Friendship is Card Games: Make Your Mark, Episode 1 · 11:41am May 29th, 2022
Amazingly enough, we’re in for two weeks of new material. It’s like they actually rebooted the franchise or something. 
I was surprised to see this is listed as “Episode 1” of Make Your Mark, despite being a 45 min. special. I do have to wonder what the plan is for G5 media in general.
Alright, I’ll say it: Zipp’s wings are so pretty.
“Maximum sneaky engaged.”
As opposed to Izzy’s medium sneaky, of course. Also, the walky-talky half-breastplate is a bit of an odd choice. Can’t Zipp just put her phone on speaker if she’s not going to use an earpiece?
Heh. This soon after magic’s return, even pegasi don’t look up.
Huh. The royal portait shows Zipp and Pipp at roughly the same height (Pipp might actually be taller, heresy though that may be.) I always got the impression that they were several years apart in age. Being twins could add an interesting wrinkle to the matter.
>Sneaks into the palace
>Hoofprint is still permitted by the scanners
I feel like this whole mission stemmed from Pipp’s melodrama.
Ah. Written by G. M. Berrow. I’ll lower my expectations accordingly in terms of cohesive logic.
Continuity carrying over from Tell Your Tale, I see.
Slight jiggle in the Unity Crystals. I’m sure it’s nothing.
How does mare twirl microphone with hoof? 
I stand corrected; it was Zipp’s melodrama that spurred her to tactical espionage action. And really, the guards should thank her. She’s laying bare critical security flaws.
Ah. And there’s the matter of Zipp avoiding as much responsibility as she can while she can with regards to the throne.
Oof. The animation was smooth during Zipp’s infiltration and exfiltration, but when ponies are standing around, you can really tell they slashed the budget. Especially on mouth movement. I honestly would’ve preferred that they stuck with the Tell Your Tale 2D designs if they weren’t willing to spring for the premium renders.
“Well, the unicorns and pegasi [have magic].”
Izzy may draw mostly from Pinkie and Rarity, but there’s just a touch of Twilight’s magical provincialism. I’m sure that won’t come up later. (Yes, I got a bit spoiled on this one.)
Good to see the steady stream of emojis didn’t falter even as Sunny admitted she can’t just turn on her horn and wings at will. The pegasi in particular probably appreciate a public figure who can admit her faults and limitations. (I do have questions about the wide-grinning monkey emoji, though.)
“Caramel ponycorn.” Yup, that’s the sort of inexplicably placd horse pun I expect from Berrow.
To be fair, a flyby tour of Maretime Bay could help build hype for the festival. But this is definitely another case of Hitch’s animal friends trying to help without really understanding how.
“Thank hoofness for magic.” See two lines up.
And we have our antagonist for the special. Things are changing from the status quo, and Posey resents having to adjust. She does have a point about the need for air traffic regulations for pegasi, but she should’ve talked to Hitch about that earlier rather than waiting for the protagonists to show up in her front yard.
Also, she may claim other ponies agree with her, but I have to wonder if she’s living on the outskirts of Maretime Bay for a reason.
Okay, she is appealing to authority. It’s just that authority doesn’t agree with her.
“Magic takes practice.”
“Then they should do it somewhere else other than my garden.”
Literally all of your complaints have been about other tribes using their magic in places other than your garden, Posey. Either pick an argument or just admit why you’re really upset.
Interesting to see Izzy revitalize the flowers with her magic… though it’s hard to tell if that’s what she actually did or not.
While the shared lighthouse bedroom still seems like a bad idea for reasons the shorts have covered, I do like the amount of personality that goes into each mare’s bed.
So… how exactly did Argyle’s lantern wind up in the new lighthouse’s basement when it literally fell off a cliff? (Or did it? I may be misremembering that. But it still seems a bit too convenient.)
“Earth ponies have never had magic before.”
I'm blaming that on the spotty historical record and will be ignoring any and all implications that any earth pony magic we may or may not see in the future is somehow a new and unprecedented development.
The ongoing crab shenanigans concern me.
Oh dear. Sunny’s alicorn magic is entirely out of her control. More than a little awkward.
Only just noticing this now: Why does Hitch have a random carabiner on his sheriff sash?
