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Ashen Pathfinder

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  1. Ashen Pathfinder
    A grand hello, howdy, and hey all to every member of this fine community! Some of you may know me, but I'm sure there's a large segment of the member base that has little to no inclination of who I am. This is the reason why I am posting this blog. I want to give you a simple and/or detailed look at who I am. Of course plenty of this is covered in my profile, but I hope expand on that! In any case, let us begin!
     
    Before I begin, I want to engage the members here! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
     

    Introduction: Who I am now


     
    I am PathfinderCS; a member of the staff here at MLPForums. Specifically I work as a sectional staffer in the "Friendship is Magic" section of the forums; meaning that my area of duty includes Show Discussion, Sugarcube Corner, Equestria Girls, and any of the related sub-forums. I only became a member here on May 31, 2014 after doing a Google search for forums related to Friendship is Magic. Considering this one seemed to be the most active, I gave it a try, and I have never regretted that decision.
     
    If you're curious, I am 28 years of age, and I have a LOT of experience on the internet. My experience with message boards & forums extends all the way back to 2000/2001. Here's a link to my member profile on what is probably the first forum I ever joined:
     
    http://forums.spacebattles.com/members/captain-spyro.929/
     
    Yes, my name was Captain Spyro back in the day, and that is what the CS in PathfinderCS refers to.
     
    Anywho, I currently work for the Whitesville State Bank located in southern West Virginia. I work as a loan clerk, which doesn't match my degree at all. You see, I graduated from Concord University in 2008 with a degree in geography; with an emphasis on mapping & GIS. I also minored in history. I also currently live with my parents, so I really haven't made that big step in living by myself yet! Along with that, I'm single, though I'm not complaining. My last relationship was an online one that lasted from 03 to 07, and I never regret a moment of it. As such, while I'm not exactly looking, I wouldn't say no if the right person came along.
     

    About Me: What I'm into


     
    My main hobby is gaming. I started as a young kid when my biological father got me a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas. I have so many memories playing Mario, Donkey Kong, and Duck Hunt! Very fun times! Later on, I also got a Sega Genesis from Christmas, and I was introduced to games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Castle of Illusion, and Virtua Racing. Again, so many hours were lost playing these great games, among others.
     
    Later I was introduced to the original Playstation, and thank to a certain purple dragon by the name of Spyro my status as a gamer was finally confirmed. Spyro was pretty much my icon, and still is! I loved those games so much; as well as other games. As time moved on and I got older, I was able to enjoy even more systems and games. Now that I can provide for my own self, I can indulge in my hobby much more than I could in the past.
     
    Because of my heavy interest in gaming, I'm not as much into movies and TV as I used to be. My preferences tend to lean towards fantasy, science fiction, and adventure. As such, it's no wonder my favorite shows include the various Star Trek series, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (old & new), and Game of Thrones. Of course, I like other shows too like Mythbusters and decent documentaries dealing with history, science, and social science.
     
    As for movies, my favorite movie of all time is the Lord of the Rings; by Peter Jackson. I tend to count all three as one. Along with that, I love the older Star Wars movies, Indiana Jones, various Godzilla flicks, King Kong, Titanic, Dragonheart, and others.
     
    I'm not much of a book reader, though I do read from time to time!
     
    In regards to music, I am mostly into metal (power, progressive, symphonic), orchestral music (Classical and movie/tv/game music), and ska punk. My favorite metal bands tend to be Symphony X, Rhapsody of Fire, Sonata Arctica, Fairyland, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, Pathfinder, Therion, Nightwish, Black Sabbath; among others. The only ska punk band I listen to right now is Streetlight Manifesto. As for orchestral composers, my heart beats for JS Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Stravinsky, and others on the classical end, and James Newton Howard, Jeremy Soule, Inon Zur, and Christopher Franke; among others.
     
    Lastly, I'll talk about sports, and I'm not heavily into sports right now. Do I like some sports? Of course, but I'm just not into them all that much. My favorite sports tend to be hockey (Pittsburgh Penguins), soccer/football (Bayern Munich, Sporting Kansas City), and certain motorsports. I grew up on NASCAR, but I have drifted away from it as IndyCar, World Rally, and my true passion, Rally Raid, took hold.
     

    Your Turn: Give Me Questions!


