ooc Equestria Forward (OOC)

[FancyHorse 1,209]

I'd like to add this characters profile if its acceptable? I've already mentioned him, so he'll be a reoccurring character.

 

http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/bulawayo-zebra-r7602

 

And Aha'ban has a sister, I'll add her profile.

 

http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/imaia-steelwings-r7773

[skbl17 199]

I'd like to add this characters profile if its acceptable? I've already mentioned him, so he'll be a reoccurring character.

 

http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/bulawayo-zebra-r7602

 

And Aha'ban has a sister, I'll add her profile.

 

http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/imaia-steelwings-r7773

 

No, that's fine. There's no hard limit on characters.

 

Also, rule reminder:

Rule 3: All posts must be made in English. If your character speaks another language, a translation must be provided in parentheses.

Edited January 28, 2015 by skbl17

[HunterTSN 1,444]

Alright you have my attention, I'll try to get a character in as soon as I have the time.

[skbl17 199]

New detail post coming Wednesday! This time, I'm finishing up the Infrastructure series. The focus: how the buck do ponies get around? No stagecoaches, dirt roads, or steam trains? Madness!

Edited January 28, 2015 by skbl17

[FancyHorse 1,209]

I'd have them only speak in Arabic if what they have to say isn't important. But I understand.

 

I apologize I overlooked that.

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Give us them details "Oh great and powerful Lore master!" Haha!

 

I kid, no rush or what not..

 

Taking a read of your content is like opening present.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

Augh, I completely forgot about this! D:

 

I'll have to look over the details of this one again and go from there! My apologies. >_<

[skbl17 199]

Augh, I completely forgot about this! D:

 

I'll have to look over the details of this one again and go from there! My apologies. >_<

 

That's okay. Some stuff came up back in mid December, so I had to take a break for about a month. In that time, this RP fell by the wayside.

[Scribblegroove 565]

Augh, I completely forgot about this! D:

 

I'll have to look over the details of this one again and go from there! My apologies. >_<

@skbl17

Right, same story here. I'll try to post again soon. I really like the idea of this roleplay so letting it die would be an awful waste.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Scribblegroove

[skbl17 199]

Well, as promised, here it is, the final part of the infrastructure series.

 

Infrastructure (Part 2)

Prior to the Equestria Forward program, transportation was very simple in nature. The primary methods of getting around involved long journeys via stagecoaches and trains; the latter was pony-pulled at first, before a gradual transition to steam power occurred before Twilight's ascension. Stagecoaches utilized a network of more than 900,800 miles (1.5 million km) of dirt and cobblestone roads draped across the country, while the railroad network was made up of more than 32,000 miles (51,499 km) of track at the time of the program's launch.

 

However, the existing network presented problems for the technocrats responsible for implementing the Equestria Forward program. There were few roads in the various mountain ranges and deserts in western and central Equestria, which not only made travel difficult, but it made planning new roads and railways in those areas difficult due to the difficulty in conducting surveys. As such, these areas were among the last to see any improvement in transportation, with some parts of the Unicorn Range northwest of Canterlot not seeing high-speed rail for almost ten years after the start of Equestria Forward.

 

Roadways

The principality's road network is composed of 1,100,500 miles (1,771,083 km) of paved and unpaved roads, with 92% of the network paved. The highest concentration of unpaved roads exists in the mountainous areas of the regions of west-central Equestria, where planning and construction has been difficult due to the terrain. Most roads are regulated and maintained for by regional governments, but there are standards in place to allow the road system to maintain uniformity in signage, distance, and markings.

 

National freeways: the Equestrian Trotway System

One of the achievements of the Equestria Forward program was the construction of a nationwide limited-access freeway network to connect the country's cities and ports. This network is the 45,000 mile (72,420 km) long Equestrian Trotway System (shortened to 'the trotway' in everyday use), which was first opened to the general public less than six years after the start of the program. The trotway network is maintained by the National Trotway Authority of Equestria, better known as Trotways Equestria. The statutory agency is composed of a five-member board whose members are appointed by the princesses and confirmed by the Crown Council.

 

Speed limits on the trotways vary by terrain, road conditions, and weather.

 

- The highest speed limit is 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), which is observed in most of Durango and Saddleshire. Most of these regions are flat grassland or desert, which makes trotway stretches here ideal for high speed limits. Otherwise, the typical rural speed limit is 80 miles per hour (128 km/h).

