Are you a fan of shippings?

[FlameLoneWolf]

"Shipping" is short for "Relationshiping" and it simply means putting two characters into a relationship. While technically it can be friendship, usually it is romantic (yiff doesnt always enter into it, it can be just two characters turning red and getting all quiet around each other while giveing sideways glances and smiling)

Better explanation, as always, here:

http://tvtropes.org/...p/Main/Shipping

Tv Tropes has the answer to everything!

[FlameLoneWolf]

I'm okay with it, though the ship-fics I've read that I've actually enjoyed tended to be between the background ponies. I guess it's because we can pretty much put whatever stories in place for them that we want!

I'm not sure if I've read any fics between two of the mane 6 that I liked. Usually, they feel forced, or they're "I SUDDENLY HAVE LOVED YOU ALL ALONG" stories, which tend to feel forced. Or a significant element of the story is a coming out story. I like a good coming out story as much as the next homo, but either I'm picky or it's really easy for those to end up corny. I'd love to read one that feels genuine, you know?

So basically, I'm not opposed to ship-fics (I like a good sappy romance!), I just haven't read very many that felt natural enough to be enjoyable to me. If it's well-written, I basically don't care who goes with who, though I do tend to prefer lady-lady fics. What can I say? I'm biased.

Yeah, with background ponies, nothing is confirmed, so you can pretty much write anything about them. It's a bit different with the Main Six.

[FlameLoneWolf]

I think a lot of them are pretty good. As long as they don't come off as cheesy, I'll read them any day.

Yeah, something too cheasy isn't really a good read.

[FlameLoneWolf]

This. Unless your shipping Twilight or Spike or Luna, honestly everyone already knows everyone.

One of the reasons I see most Dash+Wonderbolts shipping (practically the only kind I personally write) work is simply because she doesnt really know them, and in-canon only has met them twice both for short periods.

I mean, I'm a hopeless romantic and I love a good story, but over all it's kinda hard to know somone for probably 5-10 years and all of a sudden love them (discounting life-changing experiances, I mean if X risks their life to save Y and almost dies, then Y might feel a little differently about X...)

I know what you mean. And you're a hopeless romantic too huh? Are you considered a hopeless romantic if you're too scared to try for a romance? That would probably be me.

[Davroth]

I love the term "shipping" because it lends itself so well for puns.

[Ashton]

Tv Tropes has the answer to everything!

Of course! Always look there or Wikipedia lol

I know what you mean. And you're a hopeless romantic too huh? Are you considered a hopeless romantic if you're too scared to try for a romance? That would probably be me.

I was too scared, then I failed multiple times, now I've given up. All romance in my lifes comes from movies/books/games/FFs.

I love the term "shipping" because it lends itself so well for puns.

That is hilariously true.

[brianblackberry]

I'm pretty ok with it, partly because I am a romantic at heart, partly because it can be fun to draw. It all depends on the pairing and if it can "work" in my mind. That in turn is influenced by the quality of stories and/or artwork involving said couple. Whitehawke did mention the one aspect that permeates much of pony shipping, the "both of us really had a crush on the other forever but it just took this long and its just this hard to admit it!" syndrome. Other than that, most have been ok.

I do dislike Discord/Celestia ship though, mainly because the stories stem around the idea of Discord "turning evil" because he was romantically rejected, with just feels like a bitter teen's fantasy to me.

[FlameLoneWolf]

I love the term "shipping" because it lends itself so well for puns.

Indeed.

[FlameLoneWolf]

Of course! Always look there or Wikipedia lol

I'd say Tv Tropes is more accurate to these weird topics.

[FlameLoneWolf]

I'm pretty ok with it, partly because I am a romantic at heart, partly because it can be fun to draw. It all depends on the pairing and if it can "work" in my mind. That in turn is influenced by the quality of stories and/or artwork involving said couple. Whitehawke did mention the one aspect that permeates much of pony shipping, the "both of us really had a crush on the other forever but it just took this long and its just this hard to admit it!" syndrome. Other than that, most have been ok.

That syndrome is definately overused and contagious!

[Tempest Rime]

I do dislike Discord/Celestia ship though, mainly because the stories stem around the idea of Discord "turning evil" because he was romantically rejected, with just feels like a bitter teen's fantasy to me.

This. And really, Discord's characterization in the show is so utterly contrary to being that sort of character. He loved being bad! He wasn't driven by angst or revenge upon Celestia, he was driven by chaotic whimsy.

And that, really, is the key to what differentiates enjoyable shipping from The characterization has to remain believable. Stories can be as contrived as it needs to be to get the ship together, so long as the characters themselves still act in ways that are consistent with how they act in the show. Fortunately, artwork can skip all the story nonsense. Leaving the lead up story to the viewer's imagination lets them fill in the blanks however they wish.

[Ashton]

This. And really, Discord's characterization in the show is so utterly contrary to being that sort of character. He loved being bad! He wasn't driven by angst or revenge upon Celestia, he was driven by chaotic whimsy.

