>>27113584
Earth pony
Sturdy and full-hearted, earth ponies have connections to the ground that can manifest as superior strength and durability, agrokinesis, terrakinesis, or a heightened set of senses. Some of the more extreme cases have been known to get into prophecy for the latter, but this is rare. On the flip-side, their very focused and centralized styles of magic tend to leave them less knowledgeable about the world around them.

Pegasus pony
Speedy and acrobatic, pegasi have connections to the sky that grant them flight, weather manipulation, or strange elemental affinities, although bizarre elemental attunement is rare and hard to find. However, they are relatively fragile and a single solid blow can do extensive damage to them.

Unicorn pony
Intelligent and mystic, unicorn ponies don’t a have particular type of magic, but rather can learn almost any spell, with spells less related to their cutie mark being more difficult for them to learn. Unicorns who have a cutie mark in magic exist, but they are very rare. Unfortunately, they get tired very easily from physical work and are more susceptible to ethereal attacks such as corrupting magic and mind control.

Crystal pony
Elegant and ancient, crystal ponies are specially attuned to their emotions, and generally have a particular emotion associated with them that changes the way their energy works. This energy is especially useful for charging magical artifacts and spells.The downside is this specialization means that they tend to not be very useful without spells.

Bat pony
Energetic and controversial, bat ponies are a species specially adapted for the night. They therefore have magic that gives them flight, stealth, and enhanced senses, with some of them gaining abilities best described as eldritch, though this is generally rare. However, in the daytime they have less skill and are dazed by flashes of bright light.

>>27113593
Finding a rare specimen (such as a magic-specialist) will mean less resources going ahead, but it might be worth it for you to get someone more skillful. Regardless, you can only probably afford one rare specimen. Which species will your Captain be?

http://strawpoll.me/7403359

>>27113607
Crystal, to be different.

>>27113632
Seconding. Ordinary choices are boring.

Can we be like ridiculously overconfidant? When I picture captains, I picture Kirk.

Let's have a bat navigator, night vision is useful as fuck if you want to steer a ship all day

A crystal pony. With modern ships mostly being a very advanced magical artifact, someone who’s a living power generator for such artifacts can’t be a bad call, not to mention that it would help shine some light on the oft-forgotten Crystal Kingdom, one of Equestria’s prectorates. You nod as you make notes to get the relevant portfolios. Next on the list is to decide what kind of cutie mark you want the pony to have. For a Crystal Pony, this would also decide their primary emotional alignment. So what emotional and special talent/cutie mark do you want you captain to have?

>>27113767
I like that. Can our bat engineer be quirky? I like the mad scientist archetype for engineers.

>>27113781
Like I said earlier, I'm going with self-confidence for emotional temperament. We're fucking awesome and we know it.

Helmsman, ram the other ship. I'm feeling lucky.

>>27113781
>>27113800
Oh right, you wanted an actual suggestion for a cutie mark, not just the emotions represented by them. A big bold arrow pointing forward. Let's do this thing.

>>27113847
I like the golden arrow thing. Heck, maybe that can be his name. Golden Arrow. What do you think?

>>27113888
Endorsed. Golden Arrow has a golden arrow cutie mark. Make him purple too. Gold looks good against purple.

>>27113902
>>27113888
>>27113847
Do we have any dissent against Golden Arrow, a confident, purple crystal stallion?

>>27113902
And gold mane too?

>>27113922
Slicked back.
And sky blue eyes.

>>27113933
Love it.

>>27113920
Maybe he's confident and he's out to prove the Empire's worth and Crystal ponies by captaining such an important expedition?

>>27113957
Good backstory. We want to show everyone that the Empire can adapt and thrive even after being gone a thousand years. Plus, there's a lot of new stuff now, and we want to see it all!

Confidence and vision, you decide after a bit of deliberation. Those are the most important qualities, what you're really looking for. With a nod you send out the word, your sources immediately foraging through the sea of possible applicants (pun only slightly intended) and look for the person best suited for the job.

For the sake of coherency we're going to do some topsy-turvy timeline shit and complete the characters one by one.

Weeks pass and you finally receive the first portfolio. Flipping it open reveals a crystal stallion, one Golden Arrow, who practically radiates confidence in his winning smile. His purple coat radiates softly, even in the picture, and you see a detailed sketch of an ornate gold arrow carefully traced next to his picture. He's handsome, but in order to get more information on his physical abilities, you'll need to check below.

You know that a large, more muscled form would mean strength and endurance at the cost of agility. Conversely, a smaller, sleeker form would make them faster but not quite a strong. A more balanced form, as the name implies, would have neither strengths.

Which does Golden Arrow have?

