Dio

Next time give me more warning so I can get in on this action!

I'm more impressed with the amount of effort put into it than I am with the production values. The voice of Celestia needs serious work. Not only does she fail to sound like Nicole Oliver, she formalizes the conversation too much, attempting to use words entirely to convey meaning instead of her inflection. Part of the fault also falls upon the writer for Celestia's lines. Luna's performance was much better from a voice acting standpoint.

Editing and camerawork could also have used a lot of work. Some of the cuts and transitions were way too fast or were very awkwardly framed.

Basically there is no reason to say this piece is "awesome," save for one: the bronies at bronytoons took the time and effort to even bother MAKING a short complete with music, full animation, and voice acting. The motivation to do good work is clearly there. This wasn't damaged by laziness, rather they need some good people to guide them. They clearly have the resources and desire to make something awesome.

Finalized and ready for evaluation.

I'm really hating on the server browser and join system. I hate the fact that you need a web browser AND Origin open just to search for and join a game. Why can't the system be handled from Origin or with an in-game server browser? Also, party join is broken and there's no way to form squads while in game, which makes it really hard to party up with your friends and play on PC.

That said, the game itself is great. Infantry combat is fast, fluid, and brutal. I quickly found that the AK-74+PSO1+Heavy Barrel+Grip is a devastatingly effective counter-sniper platform, especially when firing on single-shot mode. The M16 is better close up because of its higher rate of fire and lower recoil. I'll keep trying to find the Caspian Border servers so I can get some vehicle gameplay in, but they're always full.

Because of the way recoil is handled in the game and because of lag, it's not uncommon to spend at least a mag per kill. That's why the support class is so important. It's really underutilized at this point since everyone just wants to kill stuff or get medic points as Assault. I can't tell you how many times I've run out of ammo at an inopportune time just because of the prodigious rate of ammo consumption in that game.

But now I'm just rambling. If any of you guys play on PC, PM me for my Battlelog name. I normally play with my clanmates, but I'd be willing to pop in for a few rounds with the bronies if my usual crew is busy

Pirates of the Caribbean

Hey you made it! Looking forward to more escapades in Canterlot with you and Kuda! Tales already covered the technical stuff, so I won't rehash it unnecessarily. Anyways, welcome and enjoy your stay!

My school is paying me to attend class, do office work, and web maintenance. I defeated all other applicants in spite of my lack of qualifications because I knew English and could actually socialize with the office staff. I am the Element of Office.

I originally thought the issues could be related to Espernet itself or LightIRC, which is why I posted.

That being said, the issue seems to have resolved itself. Apparently it was a local geographic problem.

Updated flash player for Firefox and rebooted windows. Same results for all clients.

Name: IRC bubble. My connection to IRC is stopped by a bubble that seems to let everything else through.

Section: Flash chat, IRC clients

Browser: Firefox, Windows 7 x64

Description

Reproduction steps

1. Open up IRC client (tried with YChat, Quassel, AndroIRC, and Chatzilla) or Canterlot.com Flash chat.
   
2. Select EsperNet from list or /attach irc.esper.net:5555.
   
3. Wait while client cycles through connection attempts.
   
4. Errors
   

Expected result: Connection to irc.esper.net

Actual result: Connection errors classified by client.

YChat

* Looking up irc.esper.net
* Unknown host. Maybe you misspelled it?
Cycling to next server in Espernet...
* Disconnected ().

AndroIRC

(Error) Unable to resolve irc.esper.net (#1/5) - irc.esper.net

Canterlot.com webchat

Flash policy problem. If you are the server owner, please read [url="http://redmine.lightirc.com/projects/lightirc/wiki/Flash_Policy_setup_instructions"]http://redmine.lightirc.com/projects/lightirc/wiki/Flash_Policy_setup_instructions[/url]. You need to install a flash policy daemon at apocalypse.esper.net (port 843).

