ooc The Dark Millennium - a combat & exploration RP - updated rules for joining

[Hederik 119]

Nope. Just say your goodbyes and we .

[Colenso Rivers 85]

@@Hederik,@@Once In A Blue Moon,

I did it!  

[Hederik 119]

Sheesh, this took a while to type. I've read fanfics shorter than that post though

 

 

They were rarely any good, but it's still a legitimate claim.

 

 

I'm too rusty on RPing. And I love to edit posts. What I wanted to say is that despite that not being mentioned, all three of you are in the classroom/lecture hall/whatever together with the other seven listed ponies. Which means also you have all known each other for a good few years at least. And that you have full freedom of choosing your initial state in the scene. And if you don't want to interact beforehoof, just let me now and we'll get things moving.

 

Also, only after rereading some of the RP do I realize how badly the utterance about dreams came out from Midnight, but eh, harm's done. Unless someone plans to flag that as insinuating pedophilia in the Officers' Academy.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Hederik

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

And if you don't want to interact beforehoof, just let me now and we'll get things moving.

 

My initial thought was that I didn't have much to add, but after a bit I did come up with something. 

 

 

 

Unless someone plans to flag that as insinuating pedophilia in the Officers' Academy.

 

I noticed that but assumed that 'filly' was used in the same way as 'girl,' and so could refer to a female pony of any age even if the technical meaning is a young mare. 

 

 

 

Everypony from their group was here, even Toad, whose group had

 

I think a word to replace 'group' would help - Toad is apparently in the group (that sleep in the same room) and in another group (that went on another exercise.) Possibly calling the group that sleep in the same room the 'section' or 'squad' or suchlike.

[SilverHeart 741]

@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@Colenso Rivers, @@Hederik,

 

So I wanted to get my post out to keep this ball rolling but I''m pretty much spent energy wise and wanting to go to bed. I'm going to pump out a post and apologize if it isn't that great.

 

 

 

insinuating pedophilia

 

I have no idea how old anyone is in this RP. I just assumed he was talking about ponies his own age at the part.

Edited June 16, 2016 by SilverHeart

[Dust and Memories 557]

Oh, wow.

This roleplay certainly seems interesting, and I could probably work up a character for it. (Wilhelm would be unsuitable for not this genre, but this setting/time period.)

 

The only problem is that I'm not sure if I have the time to participate or to write long posts, given my current schedule and the quality/length of writing this RP requires.

 

Either way, I'm bookmarking this. If the DM has an opening (actual question, do you?), I could probably join, if I'm not interrupting the story. (After all, we are drawing into the summer.)

[Hederik 119]

 

 

I noticed that but assumed that 'filly' was used in the same way as 'girl,' and so could refer to a female pony of any age even if the technical meaning is a young mare.

That's what I meant exactly, so I guess the bullet's dodged.

 

 

 

I have no idea how old anyone is in this RP.

I'd call you the 18-24 age group, or 'young adult'.

 

 

 

I think a word to replace 'group' would help - Toad is apparently in the group (that sleep in the same room) and in another group (that went on another exercise.) Possibly calling the group that sleep in the same room the 'section' or 'squad' or suchlike.

Hm, I do like the idea. It's a pity that contubernium is such a difficult word (and doesn't exactly fit numerically anyway). And decapone would be better suited to a sports event. I somehow don't like 'squad', maybe because it sounds so modern and we have a much more high-fantasy setting here. Fellowship suggests too strong personal bonds, but what about 'company'? There's no commercial establishment to be confused with, and the ten Cadets do by definition keep each other's company more often than not. Or potentially 'troop', although it gives off a vibe of more than just ten.

 

@@SilverHeart,

Oh, by the way, as Colenso pointed out, Silver as a unicorn would have been part of the inside training rather than being used for a loadhorse. Just saying.

 

@@Orion Caelum,

As the thread topic suggests, I do still accept new players. I will be glad to take you into consideration when you're able to find time to prepare a suitable OC and be more certain that you could be reasonably active (we're currently at one post a day, which I find to suit my liking). At present, I won't stall for you, but there is a pre-planned occasion for more players to join the main adventure after the first story arc. And if you should be ready for some action before we're there, I can surely come up with something to keep you busy for the time being.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

but what about 'company'? There's no commercial establishment to be confused with, and the ten Cadets do by definition keep each other's company more often than not. Or potentially 'troop', although it gives off a vibe of more than just ten.

