Why complain about OC's?

[Pez 106]

READ THIS FIRST! This is in NO way an insult to critics, it's just a message to people who tell people how they can and can not make their OC.

 

As many of you know, there are certain types of OC's that are frowned upon in the brony fandom. These are a few examples: red and black OC's, Alicorns, and pony generator.

 

To be honest though, I don't understand what the fuss is about. I just find it pointless to put people down just because they have a different taste and you do. That's just like me going to an art museum and then emailing the artist a bunch of hate speeches just because I don't like their paintings! It's basically the same thing anti-bronies do to us bronies in the YouTube comments.

 

1. Red and black OC's

 

If you don't complain about Shadow The Hedgehog, then what's the problem with a red and black pony OC?

 

2. Alicorns

 

If I understand correctly, the Journal of the Two Sisters actually states that there is a place full of Alicorns.

 

3. Pony Generator

 

Not everyone in the world knows how to draw their own OC, some people like me lack the skills required to draw an OC, therefore leaving Pony Generator the only other option.

 

 

Alright, not that I've covered everything that is important, this is NOT an insult to critics, it's just a message to people who go and tell people how they can and can not make an OC. It's ok to leave a suggestion like; "Maybe that's not the best idea." But it is NOT acceptable to go and be like; " I DEMAND that you change your OC!"

 

If you have any input or an opinion on this subject, please share it with us in the comments.

[Guest]

I see someone likes the mad munchkin, seeing that she covers specifically her thoughts on these exact 3 OCs. Well, let's put my thoughts.

 

1. I don't mind the colour scheme, but it's just so... Stereotypical. Most of these OCs have some kind of dark past and humongous power. It's gotten annoying.

 

2. I don't hate alicorn OCs, but I find it bloody annoying if they are used in an RP alongside 'normal' ones.

 

3. Pony generator isnt bad. The problem is that it gives retards the ability to mass produce bad OCs without thinking them through .

Edited March 4, 2016 by Guest

[GingerLightning 258]

I think that it doesn't actually matter what exactly the coloration is as long as it looks good.

And if your OC is an Alicorn as long as they are unrelated to the known Alicorns on the show and have a great enough backstory to explain their past an present really well and or why they are an Alicorn.

Finally Pony generator is great for first concepts of an OC I had first created my OC in pony generator to better understand how to draw ponies and to get a better idea on how the basic Idea of my pony OC would look like...

in other words what the basic Idea of what a mutant Pegasus filly would look like.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

No one's OC actually has to stand up against the scrutiny of the fandom.  It's your OC; what other people think of them doesn't really matter and shouldn't factor into what you do with them.

 

And I think anyone who might consider themselves a "critic" or "analyst" both can and sometimes should be criticized.  Hell, they should appreciate it. x3

[pyroshark 19]

neon & black pony's = (sponge bob meme) My EYE's It burns!

 

Dark and cool, goth oc = (lego movie) Hey, I can be dark and brooding. Oh look, a rainbow!

 

alicorn oc make me lagh

Edited March 4, 2016 by pyroshark

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

I had similar problems with my first OCs. My first one was a six-winged ancient alicorn that waited for war to fall upon Equestria. I realized that that was a pretty stupid concept in itself. My second OC was a possessed earth pony that turned alicorn after being possessed by three ancient spirits. But then, that also ended up making no sense whatsoever. I didn't scrap them, necessarily, I still have drawings of them, but I lost all of my focus on their development. However, for my third OC (Kronos, just like my username), I actually got some more positive feedback on him, like giving them a not-tragic backstory (Which, for the record, Kronos' backstory isn't tragic at all. His backstory is rather luxurious and I explained how he CHOSE to be in the position his is now as a bodyguard and soldier on a journey of self-discovery), and making them actually fit into the lore (Which in this case, I made Kronos a prince in his own society completely isolated from the rest of the populace of Equestria, allowing them to innovate and advance their technology at an accelerated rate, which explains Kronos' cyborg appearance.) It's weird details like that that everyone gets super critical on, but i fixed my perfect OC to fit the bill just right. I dont know, maybe I'm just rambling on my own soap box, but the point is is that it's your OC, thus, it's up to you whether or not you want to change your OC in terms of design and backstory. For me, personally, the feedback I got on Kronos actually allowed me to make him more interesting as I elaborated his story.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Kronos

[KatonRyu 1,033]

Everyone can make their OCs the way they want, obviously. For fanart and fanfics it doesn't matter at all if an OC is an alicorn or something else that's incredibly powerful.

 

In fanfiction it's common for people to write Mary Sue characters who are always awesome and powerful and mysterious; hell, I did the same thing. Now, in a story that's all your own that's fine, but taking such a character into an RP could easily derail the entire plot. Alicorns, who are considered to be the most powerful ponies, are most likely to do this, but a powerful unicorn could easily do the same by being more powerful than Twilight or something. (This is also why Starlight's unexplained power pisses me off: Twilight is literally the embodiment of magic and Starlight should not have the same amount of power as she does)

 

Ultimately for an RP it comes down to balancing the character and the world. An alicorn with sealed powers, or in a setting featuring only alicorns is fine, but one that wields the power of black holes or anything edgy and OP of the sort could easily screw up any RP it's used in.

