TailsIsNotAlone

Megas, ShadOBabe! Good to see you guys again. I've been away for months but suddenly I thought "hey, isn't it time for another M.A.P. Tournament?" And when I didn't see one, I asked Toshio about it and one thing led to another. Presiding over the madnesss should be an interesting change...as opposed to the first two tourneys, when I was one of the inmates. You're right, Commissar. I think the board itself is changing as well. Rarity's got a much bigger fanbase than she did 3 years ago. Vinyl and Cloud Chaser made the playoffs in '13 but are on shakier ground here. And poor Pinkie is trailing in her own division...that's the Trixie effect for you, but I had no idea Coloratura was this popular. Some things have stayed the same though: Twilight and Luna are still well loved, no matter who their competition is!

The Magic Bowl has ended! Your third champion is Twilight Sparkle, who defeated Rarity 63-58. Congratulations to Equestria's newest princess! A SHORT HISTORY OF THE MAPT, by Tails 2013 - WILD CARD - DIVISIONAL - CONFERENCE - MAGIC BOWL I 2015 - WILD CARD - DIVISIONAL - CONFERENCE & MAGIC BOWL II __________________________________ REGULAR SEASON, FINAL SCORES ORIGINAL POST & CONTEST RULES, 1/10 It's that time again, friends...time for the third edition of one of the most exciting forum contests we've EVER had, the Most Attractive Pony Tournament! The first MAPT was a smashing success where background pony Lyra Heartstrings beat out four Mane Six to win it all. In the second one, nearly 300 members voted in the final round to make Rarity the champion. I participated enthusiastically in both tourneys, so when the original host Rudy Schmurda (AKA Toshio Ozaki, AKA Alfonzo Dennard) offered me the opportunity to host a new one, I jumped at it. The makeup of the tournament is evolving with the show. The first one in 2013 featured a handful of main characters and a lot of background ponies. But with the show introducing so many new characters and MERCY bringing in the princesses in 2015, deciding which mares to include here was a real challenge--and it means we'll have to make some tough choices very early in the competition. Or rather, you will. As the host, I will not be casting any votes, nor advocating any mare over another. That's right: for once, Tails is out of the running! Now, on to the rules! Like the first two MAPTs, this tournament is modeled after the NFL playoffs: 32 female ponies are split into two conferences with four divisions each. The 12 ponies with the most votes (8 division winners and 4 wild cards) will advance to the playoffs and that head-to-head competition these tourneys are so well known for. Remember: the votes are everything. Bronies like us can generate more votes for our favorite ponies by spreading the word and posting pictures to sway undecided voters. It's part forum debate, part political campaign, and all fun! Remember: keep it friendly. This tournament is about healthy competition and respect for all ponies and their fans, and as always on this site, let's keep all posts and pictures SFW. Now to introduce the 32 ponies who made the cut this year! Pictures are included so you can view them all side by side. EQUESTRIAN FRIENDSHIP CONFERENCE PONY FRIENDSHIP CONFERENCE There you have it. Using the polls above, vote for the ponies you think are the prettiest, cutest, sexiest, however you care to look at it--and remember to cast a vote in every division. I'll update the standings every few days to show who our division leaders are as the round goes on. Let's make this another awesome contest!

Age: 30 Gender: Male Favorite: Rainbow Dash

Actually, the pop culture references are one feature of the show I can do without. I don't hate them, but I'm always very conscious of the passage of time and how quickly things can change. Many shows use pop culture references poorly. Family Guy, in my opinion, is a case in point. Their references are pretty much worthless, contributing little to the plot of an episode and serving only to fill a few more minutes. The "_______ Movie" movies are the nadir, in which the references are assumed by the filmmakers to be hilarious simply because the audience recognizes them. And even when they are done correctly, as is usually the case in MLP, they run the risk of dating the show because the jokes age badly or the object of the jokes is no longer relevant. Tiny Toon Adventures is one great cartoon that has suffered from this--it was a wonderful children's program in every respect, but the plot-driven segments were padded with jokes about Madonna and Cher and the New Kids on the Block that don't work anymore. The risk is greatest when resorting to online pop culture references, because Internet trends can change on a dime and today's mild amusement is tomorrow's eye-rolling embarrassment. (Remember Fred Figglehorn? "Arrow to the knee"? If you don't, you're lucky.) Simply put: if your program is going to be recorded in digital form for posterity, and you expect or want anyone to care about it six months after its production, avoid Internet gags. Stuff like "Manehattan" and "Saddle Arabia" is relatively harmless, but it's never been a draw for me either.