 

 

In the UK / Commonwealth tradition, a troop would usually be a group of three tanks under an officer. I'm actually reading the book 'Troop Leader' at the moment about a Second World War officer who commanded a troop of cruiser tanks - fast tanks used for reconnaissance and other high-speed actions, and Carto's pathfinder comment was inspired by that. With five per tank (in the Cromwell) that's fifteen men, so a bit bigger than ten and more usually compared to a platoon in terms of use, but I at least associate company with the size above platoon - so up to or even over one hundred men. Different traditions have different uses of the word, so whichever sounds best. Changing them all into Latin might make them sound less modern - a manipulus, maniplus or comitatus sounds very Roman.

 

If you want to go for older names, Hippeis was apparently the Greek term for cavalry that also carried social connotations, the same as Equestrians for the Romans. Hippeus was the singular, but I think it would sound quite good as for the ten-sized group. The Macedonians also had light cavalry called prodromoi which were cavalry skirmishers. And yes I am just reading through Wikipedia pages for ideas. 

Edited June 17, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Hederik 119]

@@Once In A Blue Moon,

 

I know I've started it, but I'm nonetheless not really sold on the exotic names. If we were to go for these, we might actually as well invent a word and leave it like that. (I do really like how 'manipulus' sounds. But, again, it would just come off as sounding weird, needlessly suggesting manipulation of sorts, and without other Latin names around wouldn't sit well.)

 

Looking at synonyms to 'squad', most of the words come across as either denoting too large a group or with a connotation to something that the dormitory-group doesn't encompass. One word has, however, peeked my interest: unit. Simple is usually best, so maybe that wouldn't be a bad choice? Otherwise, I think 'squad' is after all the best name around.

@@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart, @@Colenso Rivers,

 

I could go on and on without letting you in, but that's not what RPing is about, so pipe in if you would. I won't mind shorter posts mid-discussion, there's no need for internal dialogue or much reminiscing at a time like this, especially if we are to have any real back-and-forth involving you guys.

 

 

 

 

MERGED SEAMLESSLY AGAIN. Do you guys even see all these edits as new mentions? Or does this system prevent me from posting notifications here if the last post was mine also?

 

@@Once In A Blue Moon,

 

I like your argument, so don't feel like I'm dancing around it, that's just the flow of the discussion going the other way for a while. If none of the other PCs brings it back, some NPC will - or Cat might do it herself.

 

Plus @@SilverHeart, @@Colenso Rivers, 

 

Also, as a thought more than speaking in authority, a good system for these types of situations might prove to be GM - A - GM - B - GM - C, rather than the GM - A - B - C - GM I promote outside of them. If you should fit more than one reply between two of mine, I won't mind at all (especially since this just me thinking aloud), but this way the discussion can feel more natural between the PCs and NPCs. However, this may feel awkward too, because a more active player can dominate the exchange despite the others not wanting to appear as mutes. This is all hypothetical, however, I actually foresee no problems of this nature occurring in our case.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Hederik

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

Do you guys even see all these edits as new mentions?

 

Alas, no, but it does bump it up to the top of 'topics I've participated in' and mark it as unread, so I do notice.   

 

 

I like your argument, so don't feel like I'm dancing around it, that's just the flow of the discussion going the other way for a while. If none of the other PCs brings it back, some NPC will - or Cat might do it herself.

 

 

You act like people listening to someone(/pony) in a discussion is a given. How quaint. No problem - I can see why the conversation went as it did.

[Hederik 119]

 

 

You act like people listening to someone(/pony) in a discussion is a given.

Only in the OOC, however, so don't get too used.

 

Also, I got a second notification for a new post here when you added the second part of your post... I'm confused.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

Also, I got a second notification for a new post here when you added the second part of your post... I'm confused.

 

Oh now that is interesting. There goes that theory anyway - I now have no idea what they do or when a 'notification' is triggered. 

[Hederik 119]

 

 

I now have no idea what they do or when a 'notification' is triggered. 

I'm working on a post asking for explanation in the Feedback section. I need to do a peaceful vent about the way posts are being merged anyway, might squeeze a technical question in there as well.

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart

 

A curveball for a curveball, though if you were to follow an arbitrary schedule, this one's got redirected. Nature of curveballs, I guess. This was honestly the hardest post to write in this RP yet.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

@@Hederik. 

but unless there is a group of unicorns that is still moving the sun and the moon today it would seem that the celestial bodies can manage by themselves.

 

Actually that's a significant question - so far as the cadets are aware, do the sun and moon raise themselves or is there a group of unicorns responsible for doing so again?

Edited June 18, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[SilverHeart 741]

I'm working on a post asking for explanation in the Feedback section. I need to do a peaceful vent about the way posts are being merged anyway, might squeeze a technical question in there as well.

 

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart

 

A curveball for a curveball, though if you were to follow an arbitrary schedule, this one's got redirected. Nature of curveballs, I guess. This was honestly the hardest post to write in this RP yet.

