Special OCs Everywhere?

[SFyr 1,982]

I didn't know exactly where to post this, but since I don't really aim to accomplish anything per-say, I suppose this place is decent enough.

 

Anyways.

Any thoughts on the fandom's general OC population? 

I personally want to, at some point, create several of my own OCs, make a fanfic, or just do some art--maybe even offer to just draw other people's OCs for awhile. But, looking around... there seems to be huge amount of special OCs out there. Meaning, ones that have rare abilities/forms, really important for some destiny-related reason, and so on. So, you see alicorns (royal/non-royal/whichever), dragons, mixed-blood or ponies with abnormal bits, ponies with amazing abilities, etc.

I'd actually love for like, someone somewhere to take a poll and compile the numbers of OCs species chosen. Personally I want to see how Alicorns rank in number when compared to the humble earth pony. But, maybe that day will come later on.

 

Second question, why do you think this is thing?    I don't know where to really look at, forums/random/fanfiction/etc, but it seems like people in general want interesting characters, and often ability/potential equates to more readily interesting. Opinions?

 

 

Third question, how special/unique can you make a pony before he/she passes the top of the hill and things start getting unpleasant?

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

1. Pegasui and Alicorns are the top 2 most popular OCs of all. I have two non-royal Alicorn OCs. I've got several pegasai OCs with special abilities; but with special abilities come weaknesses so I try to balance them out. 

2. Well, people are just fond of pegasus OCs because they can fly and Alicorn OCs because not only they can fly but they can do magic.

3. Well, the one thing that crosses the line is whether the OC is mortal or immortal. If it's immortal, then...that's crossing the line like there. 

[Onikashi 20]

People can be as creative as they'd like to be, although yes, I recognize special/rare OC's can get a bit distracting/annoying. Some can be unoriginal and even make up their history to be somehow related to the main cast of characters in the show. Some also use very bright colors and unrealistic features & talents.

 

The quantity of unrealistic/unfitting characters has been growing through the time at the actuality. And mostly they are poor while coming up with interesting roleplay scenes. They powerplay, and that's not good.

 

Still, there are realist people who prefer to keep their characters unique but simple. An earth pony with warm, pastel colors and an interesting story & a chronicle of their cutiemark can make up an interesting character.

 

The number of realist people are decreasing, but still standing strong. One day, the unrealistic character count will decrease and everyone will know what real creativity is. Although I believe that will not happen sometime soon.

 

Apart from that, you can make a powerful character, even an alicorn, but if this character has personality or physical difficulties.

 

An example: A warm golden alicorn, with a short, flat mane with tints of orange, brown and white. This alicorn is in her late teens, having a difficult life going through royal education & manners. Prefers to dedicate to general farming. This alicorn also seems to have a damaged horn, which doesn't let her use any powerful magic spells.

 

Thing is, the count of difficulties should be the same to the count of talents, or at least half of the count of the talents. Keeping a character realistic is making them different. Not all ponies are perfect. Even Celestia might have a hidden difficulty.

[Scootalove 10,689]

Although I would want some OCs to be original, but there are some special OCs out there. Having the character be realistic is good, instead of the character having something that is completely over the top. Creativity is good for anyone.

[Shadling 348]

Personally, I think that having a original OC (it's supposed to be an original character after all) is good until it become non-original in its originality (Royal, OP characteristic, link with the main cast, etc.)...

 

But after all, making a OC is a challenge, to not make it too simple or too wierd, it's all in the balance.

[SFyr 1,982]

@@Onikashi, 

This was actually pretty refreshing to read, haha. Thank you.    Suffice to say, I agree with more or less everything you've said.

Though, just as a side note on difficulties, I think at some point they (while vital to making a gifted character great in my opinion) can disservice characters if played up too much, even if they balance things out in the process. But, I guess that's more in how you spin their story--there's a need for higher up characters, after all.

[Castle Bleck 19,401]

I care much more about magic than flying, so my ponysona's a Unicorn.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Anti-Villain

[SFyr 1,982]

I care much more about magic than flying, so my ponysona's a unicorn.

