spoiler 618 Title and Synopsis

[PoisonClaw 8,173]

Oh, this one sounds like it'll be a fun ride. We've got what I can only assume is a Mane 6-less episode which, outside of CMC episodes, we don't get very often, some male bonding between Spike, Big Mac and Discord (though, were they planning on playing with only two players or did someone bail at the last minute? I figured it games like DnD were three minimum), and an inevitable onslaught of geeky shout-out and references.

 

This could only be better if Shining Armor was somehow included, since he's a massive tabletop nerd in the comics.  

[Cleverclover 1,526]

Can't wait to see how Big Mac and Discord interact.

[snowflame 189]

I welcome more male-centric episodes but I do not really know if Spike, Big Mac and Discord really work together. However Discord kind of works with everyone so...

[Swifty 249]

*sighs*

It's too bad that i don't care about Discord, BigMac or Spike. Next episode, please.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Swifty

[shy0wl 484]

I'm hyped for this episode, Discord episodes are usually my favorite

[Truffles 2,033]

I always wanted to see an episode that followed up on Spike and Big Mac's hoof ball get-togethers by pairing them in a future episode.

 

I also wanted to see Spike paired with Discord because both of them have such opposing personalities, and Spike has rarely gotten the chance to interact with the king of chaos.

 

This could be a fantastic episode if they pull it off correctly because we're getting both pairings at the same time!

[Sonic5421 429]

The season 5 premiere did mention Spike wanting to spend some time with Big Mac, so now we get a chance to see that, even if Discord is joining them to cause some trouble and mischief during their game play because the Mane Six are not there to keep him in line like in previous episodes.

[Mesme Rize 15,692]

I swear, this is the best opportunity to bring in Lamiaponies as a DnD type of class or enemy. Please Writers, do me the favor.

 

*prays to the big pony in the sky*

[cmarston1 5,962]

Ah, now I see what you mean. This is actually one of the more legitimate concerns, though not for the reasons people think. If they gave us a Celestia episode and Sunset Shimmer ep this season ... I would likely suspect the "Swan Song" rule is in play.

What would be so wrong about giving us a Celestia episode?

It's something that really should have happened by now.

And given how very minuscule her role has become, it is really easy to forget that she still is in the show.

Heck even Jim Miller admitted to wanting an episode based on her in the show.

Even if giving Celestia of actual character development for once would be considered fanservice it would at least be beneficial to the characters and would be more than just an episode based around blatant fanservice unlike Slice of Life.

Plus with Starlight Glimmer playing a pretty similar role that Sunset did (possibly an expy) I wouldn't worry about giving a Sunset Shimmer episode in the main series.

[Jeric 46,878]

What would be so wrong about giving us a Celestia episode?

 

Nothing at all. I actually look forward to that, but that wasn't the point of my post. Breaking it down: 

 

1) I understand the member's post I was quoting;

2) I would have a concern with pandering;

3) The typical concern is one centered around narrative quantity;

4) My concern for inclusion of oft requested episode ideas is not linked to the above thesis; 

5) If I see too many of them in one season, it may be a sign that the show is wrapping up. 

 

I have been on record with my strong approval of a Celestia or Celestia/Luna centered episode. 

 

I fear the Swan Song rule not for the content, for for what it heralds. 

[Foxy Socks 2,602]

Wow, this seems interesting! And Discord should make it fun.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I'm sold if this is true. Has anypony else noticed that neither Spike or Big Mac seem to interact much with other males? Yeah, we got that one off joke in the season 5 premiere about Spike and Big Mac both enjoying hoofball which is confirmation that they do have a friendship, but they've never been seen together on screen or even in the spinoff media, and their supposed friendship hasn't even been so much as mentioned since. I'm guessing Oubliettes and Ogres is not the name the show canon is going with for the spoof on D&D, but whatever.

 

I'm cool with an episode where the closest thing we have to male leads all hang out together even though we all know this is a throwback to Spike at Your Service where the mane six will still be the ones on the actual adventure. Granted, I actually like Spike at Your Service more than Games Ponies Play, and though this time changelings are involved which will likely make the mane six episode at least 10x more thrilling, I'm also up for a fun character episode on the side.

[Odd Ball 231]

I'll be happy if Pipsqueak and Angel are also players in the episode.

[SBaby 660]

So I read the synopsis they put up on the wiki.  It pretty much looks like the episode is going to play out exactly the way I thought it would (featuring their in-game characters having an adventure with one of the three narrating it).

 

They seriously need more than 3 players for a campaign though.  Four minimum, but you should really have around six to eight.

 

I just hope they don't have a dragon just stand there claw, claw, biting the party though.  Dragons should never be that much of a pushover.

Edited July 18, 2016 by SBaby

[Unlikeable Pony 2,700]

So I read the synopsis they put up on the wiki.  It pretty much looks like the episode is going to play out exactly the way I thought it would (featuring their in-game characters having an adventure with one of the three narrating it).