Oof. Zipp is the heir to the throne, and that has certain expectations and responsibilities. Though Haven throwing a massive festival for saying goodbye to her little fillies and then expecting to drag one back a few months (weeks?) later doesn’t make all that much sense… unless she saw the whole thing as a publicity stunt/goodwill project on their parts, rather than a sincere attempt to slip the royal leash.
Bizarre choice of VFX for magic on the fritz. Having body parts glitch out like malfunctioning holograms? Makes me wonder if this entire world is actually some simulation Twilight’s running on a magical mainframe somewhere.
Spoon-based decor. The legacy of Plaid Stripes lives on.
Ah yes, the time-honored tradition of a character not communicating with the rest of the cast, because if she did, the conflict would resolve itself far too quickly.
Eurgh. Hitch’s bipedal posing while seated really doesn’t work well in 3D.
Hitch’s phone has no 0 key, and that bothers me. The * and # keys aren’t strictly necessary, but only nine digits will cause some problems.
I do hope we get a reason for Zipp’ hesitance to bring up the glitching magic. Presumably she oesn’t want to ruin the festive mood, but it’d be nice to get confirmation there.
Hmm. Full-grown ponies sans cutie marks. I’m going to need to keep an eye on this.
Feel free to say something to clear the unicorn’s name, Zipp. Seriously, we’d better get some rationale for her not telling anypony about this. I have little patience for plots that can be resolved (or at least greatly expedited) by people just talking to each other.
Obviously, nopony else was looking at the giant rainbow beacon as it was malfunctioning.
We’re calling it the “prisbeam”? It works.
It apparently took Hitch fifteen minutes after arriving at the disagreement to actually ask ponies what happened. I presume this was mostly spent getting them to not talk over one another.
Wow, Hitch. Wow. Absolutely failing to commit to one side of the argument or another when you’re already as closely affiliated with Sunny as possible.
Also, convenient egg is convenient. Going by the way the tide nearly washes it away, it just washed up. Though I have to wonder where it came from, going by what i already know about it…
Posey, you can’t just file a complaint under “To whom it may concern.” You need to narrow it down beyond “whoever made the ground sticky.” Somepony could have spilled a smoothie.
This is a weird shift for Hitch. We’ve gone from a Javert-like drive to get his mare to absolutely refusing to exercise his authority.
I can’t fault Pipp’s creative process. It’s good to get the tune down before the lyrics; trying it the other way can lead to some stilted rhythm.
Dare I ask what magic tastes like? And how Hitch already knows?
I appreciate how Izzy checks under her hooves before saying she doesn’t know where Zipp is. You know, just in case.
Huh. Friendship is magic. And it seems magic needs a regulator of some kind.
Zipp, you have a smartphone. Get photos of the vine pattern aaaand she’s gone.
Seriously, when and why did they surgically remove Hitch’s spine?
Aside from his bizarre reticence to take a side in literally any conflict, the others’ disbelief when Zipp reports her findings does make sense. Izzy’s capacity to notice things is as unpredictable as the fluctuating magic levels. Pipp barely flies beyond a few flourishes inches above the ground, so she’s had few opportunities to experience the issue. And Sunny doesn’t want to consider the possibility for obvious reasons, much preferring to think that this is just teething trouble.
I do like Zipp’s awkward three-leg gait as she records her “nothing to report” report.
Why is Hitch hiding the egg, anyway? What is wrong with this stallion? Is there some regulation on the books he’s violating by looking after it?
Pipp is communicating solely in emojis. It must be serious. Or she lost a follower on a social media platform. 50/50, really.
I’m astonished the mares can hear one another over the mane dryers. Even if aid dryers don’t appear to be doing anything for two out of the three.
“Nothing is going to happen!”
Looking at the timeline, something is going to happen in about, oh, two minutes.
Very interesting to see Pipp of all ponies leaving a contrail. She probably figured out the trick to provide her own light show.
“We can’t just sing a song and ignore everything!”
Of course not. The key is to incorporate the song into the solution.
“If we lose magic this time, we may never get it back again!”
For one, you don’t know that. If nothing else, you know what worked last time. For another, worrying about the problem may actually be making it worse, though to be fair, I don’t know that for certain.
