NavelColt

Damn, there was a sale going on giving a year of + for $40 instead of $60, that's why I jumped on it. If you ever get + lemme know.

Everyone and thier grandma playing on PC lol, I can't find anyone I know to hunt with. I'll get GU for Switch after Iceborne probably.

It's okay, we still love you. What system? If anyone scrolling through this thread plays on PS4 lemme know, always looking for more squad peeps for Iceborne.

In the case of this game, console takes update priority. PC version is always 3-4 months behind on whatever PS4 Xbone get. Same for Iceborne, which console gets in September, but PC won't be seeing till January. Trade off, I suppose is that PC has modding to play with if you're into that. Asides from updates, there's no x platform, no. I play on PS4 and it's completely viable. If you're going to get into it, save yourself some money and pre-order Iceborne, instead of buying the base game out currently. Buying Iceborne gets you base game and the expansion. Should try, you'll enjoy it. :3 Insect Glaive is my baby, I play a lot of Hammer, Bow and Longsword too, tho. Gunlance is getting some new mechanics in Iceborne that should be making it better, so I might start using it more. Generations Ultimate will absolutely be a future purchase of mine, because I have Switch, too. But with Iceborne coming out, that's not gonna be for a while.

I play on PS4, and World was my first exposure to the series. I quickly found it has everything I want out of a game. Monsters & mythos/lore Upgradeable armor and weapons Open world exploring Adorable cats Cannot believe it took me this long to discover the series. I'm Hunter Rank 312 across 700 invested hours so far, and those numbers will only increase come Iceborne. Definitely noticed the rampant elitism in the fandom, at least in certain areas. I found World's official Discord server to be full of them, whilst the subreddit is a lot more casual veterans and newer players, so it differs where you look. What system do you play on? Am cry.

I've probably written 4 novels worth of fan fiction since I began writing, at 13. So, probably.

I game quite a bit, typically open world stuff and stuff with beasties in it. At the moment, Monster Hunter because it has both of these things.

As the gent who created Huggo de Buggo Day, and has written well over 100k words about changeling fluff at this point, we all know which wholesome buggo I shall be making a letter for. The character who single-handedly pulled me back into the show after my waning interest post-S4, and who has continued to be my favorite character of the show ever since. May the writers, perhaps even Kyle Rideout get the opportunity to read it.

