[GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion

Welcome to the Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion Thread!
This is the place to discuss Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons, a Fallout/MLP:FiM crossover fic by Somber. Story discussion is on the left, group therapy to the right. Please try to schedule your emotional breakdowns when they don't conflict with anyone else's.

Rules
We have just a few simple rules here.

1. Don't put down Somber.
   
2. Project Horizons is a grimdark fic which deals with adult topics, so we might discuss subjects that some readers may find uncomfortable. Be mature about it.
   
3. If Somber or a member of the editing team says to end a discussion, please do so.
   
4. Spoilers abound. If you're not current on the fic, we recommend that you catch up before you read on.
   
5. Looking for random discussions that may or may not have anything to do with the story? Check out the [Official!] Project Horizons Comment Crew Chat thread!
   
6. Have fun!
   

People You Should Know
Somber: The author of Project Horizons, creator of Blackjack, maker of awesomeness, is a small gray mare who lives in the head of a guy named David. Ignore her claims of suckage.
Bronode, O. Hinds, and swicked (also formerly Hidden Fortune and Snipehamster): Your editing team. They make awesome writing look all shiny and pretty.
Kkat: The author of the original Fallout: Equestria. Not a participant in this discussion (yet), but you should be aware of her anyway. If you haven't read FOE, why are you even here? Go! Read!

Somber's Tip Jar
Thank-yous of the monetary variety may be made through PayPal. Simply click on Send Money, send it to David13ushey@gmail.com and mark it as a personal gift.

Story Links
GoogleDocs chapter index - Links to every chapter, plus FOE and FOEPH resources, media, and story download formats.
.epub Format - Thanks to Scorch_Mechanic.
LaTeX ebook .pdf - Thanks to ThePowersGang.
Nallar's Fanfic Archive - An auto-updated collection of fics offered in a variety of formats including Kindle .mobi, .epub, and .html.

swicked wrote:

Icy Shake wrote:If Somber or a member of the editing team says to end a discussion, please do so.

Holy crud, I totally forgot about that rule. I now have some kinda unofficial mod powers?  Yay!   
Now, if only I could get some real ones...

Just remember it only applies to this thread.

@Robo read it after I asked about it a while back, good but the author needed to learn how to elaborate a bit. The story was far too brief for what it could have been.

@swicked oh dear.

Have you read the sequel?

Yeah, he did better with the length there. It wanders from the inspiration in the first story I liked though, so though I finished it I wasn't the biggest fan.

In other news, I'm up to 11 in ph again. I remember all of this, but it has been so long since I read it that it all feels fresh again. Finding some errors still, but as I lack a computer it's difficult to report them. A main one I recall was Dusty's story over cards refers to a 'He,' but never indicates who that is (Ch. 9).

Vergil wrote:Yeah, he did better with the length there. It wanders from the inspiration in the first story I liked though, so though I finished it I wasn't the biggest fan.

In other news, I'm up to 11 in ph again. I remember all of this, but it has been so long since I read it that it all feels fresh again. Finding some errors still, but as I lack a computer it's difficult to report them. A main one I recall was Dusty's story over cards refers to a 'He,' but never indicates who that is (Ch. 9).

Ah, thank you.

I'll make more of an effort to record the other things I spot hinds. I'm trying to locate a comma that was breaking up a word somewhere around 9 that I saw this morning...

Vergil wrote:I'll make more of an effort to record the other things I spot hinds. I'm trying to locate a comma that was breaking up a word somewhere around 9 that I saw this morning...

Oh, thanks. Unfortunately, the story almost seems to breed typos; no matter how many eyes we run over the thing, there always seem to have been a few that the last set missed.

You'd think that after the first brushing, than all the readers going through it, secondary brushing since ya'll updated the first couple of chapters, than even more readers going through it, and THEN all the people going back to re-read the old chapters there wouldn't be anymore typos or mistakes.

Just face it, Discord is getting his jollies by going in behind ya'll and messing with stuff.

Overlong Analysis Cobalt wrote:@SilentCarto
What I meant about the cobbled-together bit was that, since the procedure had been designed to work on Princess Luna and/or Celestia, it would probably have taken into account size, nerve endings, and other biological stuff that BJ lacks. An earth pony getting cyberwings that were designed for an earth pony is easier than a unicorn getting cyber wings designed for an alicorn, I'd think. That said, well, we know it WAS a cobbled-together procedure, anyway - just commenting that it must have been quite the cobbled-together procedure, indeed. Also, thanks for cluing me into the paper.