And apparently the rest of the main cast has the memory of goldfish, because they have no idea what Zipp’s talking about after she directly discussed this with them. But in the meantime, pony Karen demands an audience.
Wow. Did they literally grab random people off the streets for these bit player voices? I’ve heard more passion in high school plays. I’ve performed with more passion in high school plays.
Feel free to interrupt her monologue at any time, guys.
Good effort on Sunny’s part but I have to give it to the dramatically sensitive weather. Not sure if windigoes are involved or not here; doesn’t seem like there’s enough of a temperature drop.
What? The Unity Crystals, named after the three pony tribes, which awakened after three ponies of those tribes looked past their differences in a symbolic gesture of reconciliation, might be powered by ponies?
Look, I know magic is a lost art, but come on.
Ah. Sunny’s apparently the one pony in all of Equestria who Hitch feels comfortable confronting.
And the vicious cycle makes itself clear. Though it’s definitely catalyzed by certain ponies who are quick to point hooves bout of jealousy and resentment at the world changing around them.
As for why they’re not sharing these findings with the public at large, again, this way the plot can happen. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Posey’s contingent dismissed any claims that ran counter to their own narrative.
I do love the G1-esque banners. And the wacky, waving inflatable foreleg-flailing tube pony.
That unicorn plush seems… familiar.
Ooh, the crystal wreath is a nice touch.
Seriously, say something. Even if it’s just to shut up Posey. Because I am wholly in favor of shutting up Posey.
Huh. Earth ponies glued to the ground. That’s an interesting wrinkle. Foreshadowed by Posey’s complaint, yes, but an intriguing development.
Massive, continual sea breeze carrying leaf litter and other loose debris.
Sunny’s mane is hanging down like the weather’s dead calm.
I know, I know, hair is the bane of every 3D animator. But still.
Okay, shattering the crystals would be bad.
Lightning-engendered void. Huh.
“The magic will come back to us if we can work together!”
This was already established.
I can only conclude that Windy trying to help Posey didn’t work because Posey’s hatred was just that intense.
Oh, now they remember that cutie marks exist.
Interesting that Sunny seems to cast that lift bubble with her whole body. Alicorn magic at work.
Also, good to see that a single lightning bolt only spreads so much void before petering out. In width if not depth.
Huh. Those vine patterns were leylines. And it appears they infused the earth ponies with further magic. (I will die on this hill. If nothing else, there’s the stinger from the previous movie to consider.)
“Earth pony magic?”
“But that’s never happened before!”
Again, blaming the spotty historical record.
“I think who I am is somepony who likes figuring hings out.”
Because her single-hoofedly reinventing the science of aeronautics didn’t make that clear. 
The Zipp-Haven reconciliation would be a lot more impactful if Haven hadn’t called her Zipp once in that initial call.
… Dare I ask how the flying Pomeranian knew that was a dragon egg?
People have made comments about this dragon hatching with wings. Given the morphic diversity we’ve seen in this world’s dragons, I wouldn’t surprised if some hatched with wings and without legs.
Well, at least Posey apologized. I’d argue she deserves a night in the town jail for inciting a riot and also the apocalypse, but we’ve seen how Hitch doesn’t really do arrests.
“I’ll sing my new song which you’ve never hear before on the condition that you join in.”
I appreciate the intent here, but the logistics feel shaky.
Intriguing teaser for future plot developments with the random, ominous alicorn of ominous randomness. And I have to agree with her assessment of the matter. This seems pretty obvious, though I have the benefit of an outside perspective and a more complete knowledge of the Twilit Era.
Scientist to detective. Similar principles, but I’m a bit disappointed by the shift. Still, Zipp is ultimately a researcher of the new phenomenon. And I deeply appreciate how she’s asking some of the same questions that I am about the state of G5.
In all, this wasn’t bad, but it definitely feels like it was treading ground that should’ve already been covered. If “earth pony-engendered tribal tensions lead to narrowly averted devastation” is the only plot the writers can think of for this generation, we have problems… though the mystery alicorn shows that that won’t be the case.
That said, the characterization definitely feels more shallow than the first movie. If I’m being honest, Pipp still barely has a reason to exist. I do still look forward to seeing where this iteration of pony goes from here; I’m just a bit underwhelmed by what I’ve seen thus far.
