Time we had another one of these! Today's tip is one I've felt quite strongly about ever since I first attended UK PonyCon in 2014:
Tip 6: Enjoy UK PonyCon for what it is, and don't fret over what it isn't
UK PonyCon is not quite like other pony conventions. Its all-generations coverage and long history are the most obvious manifestations of this, but not the only ones. When you attend UKPC, bear this in mind. If you go in expecting the experience to be what you had at Everfree Northwest or BronyCon or even BUCK, you're likely to be disappointed. That isn't what UK PonyCon is about. It's something unique.
Connected to this: be careful how you compare UKPC to other events. While many people will be delighted to hear some tales of your experiences at other conventions, they won't be as impressed if you constantly come across as complaining because it's not as loud as BUCK's Summer Sun Celebration or as posh as GalaCon's gala or full of show guests like BABSCon. You'll be missing the point.
If, like most of us, you started with Friendship is Magic, UK PonyCon has been in this fandom a lot longer than you have. Conventions don't survive into double figures of iterations just by chance. Go in with an open mind and an acceptance that while this con has plenty of similarities with others, there are a number of differences too, and you're likely to have a much happier time at this great event.
Thursday, 31 August 2017
Wednesday, 30 August 2017
Ponyfic Roundup 171: If You're Going to Make Words, At Least Make Them Fabulous
Rarity's comment is going to be stuck in my head for ages, I know it! Anyway, onward:
Read it Later story count: 398 (+1)
Three more fics today. I was hoping it would be four, but things happened. It's very annoying when things happen. I really wish they wouldn't do that. Here's this week's selection o' stuff. Just a reminder that a story I feel is average gets two stars, not three. Right:
Apple Sense by Godzillawolf
A Fragile Heart by Newtaloo
The Lighthouse and the Sea by The Cyan Recluse
★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 0 | ★★★★: 2 | ★★★★★: 0
Read it Later story count: 398 (+1)
Three more fics today. I was hoping it would be four, but things happened. It's very annoying when things happen. I really wish they wouldn't do that. Here's this week's selection o' stuff. Just a reminder that a story I feel is average gets two stars, not three. Right:
Apple Sense by Godzillawolf
A Fragile Heart by Newtaloo
The Lighthouse and the Sea by The Cyan Recluse
★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 0 | ★★★★: 2 | ★★★★★: 0
Tuesday, 29 August 2017
UK PonyCon SOLD OUT, meal tickets available
UK PonyCon 2017 is now completely sold out. That's the third year running that the convention has managed a full house, so congratulations to everyone who's worked so hard to get to this point. With 800 of us due to descend on Bristol this time, I'm really looking forward to 21st October!
Another bit of news: you can now buy tickets for the yearly institution that is the UK PonyCon dinner. This is separately ticketed from the main convention, though you must have a con ticket to be eligible. As there are no suitable restaurants near the venue, the committee have arranged for coach travel to and from Frankie & Benny's a mile or so away; it's along a busy dual carriageway, so I think that's a reasonable approach.
The dinner costs £20 and includes a set menu (any two courses from starter, main and dessert), draught soft drinks and the above-mentioned coach transport. The meal will be at 6pm on Saturday evening and full details can be found in daisyd's thread on the UKPC forum. Tickets are strictly limited and are not expected to last all that long – after all, they certainly can't fit 800 people in F&B! ;)
For myself? The meal isn't something I've gone for in past years, and I probably won't this year either – though knowing me, by the time I decide the tickets will be sold out anyway! I tend not to be all that hungry on Saturday evening, and in any case I had a huge meal with the Worcester ponymeet people just a few days ago. Still, if the thought appeals to you, get buying those tickets!
Another bit of news: you can now buy tickets for the yearly institution that is the UK PonyCon dinner. This is separately ticketed from the main convention, though you must have a con ticket to be eligible. As there are no suitable restaurants near the venue, the committee have arranged for coach travel to and from Frankie & Benny's a mile or so away; it's along a busy dual carriageway, so I think that's a reasonable approach.
The dinner costs £20 and includes a set menu (any two courses from starter, main and dessert), draught soft drinks and the above-mentioned coach transport. The meal will be at 6pm on Saturday evening and full details can be found in daisyd's thread on the UKPC forum. Tickets are strictly limited and are not expected to last all that long – after all, they certainly can't fit 800 people in F&B! ;)
For myself? The meal isn't something I've gone for in past years, and I probably won't this year either – though knowing me, by the time I decide the tickets will be sold out anyway! I tend not to be all that hungry on Saturday evening, and in any case I had a huge meal with the Worcester ponymeet people just a few days ago. Still, if the thought appeals to you, get buying those tickets!
