BrainedBySaucepans

Wrinkle

Having some personal issues and computer trouble, so I've put this on the back burner. I expect I'll have my issues sorted out by Sunday, at which point I'll resume work on this. My apologies for any inconvenience.

Had 15 minutes to spare so gave some of it a skim. Enjoyed the experience more than I was expecting, but then I always used to hate CYOA books. Did find one link error: on page TRM001, the link claiming to go to SFX008 actually took me to TRM003. I'll definitely come back to this when I have more time, both to scour for dodgy links and to read for my own pleasure

Would love to see someone else's take on my OC Prof. Ashen Smirk. Can't seem to embed images in this post for some reason, but reference pics are my avatar and this: I'm also about to have a smoke, so I won't be active on the livestream for the next 20 mins or so. Feel free to put someone else ahead of me in the queue, and I won't be offended if the stream ends before I get back.

Thanks for the feedback Rosewind; taking on board what you've said, I may end up removing pretty much everything in the spoiler tags, relegating that to my personal head-canon. I was tempted when first writing this to do as you suggest, leaving it out completely and working it into my character as I progressed in the RP. The reason I decided against this was twofold: first, I personally find I have the most fun (and create the most interesting characters) when I have a strong grasp of my OC's back-story, and second, I was unsure whether any details I might introduce later would fit in the RP. It's clear from a glance that all the helpers here do an incredible job, working really hard to keep the tone and feel of the RP consistent with the show, and as someone who has more interest in the fandom than the show itself I didn't think I was the best person to judge if my ideas were suitable. Better to bring these points up now than end up despnately PMing one of you to find out if I could include such-and-such detail in an ongoing RP, or indeed just putting it in without thinking. With this in mind, I'm going to work hard on trying to bring the currently spoilered stuff into line with the canon. I'll be stripping out any and all references to Discordianism and POEE, replacing them with a much more generalised philosophy. I still want to have him initially believing that Discord was a force for good, as well as his disillusionment after seeing Discord in action, as I think I can make those work (plus they're pretty much the core of the character). With this in mind, should I switch the application status back to WiP while I do this? It should only take me a day or two. I also understand that this may be creating extra work for you and Phil, and am perfectly happy if you tell me no, or put me at a lower priority so you can deal with more straightforward applications first. I'd also appreciate a clarification: Phil stated that the main problem with my background was the explicit reference to a real world religion (however frivolous the religion in question), as well as having a religion centered on Discord, but Rosewind stated: "Most of the information in the spoiler area isn't conducive for a FiM canon-strict environment." Are there other parts that need to be changed? If so, please let me know; I'd rather do my rewrites all in one go, since I find going back and editing something repeatedly can make it incomprehensible. Thanks for your suggestions on how to keep Ashen a Unicorn, but in this case it seems that it makes more sense to deny than compromise, so I'll switch to Earth Pony. I generally prefer to play a non-magical character when trying out a new RP anyway, since every RP's magic system is different, and I prefer to get to grips with characterisation straight off the bat. If I do decide to create a magic-using character here, it'll probably after I've been around for a while and had a chance to see how other RPers use the system. One last thing; my comment about Rosewind's previous post was intended as a light-hearted dig at myself and my own neuroses (especially my tendency to automatically assume that I've done something wrong or annoyed someone), sorry if any offence was caused. I genuinely appreciate the help from both of you and didn't mean to imply otherwise. The more I participate in forums, the more I learn that my sense of humour doesn't translate very well into a purely text-based medium (hence my extensive use of emoticons and footnotes; I try to provide as much emotional context as possible).