Wow. Where do I start with this one? Continuity? A callback to the very beginning of the show? Twilight's backstory? This had all the ingredients of a killer episode and that's exactly what we got. First of all, Minuette is really a great character. Her attitude is infectious and she does a wonderful job of helping Twilight get back in touch. What a revelation about Lyra--not only did she live in Canterlot before, but she was a friend of Twilight! (Since we've been seeing Lyra around Ponyville since the beginning of the series, I'll assume that she moved there before Twilight did.) Spike is perfectly in character, though it seemed weird that none of Twi's old friends talked to him. At least we see him chatting with Pony Joe. And then we come to Moon Dancer, who exudes all kinds of nerdy awkwardness. Has no idea what to say in a conversation, doesn't relate, and is all closed up because of disappointments earlier in life. Basically, Moon Dancer is the Twilight Sparkle that once was--before castles, wings, and Elements. Except that she was already beginning to understand friendship when Twilight--who did not--unintentionally destroyed her efforts by not showing up at the party. It's clear that MD not only considered Twi a friend, but her best friend. Her speech to Twilight at the end is really heart-rending. The only thing missing from it is that she didn't mention the alicorn thing. Think about it: Twi doesn't show up, moves away, never contacts her again, and for that she is ultimately rewarded with wings and a crown and a title: The Princess of Friendship. Golly gee, isn't that NICE?!?! At least that's how I would see it if I were Moon Dancer, and it would seriously bother me. Naturally the episode has to ignore some of this stuff to wrap everything up in a neat package--like the fact that Twilight is all broken up about her old friends but it never occurs to her to visit her parents. The inclusion of Pinkie Pie is a stroke of genius (AKR seems to love her, and has always done some of the best Pinkie episodes). But I think it's going to take more than one visit for Twi and Moon to reestablish a true friendship...so I really hope we see her again! This episode works on every level and will go down as one of Season 5's greatest. I love it to bits.

'Griffon the Brush-Off' is one of my favorite episodes ever. When I heard this episode would put Dash and Pinks together again on a special mission in the griffon kingdom, I knew Gilda would have to be in there somewhere. Add the fact that it was written by Amy Keating Rogers, and I had very high expectations for this episode. The beginning is great. Rainbow Dash's Twilight impression is immortal. IMMORTAL. Finally we see Gilda again, and unlike Trixie's reappearance in Season 3, the magic wasn't lost. She looks, sounds, and acts just the same as when we last saw her--the "too cool" attitude, the vintage 90's insults...I'm nostalgic already. I guess I should have seen the end coming: the real lost treasure isn't the Idol of Boreas (which was incredibly easy to find), but friendship. Although I guess if the griffons discover friendship again, they can just team up and retrieve the Idol from the bottom of the crevasse. In other news, Gilda apparently can bake, and Pinkie Pie has a crush on a statue. Pretty good stuff, although Gilda's change should have been more of a 90 than a complete 180 so that it felt realistic, and the griffons were poorly developed; we got to see only a handful of them, and only a few besides Gilda had names. It was good, but it could have been better.

Well. That happened (finally) and it was as awesome as any DT fan could have hoped. I always appreciated her character for what it was, but it was time for a change. I hope she doesn't get TOO nice, though. Also, a PSA from Diamond herself: "How about THAT, bronies everywhere? I'm a good filly at last! And Spoony was never really bad! NOW who will be the one-note antagonist in all your corny anti-bullying art and fanfics, huh? HUH? Mwah-hahahahahaaaa!"

And boy is there ever a lot to consider! After simply going along with DT all this time, the most awesome and spoonerific filly of all finally spoke up for herself. It's been done so many times in fanfiction and what have you, but to see it on the show is something else again.Truly amazing. The fact that Diamond herself was redeemed makes it even better. I wonder what the status of SS and DT's friendship is now? With no blank flanks to make fun of, what will they talk about? Now that looking down on other ponies isn't cool anymore, what will they do with their time? Now that Diamond is friendly with the CMC, how will it change the dynamic of their relationship? I NEED ANSWERS DAMMIT "What?? I don't have to follow her drama anymore." Unforgettable moment.