Quassel

Connection failure: Host not found[/size][/font]
[font=Calibri][size=2]
Connection failed. Cycling to next Server

It seems that Mibbit is the only way I can access IRC. While this is workable in a roundabout way, it is highly inconvenient and limits what I can do with logs, autoidentify, and OP commands. As a final note, I can access other non-Espernet IRC servers using my clients.

There is currently little established show canon for any sort of military in Equestria. The bronies here, however, have taken the liberty of writing up additional lore to flesh out what a theoretical military for Equestria might be like. You can find information about the Royal Equestrian Army and the special forces (Her Majesty's Honor Guard) in my signature under the REA link.

A parallel civilian institution called the Destriers also exists in the context of the board. From these we draw our knight-themed ponies. The REA and the Destriers have an intense ongoing rivalry, as while they both strive to protect Equestria from threats both within and without, they have very different means and end goals. The REA leans more towards pragmatism while the Destriers lean more towards altruism. There is also a link to the Destriers document in my signature.

While these organizations are not yet fully accepted as board canon, they serve as a guidelines for most of the players looking to make military ponies. Hope this helps.

Welcome to Canterlot, Captain MacTavish!

I see that you've already ventured into the IRC chat and have seen us with our manes down. You'll find the Canterlot community quite accommodating. Again, welcome and please enjoy your stay!

So there's a new monthly drawfriend theme? Awesome!

But Dio, what about those of us who can't draw?

Fear not, for those of you who choose to wield the proverbial digital pen as your weapon of choice, there is a writefriend!

Here's how it's going to work. Since we don't have a gallery for text, we're going to use the board tools to give us a helping hoof. Post your work to your personal blog on Canterlot (everyone gets at least one) and then link the blog entry to this thread.

This month's theme is coffee shops. Anything to do with 'em, just ponify it and you're good to go!

Ideally your entry should be short (under 1000 words), though I'm not going to discourage anyone who wants to go longer! You have your orders, now get to it!

This one is mine: Autumn Leaves

Princess Celestia
I have seen many things in these thousand years. I have seen birth and I have seen death. I have seen kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. I have felt boundless joy and pitiless despair. I have seen many things, but in the end I know that my kingdom stands because of the love of its people for this land and for each other. This I vow to protect, to guide, and to prosper.

Name: Celestia
Sex: Female
Age: Adult, though ageless.
Species: Alicorn

Coat Color: A pearly pink color, very nearly white (#FFF9FD)
Mane/Tail Color & Style: Mane and tail of many colors kept aloft by her own innate magic. Streaks of aquamarine (#5CB5D5), jade (#58CEAC), sapphire (#92AEEF), spinel (#E0A7F8)
Eye Color: Amethyst (#553B6B)
 

Cutie Mark: Emblem of the Equestrian Sun

Art by BlackGryph0n on DA. Fair use under Creative Commons.

Physique: Towers above the general population of Great Equestria in stature. Leggy, fit, and dexterous. Carries herself with grace and presence.
Residence: Currently residing in the seat of government in Canterlot.
Occupation: Ruler of Equestria, shepherdess of the Sun and Moon

Unique Traits

Celestia is nigh immortal, her body ageless and her mind sharp despite the passage of years.  Living for lifetimes longer than the average pony has given her a unique perspective on the nature of life, the world, and the whims of the aether. She understands that social structures and personal preferences cannot change instantaneously and that ponies often learn best by example. Wise and dutiful, the Sun Princess prefers subtle teaching methods, gently nudging events along rather than ruling by executive authority and arcane might.

Still, when the wrath of the sun falls, it falls in full measure.  Those who dare threaten Equestria know full well that as an ancient alicorn, Celestia wields truly terrifying and awesome power.  Celestia has borne all of the Elements of Harmony in combination during the war against Nightmare Moon solo, a feat that has yet to be replicated since.  She has banished a godlike entity from the Earth, imprisoning Nightmare in the Moon.  Finally, she has personally fought wild beasts, bandits, and villains in the lawless time before the establishment of the Equestrian nation.  Suffice to say that Celestia is not a combatant to be trifled with and very few are willing to challenge her full unbridled wrath.

