Live Blogs Pannic Reads Stuff He Hates

Pannic2012-06-30 18:18:12

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

RichReeders Since: Dec, 1969

Jul 11th 2012 at 9:11:08 AM

...and then they fuck.

No. Really.

Sereg Since: Dec, 1969

Jul 11th 2012 at 10:34:01 AM

"OH BOY I SURE TOTALLY MISSED THE RAPE STUFF FROM THE EARLIER CHAPTERS EEYUP"

Well, I'm the last person who wants to read about rape, but at least we're not seeing the act itself. And to pretend that it doesn't happen would be unrealistic.

I admit that you're right about the stupidity of the raiders. They're a little too For The Evulz for me. I far prefer the other conflicts of the fic. However, I know how incredibly evil people can be in real life, so maybe even I'm not being cynical enough. Raiders like these might not even make the news in my country. Though, as you said, the colt would have run or at least tried to shoot back in a realistic situation. However, I'd have shot the colt even if he was running. The fact that my country lets people get away with such actions is the reason that it's the rape capitol of the world and has one of the highest murder rates in the world. I don't care if they're a child.

"And. Now he's going to be executed... what. He's reintroduced immediately and now he's gonna be killed off... what? This is fucking stupid. "

This does serve a poin in Littlepip's character development.

"Monterey Jack: "Yeah, I'll totally blab even though I probably know this'll get me killed leaving my kids helpless. Something about 'corrupted virtues' and some sort of moral there." People do not act like this. "

Honestly, I could totally identify with Montery Jack there and can even see myself doing the same thing, even before the reveal of his additional motives.

CrimsonFlameKnight Since: Dec, 1969

Dec 1st 2012 at 7:05:41 PM

While I would take up your offer of The Walking Dead, I detest zombies and anything with them as a major backdrop is going to fall under "I don't give a fuck about this shit". :P

" This story doesn't seem to be able to go beyond "murder and loot" or "not murder and loot" and the answer is almost always "murder and loot." "Also, I'm a self-righteous hypocrite and I treat my friends like shit."

At least it's better than The Hunger Games, right? :P

Pannic Since: Dec, 1969

Dec 1st 2012 at 8:58:00 PM

Actually, I'd say The Hunger Games, at least the first book (haven't read either of the sequels), is a lot better than this fic. It does first-person narration a hell of a lot better, as it's used to illustrate the protagonist's personality - mainly, she's practically emotionally dead and is humanized through her interactions with the few characters she does care about, mainly Prim and Rue. She's very stoic, which has the bonus of her not throwing as much angst at the reader. Katniss isn't a likable character, but I don't think she's supposed to be. That's the key difference. The Hunger Games doesn't tell me that I'm supposed to admire her. It's made pretty clear that the whole "Girl on Fire" thing was a media ploy being spun by her dress designer.

Littlepip, on the other hand, is a vindictive, self-righteous twat, but the story assumes that I'm gonna root for her just... 'cause. But the thing is, I don't like this character, and the story's insistence that I admire her is grating. Her narration is also loaded with her commenting every time she's angry or horny or she has something to angst about.

Katniss also has a substantially lower murder count.

CrimsonFlameKnight Since: Dec, 1969

Dec 1st 2012 at 10:08:32 PM

"Katniss also has a substantially lower murder count."

Considering the entire premise of THG, I don't think that should be counted as a point in her favor.