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Pannic2012-06-30 18:18:12

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In the event that you just clicked this more or less at random and have pretty much no idea what this is, allow me to explain:

Fallout: Equestria is a fanfiction, a crossover between the Fallout series of video games and the cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It may be the single most popular fanfiction in the entire fandom of the latter. The story is 45 chapters long plus an epilogue and an afterwards, clocks in at a word count higher than War and Peace (unless I'm mistaken one tragically misguided fan put the story on Wikipedia's "list of the longest books ever" page. Obviously it was removed), and has a large fanbase of its own, spawning fan art, fan adaptations, music, and even fanfiction of its own.

Fans have praised it for worldbuilding: the story actually does not go for the usual "character from video game meets ponies" premise a lot of lazy crossovers opt for, and instead works it into the backstory how we get from the universe in the show to the post-apocalyptic radioactive wasteland that we recognize from the Fallout games. Or I would recognize it if I'd played the games. As it is, I am waiting for a sale on Steam or GOG. The main characters of the story are all original characters, and they have been praised as "OC ponies done right" and "the best OC ponies in the fandom." In any case, the protagonist Littlepip is fairly instantly recognizable to many in the fandom, whether or not they've read the story. The story's length also qualifies it as something of an "epic." In any case, it has had praise heaped on it and is considered by many to be the best fanfic in the FiM fandom.

At this point, I have cleared chapter 13. I do not think the story deserves the praise it receives. I view it as horrendously overrated. As I go through the story, I will detail my problems with the story, along with general mockery.

The general Fallout: Equestria thread did not approve of my incessant riffing on the story and suggested I take it to a liveblog. Well, that's what I'll do.

A note that for the parts I have already read (the first thirteen chapters), I will be largely dealing from memory. As such, they will most likely not be as detailed as when I return to the stuff I haven't read. In any case, let's get started. Hopefully this isn't redundant as Perpetual Lurker is also doing a liveblog.

EDIT: It seems my complaining cannot be confined to a single fanfic. As such, I have decided to turn this into a multi-story liveblog!

Comments

Unknownlight Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 23rd 2013 at 6:34:35 PM
I tried reading the chapters you sent me. I couldn't stomach it. So it looks like you'll be reading it for me. =D

> "hey, that was a neat idea"

The concept of Snape hating Harry but adoring Rose could have been a clever idea, like you mentioned. Harry reminds Snape of James, who he hates, but Rose reminds him of Lily, who he loves. That would've been a legitimate and fairly creative way that the books would change had Harry been a girl. I was planning on mentioning this after reading the first Snape quote you included...and then you revealed this was written prior to Deathly Hallows.

Man, this story can't do anything right.

Is there any justification for Mc Gonagall adopting Rose considering the reason the Dursleys were taking care of Harry in the first place was because he was protected from Voldemort there?
Pannic Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 23rd 2013 at 7:43:24 PM
Nope. Bear in mind, that revelation didn't come until Deathly Hallows, which I mentioned came out after this was written.

Actually, the story just stopped updating after Deathly Hallows came out, 'cause it shot the fic to pieces. The author had screwed up canon too much to be able to plagiarize and have it work.
Unknownlight Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 23rd 2013 at 9:23:55 PM
It did?

...Oh yeah, it did. Huh. Apparently all the books have merged together in my mind.

What prevented Deathly Hallows from being adapted? I can't think of any changes that would simultaneously prevent him from plagiarizing the book without those changes to have significantly affected the books before (and preventing them from being plagiarized too).
Pannic Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 23rd 2013 at 10:18:42 PM
Well, one thing in particular has to do with Rose's relationship with Dumbledore. Rose makes a big deal about how they're so freaking close and it's like he's her grandfather.

Well, then when Deathly Hallows comes along, it turns out Dumbledore really didn't tell her all that much in the grand scheme of things - her being a horcrux, mainly. Not to mention how a big part of that book was how Dumbledore wasn't quite as wonderful as Harry once thought.