Would you ever consider an Alicorn or Earth Pony? 

[Castle Bleck 19,401]

Would you ever consider an Alicorn or Earth Pony? 

 

Yeah, Earth Pony, sure. But Alicorn? .....The angry brony mob outside my house doesn't think so.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

I actually made an earth pony OC but for todays Fan standards she wouldn't have worked, But she was basically a prehistoric pony with her herd of other ponies, surviving from dinosaur like dragons and giant monster timber wolves etc etc. They didn't really have cutie marks but stripped markings though occassionally they did develope cutie marks over time in the form of different styles and locations. Long story short this OC just had a story about survival.

 

 

However my current OC's backstory, Lightning Bliss, relates closer to who I am as a person and took me awhile to develope her to become a fair alicorn to begin with. Put it this way, as a person myself, I know I've accomplished alot for myself, like graduation and marring my husband, and I wanted to influence that into my OC. Since my life has evolved or ascended, I wanted to express that with my OC, but that had to be developed carefully. Point being, an alicorn I believe, is a pony who has ascended after they recongized an important magical trait within the powers of Harmony. In my OC's cause, she understood the power of peace between other sentient beings and is in charge with keeping that peace between pony, dragon, gryphon, minitor etc etc. Info on her story is in my sig.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Lightning Bliss

[SFyr 1,982]

@@Lightning Bliss, 

 

Both cases seem to have pretty decent explanations in my book. I haven't exactly heard much of prehistoric ponies, so some unusual differences there from typical ponies would be interesting--so long as it was a population thing, and not too over the top.    But regardless, it all depends on how you spin the story still, haha.

As for your Alicorn, I can appreciate that her status was something she earned, not by luck, skill, power, nor gifted ancestry--nor was it simply handed to her. Plus, a little personal connection to things you've personally gone through seem to help that matter. 

Edited February 27, 2014 by SFyr

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,674]

Well, people right off the bat want their characters to stand out and be noticed you could say so they often feel like they need to make their characters over the top and the more the better.

Hopefully they'll eventually realize how much better it is to have a realistic character and that being realistic does not have to come at the expense of uniqueness.

 

I keep hearing that pegasi OCs are the most popular. I'm not too sure about alicorn ocs because I rarely see them. So far I have two donkey OCs and 4 earth pony OCs. I'm thinking about a pegasus OCs because only pegasi can do wing-hugs.

[Shift 4,274]

Pegasi and Alicorns are the most popular OC's, and my OC is a changeling, personally. I might change it to an earth pony, because I always loved Earth Ponies the best, but I guess it's just that everybody wants super cool OC's.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

It's true I like to have some notice, but I don't like to put myself on a pedastool.

 

In RPs when my OC is addressed as a Princess, she's low ranked, on the low radar where she does things other princesses don't usually do, like negotiations on a diplomatic scale. She also doesn't know any special powers or abilities, just the basic teleporting and glowing light tricks. However under times of stress and when its required that a time for peace is needed, her magic kinda reacts on its own, sending her into "twilight's god mod" basically, creating an auroa of peace and serenity, helping other beings within it to help calm down and see passed their fears and hate or anxenties. Thats basicaly it. Heck compare her to twilight... she's in kindergarden magic school lol.

[SFyr 1,982]

Well, people right off the bat want their characters to stand out and be noticed you could say so they often feel like they need to make their characters over the top and the more the better.

Hopefully they'll eventually realize how much better it is to have a realistic character and that being realistic does not have to come at the expense of uniqueness.

 

I keep hearing that pegasi OCs are the most popular. I'm not too sure about alicorn ocs because I rarely see them. So far I have two donkey OCs and 4 earth pony OCs. I'm thinking about a pegasus OCs because only pegasi can do wing-hugs.

I like you, whoever you are. 

[IridscentNionios 1,420]

Personally i have had to change my OC ability and story about two times before i got that right. I am delving now deeper into them and i kinda feel like i've been restricted a bit. Though within reason of course. You can take a look at my OCs in the signature. What do you think? Are they good? Are they... too special?