Character Summary
Mentioning the city of Canterlot immediately evokes images of towering alabaster spires trimmed with gold and appointed with finery both arcane and mundane. Inevitably, any conversation about Canterlot turns to the monarch and chief occupant, Celestia, the Princess of Ponykind. Like the seat of her government, Celestia is shrouded in finery and steeped in arcane mysticism.

The debate over the origin of the Celestial sisters is a perennial topic of Equestrian history conferences and a subject of intense study at Canterlot University’s History and Arcana departments. The only agreed-upon point of discussion is that the arrival of Celestia and Luna in Equestria substantially predates recorded history. Celestia herself has said little on the subject, preferring instead to focus on her current duties both as monarch and shepherdess of the sun and moon. What is known is that she was crowned the sole Princess of Ponykind shortly after using the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon and abruptly end the War of Night.

In the years since the end of the War, Celestia has continued to shepherd the Equestrian sun and moon, maintaining balance both in nature and the aether. Under her guidance, Equestria has prospered, building great cities, taming the weather, and making the land bloom. Celestia has taken steps to build relations with neighboring Aquellia realms and to foster communication between all species.

Recent days have seen their shares of ups and downs. Equestria is at peace with its neighbors, but trouble can come from within as well as from without. The return of Nightmare Moon was heralded in the books of prophecy for centuries; even Celestia knew that the spell of banishment would not be able to hold the entity forever. When the seal was broken, Nightmare Moon would return only with vengeance in mind.

Celestia knew that she could not fight Nightmare Moon directly. Though she wielded enough arcane might to destroy the construct outright, the battle would likely destroy half of Equestria and in the end, her sister as well. Instead, the Sun Princess elected to be clever. Celestia allowed herself to be captured by Nightmare Moon and through subtle conversation, manipulated her into challenging Twilight and company with tests of their wits and their friendships rather than outright killing them. The rest, as they say, is history. Nightmare Moon was defeated, Equestria was restored to balance, and Luna was given a chance for redemption.

Discord’s reign predates the War of Night by potentially centuries. Historical documents indicate that he was defeated by the combined effort of both Celestial sisters wielding the Elements of Harmony. As merciful as she was, Celestia did not outright destroy him, instead trapping his essence in a prison of stone. His most recent escape and the trials of Twilight Sparkle and company have reopened old wounds and serve as a reminder to Celestia that her decisions sometimes have unintended consequences. The Sun Princess knows that despite her powers, she is still far from perfect.

Her age also gives her a firm sense of accountability and responsibility. As sorrowful as she was after defeating Nightmare Moon, Celestia knew that the consequences of Luna's actions justified her sentence. Perhaps in time, the ponies would learn to forgive Luna for her prior transgressions. In a thousand years, the hate and fear would have had time to fade, giving Luna the chance to start anew.

Though she occasionally indulges those who ask her about her history and the years before the War of Night, she politely declines to go into great detail. Her memory of those events is perfect, but old wounds do not close easily and history is easily twisted by those who do not have the clarity of countless eons of existence. The Sun Princess firmly believes that her place is in the present and that her visions should be set upon the future, rather than reliving the sins of Equestria’s past.

There are times when Celestia wishes she were merely a normal pony. In spite of the passage of time, the tumultuous events of the past thousand years still weigh heavily on her mind. Still, Celestia believes firmly in the strength of her people and knows that their connection with both the land and each other will allow them to persevere. As a result, Celestia demonstrates a very down-to-earth attitude in spite of her godlike powers and a warm and friendly demeanor in spite of her executive authority.

Despite—or perhaps because of— the heavy responsibility of her occupation and the incredible power she wields, Celestia still finds time to have a little fun. Her playful candor manifests readily in less formal settings, such as when spending time with her sister Luna or her protégé, Twilight Sparkle, and at times when addressing members of the general public in a more intimate setting. She is known to play pranks on the palace staff from time to time, though they are always on the silly side rather than the malicious side.

Portrait


Art by Egophiliac on DA. Fair use under Creative Commons.

