General Show Chat - Season 7 Conversation Station

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Re: In-Season General Show Chat - Season 6 Conversation Stat

Postby Highbrow Dash (?) » Tue Sep 06, 2016 10:37 am

SlateSlabrock wrote:Starlight has the same issue Twilight did in season 4: They made her redemption a big event, but then it felt like they started writing the next season before deciding what to do with her. Season 4 Twilight was a princess in name only, with exactly one episode (outside of premiere/finale) touching on her new authority. In this season, Starlight has had three episodes that focus on her (the premiere, Trixie, and the Christmas episode), and then she's completely absent from everything else. Her cameo in the Changeling episode was her first for the second half of this season.

I don't think they need to force Starlight into every episode, but it feels sometimes like big story developments are kept sealed away from the day-to-day episodes when they could just be quietly acknowledged -- show some ponies greeting Princess Twilight, or have Starlight present in ensemble episodes (the cookie episode, the Parks&Rec episode). For example, she was there in the beginning of "Spice Up Your Life" when they rebooted the map. Small details go a long way.


I feel like they're trying really hard not to force her upon us. I mean these are new writers dealing with a new character that's supposed to be a new addition to the main cast in the 6th season of a show. It's easy to see how they don't wanna end up in a Poochie situation.

Of course, the real MLP Poochie is Discord, while Starlight is awesome and a great addition to the cast :pinkieshrug:
Last edited by Highbrow Dash on Thu Sep 22, 2016 4:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Zebran (?) » Tue Sep 06, 2016 7:45 pm

How's this for a thought? Anyone under the impression that the show has been losing its atmosphere lately? But especially compared to past seasons. In the broadest sense, I feel as though the show hasn't been as stimulating to the imagination as it used to be. (I guess "uninspired" could be a suitable word.)

Could be anything in terms of why this is. I've heard about there being some talk about the main characters are becoming increasingly mature -- and mature in the sense of there being less and less room for growth and development -- and with that, the potential and possibilities are undermined. With too little potential and possibilities, there's too little for the imagination to feed off of. Once all loose ends are tied and all questions answered, there's really nothing left. That's why this sort of thing only happens when the saga comes to a close. That's why there has to be questions left open, why there has to be potential left untapped but all within reason to maintain some mystery. Raise questions and give partial answers that are satisfying and solid in context but leave a lot open to interpretation when examined critically.

There really wasn't a lot of that in S6, IMO. It's like the writers have been doing too much to make episodes self-contained that too little, if anything, is left up to interpretation anymore. Making matters worse, if Starlight Glimmer's backstory is any indication, there doesn't seem to be much engagement to get the audience (or just me) to really want to dig deeper and explore the nooks and crannies of what was shown. In principle, Equestria is a land of many possibilities but if the episodes continue to show the more mundane aspects of Equestria, over time it becomes easier to forget how magical a world it is.

The kind of place Equestria is doesn't really have to be communicated by dialogue. It's something that can be communicated through aesthetics and presentation. Just having a monster show up can tell a lot, especially when they haven't been seen before.

In short, the show needs to make us curious again, give us things to think about and ponder on whether it is about the characters, the world, the history behind these things or their possible futures. Without that, I fear that the show might end up mundane and sterile.
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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Tue Sep 06, 2016 9:02 pm

I think the answer is yes and no.

First, there's the character development you mention. The main characters' stories have been pretty much wrapped up, and the CMC are graduating into that same position of, "We know our talents now, so what emotional issues do we need to fix?" I think it's a bit of a mistake from season 4 onward to not be introducing more secondary characters close to home who can drive stories, but if the show ends with season 7, maybe it's not a huge deal. If they do keep going, I think they'll be forced to make some big changes during the movie, à la Transformers G1 to G2. I also agree that Starlight is a missed opportunity.

Second, self-contained episodes. The show has always been very heavy on slice of life episodes set in town, and we get a handful of cool ideas throughout the season. This season, we did get the dragon episode, the Trixie/Starlight friendship episode, and the Patton Oswalt/Daring Do episode. And maybe the Christmas episode. So there are some episodes doing that world-building, but they were also more heavily weighted toward the first half of the season. The second half of the season has stumbled a few times, like the changeling episode, where a more confident author would've added more detail. I think the heavy slate of new writers is to blame; season 5 did better at world-building, so I hope season 7 (or the rest of this season!) is a return to form.

