate certain elements of it in to the story? Like XCOM maybe finding some of old XCOM's plasma/laser prototypes? Maybe even a downed firestorm?
Well, some of what the DLC covers has already been covered by Ranger in some ways. For example, laser weapons. Those were what the first Sunset Shimmer's team took with them when they attacked the Temple Ship during their suicide mission. We know what happened to the Firestorm pilots, thanks to Rainbow Dash, and Sunset traveled with Bradford for a while. Some origins in Ranger don't match with the DLC, but I can say with some confidence that their origins in my story came out first 
Also what is the general timeline? How long did the first war last and what kind of technologies did XCOM manage to recreate?
In this timeline, the First War lasted for about five months.
XCOM had just managed to create laser weapons and had racked up several successes enough to provoke the activation of EXALT, and then the infiltration of Earth's governments by Aliens, jump-started by the appearance of the Temple Ship.
The day that the Aliens manipulated the governments, the Council Representative managed to force a communication with XCOM, warning them of what the aliens were doing. Without a concrete idea of what the aliens were planning on doing and when, Sunny One's team went over to take down the Temple Ship and did it... just as the XCOM base was stormed by aliens.
20 years later, Sunny Two emerged into the world of XCOM through the magic mirror.
will we find out anything more about the closer-to-EqG universe (but that still had XCOM) from the FMP arc?
Maybe! But not anytime soon!
how many more chapters before we see Twilight and her squad again?
Depends on the flow so far :P
People keep asking if Pinkie is dead...
Rainbow Dash said she was confirmed dead pretty much at the beginning of the story.
Is there exist a counterpart for Everfree Forest on Earth? And will geodes appear in story?
There probably is. And no, the geodes will not appear. The memory stone either, since it was basically in the way of the ray of destruction that carved Canterlot High in half. Probably. I don't remember.
Did ADVENT conduct research on magic? At least two of their Chosen are magical creatures.
No. More on that will come out as the story progresses.
What purpose of Sirens gems and what they give to their wielders?
Spoilers/Explained in story.
You mentioned several times that ADVENT Troops remember someone looking like Sunset. And that there is someone in ADVENT Network (ch.158). Could this be Sunny One? And if it is, then will she be our Avatar in Operation "Leviathan"?
Both will be explained in time.
What fate of Human Celestia? I don't remember you mention her after chapter 30+.
Spoilers.
In your opinion, which Chosen is the most dangerous in game?
The Assassin. The other two are too passive.
If Luna dies in Laetitia body, will she die or her soul will be banished back into her body and put her into coma?
That's a good question! But answering it would be spoilers!
Is there are mages on Earth?
Nope. Not exactly as you might imagine, and not anymore in any case.
What fate of Experimental Weapons (Hunter's Axe, Shadowkeeper, Bolt Caster i don't like that weapon)?
Well, considering their creator is MIA... who knows?
Is there any chances that we meet more Equestrian counterparts on Earth? (Tempest Shadow, Hippogryphs, Captain Celaeno, Yaks and others)
Who says we haven't?
Right now only Sunset and Twilight traveled to Earth. Will there be more ponies who will travel to Earth? (Someone from Mane Six or Luna)
Maybe?
After this mission, will Sunset still be with XCOM, or she run away from both XCOM and ADVENT. (I'm not sure if i want to know the answer)
Then why ask? Still, that would be spoilers, wouldn't it?
Is Human's Pinkie Pie dead? You mentioned that her Inn was burned to the ground, and RD said that she is dead, but that's it. Only she said that and if i recall correctly, she wasn't there, when Inn was burned. World is big, she could hide very well.
Rainbow Dash said that after they found Fluttershy, that accounted for all her friends. So...
Did ADVENT conduct research on magic? At least two of their Chosen are magical creatures.
They would have, but remember who they were working with originally.
Element of Magic reacted to threat in Equestria and to Sunset's death in India. What kind of connection it has with Sunset and Twilight?
Twilight's connection to the Element is basically the same as in the show. Sunset's connection? Hm.
Sunset's Demon. She was born when Sunset started study blood magic, or she was always being within her, and blood magic only gave her a tool to take control? Actually does Sunset realize what she doing, or she became a slave of her Demon?
Spoilers and complicated.
