Imperfectionist

Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

-nods- Reasonable. I don't think I understood that the player wanted everyone else to adhere to her/his version instead of their own.

Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

Brovo said
Apparently one form of fire magic that involves summoning gun powder out of thin air and lighting it on fire is more realistic than just summoning fire in the same space. Makes the head spin, doesn't it?

Hmm. Not necessarily. I think I understand where this person is coming from, as in real life, fire doesn't erupt out of nothing. It always has fuel. So, fire magic that involves physical, actual fuel rather than mystical fuel (the "spell energy" that fuels the flame in most fire magic) can be seen as more realistic, in a somewhat superficial way.

I mean, in real life, there's no such thing as mystical energy that is able to fuel fire, but there are a wide variety of substances that are flammable. Take a real-life flammenwerfer, for example. It doesn't "throw" fire, not really. It throws gasoline which has been lit on fire, in turn causing whatever is coated in said flaming gasoline to burn. What I can imagine is a conjurer/alchemist who uses various substances to achieve similar effects to fire magic, but is much more versatile. Burning conjured gunpowder or oil is very different from burning phosphorous, for example.

Where it falls apart is when you say "this way is better", because obviously it isn't. It's just different. I would allow both methods, if I was running a magic-based RP, even if one of them would make more sense in the real world.

EDIT: It could still get more complex, though. If you use "more realistic" to mean "makes more sense in-universe", THEN you have to get into arguments about the intricacies of magical energy and magical theory in whatever universe you happen to be in... So it becomes case-by-case, and ultimately up to the GM to decide. What was the result of the discussion, Brovo? Did the GM allow both?

Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

Brovo said
On-Topic: Has anyone else encountered someone proclaiming their version of magic is more realistic than someone else's version of magic?
Because this bothers me to no end.

Can you give a specific example, Brovo? This is a very complex concept, especially considering all of the different interpretations of magic out there.

Which kind of magic did this person claim was more realistic?

Equestria Divided - The War for Harmony

:) Well, there's nothing stopping us from interacting with the zebras, is there? Especially when we get to the Forest episode. They've always struck me as only somewhat loyal to Fluttershy and her strange Forest ponies. Vetzu could definitely still be a vehicle for fleshing them out...

What if she tells some other stories, maybe not the origin, but stories of her ancestors or some other gods? I really would like to read that.

Equestria Divided - The War for Harmony

-hugs- I'm sorry. I just hope you get what I'm talking about.

It wasn't poorly written; I don't want to discourage you from writing more legends and ancient stories...

Equestria Divided - The War for Harmony

You know, Frettzo... -sigh- I don't want to bring this up, but maybe I have to.

I know this is Equestria and all, but there are some very unfortunate implications involved in that origin story. Um, the zebras (being equines that live in Africa) have an African-influenced culture. African people have dark skin. In your story, it's the black brother who is unkempt, dirty and vengeful, envious of Khem (who has a clean, soft white coat). Kellah sends a black mare, who falls in love with Khem, and of their offspring, quote, "the whitest of them would rise to the task of leading Khem's people".

White=good, black=bad. :( I don't like it, Frettzo. I really don't.

EDIT: I know this isn't what you intended, but it's very easy to get that out of it, especially considering that they're zebras.

EDIT 2: In an Equestrian zebra origin story, what I expected more than anything was two different tribes, one with black coats and one with white coats, coming together in harmony after some kind of disaster. They thought they were enemies, but when the time came, each tribe came to the other's aid. Thus, a new tribe was formed, both black and white, and that's who the zebras are descended from. I mean, sure, it could do with a lot more fluff than that, but off the top of my head, that's the basic story I would have gone with. The whole white brother/black brother thing just does not compute.

I think it's cool that you put the effort into coming up with a legend for the dawn of the zebras, I really do, but the implications are overwhelming to me.

Equestria Divided - The War for Harmony

Speaking of which, we've lost the image. Kilt, can you edit this one in:

New Cult Forces Image

Just copy the raw image code, and replace the one in the OP. I checked the other images, and they seem to be fine.