 

- The typical urban speed limit is 65 miles per hour (105 km/h), but some suburban trotways have posted speed limits of 70 miles per hour (113 km/h). Some tighter stretches of trotway in highly dense suburbs have reduced speed limits of 60 miles per hour (91 km/h) due to the tight corners, low clearances, and narrow shoulders. Metropolitan trotways are equipped with variable speed limit and signage systems, which allow Trotways Equestria to remotely adjust speed limits and close lanes if conditions warrant.

 

- In the mountains of west central Equestria, trotways traversing the Unicorn Range have speed limits of 55 miles per hour (88 km/h) due to the extremely tight curves, narrow tunnels, hills, valleys, and potential for hazards. Much like the systems used in urban areas, Trotways Equestria utilizes variable speed limit and signage systems in the mountain ranges.

 

The entire trotway network is tolled, no exceptions. The average toll for two-axle vehicles is B1.20/mile, while larger vehicles pay higher tolls that can reach B5.50/mile. Tolls are collected at exit and entry points on the trotway system; when a user enters a trotway, a computerized system logs the user in a central database (video license plate recognition), commencing the user's "trip". When the user exits the trotway at any point other than service plazas, the "trip" ends and the appropriate amount is charged. Payment is collected in one of two ways:

 

- The user can use a TrotPass, a transponder that contains the user's account information, including personal information and financial records. When the user exits the system, a gantry "reads" the TrotPass information and deducts the toll from the user's account.

 

- If the user does not possess a TrotPass, the license plate is matched against a database of addresses, after which Trotways Equestria sends a toll collection notice to the vehicle owner. Failure to pay within thirty days is considered a misdemeanor.

 

The trotway network also plays host to a network of service plazas, which allows drivers to take care of basic needs without having to exit the trotway system. Service plazas, usually placed fifty miles apart from each other, almost always contain fuel stations, restaurants, and restrooms, but some also contain supermarkets and security offices. Revenue collected from service plazas and tolls allow Trotways Equestria to theoretically achieve self-sufficiency.

 

Other public roadways

The rest of the country's road network is maintained by regional governments. Despite the presence of uniform roadway standards, this decentralization of control can lead to differences in road quality. In general, public roadways are free to use at the time of use and connect more areas than the trotway system can. In exchange, speed limits are much lower (the highest speed limit is 80 miles per hour in parts of Durango) and emergency response times may be longer, especially if an accident occurs in a remote area.

 

All public roadways are funded by regional governments through sales and property taxes; there are no tolls.

 

Railways

Railways in Equestria have multiple uses, but namely the movement of freight and passengers. Oddly, despite the advent of automobiles, the rail network remains the preferred method of getting around most of the country, with more than 75% of all passenger journeys last year involving trains at one point or another.

 

High-speed rail (HSR)

There is no exact definition for what constitutes a "high-speed" rail network. Assuming that "high-speed" denotes a rail line where train speeds can legally reach speeds of 200 miles per hour (322 km/h), only the network owned and operated by Harmony Railways, a consortium of the Government of Equestria and four private rail operators, meets that definition. The HR high-speed rail network largely duplicates the legacy passenger rail network, but with some corridors and stops removed. The 15,000 mile (24,140 km) long network connects cities in every region of mainland Equestria, and roughly 550 million trips every year involve the HR system.

 

The major HSR lines currently in service include:

 

- Coastal Express: The second-busiest HR line, the Coastal Express, connects Mareami with Trotston via Savanneigh, Wilmareton, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Manehattan, and Trotford. Annual ridership numbers 110 million, or 29% of the entire system's passenger base.

 

- Lake Trot Connector: This line connects Manehattan's Central Station with Whinnyapolis via Sunshine City, Rockchester, Detrot, Chicoltgo, and Marewaukee. Annual ridership numbers 55 million.

 

- The Sealiner: The western equivalent of the Coastal Express. Sealiner service connects the cities of Los Pegasus, Maneterrey, San Coltsisco, Tall Tale, Seaddle, and the Arctican city of Vanhoover. Annual ridership on this line numbers 95 million, making the Sealiner the HSR system's second-busiest line. The southeastern branch of this line shares track with the Gulfliner service.

 

- Capital Connector: This HSR line connects Las Pegasus with the Arctican city of Whinnypeg via Las Neighgas, Everfree Crossroads, Ponyville, Canterlot, and Rubia. This is the third-busiest rail line, with an annual ridership of 88 million.