A fanfic author reading, being satisfied with, self-editing and self-doubting their latest chapter repeatedly, to the ongoing impatience of their readers, 1867, colorized Fan fiction is the unsung champion of fan content, in this fandom and any other. It is perhaps the easiest art form to create - after all, all you need is a keyboard and an imagination. It's for this reason that fan fiction is the king of fan content, with visual art, its queen. Literature is literally everywhere, and our fandom was boisterous enough in its creativity to create its own website dedicated to the art of written works, FIMFiction.net. Accessible as it is for beginners, however, it is a difficult art form to master, because frankly, writing is hard. Instead of capturing a single scene or theme, you are stringing together many, while working to capture your reader's imagination through using your own, (typically) without the aide of attention-grabbing artwork, animations or music. You juggle pace/passage of time, character interaction and growth, description, proper language mechanics (grammar/usage), plot (depending on the genre you're writing), and so on. Even the most seasoned writers are always improving and defining their writing the more they write. There is good news, though. Fan fiction is even more accessible than traditional writing, because your characters are already fleshed out for you, and more importantly, your audience already knows them well. While the writer of an original novel must struggle with the creation of original characters, then labor to make their audience care about these characters by giving them developed personalities and motives, fan fiction writers' struggle comes from replicating the personalities already established, and building off of them in a meaningful way. This is typically easier, and less time-consuming than doing everything from scratch. I'd like to point out that fan fiction is not a 'poor man's alternative to writing', as many people outside fandoms still ignorantly believe. Fan fiction is simply a genre of writing, one way to write, just as poetry and classic story writing are. Derivative works based on past works are what make up a large portion of our creative culture, in and outside the professional business. There are writers who've been hired to essentially write fan fiction to expand the greater universe for franchises like Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons, and if our century-old copyright laws ever get updated to properly include the internet, we could see the day fan fiction becomes a viable job opportunity. Alright, that was a lot of exposition. Let's have another exploitable book meme - you've earned yourself a treat for making it this far! Enough novella, yes? Let's get on with some structured tips. Tip 1: All writers have a 'voice', their own unique writing style, which they discover naturally the more they write. An author's writing style is like their cutie mark, their passport, their ID, their name tag or their belly button. It is entirely unique to them, and it tells you what genres that writer thrives in writing, as well as what patterns they may use throughout their stories. It is how they start stories off, it is how they describe things, it is in the vocabulary they use. Discovering your writing style is a major milestone in your growth as a writer. If you're just starting out, you probably don't know what your voice is yet, and that's perfectly fine. It doesn't happen right away, and probably won't until you have numerous stories in your library. One trick to finding your voice through fan fiction is writing short stories, and sticking to just canon characters. Pick a character, maybe two, from the show and create a oneshot around them. It could be anything. The simpler the story, the clearer it will become for you to discover what you gravitate towards in your writing, because you won't have to worry so much about character development or a greater plot. Heck, you may even find you enjoy oneshots and, like me, only have one story over 10k words to your username. Tip 2: Write your canon characters like you're writing a script for the show, and only deviate from this when necessary. You're writing fan fiction, and as we've already hit upon, that means you are writing characters that your audience already knows well. If your canon characters are off-key, out of character, it will be obvious. Nailing your canon characters is, I would say, one of the more important things to master in fan fiction writing, because at the end of the day that is what a lot of people read fan fiction for - they're not there just to read about your original character, they want to see more content with the characters they enjoy. Writing in-character isn't hard, you just need to be mindful of your character dialogue and character actions. Unless you're writing an Alternate Universe story, you are taking that character from the show and thrusting them into whatever premise you have in mind, not borrowing that character's basic concept and molding it outside realistic proportions. As we got into earlier, your first few stories should focus mostly, if not entirely on canon characters, so this is great opportunity for you to hit your stride in in-character writing. If you're not sure how a character would react in a certain situation, just look to the show for examples of when they may have reacted to a similar situation, even if it's only similar in the type of emotion they're feeling. Tip 2.5: Always have insertable memes in a lengthy rant topic, or your readers may get spooked and press that back page button. Tip 3: 'Show don't Tell' is as equally valid in fan fiction as it is in other story writing. Grammar/mechanics are a muscle memory skill that will improve the more you write and read. I decided at the start of this topic that I wasn't going to go into detail about grammar/mechanics, or the absolute basics of writing. All of that stuff can easily be looked up, and most of you have probably learned about it in school. That said, I did want to make a few points about these things on a more general scale, for those who may be foggy, or are unclear on what certain things mean. 'Show, don't Tell' is a cornerstone for immersive writing, and everyone should be doing it. To 'show' is to describe things in the moment, to describe a character's thoughts through body language, their movements through specific description. 'Telling' is when you sacrifice opportunity for description for using words . 'Telling' is the biggest pitfall for people in writing, asides grammar, and is extremely boring to read. 'Angry, Spike picked up the scroll and threw it across the room.' This is telling. You're sitting in a bar and telling your friend about something trivial that happened last week. Nobody wants to read writing like this, Karen. 'His teeth clenched and his chest filled with heat, and so Spike seized the scroll and hurled it clear across the room, his harsh grip having crumpled it behind repair.' This is showing. You describe emotions and actions instead of naming them, and you invite your reader to picture the scene, themselves. Grammar/mechanics, as well as a wider variety of vocabulary are all things that will improve the more you read and write. Self-editing is important, but it's also important to have someone else look over your work when possible, as we often miss things when reviewing our own work. An outside eye will often be able to find patterns of word usage, errors and areas of improvement a lot more effectively than you can. Tip 4: Decide on a POV, or Point of View, and stick with it. Stories can happen one of three ways. First Person, in where a given character is narrating the story from their point of view. Second Person, in where a character is addressing you, the reader. Third Person, in where you, the author, or a third party character narrates from their point of view. Most stories stick with one of these categories. You can juggle multiple points of view from different characters, even having more than one type of POV in a single chapter, but this is some advanced sh*t and I would not recommend it for beginners. Third person is usually the easiest way to write for beginners, as it allows you the most freedom in description. First person is a great alternative for recollection, if your story is heavily character-based, and second person is...kinda weird, actually, I haven't seen second person that often and can't speak from experience on how to write it. Tip 5: Read in order to write. Reading other writers' works can inspire new ideas, widen your vocabulary and help you discover your own writing style. I will be the first to admit that I still struggle with this one, as I tend to write stories more than I read them. The trick to remember is that you don't necessarily need to read fan fiction to become inspired for the one you're writing. As long as what you're reading is a story in some regard, it has the capacity to inspire. That said, something with a similar tone or genre will definitely have more obvious similarities to pull ideas from. There's an old saying that says to never be the smartest person in the room - surround yourself with people as smart, or smarter than you. I believe the same concept applies to reading works. Always try to read something of equal, or higher quality than what you're writing, because that is where you'll find true growth. Never feel discouraged by finding authors farther along than you - they, too, were once where you are. More things I struggle with. Tip 6: As you build your vocabulary, use description to paint atmospheres into your scenes, concerning both the environment and the characters in them. This is called 'tone', and is incredibly immersive for your readers. The more you read and write, the more adept you'll become at using description to paint scenes. By describing certain things you'll be able to give off feelings for your reader, immersing them in the world you're creating. Take an excerpt from a story of mine, which aims to depict the cold and gloom of a rainy night, and the feelings of comfort and warmth that come from being inside. ~ Rain Curfews, by yours truly Final Tip: Write every day, at least a little, to keep your skills sharp and always improve upon your writing. Even if you don't end up publishing everything, write a little every day. I started writing fan fiction at thirteen, largely self-taught, and I was horrible. Come years later, I can look back and actually see how far I've come. Determination will get you far in life, and writing is no different. If you have the motivation to start even one story, do it. You might find you really enjoy it, and will start to carve out your own section of literature in this feelsy, colorful fandom. I'll be adding to this once I think of anything else to add. Let's call this a first draft. Heh, writing terms!

