The Alicorn Effect

[General Steel Heart 24]

Hello Everypony/Everyone,

 

I haven't spoken much because I have been rather busy with life in general. But that isn't the point I am trying to bring up today...

 

You know what upsets me most? I have asked a few artists to draw some art of my one OC (which happens to be an Alicorn). At first they seem very open to drawing an OC, but as soon as they found out it has to do with an Alicorn they either said they won't do it (regardless of it never being mentioned in the contract) or they suddenly stop all communication with me. At first I found this rather puzzling, so I asked some fellow bronies to help me better understand. They ended up explaining to me that there was a lot of bias and dislike for Alicorns for a whole slew of reasons ranging from being over powered to gary/mary sues. For these reasons, it does cause some fans to avoid fan fictions and even simple art requests without question.

 

Upon hearing this I literally face palmed because as a experienced RPer (13 years of RPing and still going!) and writer I realized how much of an annoyance that can be. To have a power 'gamer' or to have someone that wants to play 'god'. So upon hearing this, I decided I should bring this up to the forum here, and of course ask  for their own opinions, and perhaps also figure out a solution to the Stereo Typing. By all means I am not asking for special treatment by far, I am just wanting to create a few possible viable solutions to help allow decent Alicorns into the fandom (Obviously outside of Official MLP business).

 

 

I do sincerely apologize for any disturbance I may cause with my post. I await your replies.

 

Just a side note in case anyone wants to ask about my Ali OC:

He has one wing (can't fly) and he isn't too powerful in most magic except in the basics and in gravity. Simply put, he is weaker than the official Alicorns.
Just in case anyone was wondering.

 

Kind Regards,

 

-GSH

~Drew

Edited September 1, 2013 by General Steel Heart

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

I think that the main problem is that an alicorn OC is one of the main cliches of the MLP fandom. Not saying that there's anything wrong with your OC, just that every fandom gets these cliches. For example, one of the worst cliches of the Naruto fandom is to have an OC who happens to be Sasuke's sister, which is hated cuz his entire clan was wiped out.

 

I have an alicorn OC in my fanfic who's not overpowered and who I worked hard at making a well rounded character. The problem is that some bronies are smallminded and see every single alicorn OC as being a Mary Sue/Gary Stu without even taking the trouble to read the character thru. Believe me, I have seen just as many unicorn, earth pony and pegasus Sues in the fandom; they just don't get the same hassle.

[Scootalove 10,684]

There is no problem with having an alicorn OC but, when it is overpowered and not one OC can defeat it then it would be judged upon. Unicorn, Earth pony, and Pegasus OCs that are overpowered don't get judged the same way. But when they are worked on and not overpowered then, people wouldn't judge them at all.

[Sir Xarthas VI 470]

A large majority of the Bronies (minimum %75) automatically think that all Alicorn OC's are overpowered, which isn't entirely true. Seeing that I have an Alicorn OC (DJ Alicorn), and he is actually quite overpowered, I never use him in any RP's where there would be battle. My other OC's are kind of basic. Spirit Watcher is a fast flyer but that's it, Shining Midnight is above-average in magic and is just normally intellectual in Science, and Bass Cannon is just a normal Pegasus who happens to be a large fan of both Rainbow Dash and Vinyl Scratch, but she's only an average flyer, not even as fast as Rainbow Dash. Alicorn OC's are generally thought of as OP because they generally are and people just love to use them in battles and such. I never use my Alicorn OC in battle or anything like that, I just have him to have an Alicorn really. I honestly don't even know where he comes from (don't know his original birth place).

Edited September 1, 2013 by DJ Alicorn

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

How funny. My alicorn OC, in my fanfic, gets his flank handed to him by the Big Bad. He has to ask the Mane Six for help in defeating her, and Twilight tutors him in magic. Even after her tuition, his magic is nowhere near Twilight's level. Oh and he marries the mayor of Trottingham, who's an earth pony. I worked a lot on his background but there isn't really a space to enter it in the fic so when I finally finish the damn thing, I may do a prequel on his backstory and how he was turned into an alicorn.

[Sir Xarthas VI 470]

Damn I really need to start writing again... I used to write fanfics of a whole bunch of things on many forums and such, but I Don't really go on those forums anymore and I don't have time to write fanfics when I'm already writing 2 books that are supposed to be done by the end of this year... I'll see if I can fit in some time to write

[GreyScholar 1,584]

Personally for me it has more to do with the fact of an alicorn's rarity. Based on the show there are in my eyes (mostly) either born (or more recently 'awakened'), and thus would require proper justification.

 

Normally the most logical way of going about this would be having the characters be related to the royal sisters (with more likelihood being Celestia since Luna as NNM was in the moon for a thousand) in some way.

 

This goes into my personal feelings that you're OC should not be related to any of the main characters whatsoever or even have a close relationship with them either in friendship or worse romantically. Forming relationships of any sort with main characters I feel should take place during a roleplay and not before.

 

In fanfiction there's currently only one alicorn I feel has been given proper justification in her existance. This alicorn being Nyx of Past Sin, in essence being 'created' to be the reincarnation of Nightmare Moon but because of the initial failure of the spell she was given opportunity to actually developed a morality thus eventually deciding she didn't want to be Nightmare Moon.

Edited September 1, 2013 by EquestrianScholar

[General Steel Heart 24]

You all make valid points, and you all have very sound reasoning over all. My personal goal when it comes to the Alicorn OC I have is of course a just reason for his existence. But also give him a proper character build so he has too many gaps.

 

But still, everything you all say makes perfectly good sense. So I will continue to read, and gather more and more ideas and thoughts.

[GreyScholar 1,584]

An example of a player who made an alicorn OC reasonably enough for me to accept him in a roleplay was a member that showed his character being from outside Equestria (a desert nation) had a distant relation to Princess Celestia and the alicorn blood finally showing through his family line.

He was no more powerful then the average unicorn and was a 'decent' flier.

 

No I wasn't fully satisfied with the OC but he put enough work into it that I knew there wouldn't be too much issue. Thus I allowed him to have his character in the roleplay under the understanding that he would need to hide his race (Because in Equestria Divided the royal sisters had disappeared, leading to disagreement and conflict as ponies became divided).

 

It would be dangerous to be an alicorn in such a setting and I was interested to see how the player would handle such difficulties.

Edited September 2, 2013 by EquestrianScholar

[Flutter's lover <3 8,204]

I think it's just because there's quite so many of them...liek everyone wants to be that "all powerful" pony. If I could draw, I could care less if it was an alicorn, pegasi, unicorn...I'd draw it because asan artist it'd be getting my name out there more and be making money. so for artists to deny you of having them draw your OC...it's kinda silly.

 

also,sort of a related song...coincidentally it started playing on my iTunes when I turned to this topic.

 

 

 

Edited September 1, 2013 by Flutter Dash