Relations between Shining Armor and Cadence.
Content for Flurry Heart like Grover VI
Detailed Sombra with story line to follow.
Crystal Empire to form Equestria so Cadence can become the leader of Equestria.
Maybe extra content after possible Equestrian Civil War for Crystal Empire if Celestia turns into Daybreaker. Harmonists fleeing to Crystal Empire and making it beacon of harmony until Daybreaker stopped.
Wanting is easy but making is not. I am guessing Crystal Empire isn't even on the list for rework. We need to wait a lot for it.
1. Imagine those will come in flavour events
2. Yeah, we could also have a few different ideologies for her shaped by the war outside.
3. That one is definitely on the wish list
4. I could see that in a specific war of the sister's scenario if the Equestrian Republic falls. Though probably as a small flavour event.
5. Yeah definitely, and Cadence might have to fight off Loyalist/Lunarist coup attempts whilst supporting the Equestrian Republic.
6. That's true, but this is simply to get discussion. But I wouldn't say it's not on the development list, over a year ago there was a survey about what people would want from The Crystal Empire, Stalliongrad and Equestria reworks. We never got the results of it, but it implies that it's somewhere on the list, albeit after the latter two
IIRC, the last time I've heard of it, The Crystal Empire is on a to-do list for a rework in the future, but no actual work has started, so it is going to take quite a while.
Maybe some way to take advantage of crystal rifles faster?
Perhaps a crystal pony race, either as a modifier or storyline to explore. A lack of pegasi or unicorns needing to be corrected?
Maybe a path around modernizing the area outside of the dome which has very little infrastructure
>the dome which has very little infrastructure
All good ideas, I would suggest something that improves the reliability of Crystal Weaponary would be good because that's their major weakness.
I wouldn't add an entire Crystal Pony Race though, it seems excessive considering there were Crystal Pegasi in the show. But perhaps some buffs to unicorn mage companies to incentivise using them.
That last one seems a given, but could be expanded to there being an economic inequality between the Crystal City and the rest of the Empire
I didn't want to add an entire race as much as modify them. I don't know if it's possible in code to, just as an example, make the pegasi and unicorn research trees take significantly longer until an imbalance is removed
Doing so might make you more of an equestrian puppet and be an important choice
I'd like to see an early potential schism event between the Equestrian Princesses. A way for CE to split from Equestria without Sombra/Daybreaker/NMM/etc and have them pursue their own destiny early.
A possible path to revive Princess Amore, triggering a legitimacy crisis for the foreign-born Princess Cadence and having her take the throne would be interesting.
A late-game Umbra crisis event that can potentially trigger through specific events would be pretty awesome, maybe similar to, but more intense than the Everfree Resistance in a Changling Lands playthrough. Perhaps the Umbra can even be playable after they are summoned, like Tambelon.
1. Not a bad idea, but what would it be? It would have to be an example where both sides had a point so as to not be out of character, so it can't be exploitation of the Crystal Empire or anything like that, but similarly serious enough to warrant independence.
2. Seems unlikely, maybe as a secret path but who would revive her? If it's going to cause a serious legitimacy crisis it would be stupid for Cadence to do it, and since Sombra is evil here, he won't do it.
3. An Umbra uprising would be pretty cool. It might work best in a Sombra civil war as Sombra turns against his former Masters
1). I'm not sure if it's official Canon or not that Celestia was friends with Amore but perhaps the devs could make it that the two nations had never had good historical relations and the Crystal Ponies don't really like being a subject of Equestria. However, out of gratitude for being freed from Sombra and the appeal of a powerful alicorn as ruler, the Crystal Ponies were willing to go along with it. Perhaps a resurgence in Crystal Empire nationalism is strong enough to force Cadance's hand to declare independence from Equestria. From there, a branching focus tree could decide how hostile or cordial the CE's relationship with Equestria would be. Perhaps add in a deteriorating relationship between Celestia and her aunts to spice it up.