Monday, 28 August 2017
Episode Review: S7E16: "Campfire Tales"
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| Just give me 22 minutes of this and I'll give you five stars |
Sunday, 27 August 2017
M-rated favourites
I have 218 stories on my Fimfiction Favourites list. Of these, only five are Mature-rated – and one of those is Fallout: Equestria. That's a bit of a law unto itself, and also happens to be the only one which has a [Gore] tag – the other four are M-rated for the [Sex] tag. These are they:
Ribbons and Lace by Jot Jiggety Jog (PR 111) – one of the few explicit clopfics that can fairly be called a love story, this RariShy fic won me over despite the early-series characterisations (it was written in mid-2012). Sex scenes that are actually sexy rather than unintentionally cringy help it to its four-star status, too. Only the LUS, intrusive even by the standards of its day, stopped it getting a five, and it was an easy four even so. I was impressed that I could enjoy a story featuring Fluttershy in such a situation, too.
Proofreading Clopfics Sucks by idiotcornball (PR 112) – the only story in the entire 218 that isn't marked complete. I broke my usual rule because this story's episodic nature means that isn't too much of a problem. Also, in its guilty-pleasure way, it's hilarious and despite slightly variable levels of comedy I think it's worth its four-star rating. Don't read it in public, though. Especially Pinkie's chapter. I mean this!
Lust by Taialin (PR 138) – RariShy (well, "Flarity") again. This is the third part of an increasingly adult (in multiple senses) trilogy, and in my view the best, though I'd strongly advise reading both prequels first. Part of the reason I gave this the full five stars was that I can empathise somewhat with Rarity. The full details are a little too personal for me to go into, but Rarity's narration is brilliant, the explicitness is appropriate and the resolution is satisfying.
When the Levee Breaks by A Hoof-ful of Dust (PR 150) – a RariJackDash fic chock-full of sex, physical and otherwise (which is important), but just using the word "clop" almost demeans it. If you want to see erotic ponyfic, this is it. The substantial amount of POV-hopping actually works in its favour for me, and the atmosphere the author creates is intense and in fact thrilling. This one also got the highest rating from me.
Leaving aside Proofreading Clopfics Sucks, the second-funniest sex comedy I've read here (behind Cold in Gardez's T-rated Naked Singularity), there's a common denominator between the fics: Rarity. This actually slightly surprised me, as Rarity fics are not always among my favourites. She might also be considered a little obvious a choice for this sort of story. Nevertheless, in the three non-comedy fics here, she absolutely shines.
The stories are also all stories – I have very little interest in fics that are nothing but clop. They don't just show us the ponies in question falling into bed, but take the time to show us how they got there in a way I can buy. On top of that, their explicit scenes aren't (as sometimes happens) a place where the actual writing takes a nose-dive. These ponies don't stop their character development just because they're having sex.
As most of you know, I don't read many M-rated ponyfics, but that's not because I have any rooted objection to them. While I do have a few no-go areas (foalcon being the heaviest red line of all), that still leaves plenty. I generally do prefer my MLP fiction to be all-ages stuff, and I see no sign of that changing, but these few stories have convinced me to keep Mature stories in mind occasionally.
(Since you ask, I currently have five M-rated stories on my RiL list. Out of 398, yes.)
Ribbons and Lace by Jot Jiggety Jog (PR 111) – one of the few explicit clopfics that can fairly be called a love story, this RariShy fic won me over despite the early-series characterisations (it was written in mid-2012). Sex scenes that are actually sexy rather than unintentionally cringy help it to its four-star status, too. Only the LUS, intrusive even by the standards of its day, stopped it getting a five, and it was an easy four even so. I was impressed that I could enjoy a story featuring Fluttershy in such a situation, too.
Proofreading Clopfics Sucks by idiotcornball (PR 112) – the only story in the entire 218 that isn't marked complete. I broke my usual rule because this story's episodic nature means that isn't too much of a problem. Also, in its guilty-pleasure way, it's hilarious and despite slightly variable levels of comedy I think it's worth its four-star rating. Don't read it in public, though. Especially Pinkie's chapter. I mean this!
Lust by Taialin (PR 138) – RariShy (well, "Flarity") again. This is the third part of an increasingly adult (in multiple senses) trilogy, and in my view the best, though I'd strongly advise reading both prequels first. Part of the reason I gave this the full five stars was that I can empathise somewhat with Rarity. The full details are a little too personal for me to go into, but Rarity's narration is brilliant, the explicitness is appropriate and the resolution is satisfying.
When the Levee Breaks by A Hoof-ful of Dust (PR 150) – a RariJackDash fic chock-full of sex, physical and otherwise (which is important), but just using the word "clop" almost demeans it. If you want to see erotic ponyfic, this is it. The substantial amount of POV-hopping actually works in its favour for me, and the atmosphere the author creates is intense and in fact thrilling. This one also got the highest rating from me.
Leaving aside Proofreading Clopfics Sucks, the second-funniest sex comedy I've read here (behind Cold in Gardez's T-rated Naked Singularity), there's a common denominator between the fics: Rarity. This actually slightly surprised me, as Rarity fics are not always among my favourites. She might also be considered a little obvious a choice for this sort of story. Nevertheless, in the three non-comedy fics here, she absolutely shines.