Jeric is the reason Linecon 2019 happened. Also, I fixed the thread.

I say, what a peculiar phenomenon. I do believe they call this sort of scenario, 'doppleganger'.

*dramatically removes sunglasses*.

"Thorax, I...I don't know about this." "It's just your nerves, Calor, trust me," Thorax replied with a chuckle. Watching the azure changeling chew on the edge of his hoof, his focus lost to nothing and yet everything...it was all too familiar to him. "You just said you'd like to stay with Zipper a bit more longer, didn't you? Getting to spend time with a new friend and go on an adventure? I think I might be jealous, actually!" "Yeah but, what if Corsair says no?" Calor probbed, touching the tips of his hooves together. The drone's ears scanned in the direction of the deck for any sign of buzzing wings. "What if he says yes? Thorax, I don't think I can do this..." "Change can be scary, ironically, even for changelings," Thorax replied simply, laying upon the cool stone and prompting the erratic bug to do the same. Not until Calor laid down and locked eyes with him, did the king continue. "You just have to remember it's the tension that's scary, the fear of the unknown. Once you actually do something, you'll come to see it wasn't really so hard or scary, after all." "But, what if something happens? We could potentially go really far from the hive, and, I'd have no way to contact you, or anyling else!" Thorax beamed. "We may not know each other well, but I've heard so many things about Corsair and his crew, from the princesses especially, who oversee a lot of business they do with Equestrian cities. They're more than capable of watching after you and Zipper, Calor. Besides, it doesn't have to be for too long. If things don't work out for whatever reason, I'll come get you, myself." There was a pause. Calor's expression softened, as did the faintest of blushes touch his cheeks, before falling to a curled eyebrow. "Hang on, how would you know about anything going on? Sending letters without magic could take days or even a week." Thorax grinned. "I'm the alpha changeling, I'll just know!" "...I don't think that's a thing, Thorax." Startled by a boisterous yell, Calor jumped from his cat loaf position like a frightened deer. As Zipper began to orbit them at hyper speed, the answer to their sought question became obvious, even without the added shouts of confirmation. "He did? Wow, that was quick!" Calor's disposition rose, and soon he hovered himself off the ground in excitement, impacted by the sight of the excited red drone. Those other changelings still outside took notice as well, stirred by the rousing excitement, and the glee now permeating the air like a sweet scent. "What sort of things do you do on an airship for fun?" The blue changeling asked curiously, his orbs trailing Zipper's path. "I mean, not that talking and hanging out isn't fun! I'm actually really good at enjoying doing nothing, Pharynx says so. Well, I don't think he meant it as a compliment, but still." Gently rising from his seated posture, Thorax's lofty grin only heightened the more he watched the contrasting drones flutter about, chattering back and forth. A golden opportunity, perhaps, for him to conquer one of his bigger tasks as of late...getting the hive's most reluctant drone a chance to branch out.