     
    Now, it's your turn! Is there something you want to ask me? Something you want me to elaborate on? Perhaps there is something I could here? Please, ask me your questions. I'll be happy to answer what I can!
  2. Ashen Pathfinder
    No need to say much. My mother and I did something different and just went out. We stopped at Kanawha Falls, Hawks Nest State Park, and New River Gorge. Just wanted to share some amazing shots~
    Most pictures have been spoiler'd for convenience.
    Kanawha Falls
     
    Hawks Nest
    New River Gorge
    Two specific ones from New River Gorge:


    Tis me! Cheers~
  3. Ashen Pathfinder
    PathfinderCS' Character and RP Index
    Cast Characters
    The Great and Power Trixie Equestria Empire Profile   Species: Unicorn
    Sex: Female
    Age: Young adult
    Occupation: Illusionist, Stage Magician
    RolePlays
    The Pan EQ Games Ponyville Pet Center Fundraiser Detour Through the Woods The Summer Sun Celebration   Original Characters
    PATHFINDER Equestrian Empire Profile Species: Unicorn
    Sex: Male
    Age: Young adult
    Occupation: Cartographer, Navigator, Museum Co-Owner
    RolePlays
    Trouble at the Academy Expedition into the Crystal Mountains Nightmare Night - 2014 The Mysterious Temple When Hearts Grow Cold - Chapter 1: Shadows Fall Hearth's Warming Eve - 2014   SOJOURNER Equestrian Empire Profile Species: Earth Pony
    Sex: Female
    Age: Young adult
    Occupation: Archeologist, Explorer, Museum Curator & Co-Owner
    RolePlays
    Explorer in Training The Mysterious Temple Daring Do and the Elements of Harmony The Pan EQ Games   CORSAIR Equestrian Empire Profile Species: Pegasus
    Sex: Male
    Age: Young adult
    Occupation: Team Leader, Balloon & Airship Pilot, Fight Ace
    RolePlays
    The Pan EQ Games Stargazer
    Equestrian Empire Profile Species: Crystal Unicorn
    Sex: Female
    Age: Young adult
    Occupation: Astronomer, Teacher
    RolePlays
    The Summer Sun Celebration Autumn
    Equestrian Empire Profile Everfree Empire Profile Species: Deer
    Sex: Female
    Age: Young adult
    Occupation: Caretaker of the forest, lover of deer history
    RolePlays
    N/A
    Gideon
    Equestrian Empire Profile Everfree Empire Profile Species: Griffon
    Sex: Male
    Age: Adult
    Occupation: Bookstore owner
    RolePlays
    N/A
    Zaru
    Equestrian Empire Profile Everfree Empire Profile Species: Zebra
    Sex: Male
    Age: Adult
    Occupation: Bookstore owner
    RolePlays
    N/A
  4. Ashen Pathfinder
    It's been about a week since the first full day of BronyCon and I still can't get over the positive experience I had there. It was not only my first MLP-related con, but my first convention of any sort period. I mean just walking in after the day of registration and seeing all of my fellow bronies there...it blew me away. Add in the fact that Baltimore is such a big and beautiful city...I had no words. Please keep in mind I come from a VERY rural area of West Virginia and outside of a few trips out of state with the family I haven't experienced cities bigger than Charleston, Huntington, or Beckley all that much.
     
    I began my journey on Thursday from Yeager Airport; this being the first time I ever flown. As a result of going with the cheapest route I had a layover in Charlotte and I was literally aghast at how big that airport was. If airports were monsters then poor Yeager would be prey to Douglas and BWI. XD That said all flights that day were smooth and I have plenty of photos of my first flight.
     
    Upon landing at BWI I was picked up by Sergei and his friend; and as we had a room-share setup we made our way to our hotel. This was actually my second time in Baltimore; the first being WAY back in 1997 on a field trip from Shepherd College. My second time reaffirmed just how big Baltimore is...and it's quite beautiful. It was also this day that I met those whom I have considered my closest friends for quite sometime. Just finally getting to meet Koukatsu, BatBrony, Stitch, Simon, Simeon, and others whom I am sure I am forgetting was amazing. The emotion I felt when we embraced...it was amazing. I wanted to cry, and I almost did.
     

    Scooby Doo!? Where are you!?
     
    On the convention itself...what can I say? There were so many people there...most of course being bronies and just being around those with whom you shared a special interest was immense. Thankfully it never felt overcrowded and everyone I met was friendly beyond belief. My main goal, aside from meeting my friends and fellow bronies, was to attend as many panels as I could and to visit & splurge at the marketplace; both of which I accomplished in spades. If I had to pick my favorite panels, it would definitely have to be the Mane 6 panel where the voice actresses of the Mane 6 were together for the first time at a con, Analyzing MLP Live which had Silver Quill, KP, Firebrand, and Dr. Wolf in one of the most hilarious panels ever, another panel with Silver Quill analyzing Putting Your Hoof down live, and plenty of others.
     