But hey, it still offers a rich variety of possibilities for cards. Allow me to demonstrate:
Conflict Averse 1W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Whenever one or more creatures attack, enchanted creature phases out. (While it’s phased out, it’s treated as though it doesn’t exist. It phases in before its controller untaps during their next untap step.)
“I’ll just let you all sort this out.”
Maretime Bay Dissident 1W
Creature — Pony Rogue
Protection from Pegasi and from Unicorns (This can’t be blocked, targeted, or dealt damage by anything that’s a Pegasus or a Unicorn.)
“You all talk about new possibilities. What was wrong with the old ones?”
3/1
Royal Thaumologist 1W
Creature — Pegasus Noble
Flying
Whenever an opponent casts their first noncreature spell each turn, investigate. (Create a colorless Clue artifact token with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
“Magic is a lost art. I intend to find it.”
1/2
Choose a Side 1WW
Sorcery
Each player chooses a creature they control. Destroy all creatures that don’t share a creature type with a creature chosen this way.
One moment of unity can’t erase generations of hatred.
Song of Reassurance 2W
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on Song of Reassurance.
W, Sacrifice Song of Reassurance: Prevent all damage to would be dealt to up to X target creatures this turn, where X is the number of verse counters on Song of Reassurance.
Maximize Stealth U
Instant
Target creature phases out.
Overload 3UU (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of “target” with “each.”)
Security Exploit U
Sorcery
Target creature connives. It can’t be blocked this turn. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.)
“If penetration testing isn’t a royal duty, it should be.”
—Princess Zipp Storm
Covert Incubation 2U
Sorcery
Look at the top three cards of your library. Manifest one, then put the rest into your graveyard. (To manifest a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it’s a creature card.)
Few eggs hatch themselves.
Giant Hermit Crab 3UU
Creature — Crab
Giant Hermit Crab enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the greatest mana value among artifacts you control.
2U: Exile Giant Hermit Crab, then return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control.
Onward and sideways, to greater shells.
0/2
Unwilling Heir 2B
Creature — Pegasus Noble
Flying
At the beginning of your end step, if you’re the monarch, transform Unwilling Heir.
“The throne is a prison. I’m savoring my freedom while I can…”
2/2
Unrelenting Queen
(B) Creature — Pegasus Noble
Flying
Whenever an opponent becomes the monarch, that player discards a card and loses 3 life.
”… but that doesn’t mean I’ll give up the crown easily.”
3/3
Ominous Proclamation 4B
Sorcery
Scry 3, then draw three cards. You lose 3 life.
Equestria’s last true princess watched and plotted. Soon the wretches would be worthy of rejoining her subjects.
Expanding Void 3BBB
Sorcery
Choose an order for creatures, enchantments, and planeswalkers. Target opponent sacrifices one permanent of the first type, sacrifices two of the second type, then sacrifices three of the third type.
Nonexistence ate away at the harbor and anypony standing on it.
Gut Instinct 1R
Sorcery
Exile the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of opponents you attacked this turn. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.
“Sometimes you just need to do what feels right.”
—Princess Zipp Storm
Unstable Ascension 1R
Instant
Until end of turn, target creature gets +2/+0, gains first strike, and becomes a Pony Pegasus Unicorn in addition to its other types. Flip a coin. If you win the flip, return Unstable Ascension to its owner’s hand and you can’t cast spells named Unstable Ascension this turn.
Void Bolt 2R
Sorcery
Void Bolt deals 4 damage to any target. If a permanent dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.
The earth ponies wished the other tribes had never been, and the sky answered them.
Adhesive Earth 4R
Sorcery
This spell costs 1 less to cast for each Pony it targets.
Up to three target creatures can’t block this turn.
Draw a card.
Those who refused to move forward found the choice taken from them.
Bridlewood Pragmatist 2G
Creature — Unicorn Citizen
Whenever Bridlewood Pragmatist attacks or blocks, exile up to one target card from a graveyard and you gain 1 life.
Even in the ennui of the Dull Ages, unicorns could appreciate a good meal.
3/3
Leyline of Fertility 2GG
Enchantment
If Leyline of Fertility is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
Tap three untapped creatures you control: Add GGG. Activate only once each turn.