 

- Gulfliner: This line parallels the coast of the Gulf of Solaris, serving the cities and metropolitan areas of Mareami, Whitewater, Trotsacola, Neigh Orleans, and Hoofington, before continuing west as the Southeastern Sealiner. Annual ridership numbers 62 million.

 

- SDB Railway: The not-so-explanatory self-explanatory name of this line identifies the three major locations served by the line: Seaddle, Durango, and Baltimare. Seaddle, Tall Tale, Magicrest, Canterlot, Omareha, Des Manes, Neighboro and Baltimare are all connected by the SDB line. Annual ridership on this line numbers 56 million.

 

- Center North Line: This weirdly named line refers to the direction of this line, which begins in Hoofington before darting north to serve Hayetteville, Dodge Junction, Canterlot, Magicrest, and Seaddle. This line has an annual ridership of 39 million.

 

- River North Line: This line begins in Hoofington and parallels the Center North Line before splitting off at Hayetteville, heading north to serve Omareha, Whinnyapolis, and the Arctican city of Whinnypeg. Annual ridership on this line numbers 45 million.

 

Regular passenger rail

With the advent of high-speed rail, most of the old passenger rail network has either been decommissioned or converted to HR's HSR system. Some legacy train lines still exist, however.

 

- The line between Ponyville and Canterlot remains open for passenger service as a "historic" route, the Friendship Express. Annual trips number 35 million. Its service partially overlaps with that of HR's Capital Connector high-speed rail line.

 

- The Sea-to-Sea Railway, the first railway line in Equestria, also remains open for passenger service. The privately-run rail line serves an annual ridership of 45 million; to allow the railway to continue to make a profit, freight companies are allowed to use the railway during the overnight and midday hours. Almost half of the line overlaps with that of HR's SDB Railway.

 

Regional rail service

Most major metropolitan areas have some kind of local rail system, which can include a subway, light rail, tram, or commuter rail service. Some really large metropolitan areas, such as Manehattan, have all of these modes of transit as part of their regional transport network. 51% of commuter trips last year involved regional rail systems, with Manehattan's system being the most used (69% of all commutes). Some notes:

 

- In Manehattan, the Metro Transit Commission (MTC)'s member rail systems are the most heavily used, with MTC systems registering an estimated 12 million passenger trips per day. The Manehattan Area Subway Authority (MASA)'s 6.1 million daily trips makes that system the most used subway in the country. Aside from MASA, two commuter rail systems, three light rail systems, and one tram network are members of the MTC consortium.

 

- Canterlot's commuter rail system, Canterail, is the busiest commuter rail system in the country, with an estimated daily ridership of 798,500.

 

- The regional rail system run by the Haywaii Transport Administration is the only rail system currently in use in Equestria's island regions. A system for the Hen Islands is currently in development.

 

Air travel

In Equestria, air travel options remain limited despite the advancements in infrastructure and technology in other transportation sectors. At the beginning of Equestria Forward, an airship system was in development, but its implementation was scuttled as a result of lobbying and stalling tactics undertaken by Cloudsdale residents and hot air balloon enthusiasts. For now, air travel remains the exclusive domain of pegasi, hot air balloons, and the occasional small airship. Princess Twilight has indicated that the development of an air travel sector was still "a necessity", but admitted that it is currently a "low priority" due to the heavy opposition, which includes:

 

- Cloudsdale's representative to the Crown Council, who stalls all air travel-related legislation insisting that the sky is "the domain of Cloudsdale and Cloudsdale alone", much to the ire of urban groups,

- The refusal of hot air balloon operators to do business with cities that want to build airports, fearing that their business would tank dramatically,

- The tactics of powerful lobbying groups, especially the Sky Association, a union of pegasi and Cloudsdale business owners who fear that pegasus-owned businesses will fold if mainland Equestria is allowed to build airports and start commercial air service,

- The Cloudsdale government's refusal to allow any "ground" airline to fly to Cloudsdale, and

- Neighborhoods who wish not to have "noisy" airports built nearby. This is a huge problem in Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and Canterlot, among other major cities.

 

A newspaper editor for the Equestria Daily News summed up the reasons: "Corruption and fear. That's all. Cloudsdale doesn't want to lose control of the skies over Equestria; they see the sky as their economic lifeline, no matter how shortsighted and self-centered that may be."