One frustrating thing: This season's theme was supposed to be, "Explore Equestria." So far, we've explored the dragon lands, Manehattan (again), Canterlot (again), the Wonderbolt academy (again), and the Crystal Empire (again). Spoilers suggest we'll get a little more before the end of the season, but I've had a "new town from the map" square on my bingo card that's gone unfilled this whole season.
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Postby Bremen (?) » Tue Sep 06, 2016 9:58 pm

That was actually why I brought up the new writers in the episode thread; I'd been noticing that while the good episodes are still really good, I felt more of the episodes this season have been, not bad, but just kinda forgettable. And I wondered if this might be due to new writers, both because new writers might want to try to stick with safe and comfortable premises for stories, and because many of the writers we know and love haven't had episodes.

Episodes by new writers this season: Gift of the Maud Pie, Newbie Dash, A Hearth's Warming Tale (which I really liked, to be fair), Applejack's Day Off, Flutter Brutter, Spice Up Your Life, 28 Pranks Later, The Times They Are a Changeling, and Buckball Season

Episodes by returning writers: The Crystalling, On Your Marks, Gauntlet of Fire, No Second Prances, The Saddle Row Review, The Cart Before the Ponies, Dungeons and Discords.

(Stranger Than Fan Fiction had split writing credit between a new and returning writer)

While I don't know if I would say there's a straight up universal quality difference between the two categories, I do think it seems like the second category is, on average, full of more memorable episodes, while the first tends more towards the status quo.
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Postby Soft Snow (?) » Wed Sep 07, 2016 2:22 am

I believe as the new writers go on to do more and more seasons they will get more familiar and comfortable with the kinds of stories they will write. I'm sure the quality will pick up in the next season after they get enough positive feedback from this season.
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Postby Dexanth (?) » Thu Sep 08, 2016 4:16 am

Soft Snow wrote:I believe as the new writers go on to do more and more seasons they will get more familiar and comfortable with the kinds of stories they will write. I'm sure the quality will pick up in the next season after they get enough positive feedback from this season. :allears:


Except since the staff keeps changing hardcore year on year now, we aren't seeing that same level of recursion.

It's definitely a clear example of the Too Many Cooks problem.
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Postby Mechanical Ape (?) » Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:23 pm

I worry that Silver Shill got stuck with a bad life deal due to his name.

My headcanon makes it OK by saying after he reformed, he changed his name to Silver Shilling and now helps ponies save money by avoiding scams. :yay:
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Postby Headless Horse (?) » Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:35 pm

If we're going to worry about ponies getting stuck with bad life deals due to their names in a universe of cutie marks...
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:51 pm

I'm going to run some more S4 episodes at 7:30 EST, or about an hour and a half from now, on the Pasture.

Headless Horse wrote:If we're going to worry about ponies getting stuck with bad life deals due to their names in a universe of cutie marks...

Well, consider how pony names and their cutie marks seem to be so closely linked. If the name a pony is given has a big influence on how that pony is treated during childhood, it'd thus likely influence his or her interests and therefore cutie mark. There's obviously some room for interpretation (as we saw with Trouble Shoes, how his mark could be seen either as a curse of bad luck or a skill in clowning), but still it's kind of a big deal.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Fri Sep 09, 2016 12:52 am

Headless Horse wrote:If we're going to worry about ponies getting stuck with bad life deals due to their names in a universe of cutie marks...

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Your MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue.

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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Thu Sep 15, 2016 1:33 pm

It's Thursday, so I'm going to be running more episodes from S4 tonight at 7:30 Eastern on the Pasture.
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Thu Sep 15, 2016 11:31 pm

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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Fri Sep 16, 2016 1:28 am

I'll be showing Twilight's Kingdom next week, and since I started this whole thing of rewatching old episodes with S5, that means next week will be my last showing in the Pasture. Maybe I'll go through all of S6 once the season is complete or something.
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Postby machchunk (?) » Sat Sep 17, 2016 11:33 pm

What artist/picture does this Rarity come from?
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Postby die Fledermaus (?) » Sun Sep 18, 2016 4:52 am

Headless Horse wrote:If we're going to worry about ponies getting stuck with bad life deals due to their names in a universe of cutie marks...


I really want someone who's name doesn't match their cutie mark at all.
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Postby Highbrow Dash (?) » Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:00 pm

shotgunbadger wrote:
I really want someone who's name doesn't match their cutie mark at all.


Well there's Cheerilee and her bullshit rationalization for her mark.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:01 pm

shotgunbadger wrote:
I really want someone who's name doesn't match their cutie mark at all.