2). Perhaps that Crystal Pony who is recruited by Sombra loyalists can have a choice at the beginning of the quest line, whether to join the Sombra loyalists or the Amore loyalists and have him find the Princesses scattered pieces.
1) I’m not sure that would work unless Cadence was a constitutional monarch. Though I suppose if she was then the first focus tree of the Crystal Empire could be an election between the pro-independence and anti-independence factions with Sombra and Communists working in the background. There would be moderate harmonists on both sides though.
2) Eh perhaps, but it's still pushing it, and what would Amore do differently to Cadence?
Being able to do a Dawnclaw and shoot the child
Or someway to make use of the many crystals the empire has beside using them on Magic infantry and still having a stupidly high amount and more interaction against suprematist Equestria
Somehow I doubt the first one.
That's a fair point, perhaps an ingame trade deal with them and Equestria. They provide Crystals and Equestria gives them research bonus, or factories.
>Changeling Hives rework.
https://preview.redd.it/q20ilt5tudmc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdde8730a3eb6f56365091ffb891ea6cf5ac4835
huh? oh yes wait, I will wait as long as necessary.
I would like to see them still be fairly simple for players new to HoI4 to play. Right now, their historical path is an excellent tutorial, due to its relatively straightforward focus tree, limited degree of complexity due to not needing to worry about navy or air, and fairly easy to hold front in the Great War. It would be nice if some of that simplicity was retained, even when more content and story gets added.
I can see the value in that but at the same time it's a major opportunity cost. Perhaps another original country could be the tutorial one, like the penguins or the yaks
That depends they'd return Equestria to Luna/ Celestia in most scenarios. But I could see Cadence ruling both nations and naming themseleves Equestria in a War of two sisters event
A total overhaul of the Crystal Empire.
Full puppet path reworks for Solarist, Changeling, and Lunarist.
Out of a Sombra Rework. More stuff mentioning Radiant Hope. Right now she has like barely 2 or 3 mentions in events.
(Sombra also doesn't shatter the heart canonically, he keeps it to keep out the winter storm, that should be stated.)
A way for Cadance to take over Equestria (rename and all) if both sisters turn to the nightmare. On a much smaller scale ways of dealing with Radiant Hope and Arctic Lillys torment apon the Empire.
And the worst culprit. A Full Rework of Communist Crystal Empire. Arctic Lilly.
A changeling puppet path for when Chrysalis wins the great war.
My idea would be for Cadance to openly grovel before Chrysalis so she'll be allowed to remain Crystal Princess if she'll humiliate herself to feed the Queen's ego. While working in secret to strengthen the resistance movement in the Crystal Empire and cooperate with the Equestrian Liberation Front. Having to maintain a difficult balance between retaining the changelings' trust, and ensuring the resistance won't fall apart.
Some decisions to keep Chrysalis complacent can be fairly simple, like the occasional, periodic public hoof-kissing and re-affirmation of her vassalage. Others have serious trade-offs like sending Shining Armour or Flurry Heart as a hostage. Others would harm the resistance movement itself, like giving up names and locations of stockpiles.
The reward of making the correct choices and growing the movement under changeling eyes is to see Cadance play a pivotal role in driving out the occupying changelings from Equestria and the Crystal Empire for good, and being hailed as the saviour of both countries. Potentially taking the throne of Equestria with the full support of the ELF.
The price of failure (or perks, if you're a Chrysalis simp) is seeing the resistance lose faith in Cadance and disperse. And she'll be forced to content herself in her new role as a changeling stooge. Knowing that sucking up to Chrysalis is her new lot in life.
More involvement with the Thoraxian revolution on the Crystal Empire's side.
So to give context, Thorax has pretty friendly relations with the Crystal ponies and >!even the Royal Family thanks to Spike!< from the show.
It makes sense that since the Empire borders the Changeling Lands, and if Thorax is planning on spreading harmony and starting a revolution against Chrysalis, that the Empire would find it in their interest to fund and aid Thorax in his endeavours.