Will romantic relationships appear in story? (Since there is no romance tag, i suspect that romantic relationships in best case will be mentioned. Or didn't appear at all)
Well, clearly Sunset has others mildly interested in her, but whether that will happen would be a spoiler
How many things did Sunset told to Twilight? I suspect she didn't told her a lot of about what she doing. (Her gem, bond with Jane and her further studying of Blood Magic)
You would be right.
And done! Hope you found the answers helpful! 
And thank you for your questions!
Heh.
AMAs always frustrate me. I can never think of anything that seems worth asking. Still, thanks for the rundown.
I really need to get off my backside and play some more of Xcom 2, I get the feeling I’m starting to get a little disadvantaged through lack of in game knowledge.
One thing I've noticed is that the average person really doesn't have much experience with how many people both serve on a ship and are required to make a ship work (as well of the inverse of how few you can get away with if you really want to risk it). It's amazing how many people operate even a few-hundred meter ship ... and how many people can be crammed aboard when they're all needed.
4962264
TBH, when I think about the Avenger, I'm thinking it's roughly the crew of about 4 to 5 submarines rather than say, an aircraft carrier. It's too bad we don't have an in-Avenger terror mission or something to get a better grip of the actual size of the thing
One of the reasons why I love this story is cause I've never played X-Com, or have any experience of what happens with that series. It's all new and refreshing to me. Plus, having Sunset portrayed as she is in the most recent chapters is, like, a HUGE plus for me. I love that style of Sunset.
Anyway, thanks for answering my question! When I was rereading the story for the third or fourth time, I wondered if you planed ahead to do the PoV shifts or just went about it in a natural progression. It makes plenty of sense that it'd be a little bit of both.
I'm not sure I like the implications going on here...
I look forward to those details.
So, follow up question: Can the blood bind be used to create a true, independent blood witch, or is the power of the bound one (Jane) only ever derived from the union?
Related question: Is there more than one path to the dark ascension, or must the proper rituals always be performed as outlined in the book?
4962495 In Ranger canon, the only way someone (or somepony) would become a blood witch is by study and practice of the forbidden art. Being blood-bound could corrupt you, but it wouldn't come with full power or mastery.
To be honest, I just wanted to see if you would actually answer a question as silly and random as that. The fact that you did put a big smile on my face.
You know what would be good?
Plot armor. Made from horse plots.
Putting the word "spoiler" under spoiler is something.
I have a question: what would Chrysalis' class would be on field or she isn't enough of a direct fighter?
From what I read about Pinkie earlier in the story. Pinkie is presumed dead because of the attack on her Inn. You did not mention any confirmation that she was.
Also you threw in tha A.J. was near meld when she supposedly died, which leaves a chance she might make an appearance in Ranger plus there is Equestria's magic (a bit of which was leaked into this version of Equestria-Earth, thanks to the Element of magic) to concider.
Just a few thoughts
4962570 AJ is 100% dead. Even if there was Meld around, she didn't die right next to it, and it's not like Mutagen or magical, it has to be activated with science(!). RD has confirmed that Pinkie died tho, don't want to say exactly how because I might revisit it.
WHY?! WHY MUST A.J. AND PINKIE BE DEAD FOR THE STORY
Why can't they have a chance to show up and help X-Com
4962723 If I just revived AJ, it would literally remove all the nuance and development that RD has gone through, it would also lose the value and importance of charter deaths in the story. If I did that, why not bring back Mox? Or Galahad, or any one else? Their Equestrian counterparts are okay though.
4962733
I am sorry but disagree that A.J had to Die but why must pinkie die. She could be a great help at keeping the Avenger crew's morale up .
Here's what you get when you wait with reading chapters... you miss opportunities like this.
I will ask two questions question anyway, maybe you are nice enough to answer.
How far deep in the storyline are we? And do you have an ending in mind or are you chris Cartering?
I really enjoy the story and your writing style.
4963378
I'd say we're midway through the story, although that doesn't necessarily mean another 200 chapters (pacing!) and I do have somewhat of an ending in mind, yes :)
4963393
Thank you!
Does everyone in Ranger still have the colorful skin tones Equestria Girls has?
Shame about the geodes that fact that there are 7 of them would have fit perfectly with the last mission against the avatars in the game.
4964466 In my mind, no. But I have decided to simply not add the descriptions (usually lavender-skinned, blue-skinned, or whatever) used that way are lazy writing. I'd rather have the readers imagine them as they will.
Knowing Pinkie, she is alive, you, even as an author, just don't know it. Simple. ;)