 

In short: make whatever kind of OC you want, but if you want to RP with it, try to restrain yourself with the powers.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,375]

Right there with you on this Pez. The obsession that I have seen some have when it comes to tearing apart an OC that someone makes, kinda irritates me. Sure, if you are making an OC for an RP, you do want to think it through to make sure it will work for that RP, to keep it flowing, but that is a group effort overall. In general, I think people should make whatever they please. 

 

Want to make a one-legged pony that can somehow smash galaxies into each other? Baboom, I say go right ahead. Or perhaps you may want a Unicorn OC that uses his/her horn to poke cereal boxes for at minimum 2 hours a day. I say whyyyyyyyyy not? 

[Gestum 2,493]

1. Red and black OC's

 

If you don't complain about Shadow The Hedgehog, then what's the problem with a red and black pony OC?

Well, most people who diss red and black OCs also complains about Shadow the Edgehog.

Shadow the Edgehog. Also I don't see the logic of "You don't complain about this character therefore my character isn't bad".

2. Alicorns

 

If I understand correctly, the Journal of the Two Sisters actually states that there is a place full of Alicorns.

 

That doesn't make alicorn OCs any better. Also you can discuss if the books are canon or not. Edited March 4, 2016 by Gestum

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

I haven't really seen many people go around saying "I demand you change your OC!", but definitely a lot that don't like what ya described. Personally, I don't care, anyone's free to do anything with their OCs, and of course, anyone's free to share their thoughts on them too.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,591]

I agree with this.

 

OC is "Original Character" and you should be able to do it like you want without complains. I understand why powerful characters are something not liked in RPs but if you make OC to represent yourself, something that will be connected to you when seen, It should be just like you want, without any complains.

 

 

and Pony Generator. I don't understand hate towards it either, It's good tool for people like me who Can't draw(I draw them now myself but they aren't beautiful).

Sure it's limited and can make awful end results but at least you can do something.

[Tao 7,618]

 Alicorn OCs:  Ok I have no problem on having Alicorns as ocs long as they are well thought out,  balanced and they don't always have to be a princess or something.

 

Ocs paired up with cannons:  Ok this is a rough spot for me in fanfics,  is pairing the oc with a cannon from the show in romance and etc and how they love them and etc with some event going on to push this growing love and well etc!  I'm sorry,  I just can't get the oc/cannon things.

 

Oc Humans:   Humans oc  (I don't count Dan) are not cannon and have no place in MLP.....EQ girls is a different and don't pull the "change into pony" just to have them in the show.

[pyroshark 19]

I had similar problems with my first OCs. My first one was a six-winged ancient alicorn that waited for war to fall upon Equestria. I realized that that was a pretty stupid concept in itself. My second OC was a possessed earth pony that turned alicorn after being possessed by three ancient spirits. But then, that also ended up making no sense whatsoever. I didn't scrap them, necessarily, I still have drawings of them, but I lost all of my focus on their development. However, for my third OC (Kronos, just like my username), I actually got some more positive feedback on him, like giving them a not-tragic backstory (Which, for the record, Kronos' backstory isn't tragic at all. His backstory is rather luxurious and I explained how he CHOSE to be in the position his is now as a bodyguard and soldier on a journey of self-discovery), and making them actually fit into the lore (Which in this case, I made Kronos a prince in his own society completely isolated from the rest of the populace of Equestria, allowing them to innovate and advance their technology at an accelerated rate, which explains Kronos' cyborg appearance.) It's weird details like that that everyone gets super critical on, but i fixed my perfect OC to fit the bill just right. I dont know, maybe I'm just rambling on my own soap box, but the point is is that it's your OC, thus, it's up to you whether or not you want to change your OC in terms of design and backstory. For me, personally, the feedback I got on Kronos actually allowed me to make him more interesting as I elaborated his story.

O.M.G. My friend just told us he wanted an Alicorn cyborg! We saved him from a terrible fate, and set him down a different path. Your O.C. are supposed to represent you. unless you are an a cyborg who lived in in an alternate civilization... Your names sue. marry sue. If you will excuse, me I have a H8 bunker to get to.

Edited March 4, 2016 by pyroshark

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

There is nothing wrong with complaining about other people OC's*.  I mean, everybody complains about things that somebody else made all of the time. 

 

 

*as long as you're not a jerk about it of course. 

[hollow-shades 129]

1. I think everyone complains about the Recolor.

 

2. That's still not a good excuse to insert your flawless Mary Sue into a Roleplay?

 

3. I relate.

 

Anyways, when I see this kind of OCs (Alicorns, red and black) I just silently scream, but I keep it to myself rather than messaging the person like "EY LMAO UR OC IS GARBAGE LOL"

 

But when they are actually asking people to rate their OC, I will proudly make a public scream.

 

Also, at least if the Alicorn has a good backstory, represents something, it can be acceptable.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Flinp

[PinkieatHeart 208]

I don't mind most OCs. Bad role play, on the other hand? Yikes.