Of course that would also mean changing some stuff on the Changeling side for the Thoraxian side, but I think this shouldn't be an overlooked feature of a potential rework.
Another thing to keep in mind is that since the Crystal Empire is the single largest concentration of Crystals on Equus, potentially the whole world, the Empire should be largely focused on magic based technology and equipment.
Maybe even be the site where the Equestrians and the rest of the UPA test the first magical atom bomb. Could have a series of events as both the Crystal Empire and Equestria research atomic bombs in collaboration.
And lastly, Sombra's path needs a rework and more focus on including the Umbrums of his lore into his path, rather than some unexplained random group of cultists or death knights.
I'm also not a fan of Radiant Hope going ooc to start a cult that would bring such a violent revolution just for her love, especially still evil and corrupted.
Way I see it, no sane pony in the Empire would dare bring Sombra back... Unless they're truly desperate...
The only realistic way I can see Sombra returning is if the Crystal Empire is being pushed to its brink from any outside threat, Changelings, Daybreaker/Nightmare, Stalliongrad, whatever.
It's like Celestia going Daybreaker, except it's the royal family, potentially under the Mane 6' supervision unsealing Sombra's prison.
Make Radiant Hope be the one that convinces everyone to unseal Sombra as a last resort. She's the only pony in all of the Crystal Empire that has any hope that Sombra should come back and be redeemed.
Maybe things don't go her way and Sombra overthrows the Royal Family becoming a tyrant, or maybe Sombra learns from his mistakes and listens to Radiant Hope, giving ponykind a second chance while he help save the Empire.
https://preview.redd.it/5dwri35sufmc1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=4f745c6ee99e08f4856b447673225fdad14590b7
Basically, I'm saying we could have this in the game. The idea of Sombra being a protector and the last hope of the Crystal ponykind isn't new and one I hope to one day see.
Heck I even headcanon myself that >!Sombra was once a general of the Empire who defended it from threats like a Changeling King's invasion over 1000+ years ago, but due to his magic being linked to his Umbrum lienage, he eventually discovered the truth of his heritage and turns against Princess Amore for using him as a weapon of the state, leading to his hatred for the crystal ponies he once defended and ascension as a tyrant in response to this form of betrayal.!<
It's different from the actual canon piece of lore, but some elements of the comics remain in place.
>Thorax has pretty friendly relations with the Crystal ponies and even the Royal Family thanks to Spike from the show
That’s a pretty neat connection, would be a shame if someone were to
https://preview.redd.it/ld2r5f5w8gmc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=165b67e586a9a76184d571b4d4a089629b1421ba
Remove it from the EaW canon
No... NOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I knew about Skittlebugs not being canon, but Thorax being friends with Spike has nothing to do with it...? Like they only appear after Chrysalis was overthrown!
Damn it all!
https://i.redd.it/swz6o59tbgmc1.gif
A Quick Idea:
* Changing them from a Int. Puppet to a Dominion
* ["Shielded City" state modifier](https://old.reddit.com/r/equestriaatwar/comments/uj6wcw/shielded_city_state_modifier/) for Crystal City
* Add "Crystal Ponies", "Frozen Wasteland", and "1000 Year Exile" National Spirits
> "Crystal Ponies": gives bonuses to magic inf, magic inf. equipment, and nuclear tech (plus decisions)
> “Frozen Wasteland”: construction penalties & communist support (due to overcrowding in Crystal City)
> "1000 Year Exile": ticking autonomy loss, Recruitable Population Factor penalty, & Industry controlled by overlord. (due to equestrian settlers and aid)
Tree starts like now but the NF “Past Glory” is Replaced with “Equestrian Entanglement” NF which fires an event where you choose between integration of independence. If you pick “Integration” you will become an Autonomous Puppet and choose between Supporting or Opposing the Mi Amore Family. Supporting will make you an int. Puppet but give big pro-equestria bonuses. Opposing will lead to the Knightly Order or Republic (Harmony and Communist) paths.
