Why do the unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi need to be together?

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

This is something that's been bothering me and I don't know if I just missed something obvious.

What was the conflict in the movie? I mean, Sunny wanted all of them to be together, but why? Missing magic wasn't really an issue. Their cities were perfect. They lacked for nothing. Days and night wasn't an issue. Weather wasn't an issue. There was nothing wrong. In fact, their cities are better than cities in the past. In the end Sunny's motivation was 'it was like that in the past'. But so what? I feel like the movie put some G4 references and just forgot to add a need for things to go back the way they were.

"Why do they need magic?" I think is the question that I fail to see in the movie. So what if pegasi didn't fly? It didn't seem to bother them. It all happened just because Sunny's father got into her head that they needed to unite. But all the problems in the movie only happened because of him and Sunny. When I fist saw the movie I believed that their leaders profited, somehow, of that fear. That, maybe, cause caused suffering with it, but turned out that they were just as clueless as the others and Phyllis' factory was just great and nobody complained. Nobody complained of the royals being the only ones that could fly. And the unicorns seemed to be living just fine in their forest.

It seems everything happened because Argyle had a weird fixation with the past and there was nothing wrong with the present.

What did I miss?

Edited September 29, 2021 by Metemponychosis

[Pentium100 2,122]

The unicorns seemed to almost all be depressed, the Earth ponies lived in genuine fear of the other types (seeing by their reaction to a single unicorn showing up) and pegasus ponies could not fly.

Phyllis, while also clueless, profited heavily off that fear and pegasus leaders used their supposed ability to fly to keep their power (why did everyone revolt after finding out that the leaders cannot fly either? It seems to me the queen was not really liked that much). Nobody complained about Phyllis' factory because thy were too afraid (of other types of ponies) to do it. By the way, Phyllis was selling fake products - for example, I really doubt the anti-mind-reading hat actually did anything. 

Also, while the pony types lived in separate places, what would happen if a pony of the "wrong" type was born (as seen in G4, parents, who are both Earth ponies can have children who are not)?

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by Pentium100

[Misty Shadow 7,869]

It's possible to be living a "good life" while you're living a lie.  They needed to be brought back together because it was not natural for them to be apart and they have a much better world to build now that they don't have to live in fear together.  

[mlploverlizzy 291]

Ponies cant be living a lie their whole life and in fear of each other when they are all the same at heart 

[Emerald Claus 24,868]

(Ignore this plz I wrote something stupid)

Edited September 29, 2021 by Emerald Heart

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

it destroys the balance... look at what happened...

the only surviving species are the ponies...

that's how potent it is.

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

They need to fight against non pony villains together like they did in G4

[HedonismBot 239]

6 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

The unicorns seemed to almost all be depressed, the Earth ponies lived in genuine fear of the other types (seeing by their reaction to a single unicorn showing up) and pegasus ponies could not fly.

Phyllis, while also clueless, profited heavily off that fear and pegasus leaders used their supposed ability to fly to keep their power (why did everyone revolt after finding out that the leaders cannot fly either? It seems to me the queen was not really liked that much). Nobody complained about Phyllis' factory because thy were too afraid (of other types of ponies) to do it. By the way, Phyllis was selling fake products - for example, I really doubt the anti-mind-reading hat actually did anything. 

Also, while the pony types lived in separate places, what would happen if a pony of the "wrong" type was born (as seen in G4, parents, who are both Earth ponies can have children who are not)?

 

Plus the fact that when Sprout took over as sheriff, he immediately got to work on launching a pre-emptive strike against the other tribes. Even if he hadn't, some other pony would eventually have gotten a similar idea.

Also, the pegasi were only okay with being unable to fly because they thought the royal family could still fly, and therefore defend them from an earth pony or unicorn invasion (somehow) - if magic hadn't been restored shortly after their lie was exposed (which could easily have happened without outside help, if their rigging were to malfunction), who knows what would have happened over there.