Where friendship and magic converge.
Sand Castellan 3G
Creature — Pony Citizen
When Sand Castellan enters the battlefield, if you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, bolster 2. (Choose a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control and put two +1/+1 counters on it.)
2/2
Crystal Wreath 2
Artifact
T: Add C.
T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a herd spell. (A herd spell is a Bat, Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn.)
Each facet presents a new perspective on what equinity can become.
Argyle’s Lantern 3
Artifact
2, T: Look at the top card of your library. If it’s a historic card, you may reveal it. If you do, put it into your hand. Otherwise, you may put that card on the bottom of your library. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
The past lights the way to the future.
Faltering Magic (bg)
Sorcery
Each player sacrifices an enchantment.
As disharmony spread among ponies, the Unity Crystals struggled to maintain the flow of magic. Those disruptions caused more unrest, and so the cycle continued.
Stormtossed Egg R(wu)
Creature — Dragon Egg
Defender
If Stormtossed Egg would be put anywhere from the battlefield other than a graveyard, instead exile it, then return it to the battlefield transformed under its owner’s control.
A long, strange journey ends the same way.
0/3
Stormbreath Hatchling
(URW) Creature — Dragon
Flying, trample
Whenever Stormbreath Hatchling enters the battlefield or attacks, for each player, exile up to one non-Dragon creature that player controls. Return them to the battlefield under their owners’ control at the beginning of the next end step.
3/3
Pampered Loremaster GW
Creature — Dog Mutant Advisor
Flying
Whenever a player casts a creature spell with power 4 or greater, draw a card.
The royal family’s pets have their own traditions.
2/1
Silencing Thunderclap 1RW
Sorcery
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Silencing Thuderclap deals 2 damage to each creature. Creatures dying don’t cause abilities your opponents control to trigger this turn.
Izzy’s Reimagining 2BG
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a permanent.
Return target card that shares a permanent type with the sacrificed permanent from your graveyard to the battlefield.
“All it takes is a little glitter, a little magic, and a few other odds and ends.”
Animal Empathy 2GU
Instant
Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the greatest number of creatures a player controls. Put up to two of those cards into your hand, then put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Something shifted in the Canterlot ruins as a soul assumed a familiar shape.
Posey, the Disenchanted 3WB
Legendary Creature — Pony Citizen
All artifacts, enchantments, and non-Pony creatures have “At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this permanent unless you pay 1 life.”
Every new golden age has those who long for lead.
3/3
Beacon of Magic 1WUBRG
Instant
Shuffle Beacon of Magic, your hand, and your graveyard into their owners’ libraries. Draw five cards. Add WUBRG.
The Crystal Brighthouse shines with the promise of a new future.
I stand by the fact that Earth Pony magic was never a thing before. It was just the fandom taking some extraordinary feats and declaring them magic.
Overall it was an OK special, biggest issue was the animation but let's hope the animators improve over time like in G4.
I thought Izzy used her telekinesis to straighten Posey's flowers, rather than revitalising them.
Every animal in Zephyr Heights has wings. I imagine there are hordes of Wizard of Oz style flying ones that make a nuisance of themselves stealing food and the like.
I wonder who gave you that idea? 😉
You think they have a plan? Derpy really is your spirit animal.
Or, y'know, dewclaws. But I'm pretty sure the writers were thinking "magic" if they were thinking anything at all (which they probably weren't, see your statement on Berrow and how she's actually one of the better ones because she's at least trying).
Maro Get Your Gun Alert: I don't care if it's hybrid, black isn't supposed to be removing its own enchantments.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Obviously, Faltering Magic only affects players who actually have an enchantment when it resolves. Players who don't won't affect the players who do.
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I'll grant it was abandoned pretty quick, but the first two seasons and Lauren Faust's comments elsewhere make it pretty unambiguously clear that earth ponies, on top of being stronger, have a kind of passive, botanical-based magic that makes them much more effective farmers and good with animals. Of course, even in those seasons it was never (I think?) directly referred to as magic as such, and because such a thing isn't visually obvious the way pegasus and unicorn magic is, is harder to write stories with, and doesn't lend itself to toys for the target demographic nearly as well, most writers never bothered doing anything with it. Soon, such advantages they have stopped being even hinted at being magic, and then stopped being altogether.