Pokemon: Opal Version

Okay, yeah, my sheet is taking much longer than I expected. I've ended up writing like five characters, instead of just Baobab... Hopefully you three are still here?

Equestria Divided - The War for Harmony

grimdarkenigma said
Still interested just been uber busy. Anyway yeah ill start fleshing her out in the morning

Fabulous.

BlazingxLynx said
I'm still in too, just getting my cs evaluated.

:) Could you send it to me as well? I don't think I've seen yours.

TheSeriousJoke said
Got it! It'll take a while to work on, though. I have thought her out more, it's just that I was taught show, not tell when it came to writing, so I sort only give the basics when I start out and then let the character show the rest through the story. But I'll still try to add more and I'll probably get an updated one up in a few days or so.

I understand the sentiment, but the character sheet also serves as a sample of your writing style, you know? If you want, you don't have to change it at all. Just send me and Kilt an IC post, so we know that you know what you're doing.

Derpestein said
Thanks for that, Ms. Imper!

I kinda think that people who desert the cult would have assassins after them or something...

:P I usually go by "Impy". Rolls off the tongue better. And... yeah. Assassins are the least of their worries, by my reckoning (see Smiling Doll).

Equestria Divided - The War for Harmony

Nightingale

If you're still with us, enigma, Kilt has decided to accept your Dreamwalker. Evidently, he was impressed by the sample, and just wants Nightingale to be fleshed out a bit in the IC (since you were included in those PMs, maybe you just aren't interested anymore). Here's the sample, if anyone is interested:

Nightingale IC Post

Nightingale grumbled as she hopped onto her cot. Her father, a dark grey thestral stood waiting for her. He nodded and closed his eyes. She setteled into her bed and before long sleep took her. The next thing she knew she was in a wide green field. The moon hung heavy and full above, bathing the plain below with pale light. She had entered her dreamscape, a portion of her mind that was active when she was asleep. Before long she spotted her father appear before her.

"Now then it seems you have already brought your dreamscape forth," he cast a hardened gaze around the glade," Good it seems you have been training your mind like I have told you. Now then the next step envision looking down at your body as you sleep. Note the subtle way your chest rises and falls as you sleep, the way your ears occasionally flick or how your eyes move under your shut eyelids."

Nightingale did as she was told. Suddenly the field fell away and Nightingale found herself above her body. She was in her bedroom. She looked over at her father. He was laying on the floor, asleep. Around his head there was a bright blue glow. She felt an odd hollow feeling in her stomach as she looked down at her body. It was a strange feeling to say the least.

"Do you notice that glow around my head?"

Nightingale was startled by her fathers voice. She looked around but didn't see him.

"Do not worry my little star," her father's voice chuckled," I still reside in your dreamscape that is why you can hear me. Now then what you are experiencing is a form of Astral Projection. Your soul has literally left your body but be cautious my little star should you stray too far from your body it will die." Nightingale shivered at that but held her projection." Now then do you see that glow around my body's head? That glow shows when a sentient creature is dreaming. The brighter the glow the healthier and stronger the mind. To tap into another dreaming pony's mind you need only focus on that glow and you will be able to look into their dream. Look into the next room."

Nightingale did as she was told and floated into the next room. She smiled to herself, Alright I'm getting the hang of this. The unicorn that had been posted outside their room had fallen asleep. His body glowed with a blue aura that was slightly duller than her father's.

"Now then focus on that glow. Reach your mind out and touch it," her father commanded.

Nightingale reached her mind out and then found herself in the unicorn's head... and automatically regretted it. The guard and one of the maids were doing...questionable things.

"Oh~ Harder you sorry excuse for a guard! HARDER!"

Nightingale just stared at the scene before her in utter shock. After a moment she broke her concentration and got out of the dream like she had Nightmare Moon on her tail. She reappeared inside her own dreamscape just in time to see her father rolling on the grass laughing his tail off.