 

The national government does not actively block companies who wish to operate an air travel service from, well, operating, but they cannot provide any financial or legal support because of the aforementioned roadblocks and opposition. In addition, the Canterlotian bureaucracy placed a moratorium on new airport construction by cities, citing heavy opposition. Essentially, if company A wants to operate an air travel service, they can, but they have to build and maintain their own airports and airplanes, cannot fly to Cloudsdale, and risk boycotts by Sky Association-aligned pegasi. There are some groups, such as the fledgling Association for Free Airspace (AFA), who are trying to overcome all of the opposition in court, but time will tell whether they are successful or not. 

 

A lawsuit (Association for Free Airspace v. City of Cloudsdale) is currently before the Privy Court in Canterlot, which will determine if the constitutional freedom of movement and travel applies to airspace. If the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs (the aforementioned AFA), the national government will be required to establish a regulatory framework for the commencement of nationwide air travel, allowing cities to build airports and rapidly deploy commercial air service. Regardless of their decision, air travel will continue to serve as the battleground in transportation for some time to come.

 

Waterways

Alongside the dirt roads and steam trains of yesterday, waterways have also been eliminated as a means of mass transportation outside of certain areas. Most water-based transport today involves ferries that transport ponies and other residents between remote islands and the mainland. The busiest ferries are those in the Hen Islands, where both the Hen Islands Ministry of Transportation and private ferry operators operate the largest ferry network in Equestria, with an estimated daily ridership of 2.4 million trips on a network that serves the ten islands of the archipelago.

 

Other popular ferry and waterway networks include:

 

- Hen Islands Ferry Consortium: A partnership between HIMoT and five private operators. Busiest ferry system in the country.

 

- Manehattan-Hayboken Ferry: A popular ferry that operates between Manehattan's West Side Docks and the Cantershire suburb of Hayboken. This MTC member system serves 978,000 passengers daily.

 

- Seaddle Bay Ferry (Sebafe): A ferry network that connects various cities in Seaddle Bay, including Seaddle, Redwood, Tall Tale, and Starswirl. This system is the most popular ferry network in mainland Equestria, with an estimated 1.1 million trips per day.

Edited January 29, 2015 by skbl17

[skbl17 199]

Wow, no air travel technology? Bolt Solutions stands to make a sizeable profit on personal air transportation devices. Non intelligent, non transforming, self driven winged backpacks.

 

I'd call it a lucrative business, even.

 

Just made an edit about that.

[skbl17 199]

Still not seeing anything that would bother or impede the selling of what's essentially a one pony "jetpack" product.

 

Oh wait, personal transportation solutions? As in "one pony, one jetpack"? Then there isn't any problem, I must have misread your post and edited my previous post based off that assumption.

 

In short, Bolt Solutions would be fine. In fact, Bolt Solutions can actually take advantage of the current setup. No pesky airplanes to deal with (no airports = no airlines), no national government interference, the relative lack of noise will keep neighborhoods off its trail, the tiny diehard "the sky's only for ponies with wings" crowd could be ignored with no negative impacts on revenue or service, and by the city's own laws, they can do business in Cloudsdale. If the jetpack becomes really popular, then the hot air balloon market will die off, and there isn't much they can do about it. When the Privy Court rules in the ongoing lawsuit, it might be too late for any future airlines, as Bolt Solutions would have captured almost the entire "we want to fly, but don't have wings" market.

 

I really should get a move on my next detail post: history. Boy, that one might take a few days, as I've got a lot of history to tell.

Edited January 29, 2015 by skbl17

[skbl17 199]

I noticed that earlier, there was a post about this becoming the next "Equestrian Empire". I don't know, but it would be nice to make this a full-fledged universe with smaller roleplays interacting in this not-quite-cyberpunk-but-close-enough Equestria.

 

Oh, and in case you don't know what day it is in the roleplay, it's still Monday, but don't worry, it's almost Tuesday!

[Varian Dusk 23]

I wish to become part of this. 

 

I submit Varian Dusk. http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/varian-dusk-r7801

[skbl17 199]

I wish to become part of this. 

 

I submit Varian Dusk. http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/varian-dusk-r7801

 

Approved. Enjoy!

[skbl17 199]

The history post is coming soon, but first, I'd like to share information about the Equestrian calendar system. This post is critical for understanding the dates used in the forthcoming post on Equestrian history. All years are numbered from the end of Discord's first reign. Hence, events that occurred before that event are numbered using negatives, and all events that took place after are numbered from 0, but all timespans are the same as canon. For example, if Nightmare Moon was first banished in 97, she returns a thousand years later in 1097.

