What time period is the show based in?

[Officer Strike 152]

Guys this has been getting me confused. What time period is MLP in because this is confusing. They have cameras and yet they type with type writes which is like really old at least 1930s and 40s but then the royal guard Roman inspired helmets and armour. 

 

Their armour design is inspired by Romans and the Spartans and they hold spears. Yet they have cameras but they also have DJ's and music made by discs so that would be popular in the 1980s but then yet again we come back to square one when we see all of this castle and kingdom and its old fashioned.

 

So what do you think? I think that maybe the MLP times is set in 1930s mostly and the armour worn is the tradition and that is why they wear that armour or it could be a whole different period of age because it is a pony world.

 

 

 

[碇 シンジン 27,379]

Yeah, though the 1930 or that age seems to be the insipiration of the show since horse drawn carriages and all that so its around early 1900 I think though there have been helicopters and other stuff sometimes that maybe doesnt match that period but  mainly on early 1900 i think =)

[Officer Strike 152]

I see well thanks for your opinion.

[Flutterstep 35,576]

Its really strange, since most of the things used in the show are vintage, but then you have Vinyl Scratch using decks, pads and subwoofers, so it kind of ruins it xD

[GuyNamedEarl 1,323]

There isn't really a time period because there isn't any human eras to compare to.

[Daring_Do 547]

Don't forget the chariots (amongst other things). There looks to be a strong Greco-Roman influence in the setting (including mythological critters).

[Jeremiah 1,585]

I think its like one of those shows that doesn't have a set time peroid, like Gotham (TV Series) they to don't have a set time period that the show is based in

[chirox the pony 1,313]

It's based in modern Equestria time and is based on various technologies from various eras. 

[Xeltor23 701]

I think it's pretty random really, the writers don't really care about it I think

[sweetolebob18 720]

There have been a number of threads on this.   Time in EQ seems to be all over the place.  Poniville is late 19th/early 20th century (about time of Little House on the Prairie), but in Manehatten it is at least the 1950s & plausibly later.  Yet, the ponies don't seem to remember other times when they go to other time zones & it doesn't confuse them.

 

Some of this (like Guard armor & weapons) may be deliberately archaic.  (USA marine officers dress uniforms carry swords, for instance)

 

It may be a remnant of something Discord did his 1st reign.

[Discordian 5,987]

Considering Equestria isn't based in the human world in any way, shape or form and the existence of magic their timeline and resulting technology isn't going to end up the same as ours. Most of their technology exists as a form of convenience rather than being built as some true advancement.

 

I think the only reason their world even looks remotely like ours is a lack of creative drive. Alternatively you can transfer references and jokes from our world more easily into Equestria if it looks more like our world but that's likely not the main reason for it.

[Officer Strike 152]

Wow there are so many possibilities!

[Bendy 1,784]

It's really confusing. At one point it was medieval during season one anyway, then a little industrial revolution. If you are writing fan fiction you can simply ignore the technology inconsistencies. Yes, there's a lot of inconsistencies.

 

I think it's sometime during the 19th century with some modern things. But then again the ponies don't seem to have guns nor computers, yet they appear to have cinemas.   

 

Though, I can safely say in turns of technology humanity vastly surpasses them.  

Edited August 31, 2015 by Bendy

[Officer Strike 152]

Wow this is obviously getting a lot of replies! Well thats really cool.

[Steve Piranha 19,314]

Equestria's tecnological advancements are inconsistent. As stated, there seems to be a convination of stuff dating under the 19 century, to more modern achivements luke Vinyl's dubstep music, cameras, arcade games, and even Manehattan has buildings that can't be under the 70s. I would estimate the show's period is maybe the 90s or early 2000s. though, Doc Hooves claimed that Equestria's advancement in magic, has hindered their technological progress, making it possible they might be even in the same time period as us, but with less technological advancements 

[derpy4ever 47]

Probably scince its a whole different universe, their society evolved in a different way than ours because they value different things. mabey they dont have engines because its unecessary so it never developed. mabey magic obsoleted computers before they were ever thought of. it could be years into the future and they just didnt invent things they didnt need or want.

[Blackened 510]

It's a very conflicting thought. We've seen the ponies use old styled cameras and typewriters as the normal way of communication, yet we see relatively modern things, such as turntables and thumping club music. As for EQG, however, it's not hard to imagine.

[Rawzy 1,293]

Yeah, though the 1930 or that age seems to be the insipiration of the show since horse drawn carriages and all that so its around early 1900 I think though there have been helicopters and other stuff sometimes that maybe doesnt match that period but  mainly on early 1900 i think =)

I've been sitting here trying to think of something that relates to this century forever ahahah...but I guess you're right ooBrony ^

[cider float 2,519]

They just add in different technology of different eras whenever the writers feel like it. Some of the most advanced pieces of technology was gaming arcades (which would have come around during 1970s) and a helicopter.

 

I do like how Final Fantasy makes their technology look like it can't be from any era in human history but at the same time still relatable and have their intended uses.

Edited September 3, 2015 by cider float

[Kivil 1,714]

Honestly, I have not a single clue or idea... I don't look to deep into this

[Officer Strike 152]

Your ideas are good but i am confident that it is around the mid 1930s or something i suppose

[Blaze Bronson 343]

As a lot of other people have already pointed out, this is a fantasy world, not connected to ours at all.

Therefore this question doesn't make much sense.

 

If we really want to go there though, the only reasonable explanation is that this is in the far far future, where magic appeared and relics from old human civilization is being used.

[Officer Strike 152]

I see that is alright then 

[NotoriousSMALL 1,973]

I believe the pony world runs concurrent with our own but are obviously not as technologically developed as us... mainly because they dont really need to be since they live in a romanticized world and society. Theyre probably at the start of their own industrial revelution.

[Tapfire 92]

From an analytical perspective:

In many ways, the pony world seems a lot like the 1930's. Horse drawn carriages, hand grown crops, etc. However, a much darker reason exists for my reasoning- racism. Mules and Donkeys get a lot of pony hate. Sure, it may not be Great Depression America racism but it's still there- and we see it quite often in the show. One problem with this idea is the country's connections with Saddle Arabia, so I think we may be more likely to be pushing into the 21st Century, as we see subwoofers and plenty of video games hanging around.

 

From a realistic perspective;
It doesn't have a realistic date as it isnt our world. It would appear things are measured in "Moons" which could mean Days or Months (Which places 30 moons between once a month and 2 and a half years, but it's probably the latter because pinkie says "Or you'll be stuck here for a really really long time") so we cannot say when MLP takes place.