Earlier you said we could opt out of this scene. Or to at least tell you if we don't have much to say. At the moment in too tired to make a post and I probably can't think of enough to say for a post right now. I don't want o hold the RP up so I'll just have Silver be....reclusive for this scene.

 

@@Hederik.

 

Actually that's a significant question - so far as the cadets are aware, do the sun and moon raise themselves or is there a group of unicorns responsible for doing so again?

Great question. I'm curious what the answer is.

[Hederik 119]

There you have it, as good an answer as you're going to get... for now.

 

Day one, exit stage left.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

@@Hederik.

 

I should probably ask how much is known about navigation by, and the mapping of, stars in the Valley (by the cadets) before Carto accidentally demonstrates genius-level celestial cartography (I intend for her to be knowledgeable, curious and innovative, especially when it comes to using them for navigation, but nothing that seems unreasonable or just too clever.) And unless you state otherwise, I'm going to assume that it's the same as Earth - rotating planet goes around sun in a fixed location relative to the rest of the galaxy etc. (not as character knowledge, but so that what she learns is consistent. Actually, the sun bit doesn't matter if that's supposed to be mysterious, but that the planet rotates and the solar system is roughly stationary relative to the stars* is.) 

 

Oh, and is there a naming pattern for the mountains around the valley? So Nordic, Greek or whatever culture seems appropriate. An eccentric question, granted, but Cat will need to cite the names of a few mountains - I promise it will all make sense.

 

*over the 'short'^ space of time it has been observed for etc. 

 

^'short' relative to the time-frame that concerns the rotation of the galaxy. Confound these ponies, they drive me to pedantic footnotes.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Hederik 119]

is there a naming pattern for the mountains around the valley?

This seems like a thing I'd like to do myself. By slightly altering a bunch of other names, drafted from this culture or that. So yeah, go nuts, name'em as you would, although try to not make it *too* exotic.

 

 

 

cosmology plz

The way I see it (I know I abuse the phrase, but hey, DM = god, right?), if the sun and moon are objects influenced by the powers of 'earth'-bound ponies, they can't be larger than the world at large. A different approach could, of course, be imagined, that the princesses did in fact power the rotational powers of the planet - if I'm right, the canon offers no counterarguments, it would just make the shows of rising the sun and moon vain and misdirecting. Or, rather, that Celestia controlled the rotation of the planet, and Luna propelled the moon on its orbit. All in all, a highly vague matter.

 

I choose to believe instead that the MLP universe features a different physics system. Equestria is either a flat plane or a geode, I don't know and you won't find out; sun and moon are just objects rotating around it, and so are the stars. I think this isn't canon, just established fanon, but I like the idea that Luna is able to reposition the stars to her liking, and that a fittingly powerful unicorn could probably attempt the same.

 

To sum it all up and actually respond to the initial question, I'd say stars are mostly stationary objects in the night sky and that navigation by them would be very possible, although as visibility can vary, this would take some skill still. There should be enough literature available to append names to most, if not all constellations, but again, I'm not dedicated to world-building enough to make an exhaustive list of these, so go ahead and make up as many as you will.

 

This might sound weird, but keep in mind that most Cadets don't give much thought to world beyond the valley, being brought up in the faith that it pretty much constitutes the entirety of the inhabitable world. Not many are concerned with navigation, cartography and such, which I guess makes Cat that much more special.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Hederik

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

DM = god, right

 

A Greek god that sits on a mountain hurling curses and occasional thunderbolts at the mortals below that have an annoying habit of doing exactly what they aren't supposed to do. A perfect description of a DM. Be advised that turning into a swan to seduce Cat, Colenso or Silver will put a really weird twist on things. I digress.

 

 

 

To sum it all up and actually respond to the initial question, I'd say stars are mostly stationary objects in the night sky and that navigation by them would be very possible, although as visibility can vary, this would take some skill still. There should be enough literature available to append names to most, if not all constellations, but again, I'm not dedicated to world-building enough to make an exhaustive list of these, so go ahead and make up as many as you will.  

 

This might sound weird, but keep in mind that most Cadets don't give much thought to world beyond the valley, being brought up in the faith that it pretty much constitutes the entirety of the inhabitable world. Not many are concerned with navigation, cartography and such, which I guess makes Cat that much more special.

 

 

If they're entirely fixed then that will make things simpler, and my hope is to show how her love of maps is inherently a part of her love of exploration (tricky in the Valley) and the logic that ties it all together. Since combat isn't her thing, and her history is only 'ok', then this is where I plan to show what she's good at in such a way that it might be relevant later.

Edited June 19, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Hederik 119]

Be advised that turning into a swan to seduce Cat, Colenso or Silver will put a really weird twist on things

I won't rape you, or your characters, I promise. Although I will be actively trying to blow your minds.