An uneasy stamp of a hoof, a flick of a tail, a ruffling of feathered wings on muscled flank… Dio nervously glanced around as his knocks on the door seemed to reverberate into void. She did say ten o’clock, right? Maybe he was early? Or maybe he was too late! Dio shook his head to clear the static. He was overthinking this, WAY overthinking it. Dio recoiled at the door opening, though he was quick to right himself.

“Hey you!” Star Chaser said playfully. “Ready to go?”

Dio couldn’t help but gawk. The lady Pegasus stepped onto the stoop, her powder blue mane falling neatly to the side and her trademark winning smile illuminating the doorway. Her ebony feathers fluttered gently back to her sides, finally free from their prior restraints. Star Chaser looked just as good without the Wonderbolt regalia, even better sans splints. This was the jet black lady flier at her best.

“Uh…” Dio trailed off, wanting to say something clever, but instead realizing that his jaw was already open and hanging loosely from its hinges. He snapped it shut with a hoof and managed a sheepish grin, a vain attempt to offset his awkwardness. “I’m… ready when you are!”

"... I mean to Solstice Heights it is!" He said, forcing confidence back into his voice. "I found a great little spot just below Canterlot proper. You'll love it, I promise!"

With that, he unfurled his massive wings and launched skyward, maintaining a hover at rooftop level, pausing for a moment to ensure Star Chaser had time to catch up before he got up to full speed.

(( OOC: Tales I suggest selecting a different text color. It's impossible to read with this current setup. ))

The purple unicorn returned, bringing with her a steaming mug, which she gingerly set on the table between Rook and the infirmary bed. Bringing the mug to his lips with a faint, luminescent tendril of soft violet, the doctor unicorn sipped lightly at his green tea. The doctor nodded to her, dismissing her to attend to other administrative duties around the clinic.

“You’re here because you were gravely injured,” Rook replied with candor, gently blowing a wisp of steam from the mug. “A concerned citizen brought you into the clinic.”

As an afterthought, he was quick to add, "I treated your injuries and you have been recovering for the majority of the day. However, I was able to accelerate the healing process with a bit of magic, so you should actually be good to go by dinnertime..."

Rook trailed off as he observed. The Peryton was much more focused and interested in her surroundings now. Her ears perked up, the color returned to her cheeks, and her eyes darted around the room, finally fixing themselves on the view of the beach outside. There was a certain child-like wonder on her face, a wide-eyed fascination that transcended species and ages. As she looked over the rolling waves, her tongue subconsciously made smacking sounds against the top of her mouth as she took in the vast expanse of water.

Rook paused for a moment. Now that he had time to check, Snowy was looking a bit dry. She had sacks under her eyes and her lips were uncharacteristically dry. “Nurse!”

“Yes doctor?” The purple unicorn sighed with exasperation, visibly drooping at being summoned yet again.

Rook stifled a sheepish laugh. “Sorry, sorry! I just noticed that our patient looks to be a bit parched. Could you please bring her a cup of water?”

“Yes, doctor,” she said as she sulked off again.

“She’s such a dear,” Rook said, taking a sip of his tea. “I’m not really used to having assistants. Being on the road teaches you a lot of things about being self-sufficient, after all…”

I don't think the CMC ACTUALLY caused the release of discord. It was just a way to highlight his escape to the audience, an application of dramatic irony. As Celestia mentioned, now that the elements are bonded to different wielders, the spell she had maintained expired.

SCOOTALOOOO! SCOOT-SCOOTALOOOOOO!

So... Discord was the lead singer for a band? That's totally what the garden looks like, minus the archer...

If you want some cool-looking armor designs take a look at Sanity-X's DeviantArt page and go poking around for the Ponyhammer and Space Mare-ine stuff. You can also look up Fallout Equestria and Armor keywords on Ponibooru to get more practical and less ornate designs.

Also I noticed that you have a squire on your hooves. Though it's not canon, I've got a document written for knight-themed ponies. It's not a requirement to follow, but it may give you some ideas for RP hooks and how your pony fits into the larger scheme of things. The link can be found in my sig under [Holy Order of the Destriers].