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

17 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

The unicorns seemed to almost all be depressed, the Earth ponies lived in genuine fear of the other types (seeing by their reaction to a single unicorn showing up) and pegasus ponies could not fly.

Phyllis, while also clueless, profited heavily off that fear and pegasus leaders used their supposed ability to fly to keep their power (why did everyone revolt after finding out that the leaders cannot fly either? It seems to me the queen was not really liked that much). Nobody complained about Phyllis' factory because thy were too afraid (of other types of ponies) to do it. By the way, Phyllis was selling fake products - for example, I really doubt the anti-mind-reading hat actually did anything. 

Also, while the pony types lived in separate places, what would happen if a pony of the "wrong" type was born (as seen in G4, parents, who are both Earth ponies can have children who are not)?

 

I don't know if I agree with that. Unicorns weren't depressed. That was their style. And I don't see why the pegasi needed to fly. They were doing fine without flying. I mean, I can't fly, and I live a perfectly fine life. Earth ponies don't fly either. Not having magic didn't prevent the unicorns from a perfectly fine life.

In the same line, I don't see the problem with Phyllis profiting (was she?). I mean, Queen Haven was. At the same time, was that hurting the earth ponies or the pegasi? Zephyr Heights looked like a first world metropolis, affluent and filled with luxuries. Maretime Bay had an industry capable of building a (working) giant mecha pony (without magic). They had access to resources that allowed them forging steel and making electronics, the same as Zephyr Heights where they had mobile telecommunications. Better than what I have. No one seemed to be suffering because of the paranoia other than Sunny that insisted on rocking a boat that was perfectly steady and where everyone was happy. Life was better than it was in ancient Equestria.

My point is that it was the movie's job to point out that things weren't going well to motivate a change. Instead it just made that giant straw man (straw pony) that uniting the three races (or tribes) is such a big deal without giving a good reason (or maybe i missed it.). I think the movie, good as it was, needed an external, or an overt internal threat. Maretime bay, Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood all seemed to be doing perfectly fine isolated the way they were. However, I agree with your point about the wrong pony type being born in a city, but the movie didn't bother with it. It's something I hadn't thought of and it genuinely a good point, but it seems to be the same problem with G4 trying to tell a story that is bigger than its age rating will allow.

At no point the movie showed any issues, because you can't even say that the stuff Canterlogic produced were fake. The robot worked. The unicorn containment worked. Who's to say that at some time there wasn't a war and that all Sprout believed wasn't true? I mean... Starlight Glimmer. Sunset Shimmer. Tempest Shadow. King Sombra. Unicorns can become powerful as heck. I mean, now that they have their magic back unicorns can actually zap brains and pegasi can swoop in and steal foals. I don't understand how the earth ponies aren't MORE afraid now.

Something like a unicorn being born in Maretime Bay was exactly what we needed. Actually, if Sunny was a unicorn or a pegasus born to Maretime Bay suffering from racism, discrimination, it would've been perfect. Or, to avoid anything that extreme, unhappy ponies that they have to work in the factory (I can't imagine a better analogy of the real world). Ponies complaining of the present situation that weren't yearning for whatever benefits uniting the three kinds would bring. Maybe ponies that were lacking for something because the factory consumed so many resources that there wasn't enough.

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

16 hours ago, CloudMistDragon said:

It's possible to be living a "good life" while you're living a lie.  They needed to be brought back together because it was not natural for them to be apart and they have a much better world to build now that they don't have to live in fear together.  

Actually, now that they have their magic back, the unicorns and pegasi can do all the things that the earth ponies were afraid of. Remember King Sombra? Starlight Glimmer? Sunset Shimmer?

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

12 hours ago, ExplosionMare said:

 

They need to fight against non pony villains together like they did in G4

 

But the movie never brought that up. I think there should've been monsters roaming about (like in G4) to make magic a necessity. Still, I don't think that earth ponies even needed that to defend themselves.