Am I dreaming? Did the Crusaders really get their Cutie Marks at last? Did Silver Spoon stand up for herself, and did Diamond Tiara finally change all in one miraculous episode? I almost can't believe it. I've been waiting for three years to see this. You could tell when a song started in the first minute that it would be a musical episode, and I think that was the right choice. There would have been too much ground to cover otherwise. And it helps that all the songs are amazing. The playground equipment still hasn't been repaired since the Tirek fight?! Celestia, you've got some explainin' to do. Quickest election ever and the right pony won. And now comes the fallout. Silver Spoon rejects her unequal friendship with DT, which is my personal favorite moment of the episode because it's something I could only dream of in the past. I'm so proud of best filly!!! DT's mother finally being shown (everypony simply assumed she was dead) is another stunner, though her snobbish attitude isn't. DT had to get it from somewhere. The CMC can't simply leave DT hanging, and now that her hold over the playground is broken, they encourage her to change. Forgiving her for the bullying isn't even an issue; the focus is squarely on Diamond herself, and how if she is happier, her peers will be too. I can't argue with that. In the end Diamond makes the right decision, and we have a moment with the CMC that will be talked about forever. That's pretty awesome. I have mixed feelings about them all getting basically the same mark; when your purpose in life is simply to help others, doesn't that make for a tenuous identity at best? I guess we'll see how it works out. The part with Rainbow, AJ and Dash congratulating them is heartwarming and essential. A near-perfect episode that in one fell swoop has changed all of filly-related canon. I loved it.

Basically, yeah. Quite a few bronies were hoping for that when the change happened. So was I. It was like "well, they went there...but maybe it's not permanent! Like, Twilight is an alicorn princess for just a little while before learning an ultimate lesson that she doesn't have to be either of those things to excel and spread friendship. And by turning down Celestia's gift she becomes more independent and develops as a character." Nope. -_- In retrospect it would have been a great idea, but they didn't go there.

As Bill Nye would say, consider the following: 1. They act not only on Celestia's orders, but in her stead as the bearers of the Elements. (Or at least the powers of the Elements, or the Tree, or the Map...you get the idea.) 2. They are headquartered in a special castle in Ponyville where they hold private meetings about what is best for Equestria, i.e. "spreading friendship." 3. Twilight herself, of course, is a princess and her friends often tag along with her on diplomatic missions. 4. While they are neither elected nor officials, they serve essentially the same function as elected officials: representing Equestria to the rest of the world and upholding the laws of the land. Except that, unlike traditional politicians like Mayor Mare, they don't get paid. On the bright side, they don't have to do a bunch of paperwork either. The longer the series goes on, the more the Mane 6 seem to be Celestia and Luna's subordinates. Kind of a weird change from the very beginning when they were just friends hanging out, and in the process of hanging out they just happened to accomplish things that were good for Ponyville and Equestria. So at this point, I would say that yes, they are essentially politicians.

Bronies just seem to view Luna as the cool one. After all she's the Princess of the Night, the moon, darkness and such, and anything "dark" is viewed as cool nowadays. Plus a lot of people are just crazy about her design. I didn't think there was any more to it than that. But maybe, as the OP argued in his interesting post, we also favor Luna because she doesn't fit the Superman mold--or more to the point, she's the Batman to Celestia's Superman. Unlike Celestia she has apparent flaws, and it's okay for her to display them, which makes her easier to relate to. Her princesshood is an ongoing struggle rather than a mere state of being. Personally, I am neutral toward Luna and downright skeptical of Celestia.

It bugged me at the time. I thought (hoped) the buzz about "alicorn Twilight" in early '13 was just a silly rumor, and then the show actually did it. I guess it still bugs me two years later, for the same reasons it did then. Too fast, didn't make sense, doesn't fit Twilight's character, and I didn't enjoy the episode itself. Did it hurt the show? No, I don't think so. It would be more accurate to say that it changed the way I feel about the show.