Edited January 31, 2015 by skbl17

[skbl17 199]

More details will come later on when I type the history post, but I will concede the following:

 

- This isn't my headcanon. If this was a headcanon, Rarity Takes Manehattan would have killed it ("Oh, Manehattan isn't as technologically advanced as I imagined it? FML!"), so I made this an alternate universe.

 

- This alternate universe was initially meant to be the setting for a fanfic. Way back when, while I was devising original characters for the fanfic, I had a winged unicorn OC. However, she had a relatively mundane job that didn't require a winged unicorn, so I came up with a demographic scenario whereby the city where she lived had a significant proportion of winged unicorns, justifying her existence as a winged unicorn. As it turns out, when you have to jump through hoops like that to justify your OC, it becomes a problem. Eventually, I bagged the idea of making this a fanfic, many of the OCs were deleted (the winged unicorn among them,) and I decided to turn this into a more interactive roleplay instead. However, being that this roleplays are interactive, collaborative works, I can see how a plot point like a population of 70,000+ alicorns could become controversial. I'll remove the thing about winged unicorns, as it's not even that plot-relevant anyway.

 

- As for the canon timeline thing, I doublechecked and yes, I should leave the canon timeline alone. When the final history post is done, it will only cover the fifteen years of EQF and what happened in that timeframe.

Edited January 31, 2015 by skbl17

[skbl17 199]

History (Equestria Forward only)

While it was widely known in social circles that junior Princess Twilight Sparkle was more scientifically-oriented and technocratic than her seniors, nopony knew that she would unleash what turned out to be the largest reform and development program the country had ever seen.

 

Beginnings

In late 1098, shortly after her coronation as a Princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle traveled with her friends to the eastern port city of Manehattan, intent on supporting Rarity in Fashion Week. While exploring town, Twilight took note of the advanced level of technology in the city, quietly wondering what it would take to bring similar development to the rest of the principality. Upon her return and unbeknownst to anybody, she began to formulate a plan to "advance" Equestria, socially, educationally, and technologically. However, even after the events surrounding Tirek's return to Equestria and her designation as the "princess of friendship", the likelihood of such a radical plan being implemented remained low.

 

Civil Service takeover

A few months later, in January 1099, Princess Celestia approached Twilight with an offer to make her the head of the Civil Service of Equestria. At the time, the Civil Service was in a state of disrepair and lacked the cohesiveness necessary to run Equestria on a day-to-day basis. Not wishing to turn down an offer from her teacher and senior, Princess Twilight accepted the offer, becoming the first princess to serve as the Director of the Civil Service.

 

At various points, the press has described being the Director of the Civil Service as holding power "second to only that of the Princesses themselves," a state of affairs that has existed since the nobility's political power was suppressed with the end of the feudal system 360 years earlier. The Civil Service is tasked with running the day-to-day affairs of the country and implementing decrees and directives from the princesses; now that a princess was in charge of the Civil Service, some columnists described Twilight's appointment as a "merger" between the royals and the "enforcers", with a columnist in the Canterlot Herald marking the move as heralding a "solidification of absolutism".

 

As Princess Twilight began to audit the Civil Service, searching for inefficiencies in the organization, she began to learn of the scope of the organization's power. During a meeting with the Transportation Department, the secretary himself told the princess that the Civil Service also controlled regional and local governments through a combination of clandestine surveillance, regulations, and the imposition of conditions on all financial deals with lower levels of government. In essence, the Civil Service controlled the country. For Princess Twilight, it was perfect. She was now in charge of a government organization that indirectly and unofficially ruled the country. It was time to put her plan into action.

 

After one month, her audit was completed, with her final report being presented to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at a closed-door meeting in Ponyville on February 10, 1099. After seeing the large amount of inefficiency in the organization, they gave their approval for Twilight to clean house and "restore sanity and order" to the Civil Service.

 

The purge and the replacements

Having received the green light from the other princesses to "clean up" the Civil Service, Princess Twilight enacted phase one of her reform plan. Every secretary and administrator of every department had their job performance, satisfaction rankings, and credentials personally reviewed by Twilight herself. In the end, 89% of the department heads were removed from their positions, with most of them being removed on either corruption charges or poor satisfaction rankings. Some departments were merged and redundant positions were eliminated.

 

That, however, was only half of phase one of Twilight's plan. During the screening process to find new heads of the various departments, Twilight had a personal interest in ponies who showed "a devotion and/or intrigue in technological and scientific processes", which ensured that the new appointees would be technocrats. Sure enough, after much speculation in the newspapers, Princess Twilight's new and "improved" Civil Service was leaner, more efficient, and most importantly, more reformist and technocratic. There were some murmurs from nobles about some of her appointments, but nopony officially criticized the appointments, and the new appointees were confirmed by all three princesses a few days later.

