In which I give in to the hype.
Okay, I've never done something like this before, so forgive me if the format I chose here is annoying. What I'm going to do here is write my thoughts on a chapter of Fallout Equestria as they come, then give a summary of my opinions at the end of a chapter.
Prologue + Chapter 1
- Okay, the intro makes no attempt at hiding what's in store here, but it doesn't exactly tell much either.
- So, PipBucks appear to be the gadget to end all gadgets here. I know that all of the things it can do are what the Pip Boys do in the Fallout games, but that's a lot of useful abilities that other characters don't have, especially the edge in combat. (Why would that functionality even be built in to them, anyway? At least in Fallout, the people inside the Vaults were never meant to leave. Why build in combat assistance for a device meant to assist in everyday work in the Stable?)
- Unicorn Master Race, eh? Not a fan, but what are you going to do?
- At least they're smart enough to recognize that living in a bunker is plenty depressing. Most post-apocalyptic stories either ignore it just have the characters go completely insane with no attempts to stave it off.
- Obvious crush is obvious, not that there's anything wrong with that.
- You know, ditching the best survival tool you have is probably a bad way to go about going out into a very hostile environment.
- CMC 3 BFF? Real subtle.
- Ahhh... skeletons. I see we're off to a great start
Thoughts on Prologue+Chapter 1:
Well, it's certainly well written, but I really wasn't expecting otherwise. Aside from my musings over the Batman level of gadgetry in the PipBucks, I really couldn't think of anything wrong with it. Of course, the story's hardly started, so we'll see how things go.
Chapter 2
- How does she even know what sounds he's hearing? I doubt insects were a subject taught in Stable School.
- Sweet Apple Acres? Where in the world is that thing getting its map data from? If it had old records on file all this time, why didn't anypony look at them?
- Chekhov's Terminal, I presume?
- Looks like slavers. This is going to end in blood.
- ...or immediate capture, that works too. The blood can come later.
- How does a pony get a talent for cheese in the Wasteland? Come to think of it, how does Pip even know what cheese is? How much useless (for life in the Stable) knowledge did they teach these ponies?
- Ah, human profanity. At least I hear that Pip gets creative with hers later on.
- And there's the blood. Reminds me of that famous scene from Scanners. You know the one.
- Pip is a competent fighter? That was fast. I guess having that gadget helps, but it doesn't exactly teach you how to pull off roundhouse bucks.
- Are you feelin' lucky, punk?
- At least Pip also wonders how his map knows everything, too.
- That's one lazy sniper. It had all the time in the world to kill them on the bridge.
- And the CMC were the first Overmares, as if that wasn't made obvious enough by the passcode last chapter.
Thoughts on Chapter 2:
And so the bloodbath begins. Pip learns fast. Almost too fast. A good bit of Fridge Logic too on how she could know so little about the outside world yet still know about the little things, but lets just assume that they can somehow synthesize cheese in the Stables. Still not a fan of exploding ponies, but it'll only get worse from here on out, so I'd better get used to it. It's certainly entertaining, but I do hope it doesn't rush Pip's development here.
That's all, for now. I'll probably continue later, but I make no promises. Peace out.
Comments
storyyeller
Since: Dec, 1969
May 8th 2012 at 7:22:22 PM
Actually Sweetie Belle was the overmare. Apple Bloom was sending her instructions.
Also, the Bag Of Holding gets abused far more later. As does mass telekinesis, though at least Pip trains first for that.
Seraphem
Since: Dec, 1969
May 8th 2012 at 7:27:49 PM
not at all, they are very very true to cannon, yes there is some deviation, but nothing that can't be explained by several years of constant warfare and stress from trying to save as many ponies as they can while ending the war.
Only watcher can actaully hack them and take control of one to communicate both ways, and Red Eye can doa blanket Hack now and then that just uses them to relay his broadcast....which was the original purpose of the sprite bots, serve as an Equestria wide means of rapidly sending important messages that every pony needs to know. Basicly the Equestrian emergency Broadcast system.
As to Breaburn, since this was before it became cannon that EP's had innate magic, FOE EP's don't instead they are the most tech savvy.
lil'macintosh, yeh she scored big with that, once she gets a decent ammo supply for it it becomes her go to weapon.
Seraphem
Since: Dec, 1969
May 8th 2012 at 7:29:35 PM
oh yeah forgot the overmare part. though the bag of holding's not completely ridiculous, they do occasionally end up with more vendor trash then they can carry and need a pit stop to sell some, but ti's way more then any pony should be able to carry.
Sereg
Since: Dec, 1969
May 9th 2012 at 3:47:11 AM
Most of what I would say has already been mentioned, but yeah, most of this is explained later. As said, the earth ponies are almost all technolgical geniuses in FOE having invented pretty much everything. So despite your earlier concerns, we don't have unicorn master race syndrome here. Also, remember that a parrelal role doesn't indicate a parrelal attitude here. Pinkie has noble reasons for being Big Sister and similar situations will turn up later in the story.
PerpetualLurker
Since: Dec, 1969
May 9th 2012 at 7:18:28 AM
Well, having all Earth Ponies be technologically savvy doesn't sit well with me either. Being good at engineering is a mental attribute, which their race should really have any effect on. It implies that a unicorn or a pegasus are naturally dumber than Earth Ponies, even when the story itself shows otherwise. I mean, Pip is incredibly good with tech, and was even a technician back in the Stable. Is Pip just special, or something?
Sereg
Since: Dec, 1969
May 9th 2012 at 1:49:58 PM
Nah, finicky jobs like repair are better suited for unicorns so Littlepip is quite ordinary there (though you'll meet a character who has a special talent not typically associated with his race). Earth ponies are better at building new things. And even then, it's just a rough guideline. It's less to do with the earth ponies being smarter than it is to do with the races thinking slightly differently. Earth ponies are imaginitive and grasp how to make things.
storyyeller
Since: Dec, 1969
May 9th 2012 at 6:26:43 PM
There's actually a debate near the end about Earth pony superiority.
Seraphem
Since: Dec, 1969
May 9th 2012 at 6:36:45 PM
yeah the over all stance of the fic is that all three races have there own pros and cons, but that they are all equally important, that only when all three races are balanced and in harmony do things really work right.