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

11 hours ago, HedonismBot said:

Plus the fact that when Sprout took over as sheriff, he immediately got to work on launching a pre-emptive strike against the other tribes. Even if he hadn't, some other pony would eventually have gotten a similar idea.

Also, the pegasi were only okay with being unable to fly because they thought the royal family could still fly, and therefore defend them from an earth pony or unicorn invasion (somehow) - if magic hadn't been restored shortly after their lie was exposed (which could easily have happened without outside help, if their rigging were to malfunction), who knows what would have happened over there.

But is kind of my point. Things only went haywire because of Sunny. Look at what I told Pentium100. If that was the point the movie was trying to get across, that is what should have happened to motivate Sunny. It seems that now their fear is more motivated than it ever was, because now the other races are a threat.

[Will Guide 21,360]

17 hours ago, mlploverlizzy said:

Ponies cant be living a lie their whole life and in fear of each other when they are all the same at heart 

Exactly. And that's what Argyle believed

[OptimisticNeighsayer 478]

It’s definitely a fair point. I have felt that Sunny’s idealism is a bit hollow because she either is ignorant of or ignores the very real tensions between the races in G4’s history, and doesn’t come face-to-face with it, yet you are expected to rely on your knowledge of G4’s good to really get her idealism.

But besides what others said about living in lies despite prosperity (or in the case of the unicorns, their outright depression; they struck me more as bored with their life than just following a quirky worldview they actually  enjoy, which also explains why they were relatively happy rather than puzzled once their magic did come back), two things keep me from calling this wrinkle a truly fatal flaw in the film. 1) The mere idea that “one can do better” is enough for such lofty values. To portray something like magic, and by extension inclusiveness and tolerance as a mere necessity sullies their value and does not make them endure long or deeply. The movie did succeed in showing that the races were not living up to their potential even though they were generally happy being as they are. That Zipp too wanted to actually fly shows that this yearning for more is not just a quirk of Sunny’s nostalgia-influenced upbringing. 2) Living in isolation of others who are very different from you does not really work out in the long run—it leads to stagnation and just plain bad attitudes. As someone else implied, it is easy to believe that even if Izzy had never showed up to Maretime Bay, it would be easy enough to play on the fear to just create a unicorn sighting threat out of mid-air for somepony’s personal gain.

As for the other races potentially being more in fear now that the magic is back, I’m sure they’ll address that in the special or the show.  If anything Sprout’s half-hearted regret (“Was I a good sheriff?”) shows that there will still be tensions creeping up and the showrunners would be remiss to bury them. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by OptimisticNeighsayer

[Pentium100 2,122]

1 hour ago, Metemponychosis said:

At no point the movie showed any issues, because you can't even say that the stuff Canterlogic produced were fake.

At least some of it was. For example the anti-mind-reading hats. Unicorns did not have that ability, but I somehow doubt that now, when the magic has returned, the hat would help against mind reading.

The unicorn traps worked because unicorns were the same as Earth ponies. A unicorn with magic could probably just push the release button with TK.

 

Also, it appears that the Earth ponies lived in constant fear. This causes stress and stress is not healthy. Also, what would have happened to Izzy if Sunny was not there?

 

2 hours ago, Metemponychosis said:

And I don't see why the pegasi needed to fly. They were doing fine without flying. I mean, I can't fly, and I live a perfectly fine life. Earth ponies don't fly either. Not having magic didn't prevent the unicorns from a perfectly fine life.

A hypothetical: if someone poked one of your eyes out when you were a baby, you would still be able to live a normal life, just with one eye. Does that mean that you don't need the second one or that your life would not improve if you somehow got your eye back later?

 

Seeing that pegasus ponies looked up to the royals because of their ability to fly, I'd say now that they all can fly, their lives have improved.

 

2 hours ago, Metemponychosis said:

My point is that it was the movie's job to point out that things weren't going well to motivate a change.