For the record, I'd rather own a toy set of the old library than that crystal monstrosity. I'm sure I'll get accustomed to Twilight's castle, yes. But I don't think I'll ever like it much. It looks more like a status symbol than a comfortable place to live.

Well, it couldn't have been released 10 years earlier. That amount of time was necessary because it allowed several things to happen: 1) Memories of Gen 3 and 3.5 to fade, and the 'My Little Pony' name to be forgotten a while. 2) A decade's worth of mediocre cartoons for kids, and crass or superficially "dark" shows for teens and adults to make us all yearn for a good, simple family show again. 3) Lauren Faust to do a little bit of everything on 'Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends' and learn how to run her own show. 4. Flash-based animation to develop to the point that it looked decent. So if MLP: FIM was somehow conceived and launched ten years earlier...it would look terrible, Faust wouldn't have been running it, and as others point out, the kind of Internet fandom we have now was impossible in 2000-2005. Most likely, it would have been quickly cancelled and remembered only by a small and devoted circle of fans. I think it came along at just the right time!

There are pros and cons to both places. I've had a lot of experience with both of them, so here's my list. Fanfiction Pros * Easy to use. Some may disagree, but I have never had a problem accessing or searching Fanfiction. It's the simplest thing in the world to post a story there, and frequent site updates mean that any bugs or issues they have get fixed pretty quickly. These guys really know what they're doing. * Well organized. For a site that caters to every type of permissible fan fiction out there, it could easily have become a total mess--but it's not. The library is organized by source (Anime, Books, Movies, Games, etc.) with a very efficient search function, and shows you more stories in less space. Because of that, it's just more fun to surf stories on Fanfiction: "hmm, that one sucks, that one sucks, that one sucks, hey this one looks good!" * Convenient to other fandoms. If you've read enough pony stories for today, no problem! You can be reading Harry Potter, Digimon, or (shudder) Twilight in the very next minute. Fanfiction has everything. Some shows and movies have niches there that you won't find anywhere else. Cons * Boring design. In this modern Internet age, Fanfiction's main page looks like something out of 1995: all text, no pictures, few colors. On one hand, it's nice to have a site that is still simple, unpretentious, and totally content-driven. But it doesn't do much visually to draw the attention of new authors. * Harder to get feedback. You would think that Fanfiction's larger audience equals more activity and a better chance to get noticed, but it doesn't always work out that way. The site is like a big city with a ton of writers just going about their business, too busy to leave many constructive reviews. In comparison, FIMfiction is like a small town, with comment sections that are more active and more fun to read--though not always more helpful. FIMfiction Pros * Looks great. FIMfiction has always been a more attractive and visually appealing site than Fanfiction. The fancy layout, the bright colors, the feature box...everything about it screams "modern" and "professional". * Sense of community. Fanfiction still has a primitive and disconnected posting system; FIMfiction is far better in this area, with thriving groups committed to every genre of pony story you could want. Everyone is intertwined and feels part of something--a huge plus for all authors, but bronies in particular. * Exclusive to bronies. Some of us are still uneasy about using sites where they might find unfriendly users. But FIMfiction is maintained by and for people like us, and that means a lot. Cons * Shakier history, with more technical problems. When I started using it three years ago, the search filter was a disaster. I could rarely find a specific story unless I Googled it, and no search would return more than 20-40 stories at once, even if I searched for something really popular like PinkieDash. It was tremendously frustrating. The search works a lot better now, but in general FIMfiction still has more issues on a daily basis than Fanfiction. * The screening system. Don't get me wrong, it could be a pro if the mods consistently followed the criteria they laid down, but the fact that it's done so subjectively means that some good stories will be rejected on a technicality, while a lot of horrible ones (even ones that don't meet "a basic level of grammar and spelling") still get approved. * Longer learning curve. I figured out how to use Fanfiction very quickly when I was just getting started on "the Internetz." I joined FIMfiction after 12 years of experience writing online, and their subscription and publishing systems were massive headaches. It took weeks to really figure them out.

Possibly. Or at least, she's the most likely of the Mane Six to do it if the stallion treats her well and isn't a jerk like Prince Blueblood. Still I think that even if Rarity did marry for money or convenience, she would never stop designing and managing for herself. She loves to be popular, but she's pretty free-spirited as well.