Got it. Thanks for the feedback Phil, I have a couple of minor questions, but I can't see any problems with changing what's been asked. First off, I understand the footnotes have to go, but should I use some other way to indicate what is kept secret and what isn't? Should I just shove a spoiler tag at the end of each section that needs one, or just lose the spoiler tags completely? Or do something completely different? As I said to Mojo, I didn't really have Ashen being a Unicorn as a central part of his identitiy, it really was more to underline his deceptive nature, so I have no problems with it going completely. On to the point on Discordianism; my initial reaction to this was that Discordianism isn't really a religion, it's more of a personal philosophy wrapped up in a surreal joke. However, I feel this would be missing your point completely, and a moment's thought made me realise several extremely valid reasons why you wouldn't want anything approaching a real world religion to appear in the Mane RP. It really should have occurred to me earlier as it seems like common sense (proving how uncommon that can be). Do you think it would be sufficient for me to remove all of the explicit references to Discordianism, or will I have to change some of his beliefs as well? Choosing a new cutie mark is going to be hard... I expect it will take me a couple of days to get the various changes written up, but be aware that my inbuilt laziness and resistance to change will probably mean that the bare minimum will actually get changed. As such, if there's anything else about the character as he stands now that needs changing? It probably shouldn't, but this comment has set off my paranoid streak. Intellectually, I know it's just a helpful friendly comment, clarifying some of the criteria used to judge applications, and also throwing in a compliment on my writing style (my paranoid side is rebuking me for even regarding it as a compliment, pointing out that there's a large difference between passion and ability). My instincts, however, are currently screaming that the fact you felt it necessary to make such a comment indicates that I am now regarded as a troublemaker who is unlikely to listen to reason unless outnumbered... That really has nothing to do with anything though, just some unsolicited insight into the way my mind works.

This intrigues me as I love your artwork. Have to ask though; 2:30 in what time zone?

Thanks Mojo, I appreciate the advice, and have prepared my contingency plans.

Hi Mojo, don't worry about the delay, these things happen. I'm more than familiar with the perils of switching to a new procedure, even when the new way is genuinely superior. On to the points you raise, lets start with the cutie mark. It's my understanding that the colt/filly stage is roughly analogous to a human's teenage years, and it says in the guidelines that the latest a pony gets their cutie mark is by the end of this stage. As I understand it, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are pretty near the beginning of this stage in the show (this is just my head-canon though, so please let me know if the established RP canon, or indeed the show itself, contradicts this). With this in mind, I picture Ashen getting his cutie mark at the equivalent of around 15 years old; still by no means an adult, but mentally well developed enough that an interest in reading ancient books and scrolls is plausible (if stretching things a bit) This would make him a very late bloomer in that respect, but not outside the limits laid out in the guidelines. In my mind, there is still a bit of a gap between his earning of his Cutie Mark and heading off to study at Canterlot University, but I'm not sure this comes across in the narrative I've got written down. Do you think I need to make this clearer, or am I completely missing your point? To be honest, making Ashen a Unicorn was more a way to underline the deceptive and secretive nature of his character than it was for any other purpose. I see him as very weak magically, his only talent being deception and misdirection, but this is not an essential part of his character. As such, I think it would probably be better to completely cut out his Unicorn aspect, rather than tweaking it to remove his ability to hide his nature. At the end of the day, I'd prefer to keep that aspect as it is, but if it has to go, I don't really think it would effect the core of his character. I have been asked to stop using footnotes, as people have found them irritating in my other posts, and I intend to do so. In this application though, I can't really see how to restructure it to eliminate them without completely removing the spoiler tags. Should I leave as is, or work towards some sort of compromise? Thanks again for the feedback, and please let me know if any other tweaks are needed.

Will get that cutie mark finalised for you right now. I already have the basics, so it should only be 5-10 minutes work; I really should have had it finished by now... EDIT: Since I couldn't get the file to you directly, I'll put it here. Let me know if you want anything changed.

Wow, this needs to happen, and since I got a job today I don't even have the excuse of not having money. I know where my first paycheck is going!

Sounds great to me. I look forward to being able to keep up with Canterlot goings on while out and about, make sure you make them available for download (I have no idea how soundcloud works, but I assume there's an option for that somewhere). Also it's nice to hear that my words here are actually appreciated, I've been feeling kind of down today, since a member of staff asked me to stop using footnotes in posts. Apparently a lot of people have been finding it annoying, so I agreed to stop. In happier news, about ten minutes after Tenkan wished me luck in a job interview, I got a phone call telling me I'd got the job (I am now an apprentice Administrative Assistant). Would you be okay with being my official good luck charm? The position involves me informing you whenever an important or exciting opportunity comes up, and then you wishing me luck with it. The pay would be lousy, but the hours are good!

DrMaxwell: thanks, that seems to work quite well. Artax: I shall refrain from footnotes from this point forward. On the record, I have no objection to being viewed a pretentious, as I am, and have no interest in hiding such character flaws. I also have no objection to people skipping the footnotes; that's why I spoilered them in the first place. My reasoning was that people who enjoyed my little digressions could still have a chuckle with me, and it would make it easier for those who didn't to ignore them. However, if people do find it annoying, then that just won't do, I'm here to make friends after all. In retrospect I should have heeded you on this matter before. My apologies.