Calor's face continued to deflate, his sunken eyes nearly closed in their observation of the ground. Tears did not fall, but they didn't need to, for the azure changeling's mood was sour to the taste, turning the heads of changelings in the crowd all around. "N-no, that's fine," he said quickly, raising his head again and shaking it. "You're really busy, and your crew needs you. Your life is all about adventure, and adventure means...not staying in one place." Changelings all about adopted sympathetic looks, but Thorax's concern projected most of all, Calor's pain reflected in his own face. With a careful hoof forward, the king advanced on the pair of smaller bug ponies, prodding for Calor's attention with an asserting head. "...Calor, do you really want to stay with your new friend a while?" Calor solemnly nodded. "Why don't you see if Zipper's crew wouldn't mind one more changeling tagging along with them for a little while?" There was a collective, silent look of surprise. Whilst Thorax's pained look blossomed to one of affection, Calor's perked into one of shock and embarrassment. "Thorax, what are you talking about?" Calor adamantly looked away. "I couldn't, I mean, I'm the hive's activity coordinator - you need me here - and besides, I could never-" "Calor, you've done a wonderful job helping the hive fine-tune activities," Thorax began, gently placing hoof between the drone's twitching ears. "But, you've been cooped up here your whole life. You've never even been past our borders as a scout or patrol." "But, that's not-" "-something you mind, I know," Thorax interrupted with a nod. "But you know, something I've come to learn from making friends, and even leading the hive is, you can't grow if you don't venture out of your comfort zone, at least once in a while." Calor ignored the head pats, but said nothing in reply. Thorax smiled brightly, turning to catch Zipper's attention. "Zipper, could you do me a favor and run the idea by Corsair?" He asked politely. "Assuming it's something you'd also be up for, of course."

Giggling to himself, Calor raised a hoof to his mouth. Zipper was so easily impressed, and even more exciting, he found love magic as intoxicating as he did. "Stupid question, but I guess you have to stay with your crew, huh?" The blue changeling broached. "You can't stay a while and learn about our new society? I'd hate to introduce you to a new way of life just for you to be alone, again - well, you know, alone from other changelings." Trotting up with a typical nervous posture, Thorax caught the corner of Calor's eye. The beetle moose rubbed the side of his head, analyzing the pair of changelings closely with a warm smile. "Hey guys," he whispered, leaning his head in and lifting a hoof. "I don't mean to interrupt - I'm so happy you're hitting it off together - but Corsair and Pharynx want you to know they're getting ready to leave. Sorry, Calor, but Zipper's duty calls." Calor's demeanor deflated, as did his ears flop. "Oh...yeah, I guess you have a schedule to keep."

Spotting the glancing amazement in his new friends' eye, Calor's entire demeanor perked up, his smile positively glowing. "Yes, that was love! Not only do we not need to feed on it from other creatures, we're not even constrained to absorbing it over long periods through relationships." A flutter tingled his chest, and the blue changeling ventured to wrap his hooves around the dumbfounded red bug again. "We can share love in the moment by being close, by demonstrating love through affection. Thorax took the idea and ran with it - he organized an entire area of the hive called the 'nesting chamber', where changelings can take cluster naps together in order to regain energy after work shifts. Isn't that awesome?" -- "Thorax, you heard the captain, grab the grub in the bandanna so the ship can leave." "..." "...Thorax." Startled, Thorax's far off stare faltered. "O-oh, right," he mumbled. "Sorry, Corsair, it looks like Zipper has made friends with Calor. That's so wonderful to see." "First off, I'm not Corsair, Thorax, pay attention to your surroundings for Hive's sake. Secondly, yes, that was just made clear, actually." Thorax turned to face his brother wearing a peeved expression. Long left from his side, Corsair had returned aboard the ship, guiding the crew to ready departure. "Oh, Pharynx, when did you...I thought you were-" "I was, and I finished," Pharynx replied insipidly. "The boxes are all inside. Now go fetch your blue lackey so we can get on with the day, please. He's distracting their changeling." Nodding, Thorax stole himself, and began to trot towards the pair of sitting changelings.