"Jim the horse".
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Your MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue.

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Your brain is about 20% tumor.
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:19 pm

Highbrow Dash wrote:
Well there's Cheerilee and her bullshit rationalization for her mark.

Flowers don't ordinarily have smiling faces. If her mark were just plain flowers then I'd be more inclined to agree with you that hers was dumb, but there's always going to be a certain degree of abstraction when it comes to a cutie mark.
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Postby Skipper (?) » Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:32 pm

Highbrow Dash wrote:
Well there's Cheerilee and her bullshit rationalization for her mark.

Or Rarity's.

:heehaw: "I'm a famous designer and I have three meth crystals as a cutie mark."
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Postby Skipper (?) » Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:32 pm

... Wait, no. Hers makes perfect sense, actually...
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Sun Sep 18, 2016 3:21 pm

I think we can all agree that Applejack has perfectly represented her cutie mark.
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Postby DerFurShur (?) » Sun Sep 18, 2016 5:33 pm

Pinkie's destiny is making balloon animals for crying children at fairs for the rest of her life. Instead she decided to start telling people she plans parties.
"Why does life have to be so IRONIC?" :milkshake:
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Postby Headless Horse (?) » Mon Sep 19, 2016 2:35 am

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Postby Mechanical Ape (?) » Mon Sep 19, 2016 1:32 pm

Boy, when you put it like that it almost seems a little ... ridiculous. :ponder:
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Postby die Fledermaus (?) » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:54 am



not as fun when it's not lyrical
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Thu Sep 22, 2016 9:19 pm

I'll be doing my final old episode rewatch tonight on the Pasture, about two hours from now. All we've got left is Twilight's Kingdom.
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Postby Soft Snow (?) » Thu Sep 22, 2016 11:30 pm

Alright, I made it. I'm here for the final viewing.
:yay:
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Postby Niels Olof (?) » Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:20 pm

The crowning piece in my art collection finally came from the framer:

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The original page 16 from Friends Forever #29 by Brenda Hickley. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting her at GalaCon 2016.

The rest of that part of the wall:
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Postby Mr. Big (?) » Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:29 pm

Oh wow, awesome! That's a neat addition
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Postby Skipper (?) » Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:34 pm

Wow Niels, super cool. :allears:
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Postby Niels Olof (?) » Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:40 pm

I'm well on the other side of chuffed, I must admit. :awesomedash:
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Postby Skipper (?) » Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:50 pm

That middle one in the top row is super fabulous as well. :vogue:
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Postby PonyHag714 (?) » Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:16 pm

It looks great. Image
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Postby PaulloDEC (?) » Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:44 pm

Great wall, and I love that new page. Can't get enough of Brenda Hickey's art.
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Postby Dexanth (?) » Mon Sep 26, 2016 5:52 am

I really really need to get my comic page framed asap. And like a bunch of other pony art I have. Except that I go WHERE DO I HANG IT NOW :twonk:
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Postby Niels Olof (?) » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:06 am

Dexanth wrote:I really really need to get my comic page framed asap. And like a bunch of other pony art I have. Except that I go WHERE DO I HANG IT NOW :twonk:


The amount of art on my walls exploded once I had hanging rails installed throughout – it is totally unobtrusive, and once it's up, it takes but a few moments to hang a picture. You still need to have the wall space obviously, but it makes it much easier to change pictures on what you have. At this point, I think I might be able to squeeze in one more picture in my bedroom, but after than it will be a question of ever changing exhibitions :vogue:
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Postby Octavia (?) » Mon Sep 26, 2016 2:52 pm

I keep banning myself from buying new pony art every year at Bronycon and yet I keep buying more. I have a whole lot of art rolled up in my closet because I have no place to put it. :fluttershock:
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Postby The Doctor (?) » Mon Sep 26, 2016 5:00 pm

Niels Olof wrote:The crowning piece in my art collection finally came from the framer:

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The original page 16 from Friends Forever #29 by Brenda Hickley. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting her at GalaCon 2016.

The rest of that part of the wall:
Image


I have that same Celestia and Luna piece by Andy Price on my wall.
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Postby Soft Snow (?) » Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:13 am

I am so jealous of your art work. I just have toys in my room.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:23 pm

I bought a Kefka poster for my brother, and he intentionally left it here when he moved.

I should buy a frame.
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Your MRI results have shown total infection to now be approximately one fifth of the full mass of the tissue.

"So you're saying..."

Your brain is about 20% tumor.
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