I am the element of tactics. I am aware, I am intelligent, and I am a far deadlier weapon than some ill-crafted bit of iron...

Or I guess IRL I'm the element of failure.

“-nuh really.”

As Cherry rose, Virtue bit his lip, hesitating for a moment. The mulberry pegasus didn’t appear to be seriously injured. The cuts from glass were merely superficial and he’d managed to take the two brutes out of the fight before they could do serious harm. However, she was in no condition to be traveling on her own. If what the two stallions had said was correct, their patron would likely send additional “enforcers” after her.

Virtue followed her gaze to the broken window two stories above street level. The gangly stallion he’d caught a passing glance of was nowhere to be seen. Virtue growled in frustration. The small one was probably a runner, waiting to bring news back to the boss. He couldn’t stop the runner. He couldn’t be everywhere at once. He was just one pony...

Lost in his own thoughts, Virtue only noticed Cherry’s attempted departure when she’d already stumbled halfway down the alley.

“Thanks,” She wheezed, turning to her unlikely savior and offering him a groggy smile. “Verah... Gentlecoltly of you. I... I aught ta’go. They’ll be back soon.”

“Miss, you are in no condition to travel alone,” Virtue said, refocusing on the more pressing issue. “My name is Virtue. I can escort you home. Do you have a secure place to stay?”

Cherry said nothing, instead glancing at the empty window once more, a sorrowful frown crossing her face. For just a moment, Virtue caught a glimpse of her eyes. Sanguine eyes. Tired eyes. Hurt eyes. Cherry’s eyes closed for a moment—a moment too long. She began to sway, an awkward, unsubtle motion.

Virtue leaped forward, fluttering his wings to keep him airborne. Flashing across the gap between them, he alighted next to Cherry, gently propping her up as she stumbled. Her frame was delicate, barely registering a touch against Virtue’s burly musculature.

“Miss?” Virtue said, nudging Cherry gingerly. No response. She was out cold. “This complicates matters…”

Further cementing my view of Celestia as the Empress of Ponykind and the certainty that Discord is the leader of a Chaos Warband...

Cool and crisp I can accept. The cold and misrably soggy we've been getting here I am less enthused about. Where's Rainbow Dash when you need her?

“Oh gods I’m late!”

Diomedes scrambled madly around his apartment, half fluttering, half galloping, all bumbling, trying to find all of the things he was supposed to bring, if only he could REMEMBER where he put them! Late, late, late, late, late! Dio’s mind was flying at a million miles an hour. How could he have put this off? Why wasn’t any of his gear where he thought it was? Oh how was he going to explain this to Star Chaser?

“Aha! Here we go!” He said as he grabbed two bags of trail mix and tossed them both at his open saddlebags. As he turned around to grab his canteens out of the cupboard, he heard a resounding crash as his office chair tipped over, dropping his saddlebags to the ground and spilling all of his collected gear on the floor. Dio facehoofed.

“I hate… everything…”

As he touched down at the address he was given, Dio suppressed a nervous shiver. Perhaps he’d gone a little overboard. It was supposed to be a quick flight to the foothills near Solstice Heights followed by a hike through Whitetail Wood, but he’d already gone through the trouble of getting his mane trimmed and his flight feathers preened. His saddlebags were packed with trail mix, water, and some fresh fruit for a picnic in addition to his usual survival gear. He’d even called off work to ensure that he had time to spend with Star Chaser.

Their correspondence since the gala had been sparse. Star had mentioned in her letters that the bindings had since been removed and that she was in physical therapy. In fact, when Dio had mentioned “hanging out” again, Star wrote back that her doctor encouraged it. The letters also stated that the lady Pegasus would be good to fly by the date Dio had set.

Dio took a deep breath as he stepped up to the door, gently rapping on it with a hoof. “Here goes nothing…”

Tales on Duty: Chan Ops.

... and then some.

You are now picturing Nemeroth as a pony.