Luna's team won? There's a real shocker. Looking forward to whatever comes next~

Noting the red changeling's perplexed look, Calor stifled a giggle. "Hang on, you don't know anything about our current way of life?" Zipper gave an unsure shrug, and Calor's giggle found its escape. It was Zipper's lucky day, for he happened to be an expert on such things. "Well, where should I begin?", he asked rhetorically. "Changelings used to feed off of love, taking it from other creatures, but after Thorax left the hive he found a better way for us to live. It turns out we can share love with one another, and produce sustenance through having friends and relationships." A chill ran down his shell, and Calor turned to spy Prince Pharynx eyeing the pair of them carefully in the distance. For a moment he sat like a spooked deer, waiting for the beta changeling to call his name out, or perhaps make a gesture to him. Calor's ear twitched - neither of those things happened. When Pharynx turned his attention away again, Calor blinked, his mind wheeling to retain his original train of thought. "Um..." he muttered, finding that Zipper's look had also returned. The red changeling stared at him curiously. "Anyway, a few weeks after Thorax took over as the hive's new leader, we started to discover that love magic has even more to it than we thought, more direct effects on us." First, Calor captivated the bandanna-ling with the warmest smile he could muster. After harnessing his focus the blue changeling then leaned in and wrapped both his hooves around his new friend. Within moments a warmth surged through Calor's body, and from the surprised gasp he heard, he knew Zipper could feel it, too. The warmth rushed through each extremity, filling each ear tip, and then fizzled out like a cooling breeze. Any traces of his fatigue had vanished, as had his body's sluggish demeanor. When at last he let go and pulled back, Calor's hoof stifled another laugh at the shocked expression hanging from the red bug pony's face. "Well, what do you think?" Calor asked with another a grin. -- "R-right," Thorax replied, forcing a smile and nodding sharply. "Like my brother said, let's hurry and get you guys on your way. Thanks for the delivery, I know everyling is going to enjoy these a lot, captain. And, it's been great seeing Zipper again, as well, of course. Keep an eye on him, okay? He can be a little slow with his letter replies sometimes, and it worries me, you know?" Working together, the changeling convoys, assisted by the airship's crew unloaded the remaining crates. Though Pharynx's dissatisfaction with the box's contents was continually made loud and clear, he too assisted in the efforts. It wasn't long before each crate was safely brought inside the hive's protective exterior, leaving a very accomplished and cargo-less airship sitting outside.

Torn from his thoughts, Calor focused his azure eyes on Zipper. "O-oh, uh, well, I guess the answer to that would be 'sometimes'. Pharynx is basically Thorax's opposite - he leads the guard units, enforces rules and creates patrol routes. He's...strict, but only explodes like this when his patience gets pushed. He's not a big fan of the whole 'cuddlebug' philosophy that Thorax created, so they sometimes get into fights about it." --- "I made the delivery request before we had our heart to heart about toning down the cuddling and sleeping in, Pharynx," Thorax sighed. "So I don't understand what your issue is. I didn't lie to you and even if I had, it's just a load of pillows." Pharynx mumbled something under his breath to the tune of 'only dorks need pillows', but his brother ignored it. "Try to remember that this wasn't just about the delivery either, Pharynx, it was about Zipper getting to be with his friends, again." His irritated front disarmed, Pharynx's mouth opened for a remark, but instead opened and stayed there. With a turn of his head, the stirred changeling took in the sight of the surrounding drones. Amidst a sea of concerned looks were two drones, one sky blue and one crimson red, the only conversation in the entire clearing other than themselves. Within a few moments of drawing his gaze, the pair took notice of him, casting unsure glances. "...alright fine," Pharynx said at last, taking a deep breath and regaining his composure. "You're right, I'm just causing more of a scene, and I shouldn't be taking away from Zipper's visit. Let's hurry up and get these boxes inside and let these guys go on their way." Pharynx pivoted in place to face the fallen box, waving his hoof to garnish assistance from the observing drones. Thorax found himself grinning. "Wow, Pharynx, you're actually being reasonable, today-" "Once they're gone we'll be continuing this chat later, Thorax." Thorax stopped mid-thought, and gave another sigh. "...alright, fine."