    The Comic Creators Panel
     

    Poor Firebrand...you would know if you were there; got burned so hard. XD
     
    And of course...I probably spent too much at the Marketplace, but I don't really mind, if I am too be honest. I wanted at least one plush and one shirt, and I left with quite a bit more than that. I won't share all what I got for fear of bragging, but I will show off a certain Great and Powerful One that made the return trip to West Virginia with me.
     

    She's mine, ALL MINE!!!! <3
     
    Once all was said and done...yeah, I miss it still. BronyCon 2016 has a place firmly within my top-5 best experiences ever, and I plan on coming back next year. For as long there are pony conventions, this Pathfinder Deer will do what he can to come back, and hopefully reunite with friends once again.
  5. Ashen Pathfinder
    Well, they do call this Winter Storm Octavia, so you know we have to run with it.
     
    Anywho, thought I might share some pics. Keep in mind I'm from southern West Virginia, in Boone County, so we usually don't get a lot of snow, but we're getting it today. Octavia must be having fun.
     



  6. Ashen Pathfinder
    This years running of the annual Dakar Rally in South America began on January 4th and ended on January 17th. The competitors in the motorbike, quad, car, and truck classes made their way from Buenos Aires in Argentina, heading into the dunes of Chile, going through Bolivia before heading back into Chile and Argentina where the rally ended back at Buenos Aires. Overall the competitors who actually finished the rally covered over 9,000km (5,600 miles). While the Dakar Rally and the related sport of rally raid is still a competition, it is also an adventure as the competitors have to rely on their resources while going fast in some of the roughest and most remote terrain in the world. The riders and drivers traversed over mud, gravel, rocks, deserts, and even a salt flat in what was one of the hardest Dakar Rally's on record.
     

    What Is the Dakar Rally?


     
    The Dakar Rally is part of a group of sport called a rally raid; specifically a cross country rally. While the term rally might indicate it's similarities to the rallies that make up the World Rally Championship, and it is true they do share some similarities, rally raids also have plenty of similarities to various off road and desert racing events like the famed Baja 1000. In any case results are determined by time; as opposed to physical finishing positions like in NASCAR or Formula 1. Over the course of a rally raid event, competitors compete for individual stage wins, and their times from each stage are added together to form the overall results.
     
    The types of vehicles allowed to participate are quite open compared to other motorsports. Bikes, Quads/ATVs, Cars (including prototypes, production-based vehicles, buggies, cars, pickups, etc.), and big trucks that are related to semi trucks all participate in various cross country events; though some rules may vary from event to event. For example, while the general rules are similar, some slight difference may exist between the Dakar Rally and various FIA and FIM-sanctioned events; such as the shorter cross country bajas.
     
    In short, the Dakar Rally is the biggest rally raid of them all; essentially the Super Bowl or World Cup of the sport. It gets the most drivers/riders, the most media attention, the most sponsorship, and the most hype.
     
    Those who know their geography might note a discrepancy. While the event is called the Dakar Rally, it doesn't actually have much to do with the city of Dakar; located in Senegal, Africa. Before it was moved to South America in 2009, the traditional home of the rally was actually in Africa. It would normally start in Europe (Paris, Lisbon, etc.) and on most occasions end in the city of Dakar. Thank to terrorist threats in 2008, the rally was cancelled and subsequently moved. Of course not everyone agreed with this, and as such a separate rally called the Africa Eco Race now currently races where the Dakar once did.
     

    The 2015 Edition


     

    Motorbikes


     
    The motorbike category was headed by the always strong KTM squad; with defending winner Spaniard Marc Coma largely expected to with the event. Their direct rivals were the factory Honda squad, with fellow Spaniard Joan Barreda Bort and Portugese Paolo Goncalves among the favorites there. Factory teams from Yamaha and Sherco were also present, though in the end the fight was KTM vs. Honda. Of course, let's not forget that around 161 bikes started the event, so there was more out there than the fight for the win. For most, just making it to the end is victory in itself.
     
    As the rally went on, Barreda lead for most of the first week heading into towards the rest day. Honda riders were showing plenty of speed and had won most of the weeks stages, but it in the end it wasn't meant to be. The eventual winner, Marc Coma, outlasted everyone to claim his fifth Dakar triumph. Barreda, while fast, fell victim to the salt flats in Bolivia. While a large part of the bike and quad field was affected, Barreda lost too much time and couldn't recover. Eventual runner-up Goncalves tried his best to claw back time, but a 15-minute time penalty ended his challenge. KTM rider and Dakar rookie Toby Price from Australia managed an impressive third place finish.
     
