Could the map have been better utilized?

[ManaMinori 4,149]

I think it definitely could've. I mean, off the top of my head, I could come up with destinations for the mane 6 to go to, to solve friendship problems, as well as building upon existing seasonal lore.

 

Starswirl, for instance. Never understood friendship. People still wonder if he alive and cruising AU's, or dead as a doornail. Boom map episode right there.

 

Build on zebra lore by giving Zecora and friendship problem, when she visits her native land, and send the ponies there.

 

Or an episode with the Shimmer family; perhaps a younger or older sibling having friendship problems with their parents, while the episode hints at their sibling having run off and never returned, which put tension between the abandoned sibling and the parents. Post The Fall of Sunset Shimmer lore.

 

Or other alicorns. Hasbro had Princess Gold Lily and Sterling Silver as toyeticcorns, put them in an episode, give them a friendship problem, bring back their toys for a second spin, and voila.

 

Could these episodes ideas have worked? Could the map have been used better, to delve deeper into pre-existing lore?

[Miss 6,239]

I think the map was a good addition to the show for season five but honestly right now it just seems like a hindrance.

Seriously season 6 could have brought about the end of it or at least allowed it to lead to something now it's just like "oh yea there's this map that is going to be a manager that calls you into work when you want to have fun."

 

Hopefully season 7 brings an end to it in the season opener or something.

 

Another thing I'm thinking is that the showmakers want to make it more slice of life. Season 3 kind of marked the beginning of something bigger something more grandiose being led up to. So like I'm waiting for the next connection and I really feel like Starlight Glimmer, Chrysalis, Flurryheart, all the friendship problem solving, is leading up to something huge, but if it doesn't I will be disappointed. Will I still love all the episodes the same? But will be disappointed in the quality of story telling.

 

Maybe the movie will but I kinda doubt it because movie has to be open for all to see not just those who watch the show is what I'm guessing the film makers will strive for.

 

Opinions on some of your ideas: Map episode about Starswirl. I personally don't like the idea that he is alive nor do I like the idea of ponies running around looking for a sign of him being alive because the map told them to and somehow that is connected to friendship.

 

Honestly many want Sunset Shimmer in the or a mix in of EQG at least, but we heard many times that won't happen so don't bother.

Also no more alicorns. We are good with the ones we have. If anything it'll just lead to more issues.

 

I do agree with Zecora episode. I made a topic about it before with a similar premise about returning to Zebra land.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Misscellanio

[Hazard Time 1,127]

Starswirl, for instance. Never understood friendship. People still wonder if he alive and cruising AU's, or dead as a doornail. Boom map episode right there.

 

This would involve the writers of a rated-Y show delving into such heavy topics as death.  They've avoided this by simply not mentioning anyone from long ago who wasn't immortal, or at least long-lived.

 

 

 

Build on zebra lore by giving Zecora and friendship problem, when she visits her native land, and send the ponies there.

 

Too risky.  Despite the fact that this is a show about cartoon horses and they can say whatever they want in regards to foreign cultures, the parallel between zebras and African culture is much too obvious.  Even if they were to go so far as to provide the most accurate representation of African culture, they'd still be running the risk of getting accused of racism for promoting the "white savior" cliche.

 

 

 

Or an episode with the Shimmer family; perhaps a younger or older sibling having friendship problems with their parents, while the episode hints at their sibling having run off and never returned, which put tension between the abandoned sibling and the parents. Post The Fall of Sunset Shimmer lore.

 

This would require the writers to make EqG canon to the show, and this would cause a firestorm the likes of which would dwarf Derpygate and Twilicorn.

 

 

 

Or other alicorns. Hasbro had Princess Gold Lily and Sterling Silver as toyeticcorns, put them in an episode, give them a friendship problem, bring back their toys for a second spin, and voila.