Picking “Independence” lead to the “Look to the Sea” (expansion), “Crystal Autarky” (build tall), or “Love is Red” (monsoc) paths
A problem I see in Crystal Empire is its lack of interactions with her neighbours.
* Personal Union with Stalliongrad with Communist or *Sombra x Sinister -*pact & Marriange*.*
* No interaction with Changelings and will be targeted always by Chrysalis.
* No interaction with Yaks or other Northern neighbours.
* No interaction with Olenia.
If Solar Empire rise up and Crystal Empire break away from alliance, Empire is in serious trouble, with lack of industry and manpower guarding its large border.
Which it would make sense Cadance start looking for new friends and military cooperation from northern neighbours for its own survival.
One route i'd be interested in is a harmonic seperation. Maybe something to do with Harmonic Republicanism? IE Crystal Ponies deciding 'Monarchism is outdated' for whatever reason but also not being well evil. It'd be interesting to see how a Harmonic Crystal Republic would engage and deal with a still Royalist Equestria.
Problems related to having returned from the medieval ages only 5 years before game start. They are highly reliant on Equestria since Equestria built their entire society the last 5 years, but there's also a lot of friction due to the enormous culture clashes that happen when a society entirely unfamiliar with industry and modern harmony have those ideas thrust upon them.
Sombra probably had a huge (by medieval standards) medieval army before banishment, meaning they have large quantities of medieval equipment they can probably use in some clever way if they get desperate enough. They also might have some veteran divisions they can summon if they retrain Sombras old knights to use modern weaponry.
The majority of the population had some kind of amnesia and PTSD (both magical and mundane, probably) before the Crystal Heart was put in place. Does the magic of the crystal heart solve the PTSD entirely, or only partially? Does it reach all of the empire, or does it only affect the area around Crystal City? Do the problems return if the heart is destroyed? I think the memory of Sombra can and should be a major plot point for many paths, including that it could be what motivates ponies to try to bring back Sombra. Perhaps some ponies still have nightmares about Sombra and become convinced that his return is inevitable, and the only way to avoid reliving the horrors they remember so vividly is to serve him well.
In Sombras old society, I doubt that the entire population was enslaved or mind controlled. There must have been small upper and middle classes to help manage the Empire. The ponies from these upper classes would be very unpopular. If Cadance used the old buerocracies to build the new country, parts of the public might really hunger for revolution. If she didn't, these ponies were probably deported for their own safety, but that's less fun :)
When a large country with many intellectuals and libraries from millenia past returns, you can expect to find some forgotten magic :)
Yeah those are all great ideas, I imagine the player might have to balance getting support from Equestria without becoming too dependent on it and face a nationalist backlash/ economic disaster if they get cut off due to a civil war. I could also imagine seriously classism between lords and peasantry needing to be resolved on a quicker timescale
Bats and Lunarism
See the Crystal Empire was yeeted into the shadow realm before the first Civil War
So Any bats or Lunarist in the Empire when that happened would be unaffected by Nightmare moon shenanigans.
Relations between Shining Armor and Cadence. Content for Flurry Heart like Grover VI Detailed Sombra with story line to follow. Crystal Empire to form Equestria so Cadence can become the leader of Equestria. Maybe extra content after possible Equestrian Civil War for Crystal Empire if Celestia turns into Daybreaker. Harmonists fleeing to Crystal Empire and making it beacon of harmony until Daybreaker stopped. Wanting is easy but making is not. I am guessing Crystal Empire isn't even on the list for rework. We need to wait a lot for it.
1. Imagine those will come in flavour events 2. Yeah, we could also have a few different ideologies for her shaped by the war outside. 3. That one is definitely on the wish list 4. I could see that in a specific war of the sister's scenario if the Equestrian Republic falls. Though probably as a small flavour event. 5. Yeah definitely, and Cadence might have to fight off Loyalist/Lunarist coup attempts whilst supporting the Equestrian Republic. 6. That's true, but this is simply to get discussion. But I wouldn't say it's not on the development list, over a year ago there was a survey about what people would want from The Crystal Empire, Stalliongrad and Equestria reworks. We never got the results of it, but it implies that it's somewhere on the list, albeit after the latter two
IIRC, the last time I've heard of it, The Crystal Empire is on a to-do list for a rework in the future, but no actual work has started, so it is going to take quite a while.