    Of special note, Spanish female rider Laia Sanz of the factory KTM squad finished 9th in the overall bike standing; the highest finish ever for a woman in the Dakar bike category.
     
    Sadly, one rider, Michael Hernick of Poland, died in the early stages of the rally after an apparent crash. This is just a reminder of how dangerous this event truly his. Competitors, especially the riders, can sometimes suffer the ultimate consequence as the chase their dreams.
     
    Of the 161 bikes, only 79 made it to the finish.
     

    Quads


     
    While no true factory team exists in the quad category, the Yamaha riders make up the bulk. Eventual winner Rafael Sonik of Poland had a fight on his hands in the early stages with challenges from Chilean Ignacio Casale and Sergio Lafuente of Uruguay. However, mechanical problems sidelined Casale in the later stages while a crash damaged Lafuente's machine. As a result, Sonik outlasted his opponents to claim his first victory.
     
    Of the 45 quads at the start, only 18 made it to the finish.
     

    Cars


     
    The story of the car category was whether or not anyone could knock off the German X-Raid Team and their bulletproof Mini vehicles. The team, twice with 11-time winner Stephane Peterhansel of France and last year with Spaniard Nani Roma, had claimed the overall victory in the car category with their diesel-powered 4x4 machine the last three years, though ether was some hope for the competitors. After Peterhansel's departure, Roma nows leads the team along with quick Argentine Orlando Terranova and Krzysztof Holowcyzc of Poland. Qatari and Olympic Bronze Medalist Nasser Al-Attiyah, a former winner in 2011, would also participate in a Mini while X-Raid would also test out a buggy vehicle with Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit.
     
    Supported by the Belgian Overdrive team, a number of gas-powered Toyota Hilux pickups, lead by South African Giniel de Villiers, would prove a decent challenge. Among their ranks also included Saudi driver and Dakar rookie Yazeed AlRajhi and Dutchman Bernard ten Brinke.
     
    Making a return to the Dakar was the factory squad from French manufacturer Peugeot. Their three two-wheel drive buggy-based vehicles would be riven by Peterhansel, WRC-veteran Carlos Sainz from Spain, and Frenchman Cyril Despres who was making his transition from bikes to cars.
     
    Other notable entries included the SMG-buggy team, as well as the lone American entry from Baja and NASCAR star Robby Gordon in his custom-made Gordini buggy.
     
    In a show of flat-out dominance Nasser Al-Attiyah would take the overall victory as once again the X-Raid Minis showed themselves to be the car of choice for the Dakar; taking four of the top-five places in the overall standings. Only de Villier's Toyota in 2nd kept the German team from taking a top-three sweep of the podium for a second year running. Likewise, the only non-Minis to win stages this year was Yazeed in the Toyota, and Robby Gordon's Gordini.
     
    While showing some promise, the factory Peugeot's had a variety of mechanical issues that kept them down the order. Sainz trashed out, while both Peterhansel and Depres made it to the finish. Likewise the Gordini of Robby Gordon suffered mechanical issues in the early going; but finished the rally in 19th overall.
     
    As for other notable results, Ronan Chabot of France in the SMG buggy won the two-wheel drive class with Gordon winning the Open Category (cars conforming to SCORE regulations). The T2 sub-class was won by Jun Mitsuhashi of Japan in his production-based Toyota Land Cruiser while T3 went to William Alcarez of France in his Polaris RXR XP.
     
    Of the 137 cars that started, only 67 finished.
     

    Trucks


     
    Lastly, it is the big boys. Russian manufacturer Kamaz was back with four trucks piloted by defending winner Andrey Karginov, 2013 winner Eduard Nicolaev, Airat Mardeev, and Dimitry Sotnikov. The Dutch De Rooy team with their green Iveco trucks with Gerard De Rooy, Hans Stacey, and Spaniard Pep Vila Roca would try to get back to winning ways with Czech driver Ales Loprais in his MAN truck would also go for glory.
     
    In the end it was Kamaz finishing 1-2-3-5 with Mardeev the eventual winner. Loprais would finish fourth with the De Rooy suffering a disappointing rally.
     
    Out of 63 trucks, only 43 finished.
     

    Final Thoughts


     
    Overall the 2015 edition of the Dakar Rally was one for the ages. While Nasser dominated in the cars; it was a dog-fight elsewhere in the standings. Likewise, KTM solidified their dominance in the bikes, but Honda will be back next year. In any case, it was once again a thrilling events, and the vistas themselves once again never failed to disappoint.
     
    I can't wait to see what Peugeot does when the come back for 2016. You can bet they will not rest on their laurels. Likewise, it will be interesting to see what Robby Gordon can do; being an independent team with a smaller budget.
     