Your securely attached plugs are a trip hazard. The health and safety inspector is not amused...

Hi, just a general request, and pretty low priority at that. Since joining the site, I've often found myself browsing Canterlot on my phone,1 and I've started noticing a common problem. Whenever I access the site, my phone starts to overheat, and it burns through battery power like nothing else. This isn't the only site I have this problem with, but it's by far the one I visit most often, so I was wondering, is there a solution to this? Is it me doing something wrong? Should I just try a different browser? I'd appreciate any input on this. I've also experienced a tangential, largely unconnected problem. I find it pretty much impossible to comment on any threads, as the text editor is pretty much incompatible with my phone/browser/sausage-like fingers. I suspect there may be a simple solution to both these problems, but I'm pretty inexperienced in Web Development matters2 so thought I'd just present my suggestion for wiser heads than mine to consider;3 does your CMS package4 have the facility to implement a reduced-functionality mobile version of the site? This would, to my understanding, put less strain on users' phones, and also perhaps provide a more mobile friendly version of the text editor? If this isn't available, or would take considerable jiggery-pokery to provide, then don't consider it high priority,5 just something I'd live to see in the future. Thanks in advance. --------

Sartorial: Adjective: Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress: "sartorial elegance". Propriety: Noun: 1. The state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals. 2. The details or rules of behavior considered correct: "she's a great one for the proprieties". I consider myself to have a highly developed sense of sartorial propriety, considering myself underdressed in anything less than a three piece suit with a cravat and some form of hat. Usually a topper or my faithful black leather Australian bush hat. True story. (Please forgive me for foregoing footnotes in this post, but I'm writing it on my phone, which makes the text editor unbearable at the best of times.)

Fridge

Wow. Thanks for the shout-out, I loved the show as always! I do hope Noctriix becomes a regular addition to the show; he was a pleasure to listen to.1 Listening to the show a second time, as there was so much I’d like to comment on. Here goes: Really wish my OC had gotten approved in time for Iron Pony,2 being British my inbuilt cynicism has been worn away by two weeks of non-stop coverage, to the point where I felt enthusiastic about anything even vaguely related to the Olympics.3 Still, there will always be more forum events. Two British news items on this show, both of which leave me kind of sad. I wish I could make it to BUCK and it’s a pity that TruffleShuffle only have the two designs available. Still, the second problem can at least be dealt with, since if enough people buy the currently available shirts, I’m sure they’ll put a wider selection up in future.11 With regards to the Livestream requests bit, I’m one of the guilty parties there… With regards to making them more interactive, that’s pretty much the entire reason I livestream; I love chatting as I work, and would relish the opportunity to do so with fellow Canterlot forumgoers, hence me giving out my Skype details in my livestream thread. Unfortunately no one’s taken me up on that yet, but I have had a couple of requests, which was more than I expected. Currently, I’m planning on doing it at least once a week, details here.12 Wait, Noctriix has Photoshop CS7?!? Are… are you a time traveller?13 Aaaand I just got to the bit with my shout-out. In answer to your question of what I’d like to be called, “Saucy” has grown on me a lot. Noctriix was the first person to call me that, and I hope to Eris he isn’t the last.14 I’m glad to hear that someone other than me likes the footnotes; I was beginning to get paranoid that people hated them but were too polite to tell me.15 My initial reaction to whether Nemmy16 should change his username was no, but his arguments won me over. It makes a lot of sense to have all your online personas have the same name.17 I myself am pretty consistent in that respect, I either use BrainedBySaucepans or MisterDunn.18 Dear Eris, that muffin sounds heavenly… One suggestion I would make for future shows; I listen to a lot of podcasts, and I mainly do so when I'm on the move. As such I would highly recommend making an audio-only version available to download. Also, I'd love to see the featured artist getting a bigger share of the screen, as it is the main visual element of the show. Perhaps some slow pans across each piece would give your YouTube viewers a chance to see some of the details of the stuff you showcase. --------

That explosion has several glaring scientific inaccuracies. To point them all out, I hand over to Dr Phil Plait.1 --------