• Member Since 23rd Apr, 2013
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Merchent343


More Blog Posts68

  • 44 weeks
    Probably the last update on Smashing Down for the foreseeable future

    When I last posted about it, a year ago, I talked about how the Invasion of Ukraine left me unwilling to write it because of the central focus: The Russian team that is the primary POV of the story. Back in 2020, I even started preliminary work on a rewrite, but that was before the invasion, before I started to read up more on military equipment, and before I improved further as a writer.

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    0 comments · 164 views
  • 106 weeks
    Rewriting Smashing Down: How the Pandemic and the Invasion of Ukraine smothered most of my will to rewrite it

    The title is descriptive enough, but I don't think I need to tell any of you how rough 2020 was. For me, 2020 and 2021 were both years of stress, near-homelessness, loss, joblessness, and many other difficulties. Writing slowed, and then stopped.

    And then, once I was finally pulling myself together, the invasion of Ukraine happened.

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    2 comments · 253 views
  • 191 weeks
    On Rewriting Smashing Down, And Writing Again

    I have tried thrice to rewriting Smashing Down, or to pick up where I last left off. Every time, I am reminded that the story was written when I was sixteen, in 2013. My writing back then was decent enough to get attention, but I look back on a lot of it with embarrassment, for a large variety of reasons.

    Smashing Down, as it stands, cannot be rewritten.

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    13 comments · 449 views
  • 316 weeks
    Sometimes, to make something better, you have to burn it down first...

    I last posted an update nearly two years ago stating that I would be editing Smashing Down. That turned out to be a lie, a task I gave up on several months and barely a couple chapters in. Within that time, I have become a far better writer, and thought up far better ways to introduce the story and setting in a way that will both make more sense and make for a far more interesting story than the

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    14 comments · 557 views
  • 403 weeks
    On the future of Smashing Down

    I should warn you that the following will contain criticism of my writing and my plans for what to do with Smashing Down.

    It was one of my first stories, and certainly one that gained a fair bit of popularity. It even hit the front page a few times on FimFiction. Plenty of people have enjoyed it, and it maintains a very good like ratio.

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    4 comments · 614 views
Jul
24th
2020

On Rewriting Smashing Down, And Writing Again · 7:42pm Jul 24th, 2020

I have tried thrice to rewriting Smashing Down, or to pick up where I last left off. Every time, I am reminded that the story was written when I was sixteen, in 2013. My writing back then was decent enough to get attention, but I look back on a lot of it with embarrassment, for a large variety of reasons.

Smashing Down, as it stands, cannot be rewritten.

I've decided, as of nearly a year ago, to write a new story on its ashes, but I am divided on something. It would have many of the same characters, a narrower and different focus, and an entirely different drive to the main story other than 'humans go into Equestria and shoot things'.

However, I don't know whether to create an entirely new story, or to take down Smashing Down's current chapters and replace them with the new story as I write it.

I'm looking for feedback, from anyone who still cares about that old fossil of a story that I started writing back in 2013.

Report Merchent343 · 449 views · Story: Smashing Down ·
Comments ( 13 )

Well I mean that’s up to you. You can rewrite it or write a new one that’s based on the same thing.

My only advice is to buildup more conflict between the Equestrians and the Human forces instead of jumping straight to assaulting the Human base and invading a city.

Like for example, before all of the Human forces regrouped, we can have like a small task force of ships running into an Equestrian fleet, or a flight of Sukhois and SHornets encountered a Pegasi patrol, or a group of Australian and Indonesian SF operatives are taking a stand somewhere in the Everfree against the wildlife and Royal Guards sent to apprehend them before getting rescued.

Stuff like that.

Maybe, also create some conflict between Humans. Like North Korean Migs ended up there too and attacked a flight of Russian Sukhois and American SHornets who had a truce, or an Iraqi Armored Brigade with Iranian Republican Guards under a truce discovered a pony town taken over by an ISIS group that also ended up there, etc.

Don't worry, I'm planning a much slower burn this time around, with an entirely different beginning and background. The original tied itself down as a crossover of the least popular Ace Combat game for no other reason than because I was inspired by a cutscene from it. This led to some of my story decisions being heavily restricted when I used practically nothing from the games.