 

It was time for phase two.

 

Equestria Forward: The first steps

On May 17, 1099, just over one year after Twilight's ascension, the young Director of the Civil Service issued memorandums to the heads of every department, "recommending" that they look into reforming the economy to facilitate the development of more companies and businesses in the fields of technology, research, and logistics. At the same time, she began to develop a brand new curriculum for the nation's future public school system that would focus heavily on vocational skills, language, mathematics, and technology.

 

The plans were initially kept small, as Twilight wanted to implement the first few pieces of her program "bit by bit". Public consultations were held, in which the plans were accepted...with one exception. Nopony had thought about how much it would cost to establish a public school system, or establish incentives for startup businesses who wished to invest in R&D, technology, and logistics...except for Princess Twilight.

 

Of special attention now was the national budget. At the time, the country was mostly unitary in character; despite the presence of regional governments, they had relatively little power. Hence, the B869 billion budget was where most projects got funding. Twilight did not have sole control over the national budget, as budgeting was a process to be completed by all three princesses and the Ministry of Finance. To fund the rest of the program, the Civil Service would need funding to the tune of B280 billion, but that large a slice of the budget would require a lot of explaining.

 

The Civil Service got the money. No official reason is given, but it is speculated that both the Minister of Finance and Princess Twilight justified the large amount of money as being necessary to cover "infrastructure and education" costs. To this day, some conspiracy theorists suspect that some of the numbers were fudged. Now that the money was secured, it was time to move on to the third phase.

 

Laying the foundation

Over the following year, Princess Twilight passed various decrees that were implemented by the Civil Service without question. These decrees:

 

- Established tax and investment incentives for "magitek" businesses

- Established tax and investment incentives for companies and businesses who wish to invest or startup in the R&D sector, technology sectors, or logistics sector

- Established a nationwide public school system, to be organized at the city and town level

- Allocated money for the establishment of a high-speed rail system

- Split and privatized the Royal Equestrian Post Office (see the infrastructure posts)

- Partially privatized the national railway company (Harmony Railways)

 

Most of Twilight's initiatives were unopposed, but she faced criticism from some nobles over her plans to establish a nationwide public school system and create a high-speed rail system. They believed that the existing system of mostly-private schools was "good enough" and was providing good enough results, to the point that no reforms were really necessary. In addition, they argued that the technology for "high-speed rail" did not yet exist in large enough numbers to justify the establishment of a national network. Princess Twilight managed to court the more moderate nobles, who were wary of such wide-reaching reforms, but did not want to curtail Equestria's economic development. With the support of the moderate nobles, urban elite, and the rest of the Civil Service, the reforms went through anyway.

 

With the taxation regime made easier for businesses who specialize in technology and logistics, the "magitek" market exploded almost overnight. The number of businesses specializing in research and development grew by 400% within the first year of the reforms. By June 1100, three companies had high-speed trains ready to go for Harmony Railways; construction on the HSR network began in earnest within two months.

 

"Laboratory of the World"

By January 1101, Equestria Forward was in full swing, and it didn't seem that anypony had the clout, will, or resources to stop it. New markets popped up left and right, with technologically-advanced companies eating the market share of their more archaic competitors. Automobiles began to replace stagecoaches in most areas, telephones replaced the telegraph, and high-speed bullet trains replaced the old steam engines on all but a few railway lines. A new development, the Global Communications Network (dubbed the "globalnet"), grew from its original deployment as a computer network serving universities to a full-fledged "internet". Year over year, the Equestrian economy began to grow at a rapid rate with all the investment going around, the construction of new infrastructure, and the establishment of greater trade links with other countries.

 

In March, the second stage of reforms began, helped along by the following decrees. By now, Princess Twilight had stopped referring to her decrees as "decrees", but rather as "acts".

 

- Media and Communications Act of 1101: Among other provisions, this decree established the Equestrian Media and Telecom Authority (EMTA) as a regulatory authority for the communications sector, Public Broadcasting Equestria (PBE) was established as a public service broadcaster, and the licensing and regulation of radio and television stations was permitted. This decree moved radio and television out of the experimental stage; with a stable regulatory environment, radio and TV channels began regular service on May 1, 1101.

 

- Roads and Highways Act of 1101: Established Trotways Equestria to build and maintain a national freeway network mostly funded from tolls, while setting aside money for regions to complete the construction of their local road networks. A nationwide set of signage and marking standards was introduced to ensure conformity on the road network.