Now I get it - your problem is that the movie did not explain the need for magic well enough, instead of relying on magic=good, friendship=good assumptions. I actually agree a bit. I think earth ponies (constant fear) and unicorns (if it's not depression then something else, probably because they evolved to use magic and now are without it, similar to how ponies behaved when Tirek stole) were shown somewhat OK, but the pegasus ponies weren't. 

 

 

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

@Pentium100

hmmm I think its the same as putting a foil on your head to protect yourself from alien mind reading....

it's fake.... but the believers believed it work for some reason and without malice too.... so same goes to the mind reading helmet.... I think they genuinely believed it works.

 

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

1 hour ago, OptimisticNeighsayer said:

It’s definitely a fair point. I have felt that Sunny’s idealism is a bit hollow because she either is ignorant of or ignores the very real tensions between the races in G4’s history, and doesn’t come face-to-face with it, yet you are expected to rely on your knowledge of G4’s good to really get her idealism.

In G4 it was an external threat that made ponies unite. The Windigos. Even in the finale, there was a threat that made everyone unite. In Sunny's case there is no threat at all. And from the perspective of earth ponies, she's making things worse with her views. Understanding G4 seems to make it worse for me. I suppose you could say that the fear itself, which is the big villain in the movie, is a threat and that she defeated it by uniting the different kinds. But there are bigger issues with that notion... Hold this thought.

1 hour ago, OptimisticNeighsayer said:

(or in the case of the unicorns, their outright depression; they struck me more as bored with their life than just following a quirky worldview they actually  enjoy, which also explains why they were relatively happy rather than puzzled once their magic did come back)

Would you say the same thing about Maude Pie? Because that is where I'm coming from. If the unicorns didn't dress in that particular style... There is better visual language to express this colloquial use of depression. Especially in a movie that explicitly expresses the fact that the pegasi can't fly and that each believes lies about the other. 

1 hour ago, OptimisticNeighsayer said:

1) The mere idea that “one can do better” is enough for such lofty values. To portray something like magic, and by extension inclusiveness and tolerance as a mere necessity sullies their value and does not make them endure long or deeply. The movie did succeed in showing that the races were not living up to their potential even though they were generally happy being as they are. That Zipp too wanted to actually fly shows that this yearning for more is not just a quirk of Sunny’s nostalgia-influenced upbringing.

I'm not sure what you meant about inclusiveness and tolerance as a mere necessity.

But... Potential? Maretime Bay, somehow, has a more advanced industry than ours, without magic. Did you see that giant pony mecha they built in days? That implies they have access to raw materials and processing techniques that allow them metal alloys and electronics, not to mention energy sources, to build complex machines. Compare anything that Canterlogic created to the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, that literally went as far as requiring in situ unicorn magic to work. The same goes to Zephyr Heights. Twilight communicated with Princess Celestia by sending letters with a dragon by her side. Princess Pipp has a freaking smartphone. They have television. Modern telecommunications. Without magic. All of that requires maintenance and nothing is breaking down. Their lives are better than they were in ancient Equestria.

If anything, it makes me feel like ancient Equestria was held back by their ideals. Because in the present they didn't need to interact. The movie doesn't even mention other creatures, such as griffons. Yak. Dragons. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if griffons had a space program by that point. 

In the face of all that, 'Zipp wanted to fly' sounds like me going 'I wish I had a Tesla' and then going on a crusade to change mankind so that I could have a Tesla. Especially since she was a privileged individual to begin with! The whole magic thing is so petty!

2 hours ago, OptimisticNeighsayer said:

2) Living in isolation of others who are very different from you does not really work out in the long run—it leads to stagnation and just plain bad attitudes. As someone else implied, it is easy to believe that even if Izzy had never showed up to Maretime Bay, it would be easy enough to play on the fear to just create a unicorn sighting threat out of mid-air for somepony’s personal gain.