>>27114040
Beefy. Subtlety is not this guy's strong suit.

>>27114040
Sleek you fucking faggot

>>27114040
Whichever we do, we should give our navigator the opposite. That way we get one strong, one fast, and one smart with the engineer.

>>27114088
This.

>>27114040
Changing my vote from >>27114086 to >>27114088 as long as >>27114102 too.

How realistic will the sailing and life at sea be in this quest? Been reading a lot of Hornblower novels lately, so I'd be in for a good portion of realistic naval action.

>>27114086
This.

>>27114102
>>27114122
Wouldn't sleek be better for a bat? We're having a bat navigator right?

>>27114126
Not very. Sea exploration is a vehicle for lite resource management. exploration, and character interaction, not the end unto itself.

>>27114129
Well shit, if strong got a second vote then I'm changing my vote back from >>27114122
>>27114086.

>>27114142
We were going to make the engineer the bat.

>>27114151
why an engineer bat though? How does the race perks help the bat engineer?

Strong crystal captain.
Lean bat engineer.
Middle of the road navigator.

>>27114151
I thought we were going for navigator bat cuz night vision?

>>27114170
First what >>27113787 said. And secondly because I like the idea of a bat engineer. It doesn't all have to be about minmaxing racial choices. This bat was a good engineer.

http://strawpoll.me/7403728
Since you guys are a bit all over the place.

>>27114188
That works too.
>>27114191
Linked the wrong post. Whatever.

>>27114178
I made a typo with this vote. The navigator was the bat, right? Not the engineer?

>>27114253
Yeah that was what I thought too. Crystal for the captain, bat for the navigator. I don't think we've suggested anything for the engineer yet except for that one guy who said he should be kinda loopy.

The braggadocio evident even in his confident smile is matched by his tall, muscular form. Of course, that’s just his frame: his real physical abilities are best understood by looking at his past. Sailing experience was a necessity for a position like this, but you have to scan through to get his background. Was he a merchant captain, a navy sailor, or an explorer? The merchant captain would probably give him a boost to negotiation and diplomacy, the navy sailor would give him a great deal more strength and command experience ,while the explorer would have learned a lot more about resource management and have more willpower when facing the unknown. What does his prior experience imply?

>>27114295
explorer

>>27114295
If sailing itself will just be means to an end and a vessel for the story, I'd say "explorer" sounds the most useful.

>>27114295
Merchant. Charisma and all that.

>>27114295
Explorer, obviously. Goes with the backstory in >>27114032

>>27114314
Who said we actually have Charisma? What we have is confidence and a can-do attitude!

>>27114333
Who said we don't?

>>27114295
Explorer of course. Who else?

>>27114341
Nobody. We just hadn't decided it one way or the other yet. That's all I meant.

>>27114341
This is just more like an invisible bonus where I assume you're more charismatic. The main modifier will still be what you post. In the same way, you won't just magically have enough food as an explorer.

>>27114314
negotiation/diplomacy ≠ charisma

I'd also like if we wouldn't be some stereotypical Mary Sue captain with great looks, confidence, charisma and all that, because that's just boring.

>>27114355
>>27114364
So you want to be a tall, built, handsome, confident, literally glowing captain who isn't charismatic.
Fair enough.

>>27114381
I actually voted for sleek.

>>27114381
I didn't before, but now I really do. That sounds hilariously awesome and fun.

>>27114381
>we have kinda shit social skills, but refuse to admit it
Liking it.

>>27114381
Yeah, what if he was just a bit arrogant and only THINKS he was charismatic? Imperfect characters are vastly more interesting than flawless ones.
also inb4 we seduce all da mares bcz we look so han'sum

>>27114421
we getting da succ boi

>>27114333
>>27114406
>>27114413
>>27114421
>consensus on introducing a personality flaw
This makes me happy.

>>27114452
DOX
FUCK OFF

>>27114458
I'm going to have to say "no" this time. This is too fucking awesome.

With as much confidence as he has, you’re not surprised to see that he was an explorer, constantly searching for fame and fortune, to prove to Equestria that Crystal ponies were a valuable effort and to bring glory to his people and the country as a whole. He should jump at the thought of helping bring glory to the crown. Anything else you should check? You scan through. His psychological profile seems to indicate that he’s confident and bold, but sometimes isn’t the best with people in spite of that. You’ve got thousands of years of experience with ponies, though. Would you say this is the case, based on what you’ve seen?

>>27114488
Uh, his hearts usually in the right place, even if his mouth ain't.

>>27114501
This.

He's not an asshole, but his social skills aren't great.

>>27114488
It's already 10 past five in the afternoon and we didn't have our tea yet, so to hells, just take him.