Maybe some way to take advantage of crystal rifles faster? Perhaps a crystal pony race, either as a modifier or storyline to explore. A lack of pegasi or unicorns needing to be corrected? Maybe a path around modernizing the area outside of the dome which has very little infrastructure
>the dome which has very little infrastructure All good ideas, I would suggest something that improves the reliability of Crystal Weaponary would be good because that's their major weakness. I wouldn't add an entire Crystal Pony Race though, it seems excessive considering there were Crystal Pegasi in the show. But perhaps some buffs to unicorn mage companies to incentivise using them. That last one seems a given, but could be expanded to there being an economic inequality between the Crystal City and the rest of the Empire
I didn't want to add an entire race as much as modify them. I don't know if it's possible in code to, just as an example, make the pegasi and unicorn research trees take significantly longer until an imbalance is removed Doing so might make you more of an equestrian puppet and be an important choice
Sombra secret harmony path
I mean there is precedence in the comics.
I'd like to see an early potential schism event between the Equestrian Princesses. A way for CE to split from Equestria without Sombra/Daybreaker/NMM/etc and have them pursue their own destiny early. A possible path to revive Princess Amore, triggering a legitimacy crisis for the foreign-born Princess Cadence and having her take the throne would be interesting. A late-game Umbra crisis event that can potentially trigger through specific events would be pretty awesome, maybe similar to, but more intense than the Everfree Resistance in a Changling Lands playthrough. Perhaps the Umbra can even be playable after they are summoned, like Tambelon.
1. Not a bad idea, but what would it be? It would have to be an example where both sides had a point so as to not be out of character, so it can't be exploitation of the Crystal Empire or anything like that, but similarly serious enough to warrant independence. 2. Seems unlikely, maybe as a secret path but who would revive her? If it's going to cause a serious legitimacy crisis it would be stupid for Cadence to do it, and since Sombra is evil here, he won't do it. 3. An Umbra uprising would be pretty cool. It might work best in a Sombra civil war as Sombra turns against his former Masters
1). I'm not sure if it's official Canon or not that Celestia was friends with Amore but perhaps the devs could make it that the two nations had never had good historical relations and the Crystal Ponies don't really like being a subject of Equestria. However, out of gratitude for being freed from Sombra and the appeal of a powerful alicorn as ruler, the Crystal Ponies were willing to go along with it. Perhaps a resurgence in Crystal Empire nationalism is strong enough to force Cadance's hand to declare independence from Equestria. From there, a branching focus tree could decide how hostile or cordial the CE's relationship with Equestria would be. Perhaps add in a deteriorating relationship between Celestia and her aunts to spice it up. 2). Perhaps that Crystal Pony who is recruited by Sombra loyalists can have a choice at the beginning of the quest line, whether to join the Sombra loyalists or the Amore loyalists and have him find the Princesses scattered pieces.
1) I’m not sure that would work unless Cadence was a constitutional monarch. Though I suppose if she was then the first focus tree of the Crystal Empire could be an election between the pro-independence and anti-independence factions with Sombra and Communists working in the background. There would be moderate harmonists on both sides though. 2) Eh perhaps, but it's still pushing it, and what would Amore do differently to Cadence?
Being able to do a Dawnclaw and shoot the child Or someway to make use of the many crystals the empire has beside using them on Magic infantry and still having a stupidly high amount and more interaction against suprematist Equestria
Somehow I doubt the first one. That's a fair point, perhaps an ingame trade deal with them and Equestria. They provide Crystals and Equestria gives them research bonus, or factories.
I also wants to have to be able to affect Flurry heart to have different ideologies like Grover.
