Audience-Alienating Premise: Cerebral logic puzzles and arcade games are two great tastes that don't necessarily taste great together.
For the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfic
Catharsis Factor: Despite being on the side of good, Discord became a Base-Breaking Character in the original story thanks to the Draco in Leather Pants treatment he was given at the expense of Celestia, not to mention being practically unbeatable. Here, he gets hit with The Worf Effect courtesy of the Imperials, depriving the heroes of an easy way out while also giving some satisfaction to those who thought he was outright unbearable in the original story.
Character Rerailment: In a way for the Imperials, giving them more sympathetic moments and in-depth characterization with the narrative making it clear that they are still Equestria, albeit one that's lost its way.
Slow-Paced Beginning: The narrative takes a bit to build up to the overall Myth Arc. To give an example, the entirety of Act One is 250,000 words long.