Of course, it's depiction there is the furthest thing from this "stomp = years of plant growing in 5 seconds" variation, but given G4 very emphatically does NOT match up with G5, never mind what Hasbro said last year (notice how they're not saying it now in 2022? Almost as if it was just marketing speak to get those on the fence to check it out…), that's a moot point.
I keep seeing people using this as a defence, and I keep having to sigh. But it's not fair to expect most people to understand the fundamental differences between how 2D Flash animation and sweatshop TV CG animation are set up.
In brief; Jayson and the others designed the aesthetic of FiM to avoid the "pasted in front of backgrounds" feel by having the environments in a matching art style to the characters. There was no getting around the more rudimentary character animation that was very obviously tweeted, but as time went by, they got more used to it, and technological and rig improvements allowed them to have more naturalistic (for Flash) movements, crowds that felt alive, the works. And refining the environments and staging in small, subtle ways as the series went on. All that was only possible because it was set in such a way as to be prime for improving as they made more episodes.
With this CG special, the problem with the character animation is time and budget, the reason that most shots basically have the movement in-between the keyframes autogenerated, and it comes out stiff. The animators having more experience over time may mean a little less of that, but on this schedule it will always remain the norm.
More so, all the new characters, props, sets and environments look worse than the ones from the film because they were modelled and their colour palettes chosen in much more of a hurry – we'll be stuck with them going forward. And the mushed, smeary colours and lighting is a byproduct of quicker and simpler machine rendering of each frame (what turns untextured and unlit screenshots into the finished look, basically), again something the budget necessitates as a mainstay.
Small visual improvements here and there are very much possible, don't get me wrong, and there's every chance new characters and sets going forward will look a little better due to the designers and modellers getting a feel for what works with their past results. However, the "build everything in advance" nature of CG animation, and them unlikely to ever get a budget increase, means just about all the issues we saw with this will remain, I'm afraid. The earth magic thing above's in the eye of the beholder, but this is reasonably objective fact.
Magic? Not In My Back Yard!
It’s “gear.” When a water bottle has a carabiner hanging off of it, that makes it “tactical” and you can charge double the usual price for it.
Later, he will complain that he needs lots more money for his department, arrest anypony who puts a complaint in the box, and claim that a single locked-door access to the beach would have prevented the disagreement.
Best pony… until her inevitable flanderization.
Or, given the giant pit that opened up because people were arguing, maybe it’s the Pony Good Place?
And she’s completely cured of Karenism, which is good because the Unity Crystals depend on utter and complete harmony among ponies 24/7, it seems. (In our world, they’d detonate like a nuclear bomb.)
I’m all for more lore and world-building, and this teaser that promises something beyond endless relationship problems is a good sign as far as I’m concerned. But I’m not exactly convinced that the writers will be intelligent or meticulous enough not to make a self-contradictory hash of it.
I don’t dislike MYM, but it will be a few more “episodes” before I commit to it.
5660687
TV 3D animation is fully capable of looking good and definitely better than what we saw in this special. The only place 3D animation on TV ever struggles with is background characters since you can't really fill the screen as easily as you could with 2D animation.
A good example is the 2012 TMNT cartoon which had some fantastic animation but a hilariously empty looking version of New York City.
In terms of magic I don't really care about what might have been but as far as established canon goes earth pony magic wasn't a thing.
Technically neither was Pegasus Magic. Like flying is magic but literally anyone with wings can do that it's not really unique to Pegasus.
5660695
Of course there are variances on how CG television (and streaming) animation looks. This is still miles better than your Paw Patrols, Barbies or Filly Funtusias. When I refer to stiff character animation, that's relative to what's above it. If you somehow got the impression my comments were on all CG televison/streaming animation, they weren't, it's all to do with the budget, schedule, people and freedom afforded by the corporate overlords.