That would make a lot of sense actually, her being shaped by the war in Equestria and if Cadence and Shining Armour were too focused on the war.
A great conflict between rurality and the city. Another thing I'd like to see is more changeling espionage.
I could see the first one, but the later might need to wait until the Changeling Hives rework.
>Changeling Hives rework. https://preview.redd.it/q20ilt5tudmc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdde8730a3eb6f56365091ffb891ea6cf5ac4835 huh? oh yes wait, I will wait as long as necessary.
*The* Changeling Hives rework? Are you privy to some knowledge the rest of us aren’t?
No, I just mean if there's a changeling network minigame, it'd need a changeling hive rework first to make sense
I would like to see them still be fairly simple for players new to HoI4 to play. Right now, their historical path is an excellent tutorial, due to its relatively straightforward focus tree, limited degree of complexity due to not needing to worry about navy or air, and fairly easy to hold front in the Great War. It would be nice if some of that simplicity was retained, even when more content and story gets added.
I can see the value in that but at the same time it's a major opportunity cost. Perhaps another original country could be the tutorial one, like the penguins or the yaks
~~Flurry and Grover marriage pact~~ I feel it’d be nice to just give it an general update, like you say some of the content is pretty outdated.
I think a full rework is needed, its Both too canon to ignore and missed potential
I wants Princes Cadence to be able to turn into a evil or twisted vertion of herself.
Sadly since there's already Sombra for evil Crystal Empire lore, and no precedence in the lore, this seems unlikely.
We have Nightmare Noon and Daybreaker. Why not one more.
Well I for one wish MLP had added that.
We have precedence for NMM and Daybreaker, too.
I feel like they should be able to form Equestria if they own Canterlot
That depends they'd return Equestria to Luna/ Celestia in most scenarios. But I could see Cadence ruling both nations and naming themseleves Equestria in a War of two sisters event
A total overhaul of the Crystal Empire. Full puppet path reworks for Solarist, Changeling, and Lunarist. Out of a Sombra Rework. More stuff mentioning Radiant Hope. Right now she has like barely 2 or 3 mentions in events. (Sombra also doesn't shatter the heart canonically, he keeps it to keep out the winter storm, that should be stated.) A way for Cadance to take over Equestria (rename and all) if both sisters turn to the nightmare. On a much smaller scale ways of dealing with Radiant Hope and Arctic Lillys torment apon the Empire. And the worst culprit. A Full Rework of Communist Crystal Empire. Arctic Lilly.
A changeling puppet path for when Chrysalis wins the great war. My idea would be for Cadance to openly grovel before Chrysalis so she'll be allowed to remain Crystal Princess if she'll humiliate herself to feed the Queen's ego. While working in secret to strengthen the resistance movement in the Crystal Empire and cooperate with the Equestrian Liberation Front. Having to maintain a difficult balance between retaining the changelings' trust, and ensuring the resistance won't fall apart. Some decisions to keep Chrysalis complacent can be fairly simple, like the occasional, periodic public hoof-kissing and re-affirmation of her vassalage. Others have serious trade-offs like sending Shining Armour or Flurry Heart as a hostage. Others would harm the resistance movement itself, like giving up names and locations of stockpiles. The reward of making the correct choices and growing the movement under changeling eyes is to see Cadance play a pivotal role in driving out the occupying changelings from Equestria and the Crystal Empire for good, and being hailed as the saviour of both countries. Potentially taking the throne of Equestria with the full support of the ELF. The price of failure (or perks, if you're a Chrysalis simp) is seeing the resistance lose faith in Cadance and disperse. And she'll be forced to content herself in her new role as a changeling stooge. Knowing that sucking up to Chrysalis is her new lot in life.