As for the other races potentially being more in fear now that the magic is back, I’m sure they’ll address that in the special or the show.  If anything Sprout’s half-hearted regret (“Was I a good sheriff?”) shows that there will still be tensions creeping up and the showrunners would be remiss to bury them. 

Actually, living in isolation, by the movie's logic, was what made everything work and I don't see a reason why they couldn't just live in isolation given that they lacked for nothing. Before they didn't know that the other races didn't have their magic and ability to fly and they just kept distance. Now the earth ponies have more reasons to be afraid because they know that changed. Picture Sprout. What is keeping a random unicorn from going King Sombra on everyone just because now he can? Sprout is more justified now than he was before.

Or even better. Look at Pipp. She lost everything. What about Queen Haven? What is she doing with her life now? Are pegasi just going back on that prison thing just because they all can fly now?

I suppose that the series should expand on that. But I doubt it. It would go against the movie's message, which is broken to begin with. I mean, I can see how things improved for pegasi and for unicorns. But how did it improve for earth-ponies?

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

1 hour ago, Pentium100 said:

At least some of it was. For example the anti-mind-reading hats. Unicorns did not have that ability, but I somehow doubt that now, when the magic has returned, the hat would help against mind reading.

The unicorn traps worked because unicorns were the same as Earth ponies. A unicorn with magic could probably just push the release button with TK.

Also, it appears that the Earth ponies lived in constant fear. This causes stress and stress is not healthy. Also, what would have happened to Izzy if Sunny was not there?

How do you know that the hats didn't have that ability? How do you know that the traps didn't prevent telekinesis? I mean, I know that I don't know either, but at some point there was a conflict and there is no reason to believe that Canterlogic doesn't know what they're doing. It seemed that everything and the kitchen's sink stopped unicorn magic when it was convenient. You see? This is part of the problem. Phyllis didn't know about the other races either! If she was actively lying so that she could profit from the fear, and Canterlogic products were useless, then yes, but she was legitimately trying to help.

And Earth-ponies have more reasons to live in fear now that unicorns got their magic back and that pegasi can fly.

1 hour ago, Pentium100 said:

Also, what would have happened to Izzy if Sunny was not there?

They would have dropped her out of the city? I understand what you mean, but I don't see the difference it makes.

1 hour ago, Pentium100 said:

A hypothetical: if someone poked one of your eyes out when you were a baby, you would still be able to live a normal life, just with one eye. Does that mean that you don't need the second one or that your life would not improve if you somehow got your eye back later?

Seeing that pegasus ponies looked up to the royals because of their ability to fly, I'd say now that they all can fly, their lives have improved.

I don't know. I'm assuming that I wouldn't know the difference between having one or two eyes. I have no idea how that would affect me. I do know that for an adequate depth perception one needs both eyes. I suppose that my life would improve. Yes. Marginally. The problem is that pegasi being able to fly doesn't come 'without a cost'. Unicorns now have their magic. And did the movie ever explain why the pegasi were afraid of the earth ponies? I guess that the problem really is that there is no reason that I can see why being able to fly makes coexistence with the other races any better.

1 hour ago, Pentium100 said:

Now I get it - your problem is that the movie did not explain the need for magic well enough, instead of relying on magic=good, friendship=good assumptions. I actually agree a bit. I think earth ponies (constant fear) and unicorns (if it's not depression then something else, probably because they evolved to use magic and now are without it, similar to how ponies behaved when Tirek stole) were shown somewhat OK, but the pegasus ponies weren't. 

But they were. The whole flying thing is petty and may not be worth it if it also means that the unicorns now do have magic.

[Pentium100 2,122]

3 hours ago, Metemponychosis said:

How do you know that the hats didn't have that ability? How do you know that the traps didn't prevent telekinesis? I mean, I know that I don't know either, but at some point there was a conflict and there is no reason to believe that Canterlogic doesn't know what they're doing. It seemed that everything and the kitchen's sink stopped unicorn magic when it was convenient. You see? This is part of the problem. Phyllis didn't know about the other races either! If she was actively lying so that she could profit from the fear, and Canterlogic products were useless, then yes, but she was legitimately trying to help.