Also, the original story had the ponies firmly holding the Idiot Ball, to a ridiculous extent.

I think you should keep this story up, and just post a new one with your new skills and ideas. I like this story still, for what it was.

5320775
I do have one idea. What if not just military forces, but an entire island?

I'm going to suggest Natuna Island which already has an airbase and army bases on it with a port. Following the trend of everyone dying and showing up in this world, I say in one of the opening shots of WW3, the Chinese nuked Natuna Island. This took out some key units for Indonesia which ended up in the MLP Universe.

This includes:
An Armored Battalion with Leopard 2A4 Revolutions, Pandur IIs, Marder IFVs, and Pindad Anoas
A Marine Battalion with BMP-3Fs and BT-3Fs
A fighter squadron consisting of 10 F-16Vs, 7 Su-35s, and 5 Su-30SM1s (I know Indonesia doesn't actually have these yet, but considering they're using the older variants of these planes as of now and I'm betting this is set between 2025 and 2030, I'm giving them up to date planes)
A Detachment of 40 Indonesian SF operatives from Kopassus (Army), Kopaska (Navy), Denjaka (Navy), Taifib (Marine Recon), and Bravo 90 (Air Force)
8 AH-64E Guardian Apaches
4 MV-22 Block C Ospreys
20 Eurocopter EC725 Caracels
An Anti-Air system consisting of NASAMS 2 batteries, Skyshield Air Defense Systems, and SAMP/T Batteries
2 Modified Iver Huitfeldt-class Frigates (Currently unnamed but I say their names are KRI Gajah Mada and KRI Irian fitted with CAMM ERs, Aster 30s, and Kongsberg NSMs)

Now you're probably wondering what is the purpose of this island in this suggestion. It's fairly simple.

Natuna Island will be one of the rendezvous points for the scattered Human forces.

BUT before that, the Equestrians found the island and after some conflict, attempt to invade it. The forces on the island, confused and angry (Mostly at the Chinese), shore up defenses to beat back the Equestrians long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

(It would be ironic if their reinforcements came in the form of a Naval squadron with Chinese and Australian ships and F-35s from a British Carrier. I say ironic because Indonesia had beef with Australia in the past, angry with China today, and is still pissed off at the British for a past embargo.)

Also since Indonesia's still transforming Natuna Island into a fortress and there are plans for LHDs in the future, it's safe to say the port in Natuna will be big enough to hold LHDs and smaller ships (Japanese Izumo-class is pushing the limit) but not big enough for the American Gerald Ford-class or Russian Shtorm-class).

I would say Natuna Island should be situated among an uninhabited island chain (Allowing the Humans room to build more bases and use an atoll to service their larger ships) and within striking distance of Trottingham. Too far for missiles like the 9K720 Iskanders, but close enough for aircraft.

The airbase which also doubles as a civilian airport, should be big enough for aircraft like C-17s and AN-124s. Some airliners may also be stranded there.

Also Natuna Island and the smaller islands surrounding it has a civilian population of around 69,000. You can use that population to find able-bodied men and considering the island, the people can provide the Human forces with food through fishing and farms. Not enough for farming since it's an island, but tons of fishing will be a huge help to feed the stranded servicemen.

i have an idea as well,
the beggining of the story stays the same, accept when the russians land on the american ship, they get attacked by changelings, and as if our heroes will die, support comes from...........OTHER HUMANS!!! the great grandchildren of some pilots, seamen, tankers, and infantrymen, all with their respective vehticles from their respective nations like Russia, China, Japan, germany, britain, france, america. basically great descendants of soldiers and civilians when they came here in the 1930s to 1950s... but besides the ponys there is also 3 new enemy factions they will have to worry about.

1. The League of Paris -came from an alternate history where france went n@zi instead of germany, now controls all of europe, northern africa and the nordic countries. has an armada of warships and an indestructible army and airforce, and has been to equestria before...

2. the Holy Inquisition of the Emperor: an alliance of an army of immortal spanish knights and a horde of ww1 samurai tanks, and navy- they seek only blood and glory and

gold

3. INGSOC

bassically INGSOC took over the world, has many portals to equestria, but currently in a civil war with the Democracies, Socialists and Monarchists of japan, britain, chech republic, sweden, kingdom of spain, north africa and india


sooooooo yeah thats that........ i would appreciate it if you would choose these factions to be the BIG BAD BADDIES in the story besides the ones that are already there

I read this story in 2017 I think... back before or after I made this account.