 

 

This actually sounds interesting, but again, they would have a lot of explaining to do.  The only alicorns that we know of are either a) immortal demi-gods who control the sun and moon, or b] ponies who have made major contributions towards study of the Magic of Friendship.  If they introduce another alicorn, then they would need to explain where they came from and why they weren't brought up until just now.

 

To answer your question, however, I do feel like they aren't really taking advantage of the map they have.  There are quite a few stories they could tell, yet they stick to familiar locations.  Hopefully they switch it up next season, but at least we got to see a bit more in the last one.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Hazard Time

[cmarston1 5,964]

Yes it really could have been handled better.

This season had the whole Explore Equestria toyline, and I am disappointed that the show never did anything with it.

The map was such an easy way to incorporate it into the show.

It would have been a great time to allow the characters to finally travel to some new locations for a change instead of going to Canterlot and Manehatten for the billionth times, as well as allowing the audience to learn more about the world of Equestria.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

The map, to me, was handled 'okay' at best. While it did lead us to some new locations, they sorta hyped it up as this thing that will take us to many places across Equestria, showing of tons of new stuff we had never seen before. That potential was certainly there but it wasn't met to the fullest. I mean, the map is basically an easy ticket to allow the showing of new locations and characters, yet it seems so underutilized at the same time. The map is a really strange piece of writing.

[Nit Pick 247]

 

 

Starswirl, for instance. Never understood friendship.

 

Funny thing about that, I did talk to Johnathan Noble (Lord of the Rings, Sleepy Hollow, Fringe or more recently Scarecrow from Batman: Arkham Knight) at a convention into voicing Starswirl the Bearded. However I have been taking it with a grain of salt the size of a letter block. Mostly because I think he was just being super nice and British. I got his autograph too.

[Steve Piranha 29,495]

I have some things I think the mape could have been handled better:

1- I feel it's rather infrequently used

2-Most of the time, the troubles faced are... rather mundane

3-chances of exploring more of Equestria is pretty wasted. Seriously, about half of the map calls sends 'em ponies to already visited places

[FlareGun45 2,221]

The map could've been used as more than a plot device. Perhaps it should go through a little upgrade next season, and expand!

[Thrond 3,271]

My issues with the map come mostly from the facts that:

1. It is never questioned or explained, and

2. It doesn't fit into a greater story.

Because of this, it feels like really lazy sotorytelling whenever it appears, and this is frankly largely down to the fact it only exists for stories to occur which rationally couldn't. The show rightly doesn't commit to a mission-of-the-week style, but without that it a greater story arc, the fact that the mane six just immediately accept the map's missions feels very lazy to me. Sure, it helps pacing, but would it kill this show to explain what the hell the map actually is?

 

The repeated locations and mundane issues don't bother me all that much. I'm not clamouring for MLP to dive deep into its lore, and it seems to me that these episodes would typically be fun fluff (similar to "Gauntlet of Fire") regardless of world building which, based on prior examples, I doubt would be terribly exciting anyway.

 

I confess that I *would* watch a whole show in Manehattan, though.

Edited January 9, 2017 by AlexanderThrond

[Ganondorf8 11,706]

The Cutie Map certainly had a lot of potential when it was first introduced but sadly it ended up being regulated to side stories that didn't do as much as was intended, namely expanding the lore of Equestria. Season six utilized the map even less what with Starlight becoming a thing and focusing on new locations without the map playing a function. Either season seven will drop it entirely, rarely use it due to something else taking over such duties, or it finally gets used as intended.

 

On a side note, I do like that idea about Sunset's proper family. One has to wonder what they must be going on since they haven't heard from her in what must be over roughly a decade. While Sunset herself wasn't close to them, perhaps there was something she never knew and the show could focus on it without her actually needing to be there in person.

[Luminance 2,187]

The map can be a tool for good or for evil. Just like how Starlight utilized the map to help her go back in time, the map is connected to all of Equestria through the Tree of Harmony. This is essentially the map's most redeeming feature and it's weakness because it creates a area of vulnerability for the safety of Equestria. This is where the concern lies for future use.