But it's pretty objective the visuals here are nowhere near something like Dreamworks' Dragons or Skylanders Academy. It's also pretty objective that the designs, character models, sets and the like being already done puts a pretty low ceiling on how much this can visually improve with future content. If you took a set for a live-audience sitcom and used it for a film, it would look a little better due to flexible camera angles and better lighting, but it's still gonna be clearly a no-4th-wall set. This is all especially true since it's almost unheard of for a tv/streaming cartoon to get a budget increase; if they see it's doing well, that just means their audience is fine with how it looks and they don't need to improve it, especially when aiming for single-digit kids as much as this is. What extra money is thrown a cartoon's way as ratings/viewing figures perform well is almost exclusively to keep top talent/crew on (and that's a fraction of what they have to fork out for the same in live-action, thank goodness).
So, tons of variety in CG animation quality, absolutely. But the practical way it’s done severely limits how much it can improve with time compared to FiM, short of a substantial budget increase or being given the space to redo and improve already-existing assets thus far, neither of which will happen. I've got enough practical experience and industry knowledge on this front to be sure on this.
You're welcome for the clarification.
I'm not going to get into a lore debate, the facts on earth pony magic stand pretty clear, and you're welcome to ignore them. But pegasus magic does more than let them fly, it lets them walk on clouds and control the weather (some fans also say their wings are too small to let them fly without it, but that isn't canon-confirmed). Some other winged creatures can walk on clouds, but the weather thing? That's a pegasus thing, and all the more important for ponies being the caretakers of nature. Which, given that was also heavily de-emphasised as the show went on…
To kids, many viewers, Hasbro, and evidently some adult fans too, magic is just something you actively cast. But just because some magic is instead passive, a power that's always "on", doesn't make it any less magic. Even G5 is following that, given it refers to pegasus magic with the same level of reverence as the unicorn variety.
5660659
I assume this is in reference to a story you wrote, but I'm not sure which one...
5660719
- MLP Gen 5
- Adventure
“Something’s wrong with that one; it’s been infected! Those ponies won’t be able to handle it on their own! I shouldn’t intervene, but they need help in a BIG way. Time to make a call…”This one, which I expected to be more popular than it ended up being.
5660687
Tyrek stole earth ponies' "strength," but how did he do that if it wasn't some sort of magic?
Time is money. Raytracing and artist inbetweening takes time. Rich and complex textures take more time to create and render than flat, baked ones. Reflection/refraction takes more time and processing power than faking it. Particle hair takes way more time than hair cards. Writing better scripts would take nearly the same amount of time, if anyone could figure out how to do it.
Honestly, for "sweatshop 3D," MYM isn't all that bad. The facial rigs are really good, and it's only when they auto-inbetween the keys that the transitions get jerky. The "A-team" animators are pretty good, and as they build a library of actions for the backgrounders to use, the way the ponies move should get better. The overall look... yeh... I'd kill for an Arcane-style MLP, but nobody's going to spend $10 million an episode on ponies just to hand-paint all the textures.
5660695
5660702
Then what did Tyrek absorb from them that rendered them unable to fly? He also stole the earth ponies "strength," according to the same episode. How did he do that if it wasn't some sort of magic?
There's some circumstantial evidence for earth pony magic and a lot for pegasus magic. This is a matter of probability. Trying to prove a negative in the real world is very difficult. Trying to do so in the make-it-up-as-you-go, self-contradictory world of a fictional kiddie show is futile.
5660731
All ponies were affected the same way when drained by Tirek. Ponies have magic just not special magic unique to them. Anyone can fly if they have wings, anyone can cast spells if they have a horn. All ponies get some amount of strength from magic but Earth Ponies being stronger has more to do with their lifestyle as farmers rather than any special magic unique to them.
5660725
Good point, even if I think they just said “pony magic” throughout that two-parter. Can’t count on myself to remember every episode, can I…
That point didn’t occur to me, though it makes total sense, building up a library of crowd animations. Everything else I knew, but said without being so technical or didn’t say to keep simple. Most of the points boil down to a much simpler physics engine and cheaper/smaller rendering farm than the film, in any case. Heck, it’s a guarantee Izzy got a manecut just to reduce the amount of particle work the render had to do!
We have the film character assets to thank for the solid facial rig base, if nothing else.
The overall look has positives, no two ways about it, and what limited current CG animation I’ve seen aimed at the same single-digits demographic (hey, little of that appeals to adults whatsoever) suggests it’s not actively worse than many of them. It’s more that, in the experience of watching it, it calls attention to its deficits far more than its merits. Not helped by having a stylistically-similar film right over there, on the same platform no less, to compare to, even if one does one’s best to avoid doing so, knowing that’s a losing game.