At least, that's a possibility. The basic facts are that chapter six or seven of Rose Potter and the Half-Blood got posted, then a couple weeks later Deathly Hallows hit the bookstore, and Rose Potter was never seen again.
Unknownlight Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 24th 2013 at 12:16:04 AM
Huh. That's...disappointing?

I'm not sure.

Is the author still around?
Pannic Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 24th 2013 at 12:28:48 AM
His most recent thing was some Star Trek Deep Space Nine fic that he started in April, posted a few updates going into May, aaaand that's the most recent activity on his fanfiction.net account. So hard to say.
Forsite Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 24th 2013 at 4:08:05 AM
So she wants to be nude so now she's converting to some nudist religion? Does Mc Gonagall believe in the druid religion? She seems to care enough to make sure Rose does. It seems like a dodgy way to go about converting someone Rose has no idea what druids even believe yet, what if they still did human sacrifice's like in some of the muggle fairy-tales she'd have read? It sounds like someone trying to set up a joke based around religious exception but the author does not seem to know humour
RN452 Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 24th 2013 at 7:59:07 AM
Serious, this guy needs to watch Diamond In The Rough. But I really found interesting how you analyzed the only interesting thing of this fanfic to be totally accidental.
ILSS Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 24th 2013 at 7:23:31 PM
You know, the thing about Fallout: Equestria was that it was sincerely fan fiction. The author liked the show and, for the most part, treated the canon characters with respect.
Fluttershy being the obvious exception, there.
Pannic Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 24th 2013 at 8:15:26 PM
I'd actually say Pinkie Pie was the one that came closest to the line. With Fluttershy it's less about the author not respecting the source material and more a matter of some of the story's more bothersome shticks, in this case the whole "not wanting to murder things is stupid" thing.
Seraphem Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 24th 2013 at 10:37:34 PM
Seriously? The story NEVER played Fluttershy as OOC, or ever in the story at all had a "not wanting to murder things is stupid" thing. I, I really have no clue what to say about that.

Again, so, it's bette to let a socipathic murdering rapist, go on raping torturing and murdering, when the only other option is to put them down?

As to Fluttershy, what she did was ENTRILY in character for her. Giving every side something she felt would save lives and end the war. her only issue was being to naive and to unwilling to even consider that her gift could be turned from a defensive use, to an offensive one.
KuroiTsubasaTenshi Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 25th 2013 at 9:37:47 AM
As to Fluttershy, what she did was ENTRILY in character for her. Giving every side something she felt would save lives and end the war. her only issue was being to naive and to unwilling to even consider that her gift could be turned from a defensive use, to an offensive one.

It's worth noting that she did this after witnessing firsthand during the first test that even the defensive version was seriously, I'd almost say irreparably flawed. It caused a catastrophic amount of extra suffering because whoever wasn't already dead got to get up and start shooting each other again. Any sane person would have rethought their approach after such a terrible backfire.

As to Pannic's current review, this almost makes me want to try to get into the actual series again (just wasn't feeling it and I have no idea why, since I did want to actually get into it) so I have more context on where all the characterization is dominoing. >.>
Seraphem Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 25th 2013 at 9:02:21 PM
Except the way she saw her plan going, it wouldn't have mater. neither side would have been able to kill anyone on the other side, either due to shields or healing. So fighting would become pointless.

Was it entirely naive, again, yes, but it's fully in character for Fluttershy.
KuroiTsubasaTenshi Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 25th 2013 at 10:08:02 PM
I find it pretty much impossible to believe that after such a horrifyingly traumatic field test, she would have remained that naive. The story made damn sure to turn all her intentions right around into causing more suffering, shove it in her face, then smear it all over her face like a clump of feces.
Sereg Since: Dec, 1969
Jul 26th 2013 at 2:04:17 PM
Fluttershy is the FOE character I respect the most. So, I certainly see the fic as treating her well.

Then again, I can be weird about these things.
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