 

 

 

Since combat isn't her thing, and her history is only 'ok', then this is where I plan to show what she's good at in such a way that it might be relevant later.

Being made to think about it has already helped me figure out how the rest of the RP should proceed, so I very much approve. It's funny, though, that in an RP in which the first topic mentioned is combat, only one player so far has shown somewhat of an aptitude for it. Not that I mind all that much.

 

 

 

(Random merging pet peeve.)

 

Random statistic time! Because who doesn't like crunching numbers for breakfast.

 

Having copy-pasted all of the actually spoken lines into Word Counter, I've received a whopping grand total of a little over 10 minutes of speaking. Since this wasn't all a single, practiced speech, but rather a discussion with thinking, constructing arguments and such, I don't think I'm being overly generous if I treble the amount, which gives us over 30 minutes of lesson time. It actually was a believable lesson, and I had felt like we've made a mockery of it by only saying a sentence of two.

 

Still, with something like 12 hours of being otherwise occupied, that gives us a 92% PE curriculum. Awesome.

Attempted "smart" merge.

 

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart

 

I won't be responding until you lay yourselves to sleep, unless you engage some NPC in any way. Or unless you see a valid reason for me to do so - then I will be happy to oblige.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Hederik

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

It's funny, though, that in an RP in which the first topic mentioned is combat, only one player so far has shown somewhat of an aptitude for it. Not that I mind all that much.

 

 

Well, exploration was point 2, so I'm at least 50% on track.

 

 

Have character development complete with a song, and the reason for enquiring about the cosmos and the names of mountains is revealed. I did also hint that

I like the idea that Luna is able to reposition the stars to her liking, and that a fittingly powerful unicorn could probably attempt the same.

actually happened, which I hope doesn't interfere with anything.

[Hederik 119]

 

 

Well, exploration was point 2, so I'm at least 50% on track.

 

That you are.

 

 

 

Have character development complete with a song

 

Nicely done!

 

 

 

I did also hint that [star moving] actually happened, which I hope doesn't interfere with anything.

 

*mutters thoughtfully* No, I actually didn't have anything really planned along these line. Or rather I did have, but it is a flexible enough idea that it allows for what you described to remain true.

 

 

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart

 

Either (much) later today or tomorrow, if no one adds anything, I'm going to drag the clock hands until it's day again.

 

In regards to mentions and posts being merged, I am informed that the administration/moderation staff don't exactly know how it works and care just as little. The system is good and should not be questioned. For this reason and for the ease of not having to type the mentions every time, I am tempted to start a group PM to use for OOC notifications.

[SilverHeart 741]

That you are.

 

 

Nicely done!

 

 

*mutters thoughtfully* No, I actually didn't have anything really planned along these line. Or rather I did have, but it is a flexible enough idea that it allows for what you described to remain true.

 

 

@@Colenso Rivers, @@Once In A Blue Moon, @@SilverHeart

 

Either (much) later today or tomorrow, if no one adds anything, I'm going to drag the clock hands until it's day again.

 

In regards to mentions and posts being merged, I am informed that the administration/moderation staff don't exactly know how it works and care just as little. The system is good and should not be questioned. For this reason and for the ease of not having to type the mentions every time, I am tempted to start a group PM to use for OOC notifications.

I plan on writing a post but if I'm too slow I'm all for you continuing the RP. It's been three years since I've been in a RP that was actually active and had people posting more than once a week in it.

 

Also I'm all for an OOC PM. It makes things easier in regards to updates.

[Hederik 119]

 

 

I plan on writing a post but if I'm too slow I'm all for you continuing the RP. It's been three years since I've been in a RP that was actually active and had people posting more than once a week in it.

 

Nah, we're in no major hurry. I'm pretty awe-struck myself at the tempo we've kept so far, even though I had historically kept RPs in which when I was almost done responding to one, there were two more to be done... Those were the days. Anyway, if you want to post, I won't begrudge you the chance.

 

By the by, I will be leaving for a short outing spanning 25th to 28th June. You probably should expect no replies from me during that period.

[SilverHeart 741]

Nah, we're in no major hurry. I'm pretty awe-struck myself at the tempo we've kept so far, even though I had historically kept RPs in which when I was almost done responding to one, there were two more to be done... Those were the days. Anyway, if you want to post, I won't begrudge you the chance.

 

By the by, I will be leaving for a short outing spanning 25th to 28th June. You probably should expect no replies from me during that period.

It will be at least 16 hours before I can post. Unless I do another small post during my break at work, I've got to get sleep, go to work than attend a seminar before I'll have a chance to get home in front of my computer.