"HAHAHAAH, Oh by Luna that is hilarious," he managed between gasps," Oh goddess I can't breathe."

Nightingale glared at him, unamused," Do you know how much brain bleach I'm gonna need after that," she shuddered.

After a few breathes her father stood up still chuckling," Sorry my little star I had no idea he was dreaming....that. Anyway before you got out of there like bat out of Tartarus did you notice anything peculiar."

"That's gonna be a no. I was too busy wanting to gouge my eyes out," she shuddered, again.

"Well other than that did you at least feel an elated feeling?"

Nightingale reluctantly looked back at the experience. She had felt an odd pleasure start to climb up her limbs now that she thought about it.

"Well that was because you were connected to his mind at the time. You will feel what they are feeling, be it fear, pain," he held back a chuckle," Pleasure." If looks could kill Nightingale's father would have been toast but he continued," Now then to do what we do as Night Terror's you must start to change the dream as you would change you own dream. But you must start small. Make small changes at first or you risk shocking the pony awake. In doing this you can slowly begin to open their mind to yours granting you access to their memories. From there its only a matter sifting through every memory until you find what yu are looking for. Now then for more skilled dreamwalkers like me you can even alter these memories to some degree."

"So how do you protect yourself from being the victim of a dreamwalker?" Nightingale asked.

"Meditation is key. You must have a string will and even stronger senses. In the coming months I will train you in to to fortify your mind and drive somepony off. As well I will teach you how to draw another into your dreamscape and from there torture them as you see fit."

Nightingale grimaced slightly at that. She had seen what some of the veteran Night Terror's had done to some of the prisoners they caught. They would make them witness their own death several hundred times over in every painful way possible. In the end they would become crazier than cultists. Nightingale wondered what happened to the art of dreamwalking. It used to be a way for family and friends to share tales, stories. It was a way for the flock to stay connected, now it was a method for torture. Nothing good could come of this.

(Followed by:)

Essentialy Dreamwalking can only be done when one is asleep (obviously) and the dreamwalker when they go onto a lucid dreaming state can leave their body behind. Similair to Astral Projection. Starting out a novice can maybe span a mile radius before feeling their body start to die whereas a master can go for ten or so miles. The initial manipulation is done by altering little things in the dream at first and then slowly morphing it into a straight up nightmare. Once that is done the victim is locked in the dream, allowing the assailent to peruse their memeories and even to some extent alter them. For Nightingale amd every other Thestral this talent often calls back to their talent. Nightingale essentually works in misdirection so she when she dreamwalks she will more often than not alter anothers view on her through subtle hints and what have you.

---

Tipsy Joker

Derp, I assume that you and Kilt have discussed the character, seeing as the Cult is his specialty, but there wouldn't be any trouble in putting him on the backburner. :) Whenever you get some inspiration, you can come back and jump right in. As for its current state, well, I'll just say that discussing the implications of leaving the Cult with Kilt would be a very good idea. It might even break your writer's block!

---

Starlight

There's some definite potential here, Joke! I think, if you fleshed her out a bit more, Starlight could be very easily accepted. Maybe you could write about what she thought of the Forest itself, of living the life of a Wildling for so many years. Will she have trouble re-acclimating to life in civilization (such as it is)? Does she have any lingering sense of loyalty to the Lady? Does she have more family in Equestria that could play important roles in the story?

Stuff like that, and anything else you can think of, to give us a better idea of what Starlight is like. Right now, the sheet's a little thin.

---

Halindrix
(Honorable Mention)

I'm afraid you've misunderstood the level of power we wish the characters to have. They need to be... mortals, basically. A draconequus is just asking for trouble. Not even Discord himself is in any of the literature for the setting. He was around in the past, but since the Collapse no one has seen him. If you want to make a character who is a pony, or a griffon or one of the more reasonable races, that would be perfectly fine, but a demigod simply will not fit the tone.