This. Exactly why I like discord, he's a villian, he knows it, and he's just having the time of his life (and it should be pointe dout, he never did anything that truely hurt anyone, really outside of the reversal of the mane 6 it was all just one practical joke after another with him)

Though because of that I can see the Discopie (Discord and Pinky Pie) shipping actually working with only minor tweaks to his character (namely his powers being scaled back) since both of them love utter chaos.

[Tenkan]

EeeeeyyyyuuuuNO

I use the word ship for its literal meaning only. To transport. No questions asked.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

There was no heart of gold underneath Discord's evil exterior. He was literally a spirit of Chaos. He enjoyed destroying friendships and bringing misery to ponies... Discord ships confound me something awful.

[Ashton]

hi hi

There was no heart of gold underneath Discord's evil exterior. He was literally a spirit of Chaos. He enjoyed destroying friendships and bringing misery to ponies... Discord ships confound me something awful.

Meh, So many villians have a hard exterior and a soft nugat inside, Discord we really dont know. In my opinion he could go either way (though hoenstly, I agree - that's how I always play him off in my stories, completely insane with a dash of evil, but he's never killed anyone for better or for worse...)

[themeisterpony]

I'm kind of eh about shipping myself on MLP:FiM. I don't have anything against it, and some pairings are really adorable; I just really don't care that much.

[accountdeleted]

Some shipping works well, that I am fine with (RD and AJ often works well). But some shipping is just plain horrid (anything with either Twi or Fluttershy it seems)! That I cannot stand: the characters are often out of character, the relationship is forced, the structure is rushed everything has a kind of "and they galloped of into the sunset" feel.

I'm talking about fics here, mostly.

[Ashton]

But some shipping is just plain horrid (anything with either Twi or Fluttershy it seems)!

I've seen a few good FlutterDash shippings, based on their Canon relationship (which appears closer than any of the other ponies) it can be taken romantically and work... but ANY romance is tricky to pull off and I tend to agree, it's VERY hit-or-miss

[accountdeleted]

Hmmm...

Would you care to share the links? It is entirely possible that I don't like any fluttershy or twilight fics as I have not read many good ones. it seems that most fics are appledash, with some twi-trixie and one or two other parings. I saw on EqD a while ago that someone was doing all possible combinations in the mane 6, and writing a reasnoble sized fic for each.

[Rain]

Shipping can be fun and romantic, if it's done right. Some characters ought to not be shipped for various reasons, like how Discord is chaos incarnate, or how the princesses would outlive anyone they are paired with (unless paired with one another, which is gross if you ask me )

If a ship is a pair that makes sense to me, I might like it.

Some ships only contradict the show, which annoys me to no end. (Twilight Sparkle and Trixie, really?)

All in all, I don't mind ships, as long as you don't try to force them on me.

Whatever floats your boat, right?

[FlameLoneWolf]

This. And really, Discord's characterization in the show is so utterly contrary to being that sort of character. He loved being bad! He wasn't driven by angst or revenge upon Celestia, he was driven by chaotic whimsy.

And that, really, is the key to what differentiates enjoyable shipping from The characterization has to remain believable. Stories can be as contrived as it needs to be to get the ship together, so long as the characters themselves still act in ways that are consistent with how they act in the show. Fortunately, artwork can skip all the story nonsense. Leaving the lead up story to the viewer's imagination lets them fill in the blanks however they wish.

I don't really see Discord as much of a romantic either.

[FlameLoneWolf]

Shipping can be fun and romantic, if it's done right. Some characters ought to not be shipped for various reasons, like how Discord is chaos incarnate, or how the princesses would outlive anyone they are paired with (unless paired with one another, which is gross if you ask me )

If a ship is a pair that makes sense to me, I might like it.

Some ships only contradict the show, which annoys me to no end. (Twilight Sparkle and Trixie, really?)

All in all, I don't mind ships, as long as you don't try to force them on me.

Whatever floats your boat, right?

You have spoken words of wisdom, my friend.

[FlameLoneWolf]

This. Exactly why I like discord, he's a villian, he knows it, and he's just having the time of his life (and it should be pointe dout, he never did anything that truely hurt anyone, really outside of the reversal of the mane 6 it was all just one practical joke after another with him)

Though because of that I can see the Discopie (Discord and Pinky Pie) shipping actually working with only minor tweaks to his character (namely his powers being scaled back) since both of them love utter chaos.

Discord and Pinkamina Diane Pie (psycho Pinkie) would be a creepy pairing.

[FlameLoneWolf]

EeeeeyyyyuuuuNO

I use the word ship for its literal meaning only. To transport. No questions asked.

Well that's the real meaning of shipping. To transport.

[FlameLoneWolf]

hi hi

There was no heart of gold underneath Discord's evil exterior. He was literally a spirit of Chaos. He enjoyed destroying friendships and bringing misery to ponies... Discord ships confound me something awful.

Yup, Discord doesn't have a good bone in his body. If he were to change very SLOWLY, then maybe I'd see it as realistic (well, as realistic as Discord and MLP is anyway).