    As it stands, rally raid is my favorite sport, and I will try my best to follow the other events that will follow in the year. With the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship, there will be plenty of events to follow. If only we had coverage of these in the States.
     
    In any case, thank you for reading, and I leave you with an excellent video serving as highlights of the rally.
     


  7. Ashen Pathfinder
    Well, I wasn't originally planning something like this, but I had some thoughts that I wanted to share after watching the 2014 edition of the Video Game Awards.
     
    For one thing I am a BIG fan of the overall format of this years awards ceremony. I didn't watch last year's ceremony, but I did catch the one before that and while it was fun in a way, it was also very grating. The musical performances didn't fit, the overall humor felt forced, and the overall feeling of bombast just screamed of "WE'RE NOT THE OSCARS OR EMMYS, WE'RE COOL" too me. Maybe they were just trying WAY too hard at the time, but it didn't work for me. Of course it wasn't all bad as I like that there were reveals of games & all, but the old format I didn't care for.
     
    This format, though, was MUCH better. The flow felt much more natural, there was an overall lack of musical performances and what performances were there actually fit, the whole ceremony felt much more subtle, and it seemed there was a general air of respect in the air.
     
    And that brings me to my next point. I really loved how there was an emphasis on remembrance to what gaming was so long ago and how far the industry has come. Bringing in Koji Kondo was a master stroke, and that piece on Sierra actually brought a tear to my eye. I liked how the Indie developers were mentioned alongside their triple A counterparts, and that the guests brought into speak and/or to present awards actually felt like they cared. This time, I really felt love and passion for gaming. It doesn't have to be bombastic and in your face; a little bit of respect and subtlety can go a long way.
     
    Going back to the musical performances, I am GRATEFUL we had no sign of, and again I'm bringing back this phrase, anything that was loud, bombastic, and in your face. I'm not a fan of Imagine Dragons, but I liked their bit at the end (w. Kondo) and I liked that other group that essentially played remixed versions of classic gaming tunes. This was the first time I didn't mute the broadcast during the music. OH! And I LOVED the segments were pieces of a specific game's music was played; like the dancing violinist with the Dragon Age piece or that wonderfully soothing track from No Man's Sky. THANK YOU for this!
     
    As for the awards, there really isn't much that I can say. I kinda wished there was more emphasis on awards that weren't given much attention like Best Fighting Game or those other awards whose names I forgot (see my point?). Also, and this is a bit nitpicky, but I am not a fan of combining the sports and racing genres into one single award. I don't know, I just have issues comparing Mario Kart 8 with FIFA 15. Lastly, I was generally happy with the nominees for the Best Game Award, and on a more subjective note, I was MORE than happy with the eventual winner!
     
    Seriously though, I believe all five games (Dark Souls II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Bayonetta II) have legitimate claims for the award and I was glad to see the over-hypesd games of the year not get picked.
     
    Lastly, and this is usually a treat for me, I was EXTREMELY pleased with the game reveals. Of course we had known about many of them in the past like The Order: 1886 and Witcher III: Wild Hunt, but it was a pleasure getting to see some newer footage. I know many people talk about the Zelda footage, but I was more muted on that. The world looked beautiful & all, but there wasn't much to really excite me over. I'm hoping the world gets a little more varied before release. Also, King Quest looked FANTASTIC, and this is coming from someone who never played the older games. Honestly, most of the games shown (Bloodbourne, Witcher III, The Order, King's Quest, among others) I'm still hyped about!
     
    So yeah, those are my thought on this years Video Game Awards. Overall, I thought the show was a dramatic improvement over past editions of the ceremony, and while improvements can be made, I can say in all thoughtfulness, I am appreciative of the care and respect shown not only to the industry; but to gamers as a whole!
     
    Thank you for your time.
  8. Ashen Pathfinder
    As many of you know I have a sizable team of OCs; whom are largely based on the lore of the show and comics. Plenty of you probably also know my affinity for deer; of which I have two deer in my team. Now, for the longest of times the unicorn Pathfinder was both an OC as well as my pony-sona. While I have been fine with that I've always treated Path as his own character, and by now I've had years to develop him. As such he's at a point in that development where he doesn't represent me well enough.
     
    After giving it some thought I thought I'd take advantage of my love for deer and go for a proper 'sona; if you will. And with that, I introduce you to this sexy buck!
     
    Note: The following art was not done by me; they were requests/commissions done by others!
     

    By: @darkwingmare
     

    By: @Crecious
     

    By: JaiZub
     
    Hopefully more pics will be on the way, but thanks to these wonderful artists my ideas have come to light! Thank you ever so much! <3
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