Okay, just got to see the new episode. I winced when I saw the writer credit, but it was fantastic. Almost every one of Pinkie's lines was hilarious! Williams has made up for "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well" and, heck, even come out a little positive in my regard.

It's the power of the Cloud Cuckoolander having to be a bit more sober.

*cough*.

I wasn't quite as kind to it, but yeah, she more than made up for Mare-Do-Well.

What was wrong with Mare-do-well? I liked the fact that she was everypony except rarity and RD. Though the only one in the mane cast I really dont like is rarity. RD is awesome.

Oh, it was the episode itself that people took issue with - I'm sure most of them thought she was awesome.

But the episode had severe pacing issues, and some more... extreme viewers didn't like the characterization. Which, again, I think came down to a severely compressed story. Pacing issues.

But on the whole it's generally considered to be the weakest episode of the series so far.

edited 19th Dec '11 10:28:34 PM by kegisak

hm, never thought that far into it. RD did seem like a jerkass the whole episode.

Would you have to get that "CDI" thing from the Rocky and Bullwinkle movie?

As one of the 'extreme' folks, I suppose, it was just that I personally felt that Ponyville as a setting was handled poorly. The characters may have been rendered accurately (I had no issue with Twi going full-bore OCD in "Lesson Zero", but Dash's overblown egotism in "Mare-Do-Well" just bothered me - that discussion has been had, though), but they didn't feel right against the subttly (and not-so-subtly) off-color backdrop.

I'm not "extreme" but I guess I felt that the episode consisted mostly of us watching RD being not very likable, and then being punished for it at the end really quickly.

The ATG has put together an Ask Equestria tumblr: http://ask-equestria.tumblr.com/

We've got multiple artists using various characters to answer the questions. Feel free to come bombard us.

edited 19th Dec '11 11:46:55 PM by KuroiTsubasaTenshi

I don't think that Dash was really acting out of character, it's just that this was exactly the wrong situation for her to be acting like herself. Her egotism has always been present, but this is the first time it's ever endangered other ponies, and people are well within their right to be upset about that. Other people, though, like the types that vilify the mane cast for 'humiliating' Dash, are less reasonable about it. Dash was humiliating herself just fine without their help.

In my interpretation, everything ponies do has innate magic to it.

Basically all ponies can do magic, except Earth ponies are capable of Earth magic and self-improvement chi sort of thing, pegasi are adept at weather control, and unicorns govern telekinesis.

Assuming you're roleplaying a bareflanked filly, you need to roll Critical Success to acquire your cutie mark. You are allowed to not pick it as your cutie mark (explains the CMC), however, you must decide on it immediately after it happens. The point is, it is simply impossible to even get a Magic cutie mark, much like it's impossible to get a Flight cutie mark - you can't roll to determine if you succeeded at just doing magic.

Besides, Rarity has a gem-finding talent but is regularly using telekinesis, isn't she?

The way I interpret Twi's CM is not just "magic", it's "magic spark". Wild magic sort of thing. She is capable of intensely powerful spells, but they are very mentally exhaustive and can randomly fumble.

I liek to pretend it is an Anti-Tank Gun.

edited 19th Dec '11 11:59:14 PM by thefran

Just wanted to be counted as one of those who thought Ponyville was OOC in "Mare Do Well." Dash being an egotistical jerk was in-character for her, though putting the episode right after "May The Best Pet Win!" made it seem like the writers were piling on her.

(...and now watch this post get buried in the tidal wave of stuff from the thread regulars. Not all of us get to post on the forums 24/7...)

—R.J.

You seriously think a bit of metal flung from a tube could imperil Tank?

You poor naive boy/girl/G.I.R.L./whatever.

Well, that would certainly be an interesting (and expensive) medium for making art with.

I agree that Dashie felt a little off in Mare-Do-Well. Her ego was pushed just a little too far. That strange, mutating Ponyville terrain stuck out more to me, though.

Yeah, I agree that unicorns can learn any spell with patience, it's just that Twilight finds it easier.

On the episode, I really enjoyed it. I love worldbuilding. Still wasn't as good as some episodes though. Also, I think The Mysterious Mare Do Well gets undeserved flak. It was probably the worst of season 2, but still better than like half of season 1.

I've actually thought about making a tabletop rpg about ponies myself. Choosing something really broad for your talent like "magic" is balanced by the fact that you'll get hit by cute mark failure more often.

There's actually a thread over in the tabletop games page about "My Little Pony: The RPG", and I think someone over on the White Wolf forums is attempting to hack together an Exalted variant (I think the four Virtues were replaced with Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Laughter, and Loyalty, with Magic/Friendship serving as the willpower stat, but I can't get into that thread at the moment so who knows).

Disregard, I fail at reading.

edited 20th Dec '11 12:28:39 AM by KylerThatch

I can kind of sympathize with the people who didn't like the way RD was characterized in "Mare-Do-Well", but I thought she was actually characterized pretty well in the episode. The rest of the Mane Six on the other hand I thought were pretty bad in that episode.

edited 20th Dec '11 12:57:19 AM by Mio

I've got to admit that I love Merriwether Williams' Pinkie. She did a much better job with characterization across the board in "Hearths' Warming Eve", as well (in that the historical figures were all quintessentially the girls), I have to say. Her third episode could break my tentative positive quite easily, but she might not actually get that many, come to think of it.

We still have Polsky on the horizon, don't we?

edited 20th Dec '11 12:39:22 AM by RedSavant

I feel like less of a fan for not paying attention to which episodes were written by who.

Huh! I thought that an Exalted variant like that would be the best way to do it as well! Though it needs a sanity mechanic! Maybe I should head over there.

EDIT: And yes, Pinkie is at her best in those episodes.

edited 20th Dec '11 12:45:22 AM by Sereg

Fact: G4 Rainbow Dash is heavily based on G1 Firefly.

Fact: Lauren Faust's favourite G1 pony is Firefly (to the point of having her dA named after her)

Fact: Rainbow Dash is more of a jerk and less of a crazy badass awesome rockstar in Season 2.

Fact: Lauren Faust quit the series, only superficially influencing Season 2.

Obvious conclusion: Rainbow Dash is Faust's pet character, not liked by other writers nearly as much. When she quit, the other writers got around to expressing their thoughts about her.

What pissed me off about Twilight's CM:

Rarity's CM magic is finding gems. Twilight figured out the spell it grants her and easily cast a way more powerful spell that does exactly the same. Damn it.

edited 20th Dec '11 1:17:53 AM by thefran

@Kuroi I asked a question on the equestria blog. :)

I've just realized that EqD's fanart compilation daily is called Drawfriend stuff, not Drawfiend stuff.

My interpretation is cooler :<