 

- Infrastructure Development Act of 1101: Established a national infrastructure bank to provide loans to regional and local governments who wished to embark on their own projects. Many of the incentives for companies in the fields of transportation, communications, and logistics were extended from five years to ten.

 

By mid-1105, Equestria was in the midst of a revolution. The increased pervasiveness of the globalnet, radio, and television allowed Equestrians to more effectively air their views on everything from the economy to education and social life. The market for infrastructure had advanced significantly. The education system was metamorphosing from a largely private one to a mostly public, region-supported one. Foreign relations with most countries had grown dramatically, as Princess Twilight directed the Ministry of Foreign Relations to travel the globe and improve relations with other countries. The country led the world in investments in science and technology, a development that earned Equestria the nickname "Laboratory of the World". Quality of life was improving, and consumer spending rapidly increased as consumers sought to take advantage of the ongoing economic situation and increased competition in many sectors.

 

It was time to move on to the final and most difficult stage of Equestria Forward: political reform.

 

The "Rainbow Falls Summit" and the end of Equestria Forward

While the nobility was in dismay at how rapidly Equestria was changing, the moment Princess Twilight announced that she would attempt to institute political reforms, they looked for ways to fight back. At first, it seemed as if they would find an ally in Princess Luna, as they noticed that she was not comfortable with the rapid development of technology. However, the Moon Princess was not pleased with how the nobles who had regularly snubbed her now wanted her help to dismantle Equestria Forward for political points. She rebuffed the nobles, who took this as a sign that she would support Princess Twilight.

 

Unlike most of the previous reforms, which Princess Twilight was able to implement more or less unilaterally, political reform would require a consensus between the princesses. At the three princesses' first meeting on the subject of politics, held on June 10, 1106 in Canterlot, Twilight laid out her proposals: the establishment of a constitutional principality, more powers for the regions, greater rights and freedoms, the creation of an independent judiciary, and the establishment of an elected parliament at the national level. The senior princesses had no objections, with one exception: the creation of an elected parliament.

 

In Solaria, Equestria's neighbor to the south, there had been a political crisis of sorts in early 1106, as various political factions jockeyed for power in the capital after the results of elections held in December 1105. The coalition talks were volatile and took five months to resolve, a period in which Solaria's citizens expressed disapproval with how the coalition talks were preceding. The senior princesses made it clear to Twilight that an elected parliament would lead to the kind of political instability they didn't want in Canterlot. They stated that they would provide no support for political reform unless the proposal for an elected parliament was removed.

 

Over the following weeks, the proposal was revised: a national parliament would still be created, but would be a nonpartisan, unelected legislature composed of representatives selected by regional governments and the Civil Service. The 26-member legislature would be composed of 25 representatives, one from each region selected by their legislatures, and one would be appointed by the Civil Service. The princess would retain veto power over all legislation; all vetoed bills could not be overridden. The other princesses found this more palatable than her previous proposal, and accepted it on July 1, 1106.

 

The various reforms were discussed at a constitutional summit, which was held in the Unicornian resort town of Rainbow Falls between July 15, 1106 and February 1, 1107. During the so-called "Rainbow Falls Summit", delegates from every region and walk of life met to hammer out a new national constitution. After months of negotiations, political jockeying, and a last-ditch attempt in late November by hardliner nobles to derail the summit, a draft constitution (the "Rainbow Falls Constitution") was sent to voters for approval in a referendum. The draft constitution was unique in that there was full separation of powers, an outline for the national government, a large package of rights and freedoms, and a method by which the constitution could be amended in the future.

 

The constitutional referendum of 1107, held on June 1, was subject to the following conditions for passage and ratification:

 

- Universal suffrage was granted to all Equestrian citizens over the age of 18;

- Polling stations nationwide were open from 07:00 to 20:00 (7am to 8pm) Canterlot time on polling day;

- 60% of the national vote was necessary for passage;

- 60% of the vote in three-fourths of the regions was also necessary for passage;

- Polling would be conducted by secret ballot;

- International observers were on hoof to ensure that the elections were free and fair;

- Should the referendum pass, the new constitution would take effect on January 1, 1108.

 

On June 1, 1107, voters went to the polls to express their support for or against the new constitution. In the early morning hours of June 2, the results of the most pivotal vote in Equestrian history were announced. Not only was turnout very high (96.78% of registered voters), but the constitution was approved, exceeding expectations by receiving 75.74% of the national vote, and at least 60% in all but two of the regions (support was 49.5% in Unicornia and 54.9% in Canterlot).