 

They seriously need more than 3 players for a campaign though.  Four minimum, but you should really have around six to eight.

 

I just hope they don't have a dragon just stand there claw, claw, biting the party though.  Dragons should never be that much of a pushover.

parties get too hectic at that point IMO.4-6 is the golden spot IMO.

3 is perfectly doable so long as the DM is willing to file off areas of a campaign that might be troublesome (More healing potions/wands of cure light wounds if you lack a cleric for example, less traps if you lack a rogue, ect.)

[snowflame 189]

I'm sold if this is true. Has anypony else noticed that neither Spike or Big Mac seem to interact much with other males? Yeah, we got that one off joke in the season 5 premiere about Spike and Big Mac both enjoying hoofball which is confirmation that they do have a friendship, but they've never been seen together on screen or even in the spinoff media, and their supposed friendship hasn't even been so much as mentioned since. I'm guessing Oubliettes and Ogres is not the name the show canon is going with for the spoof on D&D, but whatever.

 

I'm cool with an episode where the closest thing we have to male leads all hang out together even though we all know this is a throwback to Spike at Your Service where the mane six will still be the ones on the actual adventure. Granted, I actually like Spike at Your Service more than Games Ponies Play, and though this time changelings are involved which will likely make the mane six episode at least 10x more thrilling, I'm also up for a fun character episode on the side.

I think you are referring to Just for Sidekicks not Spike at Your Service.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I think you are referring to Just for Sidekicks not Spike at Your Service.

That I am. Wow, I must have been out of it to make that mistake. Spike at Your Service is easily one of my least favourite episodes. Just For Sidekicks is probably one of the best Spike episodes IMHO.

[SBaby 660]

parties get too hectic at that point IMO.4-6 is the golden spot IMO.

3 is perfectly doable so long as the DM is willing to file off areas of a campaign that might be troublesome (More healing potions/wands of cure light wounds if you lack a cleric for example, less traps if you lack a rogue, ect.)

 

 

It depends on what Edition you're playing, because in the ones I used to play, you needed some kind of tank, some kind of mage, some kind of healer and some kind of rogue character for most dungeons.  And that was at minimum.

 

I would normally recommend at least two tanks and maybe an extra support character at minimum, which would put the party size at six.

 

Overall though, it will depend on the DM too, because if they're the type of DMs that I used to play with and they don't pull punches, you might find the need for a second healer or mage too if the enemies decide to start targeting them.

 

But if they're an easier DM, you might get away with just one of each or even three if it's just an entry-level adventure.

Edited July 20, 2016 by SBaby

[Unlikeable Pony 2,700]

It depends on what Edition you're playing, because in the ones I used to play, you needed some kind of tank, some kind of mage, some kind of healer and some kind of rogue character for most dungeons.  And that was at minimum.

 

I would normally recommend at least two tanks and maybe an extra support character at minimum, which would put the party size at six.

 

Overall though, it will depend on the DM too, because if they're the type of DMs that I used to play with and they don't pull punches, you might find the need for a second healer or mage too if the enemies decide to start targeting them.

 

But if they're an easier DM, you might get away with just one of each or even three if it's just an entry-level adventure.

 

well in 3.0 and 2.0 a big problem is that there's very little way to actually TANK, yeah?

 

Meat shields have a hard time forcing enemies in those games to force enemies to attack them: Yes, they can take hits, but the enemy can just ignore the fighter and walk past him to attack the actual threats (I.E., the wizards and clerics). Unless you're going trip Cheesing, it can be hard to act AS a tank without the DM playing along to make things work.

Though there is the book of Weeaboo fighting magic to help fix that.

[DND 2,355]

Totally alright in my books to express connective interest in what hobbies or other fields of interest an MLP episode may offer and feature in its plotline but I'm here to address and to remind to keep things directly related to MLP- veering too far into indirect pony context territory veers OT.

[SBaby 660]

Totally alright in my books to express connective interest in what hobbies or other fields of interest an MLP episode may offer and feature in its plotline but I'm here to address and to remind to keep things directly related to MLP- veering too far into indirect pony context territory veers OT.

 

The only reason we even started talking about it is because the show brought the issue up by making an episode about it.  Since it's going to figure prominently in the episode, it makes sense that some of the discussion would be about it.

 

As it is, it doesn't really change the first point I made that the episode will more likely revolve around the characters they're playing as, as opposed to Spike, Discord and Big Mac themselves.

 

But I will say this.  If Big Mac is the DM (and I hope he is), I think it would be a nice spin.  Especially given that he's been portrayed as a physical powerhouse up to this point, and now they've got him playing a table-top game.  It definitely would add another dimension to his character.

Edited July 25, 2016 by SBaby