The stories are also all stories – I have very little interest in fics that are nothing but clop. They don't just show us the ponies in question falling into bed, but take the time to show us how they got there in a way I can buy. On top of that, their explicit scenes aren't (as sometimes happens) a place where the actual writing takes a nose-dive. These ponies don't stop their character development just because they're having sex.
As most of you know, I don't read many M-rated ponyfics, but that's not because I have any rooted objection to them. While I do have a few no-go areas (foalcon being the heaviest red line of all), that still leaves plenty. I generally do prefer my MLP fiction to be all-ages stuff, and I see no sign of that changing, but these few stories have convinced me to keep Mature stories in mind occasionally.
(Since you ask, I currently have five M-rated stories on my RiL list. Out of 398, yes.)
Friday, 25 August 2017
Text Review Roundup: "Triple Threat"
You know, I think I might continue TRR for a while now. It's less time-consuming than some of the other stuff I do here, so I can still fit it in despite all the non-Pony things going on in my life right now. (Not terrible things, just things that take up time I'd rather use writing about talking horses.)
I've dropped Cuddlepug from this now, as virtually nothing beyond the grade he gives actually qualifies as an episode review in the conventional sense. Darke Raven doesn't seem to have written one this week at all. However, we welcome a new source in The Southern Nerd. Always good to see new text-based reviewers!
Batbrony Reviews – generally positive ("It wasn't great, it wasn't bad, it was good.")
Derpy News – fairly positive (graded B; "good because of and despite some awkward moments")
Louder Yay – fairly positive (three stars; "another entertaining episode [though] the problem could have been sorted out with about three seconds' logical thought")
The Southern Nerd – positive ("Both Ember and Thorax came off as charming")
TheDragonWarlock – fairly positive (graded B; "the Spike streak is still going strong")
Thrond Media Pony Corner – fairly positive (rated 70%; "Despite the rote plot, the episode is frequently entertaining")
I've dropped Cuddlepug from this now, as virtually nothing beyond the grade he gives actually qualifies as an episode review in the conventional sense. Darke Raven doesn't seem to have written one this week at all. However, we welcome a new source in The Southern Nerd. Always good to see new text-based reviewers!
Batbrony Reviews – generally positive ("It wasn't great, it wasn't bad, it was good.")
Derpy News – fairly positive (graded B; "good because of and despite some awkward moments")
Louder Yay – fairly positive (three stars; "another entertaining episode [though] the problem could have been sorted out with about three seconds' logical thought")
The Southern Nerd – positive ("Both Ember and Thorax came off as charming")
TheDragonWarlock – fairly positive (graded B; "the Spike streak is still going strong")
Thrond Media Pony Corner – fairly positive (rated 70%; "Despite the rote plot, the episode is frequently entertaining")
Thursday, 24 August 2017
Tips for UK PonyCon-goers 5: Drink for the thirst to come
Time for another one of these little tips. As usual, they're mostly aimed at first-time con-goers who don't really know what to expect, but if they help anyone else then I'll be happy!
Tip 5: Stay hydrated
This one is really important. In all the excitement and adrenalin of UK PonyCon, you may not feel thirsty or realise how little you've had to drink – but that could come back to bite you hard later on. You're likely to be using more energy than usual, as well as being active for two pretty long days, so keeping those H₂0 levels topped up is absolutely imperative.
UK PonyCon allows you to take your own water/soft drinks in, which helps – though water is heavy, you need it. The café and bar are open for most of each day, and there should be free tap water available somewhere; ask one of the staff if you can't find any. Don't make all your liquid intake alcoholic, caffeinated or fizzy, as your body won't thank you for it later.
2018 update: this year, you cannot take your own drinks in. I think this is a backwards step, but unfortunately it's very common at venues so we have to live with it.
It's hard to say exactly how much water you'll need in the day, as there are many variables – not least how hot the venue is – but I usually take a 500ml bottle of plain water and add a few more drinks with meals. You'll also need to have something to keep your throat moist if you're doing karaoke/singalong sessions. But seriously, this tip matters.
Tip 5: Stay hydrated
This one is really important. In all the excitement and adrenalin of UK PonyCon, you may not feel thirsty or realise how little you've had to drink – but that could come back to bite you hard later on. You're likely to be using more energy than usual, as well as being active for two pretty long days, so keeping those H₂0 levels topped up is absolutely imperative.
UK PonyCon allows you to take your own water/soft drinks in, which helps – though water is heavy, you need it. The café and bar are open for most of each day, and there should be free tap water available somewhere; ask one of the staff if you can't find any. Don't make all your liquid intake alcoholic, caffeinated or fizzy, as your body won't thank you for it later.
2018 update: this year, you cannot take your own drinks in. I think this is a backwards step, but unfortunately it's very common at venues so we have to live with it.
It's hard to say exactly how much water you'll need in the day, as there are many variables – not least how hot the venue is – but I usually take a 500ml bottle of plain water and add a few more drinks with meals. You'll also need to have something to keep your throat moist if you're doing karaoke/singalong sessions. But seriously, this tip matters.
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