>>27114488
Yes.

>>27114501
Exactly. He's a well meaning idiot, not an asshole.

I think it's shanty time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpDsJvaesa4

>>27114501
>>27114532
These.

Well, he doesn’t seem like an asshole (or a ‘rude customer’ as you would be forced to say in public), though he does make the occasional stupid move in conversations by all accounts. But it’s thirty minutes past tea time and you have two more portfolios to get through anyway…

You glance over at the pile for the navigator candidates. You seem to recall that the top candidate was a bat pony renown for their agility and eyesight. Your keen bureaucratic prowess gives you a vague idea of their quality just glancing at their powers. Is this who you want to choose as your Navigator? You’ll still read the file and fill in the rest of the details, of course.

>>27114603
It's a good start.

>>27114603
Yes, him. Make him the opposite for variety's sake. The captain is overly confidant, the navigator is much quieter and maybe even a little meek. Likes to keep to his maps.

>>27114645
>his maps
I'm gonna vote female for this one. Gotta have that representation.

>>27114645
I can already smell the comedy. It's delicious.

>>27114603
Good eyesight isn't really THAT important for a navigator, unless you decide to put your valuable navigator up in the crow's nest. A navigator needs to memorize maps, remember wind speeds and -directions, know about astronomy, sand banks and reefs, calculate routes, keep track of the course and the speed with which the ship travels.. So I hope he doesn't just have good eyesight.

>>27114666
I'd prefer male. The smart one can be female.
Forever rolling her eyes and wondering what she's doing here.

>>27114666
Sure. I just used his as a generic. Can the engineer be a female too? I kinda like the idea of one male and two female for the crew.

>>27114672
Of course she isn't just a random bat with good eyes. She's a cartographic genius.

>>27114666
>>27114693
Or we could have the female the "mad scientist" engineer.

>>27114693
I like the idea of the smart one being female, but could we have the navigator as the eye-roller? I was really liking the idea of a slightly unhinged engineer.

>>27114704
Yes, that.

>>27114695
>She's a cartographic genius.
Make that "questionably obsessed with maps" and we have a deal.

QM here, leaning towards both other crewmates being female based upon votes. Engineer as a quirky mad scientist and the navigator as a recluse, sarcastic map "enthusiast".

>>27114704
>>27114708
So female engineer and male navigator? I can live with that. Can we still have >>27114717?

File: 23142-01.jpg (2 MB, 1984x1700) Image search: [Google]

2 MB, 1984x1700

>>27114717
>maps almost arouse her
I could live with that.

>>27114728
Sounds awesome. Make it happen. You rock. I love you. Let me have your babies.

>>27114728
I can dig it.

>>27114732
I'd like a male engineer and >>27114717
>>27114741
this (female)

>>27114728
Yes.
>>27114741
Agreed. Mercator projection is for scrubs. Equirectangular for the win.

>>27114759
>Mercator projection
That's literally the worst kind of map, especially for navigation.

File: benis.jpg (35 KB, 500x640) Image search: [Google]

35 KB, 500x640

>>27114741

A quick scan over the profile gives you a few more details. The bat pony is a mare, much meeker by all account, even a bit of a recluse, and tends to leap towards sarcasm screaming when put into any sort of bizarre situation, which to her usually means any time that she’s dragged away form the safety of her map cave. Probably the sort of check a hyperconfident captain needs in this sort of expedition. You take a look at her physical specifications. What do you think about her apperance?

>>27114774
I know. Hence it being for scrubs.

>>27114787
I wholeheartedly agree.

>>27114783
She is lean, as we mentioned. Her coat is the soft yellow of an ancient wizened map. Mane the dark brown of slightly faded cartographic ink.

>>27114783
She's the slim and agile.

>>27114783
Sits in dimly lit rooms over maps all day, so not very built. Ink blue coat with light anthracite mane?

Combine.
>>27114807 this coat color
>>27114825 this mane color

>>27114807
Yellow is a bit brighter than I like on my batponies. They have dark shades for coats/manes.

>>27114868
Low saturation greyish yellow?

>>27114868
Agreed, bats are nocturnal beings who have evolved to have darker colors.

>>27114850
I'm ok with reverse this.

>>27114873
Winrar, this one. Best of both worlds.

>>27114873
OK.

>>27114883
>>27114873
Either of these.

QM here. Anthracite (grey-brown) mane with a yellow-brown mane?

>>27114927
>two manes and no coat
Assuming the second one was coat. Okay.

>>27114945
Whoops. Am genius. This is correct.

>>27114873
This for coat.

>>27114960
In that case yes.

