How do you feel that more worldbuilding takes place outside the episodes?

[ManaMinori 4,145]

I appreciate worldbuilding. I really do, but it seems like most of MLP's wordbuilding comes through the form of the IDW comics, and so when i saw the new "Legends of Magic" comic series, which is solely FOR Equestria's worldbuilding, I immediately found it a turn-off, dud to wanting this in the show for so long. 

"My Little Pony: Legends of Magic” is a tremendous opportunity for both us as comic creators and our readers to get a chance to really dive into the rich mythological history of the My Little Pony world. The long history of the world is so often hinted at in the show and now we have the chance to pick up on all those little hints and fill in all the rich details. It gives us a chance to tell different sorts of stories and follow mythological members of the cast who have only ever appeared in stories and flashbacks. It gives us an opportunity to work very closely with the show without having to tell stories that are happening at the same time. It will be a must read for big time My Little Pony fans!”

 

how do people who watch the series and desire worldbuilding and developed lore feel on the issue that we'll likely never get really interesting episodes of it, or even the majority of it, because a new comic series is going to steal its thunder? 

[Steve Piranha 29,419]

I appreciate worldbuilding. I really do, but it seems like most of MLP's wordbuilding comes through the form of the IDW comics, and so when i saw the new "Legends of Magic" comic series, which is solely FOR Equestria's worldbuilding, I immediately found it a turn-off, dud to wanting this in the show for so long. 

"My Little Pony: Legends of Magic” is a tremendous opportunity for both us as comic creators and our readers to get a chance to really dive into the rich mythological history of the My Little Pony world. The long history of the world is so often hinted at in the show and now we have the chance to pick up on all those little hints and fill in all the rich details. It gives us a chance to tell different sorts of stories and follow mythological members of the cast who have only ever appeared in stories and flashbacks. It gives us an opportunity to work very closely with the show without having to tell stories that are happening at the same time. It will be a must read for big time My Little Pony fans!”

 

how do people who watch the series and desire worldbuilding and developed lore feel on the issue that we'll likely never get really interesting episodes of it, or even the majority of it, because a new comic series is going to steal its thunder? 

Maybe the comics will deal alternate pasts (like.... something happenign 500 years ago after Luna's banishment), or some other historical events, and not necessarily the central history as you expect. I think the show will FINALLY address that, as these comics you mention, have been explicitly stated that they will tie to S7. And what do they have in common? Equesstria's past. That can't be a coincidence  

[Ganondorf8 11,288]

They can only do so much in a twenty-two minute episode though I will admit that the writers have had plenty of opportunities to do some world-building, and instead focus their efforts on having many episodes centered on places we know like the backs of our hands. I do appreciate them taking the rare step of showing off a new location, yet they need to be more consistent with it. The comics can get away with the world-building as it doesn't require animation and can do some really crazy things. The show's budget may not allow for such things so maybe they can't do it as often as they like.

[NeonCobalt 256]

I do enjoy some world building, but I would like to see it in episode form, not just in Legends of Magic. But then again, Legends of Magic offers an opportunity to focus completely on world building and lore, so I guess I can't complain.

[cmarston1 5,959]

A little disappointed actually.

The show has a large fantasy based world that could be filled with lots of interesting locations, that we will never get to see.

Especially when even with a toyline called "Explore Equestria" and the cutie map is the perfect vessel to get the characters to go to brand new locations, we still didn't get a lot of worldbuilding in the season.

But instead we get episodes like Applejack's Day Off, which add nothing to the show.

[Unikitty 1,212]

I would like more worldbuilding IN the show. I don't read the comics, and they're not canon anyway, so it'd be nice to see more of Equestria being explored in animated form.

[Megas 27,577]

I wouldn't mind them being exclusive to the comics if they didn't suck so much

 

Also I'm fairly mixed on World Building in the show, I usually like the stuff about the royal sisters, but everything else I don't care much for, doesn't help much that I hated the first Hearth's Warming Eve episode

Edited January 19, 2017 by Travis Touchdown

[GrimGrimoire 4,973]

Although it disappoints me some, I can kind of see where they are going with it and why.

 

Hasbro has done this for several years now in their shows and if you really look you'll notice those similarities, whether it is MLP, Transformers or GiJoe. Both MLP and Transformers have/had huge backstories and a very rich history, that the cartoon never delves/delved too much into... it will/would hint at things and give you a taste here and there, but usually nothing that would answer a lot of questions. And I think this is because of the whole overall mission of the cartoon itself. The whole point of the show is about selling the toys, not really world building, since at the end of the day they want to sell you an Applejack figure, so whether she is on the farm or in Manehatten is not nearly as relevant to them as making sure she gets plenty of screen time. Of course then you have the writers who maybe want to do all these different things, and yet there are a dozen or more of them every season doing episodes, each with their own ideas and stories they maybe want to tell.... although there is a grand opportunity for world building there, I imagine it is a pain trying to get it scheduled out in a way that works really well for everyone. And then there is the issue of the fans who don't care about world building and just prefer character building. They are less interested in new places or even the history of the world in favor of just getting more episodes with their favorite characters doing things they enjoy seeing their favorite characters do. That whole "you can't please everyone" situation.

 

However, the comic is not used to sell toys, so much as to sell the cartoon show itself. It can get away with a lot of things the cartoon cannot, and can explore things the cartoon either does not have the time, interest or approval to explore. They could do a multi-issue arc exploring the followup to Nightmare Moon, Sombras return, an alternate Equestria and are now doing a large Discord arc... things the cartoon could have done as well, but not without tossing a lot of other things in their place (26 episodes a season, 22 minute time slots). To be fair they could have went that route and tossed a lot of those filler episodes in favor of more larger story arcs, but it seems they really like the self contained episodes when it comes to the cartoon, just for the ability to be able to move them around and air them whenever they like. Also the comics are much more optional.... people can argue whether they are canon or not, but in the end they can be safely ignored. For those who want it, they are canon, for those uninterested.. they are not. Much like Star wars Expanded universe stuff... it is backstory and such for the fans.. but nothing they cannot ignore and get lost later trying to figure out what is going on.

 

So yeah, it does disappoint me some, since I see it as hinting that they don't want to do much world building in the cartoon where the animation and storytelling could do it some amazing justice... the comic is great and all.. but the art and writing can be very inconsistent at times and it can lose some of the ability in that regard to really leave a meaningful impact. They did not say there will be NO MORE world building in the cartoon, just that the new comic will center around it.... so don't give up hope yet.

[Goat-kun 2,527]

I'd be furious ... but each time I read said worldbuilding I kek loudly and profusely for about three seconds and then go do something else. FIM lore is boring and the show ain't lesser for not including it. It's like history class by a senile SJW professor with narcolepsy.