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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

Sereg Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 14th 2013 at 2:33:31 PM

Hey, I still like talking about it with you and I'm a fan!

But yeah, agreed on the fact that Littlepip is treated way better than certain others with similar crimes.

And yes, her launching the SPP wihout first using the Gardens of Equestria was stupid.

I thought her being the spark was clever, bu it's undermined if she hasn't found all the bearers by the end of the story (and noi, the epiloue doesn[t count for that).

Seraphem Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 14th 2013 at 8:24:18 PM

Yeah w all know just how diametrically opposed I am on, pretty much EVERYTHING about this story. And how i pretty much freaking loathed reading most of your entrees, but most of that was due to you trying to ape Yahtzee, and I just cannot fucking stand him.

Though it did at least get me to write my own blog for it, which will be done soon as well :(

And yeah I think it MORE the deserves the praise and love it's gotten. It is by far one of the best stories period I've ever read and I freaking love it.

As to the differnce between Li'lpip and redeye's plan for he SPP, redeye would have simply blasted all the clouds, and left everyponyo fend for hemselves, Li'lpip kept as much farmlanf as she could intact to give time for the Gardens to be fired, and the reason it couldn't wait till after they had been, was this was the only way to break The Enclaves power. And stop their war, ending the fighting and slaughter long enough to actaully find the ponies.

And yes Spike spent centuries looking, but 1. he is only one person, now they have hundreds out looking. 2. he was looking for a complete set, trying to find 6 ponies that were already a group, or formed into a group and all matched up as a bearer, not for the bearers as individuals.

And if all else failed, Li'lpip could use the SPP to restore more of the cloud farms if needed. Something Redeye would never do.

Unknownlight Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 15th 2013 at 10:10:46 AM

This is the end, so two questions:

1. Even though it's obvious that you dislike the story, do you actually regret reading it? Was it at all worth the massive amount it took to read and write about it all?

2. Again, you say clearly that you don't believe the story deserves the praise its gotten, but are you surprised by its popularity? There's a big difference there.

Anyway, thank you for spending so much time writing about this all. I loved reading your posts; they sometimes made me think, and they were always hilarious. I'm also glad that you inspired Seraphem to write a liveblog as well—it's not often any book gets two complete commentaries with utterly opposing viewpoints, and I'm glad Fallout: Equestria got one.

Thank you for your time. I'll be following this blog for any other fics you write about in the future.

RN452 Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 15th 2013 at 7:17:03 PM

I must say that was an enjoyable ride. Since I don't have interest in both series, but thanks to This Very Wiki, I know the overall lore of it, I could enjoy it. I would have to read the original work to form a opinion worthy of debate but, since I won't do this, I guess I'll have to trust in third-party opinions. Perhaps you could expand from MLP, going to other fandoms, I don't know, try to find an equally popular fic that you think it is overrated, or a really divisive one, like Shinji And Warhammer 40k.

Pannic Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 15th 2013 at 7:43:18 PM

Been toying with the idea of looking at a few Sweeney Todd fics. There might be some fun to be had here.

As for your questions, Unknownlight

1. I can't say I regret it. It's certainly been fun to talk about, and if it's fun to talk about then that makes it worth it, unless reading it were a downright painful experience (which it wasn't).

2. I'm not sure. Things like My Little Dashie and Romance Reports, which I also dislike, have also become extremely popular in this fandom. And Fallout: Equestria, boring action scenes aside, at least isn't forgettable - sometimes it gets that sense of "epicness," but part of me suspects that with the very slow first chapters, it wouldn't have the kind of popularity it does if it weren't a Fallout crossover.

Unknownlight Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 15th 2013 at 11:13:33 PM

By the way, will you be continuing the Murky Number Seven liveblog, or does that not count as something you hate?

Pannic Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 16th 2013 at 8:19:14 AM

Possibly, but unlikely, as A. I really like it, and B. I read a bit far ahead to do a good chapter-by-chapter summary.

Seraphem Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 16th 2013 at 8:39:38 AM

Well, mine for FOE is from someone whose already read the whole thing once. So that's not really a stopping point.

Kkatman Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 19th 2013 at 4:26:58 AM

Congratulations on the end of an epic effort.

I know I rarely commented, but I enjoyed reading this for the humor (even though, yes, I often wondered how you could come to some of your opinions). And you have made a few excellent points along the way, which are good to think about. I'm glad you've provoked discussion, and I love that you prompted Seraphem's opposing liveblog.

I do hope that you chose to move onto something more positive (maybe Pannic Reads Stuff He Loves?)... I think you'll be happier for it. (And, frankly, Yahtzee-style hatefests are about as fresh and original as the color beige. The Yes-Man thing would have been so much better.)

Do you still plan to write a Fallout: Equestria fanfiction of your own?

Pannic Since: Dec, 1969

Apr 19th 2013 at 8:51:34 AM

I do, though that's slow going as I'm lazy and have other fanfiction projects. I've finished a first chapter what clocks in at about 12k words, and I'm currently working on the second chapter.