>>27114963
Actually, I prefer that too. Can we have the coat be gray-yellow instead of yellow brown? Low saturation looks better on bat pones.

>>27115004
Fair enough. Can we have the mane be brownish yellow then if the coat is greyish yellow?

The mare’s coat is a grey-ish yellow, the color of a fade map, while her mane is a grey-ish brown. Very low saturation, very in for bat ponies, you are led to believe. You realize that you never took a look at her specific details. What is her name and cutie mark?

>>27115030
Sextant.

>>27115030
Cutie mark is an equirectangular map projection of Equestria.
One guy thought it was Mercator one time. She punched him in the throat.

>>27115030
Let's go >>27115049 for the mark and >>27115037 for the name.

>>27115037
>>27115049
I like both of these. The name also makes for a lot of pun-opportunities.

>>27115062
>>27115063
Hell yes. Maybe Silver Sextant for the full name? Alliteration is all the rage these days.

Sextant or Silver Sextant for the name?

>>27115083
This is fine

>>27115091
How about the full thing is our name but we just like to go by the shortened version?

>>27115083
Yeah sure, rolls off the tongue nicely.

>>27115083
>>27115099
Loving it.

>>27115122
You sound like a fag.

>>27115126
Yeah? Well you sound like a... double fag! So hah!

>>27115126
Hey, stop it. I'm going to have to defend him on principle, and not just because he gave me two (you)s of agreement.

Her full name is Silver Sextant, usually just goes by Sextant except when stuck with more puerile company. Her cutie mark is a map, and you almost mistake it for a Marecator before you feel a cold gust of wind and double-check. It’s definitely a Lamblert projection, and her profile says she reacts very poorly to anyone calling it different. You make a mental note to pass that information onto the captain. You make one last pass. What’s her manestyle like? Does she wear any accessories?

>>27115170
Ponytail or bun. Something to keep it out of her eyes since she'll be looking down a lot.

>>27115137
I like Silver Sextant as well, but I try not to sound like a teenage girl about it.

>>27115191
How about headband just for something different? Answers the hair question and the accessory question.

>>27115208
And make it a bright color to stand out against her more subdued tones. Bright green, maybe.

>>27115217
I think green wouldn't be a good match. What about hot pink?

>>27115170
Insufficient information, Arc.
>Lambert cylindrical equal-area projection
>Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection
>Lambert conformal conic projection

>>27115248
Uh... which one is the best for sea navigation.

>>27115231
I actually think that clashes much worse than green, but why the hell not? Let's do it.

>>27115262
The first one. It's also the only one that Celestia could mistake for Mercator without being an idiot.

She has a bright pink hairband that goes surprisingly well with her mane, despite being fairly obvious and standing out. The profile description says its a Lamblert cylindrical equal-area projection, but maps were always more of Luna’s forte. She’ll do just fine for the job by all accounts, and that’s what concerns you.

Well, that’s what concerns you for her. This boat needs to be high-quality no matter what type you get, and by all accounts your highest-rated applicant for engineer is a little bit… unhinged. She was removed from the Equestrian Society of Engineers for being a little bit too radical. For an engineer. And in your experience that’s saying something. Of course, there are other applicants, if you want to pass her over, but she does come highly recommended as an engineer. Are you goin to go with her?

>>27115366
Yes. Go for the nut.

>>27115366
Eyup.

>>27115366
>She was removed from the Equestrian Society of Engineers for being a little bit too radical.
Nobody understood how revolutionary that death ray was.

QM here. Everyone okay with Nutty Bolt as the name?

>>27115404
Is that her name? I'm fine with it, but why are we switching away from us deciding everything?

>>27115404
Awesome. Her cutiemark can be a nut screwed halfway up a bolt. Gives us a name and a mark. Where'd the name come from, Arc?

>>27115404
I'm ok with it.

Well, that tea isn’t getting any hotter, and you suppose that someone radically dangerous can also just be radical. As in cool. Which your tea is getting. Any way, you figure she’s a good starter.. You flip open the file. What race is she?

I'll drop the name concept for now. I just saw "give us the nut" and thought "Nutty Bolt" for name. If you like it, we can do it later.

>>27115479
Earth pony. Necessary is the mother of invention.

>>27115479
Unicorn.

>>27115492
All tech, no magic. Best engineer. Works for Pinkie, anyway.

>>27115501
I'm only okay with unicorn if she's absolute shit with magic. This is an engineer, not a wizard.

>>27115479
Erf
Needs a little sturdiness to survive some of those less successful adventures into engineering.

>>27115531
Yup. High explosives and lasers and all that.

>>27115508
This, and as long as our ship doesn't run on magic, go full tech.