I can say the original smashing down was and still is the only FiM story to ever feature my avatar as a substantial "character" and in a matter of fact 90% of the Russian naval equipment only ever appeared in that one story compared to the hundred or so stories related to the naval topics in this entire site. It also had so many naval bits of information and goodies to read on, well done on the Research back then on the old days of the internet.

Well the spiritual successor to smashing down has the advantage of the official cannon map of Equestria being laid out to see for all.

Depending on which Season we are going to be in these are the combatants or allies Humanity will be dealing with (if war breaks out

Discord
He is a loose cannon with the decisions he makes (looks at Season 9 and the betrayal in 4) but he will be prioritise on the safety of Fluttershy and be busy in tracking down the cause of all the chaos going on his universe. probably

The Changelings
They can be humanity's greatest allies or their biggest foe from Season 7 and beyond although Queen Chrysalis will always be allied with the humans out of connivance except maybe season 9.

King Sombra and his empire
From what we have seen with him he seems to prefer working alone but diplomatically he will see the benefit of allying with the humans if he is featured in Season 3, and from the Season 5 episodes that involved time travel with Starlight/Twilight/Spike showed that he would've expanded his empire like the Empire of Japan did in the Second World War with Equestria meanwhile being forced to quickly industrialized everything to fight back against Sombra's army and winning the war like the historical US did in the Pacific War with industrial might.

- So in conclusion the butterflies caused by the humans if they apear in Season 2 will cause a huge war of attrition (World War 1 style) on the equestrian state and economy barring some dumb luck on Sombre having his plans stop.

- "Grogar" is extremely unlikely to revive Sombra with the crisis facing the ponies on the event of a season 8 appearance, even if the humans appear in Season 9 he would be long dead when the humans even realise he existed.

Tirek
The Centaur we all know who loves taking all the magic in the world for himself, the epic battle at the end of Season 4 that would never topped off again in the shows history shows that the Humans are better off running and making peace with Tirek if we are to deal with him with him in on the event of a season 4 appearance.

-In season 9 he will be effected by the butterflies thrown at him but would more than likely use us to his and his "friends" benefit unless Discord decides to cut loose ends during the season.

Starlight Glimmer
Yeah in the grand scheme of things she's pretty much insignificant as her evil self, in Season 1-5 unless humans get dumped nearby her village.

From 6-9 (ha ha ha) she will be more of a bigger threat with her magic skills and knowledge but still insignificant, her threat level will be 10 times worst in Season 6 with Thorax as he can preform a coup d'etat on Hummanitys greatest and useful to the other side or to civil war if were really lucky.

Pony of Shadows/Piller's
*Looks at the sad fact that I haven't finished Season 7 in 4 years.

Yeah I have no idea how those butterflies flap their wings, but Humanity will not like the two of them.

Storm King + Empire
Yeah he controls the balance of power in the entire southern region of Equestria mainland and islands, humanity might as well not even be bothered to support his empire nd more than likely invade the island's he controls since they are very convenient such as Mount Aris unless the Humans are desperate and ask for control over a island mountain as a staging point for ships and planes in exchange of technology and equipment.

Active and Passive Sonar along with hyrophones and ASW ships, planes and helicopters hunting for unidentified submarines effected by the event will quickly discover Sea Equestria.

But yeah that is all I can think about from the Movie.

Cozy Glow
All her great plans will be postphoned as the school is force to shut down with the mane six busy with the humans.
In the end she will be just another normal "innocent" filly effected by the war.

- In Season 9 she with her buddies will rather use the humans as a convenient distraction and then go to war against the humans after the event of victory achieved on defeated the Princesses and friends.

Honourable mentions
In Season 6 the Dragon lands get a new ruler with enough butterflies Spike could fail in the race to get the Gauntlet of Fire and giving it to Ember and thrus we end up with Garble being the leader of the dragons, and he seeks to declare war on the ponys, while Ember seeks to eventually fully allying with the ponies.