I’ll doubtless have more to say on this when I make my own post on the special. Hopefully I come across as knowing what I’m talking about to someone like yourself who does know what they’re talking about!
5660733
Yep, it's the contrast that really hurts. Upgrading may not be noticeable, whether it's animation, operating systems, automobiles, etc., but downgrading? Yeah, that almost always stings.
You seem to have a good grasp of the realities of the business as well as the process! Looking forward to your more complete thoughts. I have whole list of—cheap tricks, I guess you could call them—that I (gleefully) noticed.
5660732
You do you, dude!
5660746
Haha this always happens when I bring this up. The fandom wants to believe the headcanon is real so bad they just shut down once you start bringing up facts proving it isn't.
It's a great headcanon but I'll nevrr understand why people just refuse to accept its not actually canon.
That hits the ear so badly. It looks like it started in Pony Life, and somebody thought it was a good idea to retain it? Ergh.
I also don't like that they're trying to make "hoof to heart" its own catchphrase. It's coming across as way too forced.
I suppose the ancient Romans got along well enough without one...
Cosign. That wasn't "angry crowd" so much as "people who haven't yet realized the edibles are kicking in."
Zipp has difficulty flying, then sees that it's connected to the beam coming from the lighthouse. Bold move to try to get there as quickly as possible by flying. Reckless move to do it from such a great height.
Pipp recites exposition saying that Zipp used to love writing lyrics with her. Later, Pipp shows off what she has of her song so far, which is mostly the word "something" (because Zipp's been off trying to figure out what's wrong with the magic). I thought for certain that there'd be a payoff for that by the end of the episode, but nope. That was it.
"It's... it's the lantern my dad made for me." No. No, it is not. That is a completely different lantern. The top is almost completely different, the base is completely different -- it even has a different number of ribs. Worst of all, the carvings of the three pony races -- you know, the feature that gave the lantern all of its significance -- are completely gone. Why would Sunny recognize this? Why would she be happy about it?
"And there's the queen!" Flying under her own power from who knows how far away with her contingent of a whopping two guards! And apparently anyone can just wander up to her!
I kept waiting for a dramatic scene where the earth ponies -- who appear to wander back and forth over the trolley tracks without a care in the world -- get their hooves "glued" to the ground as the trolley approaches, but it never happened.
I don't know what the animators were going for with that whole sequence in the void, but it did not work. Some of it felt slow, some of it felt like it was at normal speed... that was supposed to be the big climactic action moment, and it didn't work.
On the whole, I would rank this higher than "Rainbow Roadtrip," but lower than anything from the actual Friendship Is Magic series. I can overlook the lower-budget animation, but only if the writing makes up for it. And the writing on this was hit-or-miss -- mostly miss. Way too much of characters saying things without justification or motivation, other than "this needs to happen to move the story along."
Maybe they tried to cram too many elements into the script? Show how things have progressed since the events of the movie and establish that bigotry is bad (again) and earth ponies have to regain their magic and Zipp has to have misgivings about eventually becoming queen and Sunny can't control her powers and Pipp runs a salon now and a dragon needs to be born... that's too many elements to fit into 45 minutes or so. I'm not using that as an excuse to justify some of the writing -- too often, the script has that "it's okay if it's lazy; kids won't know the difference" feel to it -- but it certainly didn't help.
And Hitch metamorphs even more into the new Fluttershy.
“If penetration testing isn’t a royal duty, it should be.”
—Princess Zipp Storm
Zagreus probably agrees
From that angle they should've have had to though.
With practice and determination.
She did scold Zipp that the thing was for their sake. And also was clearly not 100% on board with her daughter's leaving the nest.
I'm willing to believe she's just looking for excuses to see her child again. Pipp livestreams all the time so it's not like she's not keeping in touch.
Being best friends with the town's troublemaker and the implicit reason why she doesn't have a semi-permanent residence in the town slammer might be why he's so inclined to fence sitting.
This is the same guy who's first thought on seeing a pony feather was to lick it (giggity) and to open a steel box was to bite it.
I'm pretty sure Hitch has an oral fixation.