"Being scared is being prepared" - whether she genuinely believed the other pony types were going to attack at any moment, she sure had a vested financial interest in making sure Earth ponies believed that. It was also in Sprout's interest to make sure everyone believed that too.

There's reason to believe Canterlogic is pretty much like Flim and Flam - not really trustworthy:
1. The anti-mind-reading hats were not tested (how could they test them?).
2. A periscope that lets you watch out for flying ponies - while this would work, it also means the user does not see where he's going and, as such, the device is dangerous to the user. A pony even fall off during the demonstration.
3. "Balloon escape" device is dangerous (what if the wind is blowing toward the sea) and would not be effective against ponies with TK or ponies that can fly.
4. The complex demonstration device that had no safety shutdown available in case of an emergency.

So, I'm going to think that Canterlogic was mostly fake, not completely, but mostly - a lie is more believable if it has some truth in it.

3 hours ago, Metemponychosis said:

Unicorns now have their magic. And did the movie ever explain why the pegasi were afraid of the earth ponies?

I don't think they were - the other pony races considered Earth ponies to be lazy and stupid. Even the pegasus guards said that Earth ponies are "harmless" because they have tiny brains.

3 hours ago, Metemponychosis said:

I guess that the problem really is that there is no reason that I can see why being able to fly makes coexistence with the other races any better.

Actual, tangible differences between races probably makes it worse. 

Yeah, it is the fault of the movie that it did not show how returning the magic makes everything better or how it was really bad before. The movie kind-of relies on "friendship=good", "racism=bad" assumptions, but does not actually explain them.

Maybe the TV show will.

3 hours ago, Metemponychosis said:

But they were. The whole flying thing is petty and may not be worth it if it also means that the unicorns now do have magic.

I mangled my long sentence. I meant to say that the pegasus ponies were not shown to be not OK (while you could say that the unicorns and Earth ponies were shown to not be really OK).

 

There's also the problem that we are over-analyzing a movie made for kids. Some things cannot be shown due to rating (for example - I don't think they could have shown a pony getting beat up because he walked into the wrong town or Sunny getting beat up for being a "unicorn sympathizer" or "traitor" before she even met Izzy). Whether that did or did not happen (IMO it would be more logical if Sunny was being bullied all her life for her beliefs), the rating would not allow this to be shown. 

Just like in G4, there was only two (IIRC) on-screen deaths - no matter how bad the villains were, they did not kill innocent ponies and there were no lasting consequences after they were defeated.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Pentium100

[Steve Piranha 29,424]

On 2021-09-29 at 2:54 PM, Pentium100 said:

 

Also, while the pony types lived in separate places, what would happen if a pony of the "wrong" type was born (as seen in G4, parents, who are both Earth ponies can have children who are not)?

 

Don’t forget Scutie’s dad and aunt are earth ponies and Big Mac Jr’s mom is an unicorn 

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

 

10 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

over-analyzing

The conversation killer....

[Pentium100 2,122]

Moments ago, Metemponychosis said:

10 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

over-analyzing

The conversation killer....

There's not enough information. The movie did not show enough (even within its rating) and the rating prevented other things from being shown. Which means that we both start assuming "facts not in evidence", and then go further and further away from the movie .

The movie appears to be too short and does not show enough - maybe the original version was better, but then they had to make it fit in 1 hours 30 minutes.

[Ganondorf8 11,309]

This was perhaps the movie's biggest misstep; by not revealing much if at all anything with regards to what happened which resulted in Equestria becoming the way it was prior to the beginning of the G5 movie. I know G5 needs to stand on its own two feet and tell its own story, but by including the scene at the beginning with the Mane Six of G4, fans pretty much wanted to know how things could've ended up getting so bad especially when Equestria had reached a state of peace at G4's conclusion. Having all three pony tribes distrust one another was something that was used during the season nine finale yet it was more like a minor inconvenience that got resolved quickly. What happened in G5 has lasted for several generations which is a much bigger deal.