 

On December 14, 1107, Princess Celestia held the last Royal Court session prior to the establishment of the Privy Court and the Crown Council, marking the end of an institution. On January 1, the national constitution went into effect, marking the beginning of a new era for Equestria. The newly appointed magistrates of the Privy Court sat for the first time on February 16, and with the opening of the first session of the Crown Council of Equestria on March 1, 1108, political reform was complete, marking the end of Equestria Forward.

 

Aftermath and legacy

The end of Equestria Forward was met with much relief nationwide, as there were no more reforms or developments to endure. The national debt soared from B109 million in 1098 to B905 billion in 1108, a fact that did not sit well with nobles and fiscal conservatives. Equestria became the largest economy in the world, with its GDP increasing from B2.6 trillion in 1098 to B5.1 trillion in 1108 and per capita numbers increasing at a similar clip. Standards of living, political participation, and overall satisfaction had increased. The population, which stood at 92 million just prior to the return of Nightmare Moon in 1097, blossomed to more than 97 million by 1113.

 

The nobility, now drained of almost all of its political power and influence, was left at an impasse. Moderate nobles managed to adapt well to the new system and maintain some level of influence and clout in the economy, but hardliner nobles seek to reverse Equestria Forward and return to the old days. At various points between 1108 and the present (1114), they sought to achieve their aims by attempting to influence the other princesses enough to remove Twilight or strip her of all her power, force Twilight to abdicate, and even influence the Civil Service to remove Twilight from her position as Director and install a more conservative, noble-friendly one. None of these attempts succeeded.

 

Opposition to the program was scattered at first, but eventually organized into the Equestrians for a Return to Normalcy (ERN) in 1103. Most of its members were commoners, but some of the hardline nobles began to fund the organization, seeing it as the "best" way to reverse the program. After winning some local and provincial elections, the group soon destabilized as the program continued and more hardline members grew desperate. After the ratification of the constitution, the moderate leaders of the ERN fell in a coup. Since then, the ERN has grown more bold and violent, perpetuating several attacks on Royal Guard bases, government buildings, and transport facilities. The violence, which last hit a peak in 1112, soon calmed down with the implementation of new security procedures, lowered contributions to the ERN, and the arrest of some of its key members. Whether this lull is temporary or permanent remains to be seen.

 

Ethnic tensions have also increased in some parts of Equestria. Zebra migration, which hit a peak during Equestria Forward, was viewed with suspicion by Equestrians, with some more reactionary ponies committing hate crimes against zebra immigrants. Despite the best efforts of police and prosecutors to punish the attackers for hate crimes (banned under the national constitution of 1107,) tensions still continue.

 

In closing, what was to be a simple reform plan turned into a dramatic upheaval in Equestrian society and its economy. Fifteen years later, Equestria has been completely transformed, and will never be the same, both for better and worse.

 

And it all began with a princess and a trip to Manehattan sixteen years ago.

Edited August 2, 2015 by skbl17

[skbl17 199]

I think we might be slowing down or grinding to a halt cause people aren't together and the one city is huge. I wonder if there's a way to get people to interact with each other?

 

Yeah...I've noticed that. It's as if there are four disjointed subplots (clandestine security operation, power plant, walk/college, hotel) all going on at the same time. There needs to be an event that starts bringing everypony together; any ideas?

Edited February 6, 2015 by skbl17

[FancyHorse 1,209]

@@skbl17

How does a large public event sound? Everyone could attend to it?

[skbl17 199]

How does a large public event sound? Everyone could attend to it?

 

Not a bad idea.

[skbl17 199]

Just let me post first before this please. You've already got power restored to the city, but technically I haven't actually had my character fix the generator yet so my post will basically be time travel as it is lol.

 

I'll post soon.

 

Go ahead; I actually have to get my MLP Nations stuff ready, so I won't be making a new post in the RP thread for a bit.

[EnderPrince 49]

Ok, I really want to register for this one. Can I?

Edited February 7, 2015 by EnderPrince

[skbl17 199]

Ok, I really want to register for this one. Can I?

 

But of course. Do you have any OCs you'd like to enter?

[EnderPrince 49]

But of course. Do you have any OCs you'd like to enter?

Yes, Dakon, who's link is in my signature, mainly because I have the perfect place for him.

Edited February 7, 2015 by EnderPrince