DM: Ehh, I'll keep playing Chrysalis. It's simpler and I don't really want to hand over *all* the reins of the session. Not after the previous one.
Princess Cadance: That's perfectly fine.
Twilight Sparkle: Either way, while she's monologuing, can I see how Shining Armor is doing?
Shining Armor: Very brainwashed.
Twilight Sparkle: I shout out: "Quick! Somepony snap my brother out of it!"
Queen Chrysalis: Hahaha! If only it were that easy. I didn't spend the last few days straight putting him into a deep, deep trance for nothing! Of course, now he's only good for standing around and looking handsome, but–
Shining Armor: Hey! ...Yeah.
Queen Chrysalis: But that's okay! All I need is for him to NOT refresh the barrier today, and we're in business. Then we can get this invasion properly underway!
After what happened with Discord, yeah I don't him.
That was just one big disaster.
Probably be the biggest thing he will ever regret for the rest of his DM days.
Tbh, I don't think the whole Discord fiasco was that bad. I have seen worse, known people who have worse stories, and... been the cause of a story myself once or twice. At least with Discord, everyone was acting in relatively good faith, no one was doing things people were completely uncomfortable with, or throwing something at the players that they didn't think was something they could overcome.
Also, considering we still have part 2 of Discords arc, I think the DM will redeem themselves fairly well, and it may just become the precursor to a good story.
This arc really has been the pure antithesis to the Discord one.
- Guests recognize they are guests at the table and don’t overshadow the main people
- Guest players make sure that the other players are comfortable.
- Personal issues aren’t quickly addressed when they arise instead of being left to simmer.
- Communication is clear and efficient, especially useful when dealing with a manipulator as a villain.
I was on the “well, it wasn’t too bad” side when I first read the Discord Arc, but this one really shows how different it can be .
Oh, she really is that bad. *grumbles about irredeemable villains with redeem-worthy motivations*
...If she actually wasn’t so bad, well... Cadance is a reasonable sort, and the ponification of love, I doubt she’d mind feeding the strangely-cute bug-horse... Let’s face it, even before the “metamorphosis”, the Changelings had a certain kinda-cute quality, which would’ve really come out if their queen wasn’t such a... Well, let’s just call her a “villain”, that about covers it.
It's funny because, the episode where Thorax is introduced both serves as a counter argument, and a support for this idea. Cadence and Shining are clearly traumatized about what happened at their wedding and hate changelings because of it. But also, are really quick to change their minds about an individual who was vouched for?