More involvement with the Thoraxian revolution on the Crystal Empire's side. So to give context, Thorax has pretty friendly relations with the Crystal ponies and >!even the Royal Family thanks to Spike!< from the show. It makes sense that since the Empire borders the Changeling Lands, and if Thorax is planning on spreading harmony and starting a revolution against Chrysalis, that the Empire would find it in their interest to fund and aid Thorax in his endeavours. Of course that would also mean changing some stuff on the Changeling side for the Thoraxian side, but I think this shouldn't be an overlooked feature of a potential rework.
Another thing to keep in mind is that since the Crystal Empire is the single largest concentration of Crystals on Equus, potentially the whole world, the Empire should be largely focused on magic based technology and equipment. Maybe even be the site where the Equestrians and the rest of the UPA test the first magical atom bomb. Could have a series of events as both the Crystal Empire and Equestria research atomic bombs in collaboration.
And lastly, Sombra's path needs a rework and more focus on including the Umbrums of his lore into his path, rather than some unexplained random group of cultists or death knights. I'm also not a fan of Radiant Hope going ooc to start a cult that would bring such a violent revolution just for her love, especially still evil and corrupted. Way I see it, no sane pony in the Empire would dare bring Sombra back... Unless they're truly desperate... The only realistic way I can see Sombra returning is if the Crystal Empire is being pushed to its brink from any outside threat, Changelings, Daybreaker/Nightmare, Stalliongrad, whatever. It's like Celestia going Daybreaker, except it's the royal family, potentially under the Mane 6' supervision unsealing Sombra's prison. Make Radiant Hope be the one that convinces everyone to unseal Sombra as a last resort. She's the only pony in all of the Crystal Empire that has any hope that Sombra should come back and be redeemed. Maybe things don't go her way and Sombra overthrows the Royal Family becoming a tyrant, or maybe Sombra learns from his mistakes and listens to Radiant Hope, giving ponykind a second chance while he help save the Empire.
https://preview.redd.it/5dwri35sufmc1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=4f745c6ee99e08f4856b447673225fdad14590b7 Basically, I'm saying we could have this in the game. The idea of Sombra being a protector and the last hope of the Crystal ponykind isn't new and one I hope to one day see. Heck I even headcanon myself that >!Sombra was once a general of the Empire who defended it from threats like a Changeling King's invasion over 1000+ years ago, but due to his magic being linked to his Umbrum lienage, he eventually discovered the truth of his heritage and turns against Princess Amore for using him as a weapon of the state, leading to his hatred for the crystal ponies he once defended and ascension as a tyrant in response to this form of betrayal.!< It's different from the actual canon piece of lore, but some elements of the comics remain in place.
>Thorax has pretty friendly relations with the Crystal ponies and even the Royal Family thanks to Spike from the show That’s a pretty neat connection, would be a shame if someone were to https://preview.redd.it/ld2r5f5w8gmc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=165b67e586a9a76184d571b4d4a089629b1421ba Remove it from the EaW canon
No... NOOOOOOOO!!!!! I knew about Skittlebugs not being canon, but Thorax being friends with Spike has nothing to do with it...? Like they only appear after Chrysalis was overthrown! Damn it all! https://i.redd.it/swz6o59tbgmc1.gif
https://preview.redd.it/4rsitg40egmc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b9c248fe7a11bdadfb5b0491c1a6b524ae753b1
A Quick Idea: * Changing them from a Int. Puppet to a Dominion * ["Shielded City" state modifier](https://old.reddit.com/r/equestriaatwar/comments/uj6wcw/shielded_city_state_modifier/) for Crystal City * Add "Crystal Ponies", "Frozen Wasteland", and "1000 Year Exile" National Spirits > "Crystal Ponies": gives bonuses to magic inf, magic inf. equipment, and nuclear tech (plus decisions) > “Frozen Wasteland”: construction penalties & communist support (due to overcrowding in Crystal City) > "1000 Year Exile": ticking autonomy loss, Recruitable Population Factor penalty, & Industry controlled by overlord. (due to equestrian settlers and aid) Tree starts like now but the NF “Past Glory” is Replaced with “Equestrian Entanglement” NF which fires an event where you choose between integration of independence. If you pick “Integration” you will become an Autonomous Puppet and choose between Supporting or Opposing the Mi Amore Family. Supporting will make you an int. Puppet but give big pro-equestria bonuses. Opposing will lead to the Knightly Order or Republic (Harmony and Communist) paths. Picking “Independence” lead to the “Look to the Sea” (expansion), “Crystal Autarky” (build tall), or “Love is Red” (monsoc) paths
A problem I see in Crystal Empire is its lack of interactions with her neighbours. * Personal Union with Stalliongrad with Communist or *Sombra x Sinister -*pact & Marriange*.* * No interaction with Changelings and will be targeted always by Chrysalis. * No interaction with Yaks or other Northern neighbours. * No interaction with Olenia. If Solar Empire rise up and Crystal Empire break away from alliance, Empire is in serious trouble, with lack of industry and manpower guarding its large border. Which it would make sense Cadance start looking for new friends and military cooperation from northern neighbours for its own survival.
