Nightly Discussion #10

It's pretty amazing that we can explore some darker stuff with ponies. They certainly are incredibly versatile characters!

Time to chat away in another Nightly Discussion gang!

Not really enough to post for a Roundup tonight so have the one time sensitive thing we have after the break.

Twitter: Calpain

EQD Wildstar Guild - Servers and Headstart Infos!

We are just a few days away from Wildstar and the EQD guild that we are planning for it! Chances are will be the final name, but we need to pick a home server, or more specifically PVP Vs. PVE.

Wildstar seems to have a pretty exciting PVP system, and so far the vote seems to be pointing toward that.  We need to lay the smackdown on some Dominion after all! Exile for life!

If we did go that route, WIDOW would be the place. For those of you interested in joining, would you be up for a PVP Server? Hit the comments up!

Guilds require level 12 and 10 gold, so chances are it would be a few hours after servers go live for the headstart this weekend.  This is assuming the servers don't explode, which is pretty common in new MMOS.  I haven't had much of a chance to mess with the guild management tools, but we will probably have multiple people doing invites once things get going. 

A reminder to those that missed the last post, this will primarily be a casual leveling guild with potential for raids later.  Wildstar actually has hard dungeons in the 1-59 range for the first time since early WoW, so guild groups = good!  If there is enough interest, we will start raiding once everyone is caught up. 

tl;dr
EQD Guild:
Widow server if we go PVP
Exile faction
Invites will start a few hours after the game launches (If it doesn't explode). 
Casual guild with possible raids for fun later on
Go comment on PVP vs PVE!

Story: The Music of Ponyville

[Adventure]

Author: GrassAndClouds2

Description: Octavia Philharmonica would like nothing more than to practice her cello and to compose beautiful music all by herself. Unfortunately, her teacher Princess Cadance has other plans! Sent to Ponyville to assist with logistics for the Vernal Equinox Festival, Octavia wants only to get through the ceremony with as little interaction with the local populace as possible, but her plans are derailed by the return of two ancient evils. When the ancient tyrants Burning Sun and Nightmare Moon break free from their prisons and initiate a new era of war and devastation, Octavia finds herself and five other musicians -- Vinyl Scratch, Fluttershy, Lyra Heartstrings, Bluenote, and Medley -- caught up in a desperate race to find the Elements of Harmony and stop the alicorns. It will be a difficult journey, but it just might be possible, if Octavia can manage to befriend the other ponies... and if she can learn to truly listen to the music of Ponyville.

The Music of Ponyville

Additional Tags: Musicians, Songs, AU, Elements, Quest

Plushie Compilation #156

Thunderlane header for two reasons today: 1. He hasn't had one in a long time. 2. Cereal likes Thunderlane so I'm teasing him with this.

Check out all of our huggable companions after the break!

[1] Source
Thunderlane

SFM: One Day with Maud Pie

The show just doesn't give us nearly enough Maud Pie air time. A single episode?! Madness. Luckily that is what the fandom is for. Get some Maud below via SFM!

Drawfriend Stuff #1180

These two don't get a whole lot of art together anymore. I blame the lack of new animations involving them. Get on it animators.

After Coco Pommel of course.

Get some art! 

[1] Source
Vinyl and 'tavi

Story Updates - May 29th

Changeling are so creepy.

Get some story updates with them and more below!

Poll Results: Which Princess was the Best Singer in the Finale?

I thought after she lost to Scootaloo and the CMC in that last poll, the Luna fandom would be less ravenous for these four.  I was wrong! You guys did it again!

You are going to have to go ahead and explain it in the comments here.

And next poll: Do your parents know about your interest in pony? Get it on the side bar!

Daring Do Book Set Pre-order on Sale

In celebration of that AMAZON VS HATCHETT war going on, Barnes and Noble appears to be dropping the price on various books by a pretty huge amount. The Daring Do collection is a whopping 27% off at the moment on pre-order, with Journal of the Two Sisters dropping down by 35%. 

Choose Your Own Adventure: Fate is Not Set in Stone

We haven't had a good ol' "Choose Your Own Adventure" style post in years.  Time to change that! Fate Set in Stone is a collaboration between a whole bunch of wrtiers with you set as the lead pony.  Exact description:

"You are a pony in Ponyville who has come across Berry Punch frozen in stone. the mane six begin an investigation, and you decide to go along with them! what happens next is entirely up to you!

Choose your actions carefully as you make your way through this adventure. Click the links to your action of choice and explore the hundreds of different scenarios and dozens of endings. Meet various villains and explore different ways to save Berry... and possibly more..."