I understood what you meant, but we actually have no proof that this "Eclipse" mod was intended specifically for Luna. It might have been, yes, but as Silver pointed out, it might also be intended for IMP alicorns, or just as an "ultimate soldier" mod for any Steelpony cyborg. If 101 had the techniques to give an earth pony control over wings, then the same techniques should be standard issue for Steelpony -- in fact, we know they are, since BJ really had no trouble using her brand-new fingers.

Icy Shake wrote:Also, the name does suggest that it was designed for Luna, not the post-Chimaera alicorn project.

Not really. Eclipse was officially a different pony, and only Goldie and a few others knew differently. It may have simply been named in honor of Eclipse due to the black finish. I'm just saying, let's not jump to any conclusions.

RoboRed wrote:Have you read the sequel?

Sequel to... what?...

Icy Shake wrote:*Rules*

Rule number five no longer works. That's why the official was created if I remembering correctly either Somber or the editing staff or maybe it was just Ryx no longer wanted to visit the thread due to it's random nature. So maybe it should be stricken out.

Moreso maybe a link to the other thread specifying random discussion go there.

Ch. 14: "I heard dusty cards behind shuffled as I closed my eyes."

Wanna run that by me again, Bj?

Incidentally, somewhere prior to 13 there's an 'i' missing from 'cutie mark.' Ctrl-f 'cute' if you care enough to find it, sorry I can't be exact in this case.

Ch.15, new paragraph following Glory failing to fly and apologising, Bj responds, "Don't worry about."

So I made a short story about the starmetal sword after my thirteen hour shift. I'm pretty sleep deprived when I wrote it so maybe posting it isn't the greatest idea but I don't care. Hope you guys enjoy it.

Spoiler:

Vergil wrote:Ch. 14: "I heard dusty cards behind shuffled as I closed my eyes."

Wanna run that by me again, Bj?

Ah, thank you.

Vergil wrote:Incidentally,  somewhere prior to 13 there's an 'i' missing from 'cutie mark.' Ctrl-f 'cute' if you care enough to find it, sorry I can't be exact in this case.

I'm not sure how you noted the error without it's location, but I was able to track it down in ten. Thanks. :)

Vergil wrote:Ch.15, new paragraph following Glory failing to fly and apologising, Bj responds, "Don't worry about."

And thank you again.

Exodus Hero wrote:So I made a short story about the starmetal sword after my thirteen hour shift. I'm pretty sleep deprived when I wrote it so maybe posting it isn't the greatest idea but I don't care. Hope you guys enjoy it.

Spoiler:

...Huh. This is not something I ever expected to read. :)

Caoimhe wrote:Moreso maybe a link to the other thread specifying random discussion go there.

I have to second this. This thread is about 1000X more on-topic than it used to be.

@hinds I blame the vodka.

In other news, Ch.17: "I had to find this Caprice...fassuming she hadn't just abandoned Flank..."

swicked wrote:

Icy Shake wrote:If Somber or a member of the editing team says to end a discussion, please do so.

Holy crud, I totally forgot about that rule. I now have some kinda unofficial mod powers?  Yay!   
Now, if only I could get some real ones...

Yeah, it's not brought up too often, and seems a little redundant, but I guess it didn't hurt to formalize it.

Last wrote:

Icy Shake wrote:*Rules*

Rule number five no longer works. That's why the official was created if I remembering correctly either Somber or the editing staff or maybe it was just Ryx no longer wanted to visit the thread due to it's random nature. So maybe it should be stricken out.

Derpmind wrote:

Caoimhe wrote:Moreso maybe a link to the other thread specifying random discussion go there.

I have to second this. This thread is about 1000X more on-topic than it used to be.

Considering the turnover there, a link would be prohibitively maintenance-intensive. But I've changed the entry to "Looking for random discussions that may or may not have anything to do with the story? Check out the [Official!] Project Horizons Comment Crew Chat thread!" so I hope that's a better fit for the new reality. Silent, if you'd like a rollback or other changes, let me know and I'll edit them in.

SilentCarto wrote:

Overlong Analysis Cobalt wrote:@SilentCarto
What I meant about the cobbled-together bit was that, since the procedure had been designed to work on Princess Luna and/or Celestia, it would probably have taken into account size, nerve endings, and other biological stuff that BJ lacks. An earth pony getting cyberwings that were designed for an earth pony is easier than a unicorn getting cyber wings designed for an alicorn, I'd think. That said, well, we know it WAS a cobbled-together procedure, anyway - just commenting that it must have been quite the cobbled-together procedure, indeed. Also, thanks for cluing me into the paper.