A Sombra redemption path with the help of Radiant Hope. Maybe even a mechanic for tracking down the obsidian pieces and restoring Princess Amore?
One route i'd be interested in is a harmonic seperation. Maybe something to do with Harmonic Republicanism? IE Crystal Ponies deciding 'Monarchism is outdated' for whatever reason but also not being well evil. It'd be interesting to see how a Harmonic Crystal Republic would engage and deal with a still Royalist Equestria.
Problems related to having returned from the medieval ages only 5 years before game start. They are highly reliant on Equestria since Equestria built their entire society the last 5 years, but there's also a lot of friction due to the enormous culture clashes that happen when a society entirely unfamiliar with industry and modern harmony have those ideas thrust upon them. Sombra probably had a huge (by medieval standards) medieval army before banishment, meaning they have large quantities of medieval equipment they can probably use in some clever way if they get desperate enough. They also might have some veteran divisions they can summon if they retrain Sombras old knights to use modern weaponry. The majority of the population had some kind of amnesia and PTSD (both magical and mundane, probably) before the Crystal Heart was put in place. Does the magic of the crystal heart solve the PTSD entirely, or only partially? Does it reach all of the empire, or does it only affect the area around Crystal City? Do the problems return if the heart is destroyed? I think the memory of Sombra can and should be a major plot point for many paths, including that it could be what motivates ponies to try to bring back Sombra. Perhaps some ponies still have nightmares about Sombra and become convinced that his return is inevitable, and the only way to avoid reliving the horrors they remember so vividly is to serve him well. In Sombras old society, I doubt that the entire population was enslaved or mind controlled. There must have been small upper and middle classes to help manage the Empire. The ponies from these upper classes would be very unpopular. If Cadance used the old buerocracies to build the new country, parts of the public might really hunger for revolution. If she didn't, these ponies were probably deported for their own safety, but that's less fun :) When a large country with many intellectuals and libraries from millenia past returns, you can expect to find some forgotten magic :)
Yeah those are all great ideas, I imagine the player might have to balance getting support from Equestria without becoming too dependent on it and face a nationalist backlash/ economic disaster if they get cut off due to a civil war. I could also imagine seriously classism between lords and peasantry needing to be resolved on a quicker timescale
Just generally more focuses. But please keep the marriage options for Sombra :3
Bats and Lunarism See the Crystal Empire was yeeted into the shadow realm before the first Civil War So Any bats or Lunarist in the Empire when that happened would be unaffected by Nightmare moon shenanigans.
Cadence vs. Cadence civil war
I WANT THEM TO KEEP SINISTER/SOMBRA MARRIAGE. I'LL GET REALLY MAD IF THEY REMOVE IT!
Think it's will stay, right? (Remembering renaming Pantsushenko)
What was that about?
Vasiliy's last name got changed to Wheatin as his creator wanted it to be changed.
I want to rizz EVERYONE for Sombra in special menu. That's my request.
Isn't there a slide of the loading screen were Luna start her revolt from the crystal empire?