Head on over here to play it! 

"A Brony Tale" To Screen in New Zealand Soon!

Just a gentle reminder that A Brony Tale is screening in New Zealand in the next week or so, so if you're a Kiwi and want something pony related to do here's all the info you need to participate courtesy of our friend Ian!

Not only that, Ian sent over some stills from the film that haven't been seen before so check on after the break to catch a look!

MLP: CCG - First Regional Tournament & GenCon Finals Announced

A big east coast tournament is happening next month on June 6th-7th for the MLP CCG. The entire thing will be taking place at Big Apple Ponycon in New Jersey, comlpete with random prizes (Playmats and shirts) for all participants, as well as a promo card exclusive to regional tournaments. And as always, winners will recieve the best of the best, along with a chance at an invite-only tournament happening at Gen Con this year.

Head on down below for the full press release!

Amazon Confirms Dispute with Publishing Giant Hachette

As previously reported, My Little Pony publications are no longer available for pre-order on Amazon. Previous speculation has been confirmed, as on May 27 Amazon released a statement regarding their longstanding dispute with Hachette, one of the western world's largest publishing conglomerates.

In their statement, the Amazon book team described the two companies as being "unable to reach mutually acceptable agreement on terms." The release paints a picture of respectful and good faith negotiations on behalf of both parties, but nevertheless takes a very pessimistic tone with regards to conflict resolution, warning customers that this is likely to be a protracted battle as each company seeks to  secure the most beneficial terms for itself.

"...we regret the inconvenience and encourage you to purchase a new or used version from one of our third-party sellers or from one of our competitors."

Amazon's position seems very secure. As one of the largest online retailers in the world, they would seem to hold unprecedented power over manufacturers, and are using that power in very interesting ways. To actively encourage customers to seek out competitors is virtually unprecedented. This is a very heavy hammer to swing and hints that Amazon believes its position to be unassailable, which means (among other things) a very protracted negotiation. The immediate effect of this is that anybody looking to purchase a Hachette publication via Amazon (which includes titles like The Journal of the Two Sisters and the Daring Do series) should expect the slowest of shipping options and a higher upfront cost. Since Amazon won't keep much stock from non-featured publishers, it may also be more difficult to tell exactly how long of a delay there will be between your purchase and arrival.

The world of online publication and retail is constantly shifting, and it's difficult to tell what the long term impact of these negotiations will be. This has the potential to create a major shift in the power structure of retailers in general, and Amazon specifically. With how ubiquitous Amazon has become in many of our lives, it's hard to tell how it's going to affect all of us, positively or negatively.  Equestria Daily extends its sincerest hopes that the effect on the authors of these stories will be as small as possible. In the meantime, those of you looking to pick up pony books should check out retailers like Barnes and Noble for quickest access.

Flim Flam Miracle Tonic Literal Version

These are some very impressive Flim Flam impressions right here.  What does the new Miracle Tonic sound like when they actually being truthful? Find out below!

Xbox Adds More Pony Avatar Gear - Derpy, Discord Costume, and More!

The Xbox Live Avatar Store has released a few new updates after a bit of a break in gear.  It looks like Derpy has arrived (albiet named muffins), along with a full on Discord costume.  And if specifically pony items aren't your thing, the full "Fan Boy Costume" was also included.   Head on over here for all of it!

Thanks to Nick for sending it all!

What is Next for Silly Filly Studios? New Blog Post Details their Future Animation Plans

With Fall of the Crystal Empire behind them, Silly Filly Studios has released their plans for the future.  After two gigantic animations, these guys deserve a break! As they move on into the future with the team still together, it looks like short parodies will be on the agenda, including everything from Pokemon to pony.

Next to all of this though is a plan to branch out into their own original fantasy idea, complete with the fight scenes we've come to expect.

Head on over here if you want to read their full report!

MLP Cast Sings: Lulamoon

I've secretly conditioned all of you to love Trixie.  You may see her image and feel a sense of disgust if you previously didn't like her, but secretly, deep down, you love the Trix. What do you think these early morning posts are for? MIND BLOWN? IT BETTER BE.

Get the mane cast singing the fandom song Lulamoon below!

Twilight Sparkle is Missing and Equestria Is being Invaded! What Ever Will We Do?!

Oh, that works.

Nightly Roundup #986

It has been a long time since Luna, Princess of the Night, actually headed a Roundup! She's happy to see you all as you can see.

Not a lot to report on tonight, but get what we do have after the break!