I understood what you meant, but we actually have no proof that this "Eclipse" mod was intended specifically for Luna. It might have been, yes, but as Silver pointed out, it might also be intended for IMP alicorns, or just as an "ultimate soldier" mod for any Steelpony cyborg. If 101 had the techniques to give an earth pony control over wings, then the same techniques should be standard issue for Steelpony -- in fact, we know they are, since BJ really had no trouble using her brand-new fingers.

I'm still not 100% sold on control of extra body parts being standard to Steelpony, and would be interested to see more indication either way. And in fact, fingers weren't part of the project, but Rover's addition. Granted, that's a specific application an not the general case, but the added control capability could still have been subsequent, parallel development on the part of Rover and Stable 101. (I had thought FoE implied that new work continued in 101 after the war, but I'm not sure on this.)

SilentCarto wrote:

Icy Shake wrote:Also, the name does suggest that it was designed for Luna, not the post-Chimaera alicorn project.

Not really. Eclipse was officially a different pony, and only Goldie and a few others knew differently. It may have simply been named in honor of Eclipse due to the black finish. I'm just saying, let's not jump to any conclusions.

Yeah, I was in a bit of a hurry because I was on lunch break at the time, so I may not have thought through the wording as well as I would have preferred. "Is suggestive that," as a somewhat weaker claim, might have better reflected my thoughts at the time. Also, I think that from an outside perspective, it's thematically stronger if the model was designed for Luna, as it establishes a sort of link between them, with Blackjack now in the body of (intended for) the original Maiden of Stars.

Anyway, this morning I was thinking about how the nature of Equestrian gemstones in PH might reflect on or impact Rarity's special talent for jewel location. Does that suggest she always had a special affinity for souls, or things altered by them? Does her talent apply to ordinary minerals, like the ones Goldenblood showed to his students as examples of chemically identical minerals from elsewhere? Could that have made her predisposed to consider soul magic where most were instinctively repelled? And might it help her better understand the needs and desires of others?

What if Luna lost her wings in a terrorist attack?  Or her horn?

It wouldn't surprise me. Seeing how the zebra's see Luna as Nightmare Moon / agent of their destruction it make sense that they would try to kill her. However Luna always struck me as the person who would get herself augmented for intimidation / presence.

In fairness, this is kind of a nitpick:

Ch 18: "I lay in the wet grass, my limbs twitching as phantom pain shot through my limbs."

...but I don't think Bj works for the Equestrian Department of Redundancy Department.

No, but I do.

Hah, fair enough!

Vergil wrote:@hinds I blame the vodka.

In other news, Ch.17: "I had to find this Caprice...fassuming she hadn't just abandoned Flank..."

Ah, thank you.

Icy Shake wrote:Anyway, this morning I was thinking about how the nature of Equestrian gemstones in PH might reflect on or impact Rarity's special talent for jewel location. Does that suggest she always had a special affinity for souls, or things altered by them? Does her talent apply to ordinary minerals, like the ones Goldenblood showed to his students as examples of chemically identical minerals from elsewhere? Could that have made her predisposed to consider soul magic where most were instinctively repelled? And might it help her better understand the needs and desires of others?

Ooh, interesting idea.

Somber wrote:What if Luna lost her wings in a terrorist attack?  Or her horn?

Ah, that makes sense.

Vergil wrote:What if Luna lost her wings in a terrorist attack?  Or her horn?

And thank you again.

Somber wrote:No, but I do.

Vergil wrote:Hah, fair enough!

:)

Bj's discovery and subsequent use of the contrabass has me submerged in that 104 piece long classical playlist on my ipod again.

...I am ok with this.

Somber wrote:What if Luna lost her wings in a terrorist attack?  Or her horn?

A medical pony would regrow it? Like Lacunae did for BJ or velvet did for... Silver belle? Who was that pony Ditzy adopted?

Not the wings though.

O. Hinds wrote:

Exodus Hero wrote:So I made a short story about the starmetal sword after my thirteen hour shift. I'm pretty sleep deprived when I wrote it so maybe posting it isn't the greatest idea but I don't care. Hope you guys enjoy it.

Spoiler:

...Huh.  This is not something I ever expected to read.  :)

glad you enjoyed it :D