 

I don't have much experience with role play, so I can't be super picky and point out all the details that make or break a role play, but the one person I've role played with kept making ALL the characters die for no reason over and over again every other sentence, and they wouldn't get better, and instead of trying to move the story forward, that's all she focused on, and eventually I just stopped responding.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

 

 

READ THIS FIRST! This is in NO way an insult to critics, it's just a message to people who tell people how they can and can not make their OC.

 

<--- Equestrian Empire Application Processor

 

Oh, this should be GOOD!  *grabs popcorn, munches away while reading the first post*

 

 

 

1. Red and black OC's If you don't complain about Shadow The Hedgehog, then what's the problem with a red and black pony OC? 2. Alicorns If I understand correctly, the Journal of the Two Sisters actually states that there is a place full of Alicorns. 3. Pony Generator Not everyone in the world knows how to draw their own OC, some people like me lack the skills required to draw an OC, therefore leaving Pony Generator the only other option.

 

 

Oh.  OH.  Truly?

 

Allow me to address these one at a time.

 

1. The problem isn't with OCs being black and red... the problem is there are a HELL OF A LOT OF THEM.  For every decent OC I've seen, there are about five - eight red and black characters.  C'mon folks - there's a whole friggin' rainbow out there; why not use more than two colors?  Why not use white and green?  Why not Black and red AND BLUE?  The issue is the overuse of the color scheme itself.

  Or, if that doesn't satisfy you, think of it like this:  Let's say you like ice cream (just for the example; screw semantics) - imagine if the most populous ice cream was strawberry.  Yeah, it's good... but what if it was ALL strawberry?  You'd get sick of it eventually.  That's the concept here: it's not that black and red aren't a good color combo or anything... it's that it's too prodigious.

 

2. Okay, Alicorns.  I'll explain this EASILY.

  If you're in an RP where you're in a group with an Alicorn that has lots of magic, tons of resources and plenty of loyal subjects... what purpose do the rest of you have?  Alicorns hold massive amounts of power and ability; if they solve everything with a wave of their horns, then what is there for the rest of the group to do?

  Also, as far as canon goes, Alicorns have lots of power... but they have weaknesses and flaws as well that help DEFINE them and KEEP THEM IN CHECK; usually (but not always), the person making the OC Alicorn simply wants an extremely powerful character; they don't usually care to saddle them with flaws and weaknesses.  If that happened ALL the time, Alicorns wouldn't be a problem... but sadly, an RP-worthy Alicorn is the exception, not the rule.

 

3. Actually, EqE has no problem with Pony Creator pics; that's a matter of personal opinion for everyone else.  Those folks who can't draw well enough should have something to represent their OCs, and I'm all for PC.  Other folks' criticisms are what they are - a critique based on that person's thoughts.  You don't have to put stock in those thoughts - be happy with what you have, and screw the neigh-sayers.

 

 

  All the above said, I have serious issues with people who simply create characters that are, for all intents and purposes, invincible.  Some of the greatest characters in fiction were heroes who weren't magical, or gun-crazy, or godlike - they were simple men and women who had flaws and issues who overcame them to do what had to be done.

 

  When you have no challenge, you stagnate.  If nothing sticks to you, neither will any of the lessons or experience you gain.  Being invincible and saving the day is ho-hum; putting your life on the line to save the day is HEROIC.

 

  If I saw more OCs that followed those tenets, I would be a happy, happy RPer.

[PacificGreen 1,163]

I think it depends on the intention. I honestly prefer OCs that fit into the color schemes of the FiM world. Most of them are pastel-colored, so I think the more pastel-colored and the less "so-many-vivid-colors-it-hurts-my-eyes", the better appearance-wise.

 

Also the whole red-and-black, as others have pointed out, I think, came from how many of them there were at the time and how jarring they looked, it practically became a stereotype.

 

The issue of alicorn OCs comes from the fact that alicorns for the most part are pretty OP and are supposed to be very rare (we only know four five). So having an alicorn without a believable backstory is just kinda off-putting for people who prefer to stick to canon (read:canon-purists ). As an imperfect analogy, it would kinda be like having an Avatar OC who is like the second Avatar when there can only be one living at a time.

 

Then again, this is just the opinion of someone who doesn't RP and spends most of his time looking at MLP artwork, so don't take my post as objective fact. 

[Toast 55]

I've always thought OC's were supposed to be what you view yourself as and what you would be happy being.

 

I would never criticize someone's OC though. If they're happy with what they made, then good for them. I like my OC but maybe it's terrible in the eyes of someone else, who knows.  

 

I don't understand why the pony generator is hated that much either. The generator is the only way I'll ever be able to make my OC because I don't have a good computer to draw it on.

 

I do admit, I think any OC is good as long as it looks like it fits the show.

But then again, what are the chances we'll ever get a special final episode featuring all our OC's in the show? lol

[chili 120]

I think that as long as your OC's got a good story and a good personality, it's completely fine, no matter if it's an alicorn, dark color schemed or whatever. The looks haven't got as much importance as the idea of the character in itself. The end.