So from Season 7-9 The Dragon lands are 90% likely to go to war to humanity if the war escalates.
From Season 1-5 The Dragon lands will be neutral from the conflict with the exception of mercenary's.
From Season 6 only the dragons have a 50/50% chance of being on the human side or allying with the Equestrians.

Meanwhile other new nations to mention are the Hippogriffions and their nice stragically useful island that would make a nice port...

And here a link to- ships


https://mlpforums.com/topic/129569-ships-in-my-little-pony/

Any more words I was going to type was stopped (because it's f*cking 4:30 In the morning)

Note the above post only focus on the topic of a war happening with the human race and pony kind.

5321164
5321159
5320799

First of all, I want to thank you for your kind words, and to share some information. The basic plot structure has already been written out, and honestly, I've already got plenty of story planned out. I've been thinking over the setting in my spare time at work for months now. So, overarching plot ideas are admittedly not going to be put to use.

I'm also going to be leaning less heavily on 'Humanity effortlessly stomps everything in their path' and present a more interesting narrative than a one-sided curbstomp. Especially since the things required for that curbstomp in the original story involved every ruler of Equestria acting like a complete moron who wouldn't be able to govern a kingdom for a year, much less a thousand.

Also, much like the original story, this will be taking place pre-S3, technically. There will be some rather major differences in Equestria that will soon become apparent...

I've already got the Prologue and some of Chapter 1 written, and a complete plot synopsis for at least ten chapters, with a plan for more in the future. I plan on publishing the Prologue once I've gotten up to Chapter 3 written, and hopefully one every week or two thereafter.

5321329
What’s the technological status of Humanity and what year are they in?

5321343
The story was originally written in 2013, and took place in 2015. Obviously, that's a bit of a problem, given we're in 2020 now. So far, for the premise, I have a starting date of 2019 after a divergence in our timeline in 2014. This allows me to set a few things up that will be important to the story, and bring some things in that are not currently in use, without going "20 minutes into the future".

5321383
How many nations you bringing? Try including countries you didn’t include in Smashing Down like Indonesia in the form of their SF units, their Sukhoi squadron, or the 2 Modified Iver Huitfeldt-class Frigates, a Brazilian artillery battalion with ASTROS II MLRS, an Indian Tank Company with T-90s, Australian F-18s, Iranian Republican Guards, an Egyptian Mistral-class LHD, etc.

Since Lord Demolition is suggesting including the United Nations or many more nations then I might as well suggest to include the Royal Thai Navy (Thailand is militarily aligned to the US bloc but the Chinese have a very huge influence on the nation).

So we have pre-Season 3 scenario,
(Means I will be reading my second story this year involving the Tree house Library and pre-Alicorn Twilight).

King Sombra will deffinally have a more significant role or Spike could pull off a miracle and remove a bargaining chip in the peace deal that will end the Human-Pony war.

The Changelings are licking their wounds from recent events but will send advisor and agents.

The Dragons and litteraly everyone else is neutral.
Some nations will exploit the chaos *looks at the Storm Kings Empire*

The Equestrian leadership is more competent but militarily the Army is useless except in Heavy Urban areas or dense forest. Unicorns are very useful but not every unicorn is able to handle a assault by a average Human squad of Infantry unless positioned in very good defensive with good support,

The Air force meanwhile is not going to have a great time getting splashed by missiles from beyond visual range and then getting shot by cannons but luckiky for them they can control the weather to give advantages to the Army but apart from that the Airforce won't be much more effective except in attempting to engage Helicopters, however 40 times to 1 the Pegasi loses unless overwhelming forces are on the Equestrian side.

The poor Equestrian Navy is having a hard time, lack of naval arms races except the Imperial Neighponese Navy in the Luna Sea of course xD and the Storm King Navy. The Griffen's have no organised credible Navy since the Bore- gold thing whatever it was, was lost. Pirates are the only credible threat in the Celestial Sea.
I was going to do a full analyst of the Navy position but that would take too long.

But pretty much the Navy is only useful for (-inaccurate-) coastal bombardment missions but anything else is a waste of time with certain death and destruction.

Also here's a summary of the birth and death of the HMS British Columbia featured in Season 6 Episode 22


i.chzbgr.com/full/9136747520/hE334859E/so-thats-where-that-washed-up

Find out the reason why she got the British Columbia name...

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