By not saying anything, people are already questioning the effectiveness of the Mane Six though I suspect it had nothing to do with them and that things began falling apart long after they had passed on and their descendants (Among others) were going about their lives. I hope that the upcoming series dedicates some time towards the new characters wanting to understand how things went wrong in order to give fans and perhaps the characters themselves some closure.

[Pentium100 2,122]

16 minutes ago, Ganondorf8 said:

This was perhaps the movie's biggest misstep; by not revealing much if at all anything with regards to what happened which resulted in Equestria becoming the way it was prior to the beginning of the G5 movie.

I don't think that was necessary. However, the movie should have shown that life in isolation was bad for everyone and that by coming together and bringing back magic everybody made it better. We are kind-of left just assuming that "it was bad, now it's better" just based on a few scenes (Earth ponies being afraid of shadows, pegasus ponies wanting to fly, but unable to do it and unicorns appearing depressed).

Then again, if they had to fit the movie to 1 hours 30 minutes, they had to cut out a lot. 

FIM had it better - starting as a series, there was no such time constraint.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

For a message of tolerance, obviously.  From an in-universe standpoint though, you kind of have a point.

On 2021-09-29 at 11:54 AM, Pentium100 said:

 and pegasus ponies could not fly.

To be fair, they seemed to be doing the best.  

23 hours ago, Kujamih said:

it destroys the balance... look at what happened...

the only surviving species are the ponies...

that's how potent it is.

We don't actually know this.  For all we know, the other races could be around.  Ever get on the wrong side of a Griffin in an internet discussion?

In all seriousness though, if they are around, they also probably keep to themselves, have stereotypes of other races, and live in a post-modern society where they can get by adequately without their magic, and may have their settlements in other parts of the map.  The three settlements we saw in the movie can't possibly be the only civilizations left in their world.

2 hours ago, Ganondorf8 said:

This was perhaps the movie's biggest misstep; by not revealing much if at all anything with regards to what happened which resulted in Equestria becoming the way it was prior to the beginning of the G5 movie. I know G5 needs to stand on its own two feet and tell its own story, but by including the scene at the beginning with the Mane Six of G4, fans pretty much wanted to know how things could've ended up getting so bad especially when Equestria had reached a state of peace at G4's conclusion. Having all three pony tribes distrust one another was something that was used during the season nine finale yet it was more like a minor inconvenience that got resolved quickly. What happened in G5 has lasted for several generations which is a much bigger deal.

By not saying anything, people are already questioning the effectiveness of the Mane Six though I suspect it had nothing to do with them and that things began falling apart long after they had passed on and their descendants (Among others) were going about their lives. I hope that the upcoming series dedicates some time towards the new characters wanting to understand how things went wrong in order to give fans and perhaps the characters themselves some closure.

I almost think they shouldn't have bothered with the callbacks at all.  I would assume whatever happened, happened long after even Twilight's lifetime (which was probably extended due to her being an Alicorn).  But, it introduces a lot of questions that simply having the film be set in its own world wouldn't have, especially since there are virtually no traces of it.  I think it would have been highly possible to have the same story of "magic and friendship used to exist in this world, but it has long since been lost" even without referencing FiM.

The presence of the Mane Six toys also just reek of an attempt to cash in on nostalgia, and remind of us of that other series.  We would still probably want to know more about that world and how things came to be the way they are, but it wouldn't seem like as pressing a thing to want to know, and that could be addressed in worldbuilding episodes regardless.  The movie proved that it could stand effectively on its own, and it would have pulled that off even more successfully without the callbacks.  It's as if the team behind this movie didn't have the confidence that it could succeed entirely on its own merit, but as we have seen, it has.  Sure, I'm skeptical that it can sustain an entire series for very long without getting old, but it definitely works as a film.