>>27115596
Our ship runs on tech that has been specifically designed to process emotional energy. The engine is basically a mechanical changeling.

She’s an earth pony engineer, which always makes you a bit happy to see. Without fine control and not distracted by always having the ability to fly (something that makes focusing on advanced mathematics pretty difficult) the earth ponies have always been something of grease horses. It also probably helps that she can survive an explosion or two. You take a gander at her cutie mark, as figuring out what it is will probably let you know how well she’ll do on a magitech ship like the ones that the Equestrian navy is composed of.

>>27115607
Oh, that's a neat idea. Like the crystal heart, but smaller and less important artifact.

>>27115607
FULL SPEED NO FEED

>>27115618
A hammer with a crystal head?

>>27115618
A mushroom cloud. I-it only happened once...

>>27115641
Kek. I can only imagine the number of disclaimers in this file.

>>27115641
The idea that a filly got her cutie mark by splitting the atom is terrifying. Maybe just a big explosion? Or >>27115639 but a regular hammer?

>>27115663
A hammer with one side of the head exploding?

>>27115618
I like the idea of a bolt that was floated around earlier, and the idea of a hammer that >>27115639 said.

How about a hammer that is hammering a bolt into a block of metal in clear defiance of how bolts are supposed to be used? WE DON'T PLAY BY THE RULES!

>>27115684
Combine this with the explosion by putting a boom in the background. Yes it's a busy cutiemark, but science is complicated.

QM here. A hammer hitting a bolt with a mushroom cloud in the background?

>>27115713
Yes.

>>27115699
EVERYTHING I LIKE GOES TOGETHER!

>>27115713
A mushroom cloud shaped like a hammer.

>>27115727
We don't need a hammer in front of a cloud shaped like a hammer. One hammer is enough.

>>27115738
I know that. We don't need a hammer if we have a hammer cloud.

For name, I vote Explosive Bolt. We've got a bolt and we've got an explosion. It just works.
"Are bolts supposed to explode?"
"Yes! Science!"

Your eyes boggle a little bit as you look at the cutie mark. It’s a hammer striking a bolt with a mushroom cloud in the background. That’s… a little concerning, and your eyes jump down to the psychological profile which is, uh, extensive. The phrase “it was an accident” and “that only happened once” occur more times than you’re entirely comfortable with, but it’s very clear that she was born for this sort of thing. It would almost be criminal not to let her join.

You look at her photo again, scrutinizing it as you make your mind up. What are her coat and mane colors?

>>27115761
I'm going to vote for regular style explosion on the ground that I want to draw her at some point and a hammer shaped explosion sounds like a pain.

>>27115774
Pink coat, red mane. All warm colors like the fire that she inevitably causes.

>>27115790
I like red mane, but I'm kind of ambivalent about the pink. I'm fine with it though, if nobody has a better suggestion.

>>27115790
>pink erf mare that builds things
Dox, what are you doing?

>>27115809
Maybe an orange instead?

>>27115790
I prefer a dark orange coat and bright pink mane to make it stand out more.
Cut short like her tail to stop unfortunate smoldering occurring.

>>27115853
I love it. Orange and red. It works.

>>27115835
I'm having the time of my fucking life, and you?

>>27115853
This. Orange coat is better than pink. I like the fiery mane, though.

With her burnt orange coat and her fiery red mane, she’s a perfect fit for the types of explosives (or explosive components, so she claims) that she generally works with, and it shows with her closely cropped mane and tightly trimmed tail. You finally look over to get her name. What is it?

>>27115916
System Shock

>>27115916
I still like Explosive Bolt.
>>27115766

File: boat quest 1.png (1 MB, 1200x786) Image search: [Google]

1 MB, 1200x786

>4:50 a.m.
>character creation almost complete
suboptimal timezone to play this quest actively I guess.
Looks promising so far though. I'll read up on this tomorrow.

>>27115935
I like the alliteration, but that sounds more electrical, and this mare is a more mechanical sort.

>>27115953
I have an actual fan and not just someone who was around for Night Delivery.
I'm not crying.
Thank you so much.

>>27115962
She's an engineer m8.
She should work with electrical stuff plenty.

"Explosive Bolt" feels a bit clunky.

>>27115935
This is better. Or what about "Rivet Burst"?

>>27115983
Rivet Burst is better than both of those put together.

Maybe Jury Rigged?

>>27115983
Clunky was what I was going for, but fair enough. I can endorse Rivet Burst.

>>27115975
Not really how this ship works.

>>27115997
Say that ten times fast.

>>27115983
We could also go Bolt Burst if we want to keep the alliteration.

http://strawpoll.me/7404554

>>27116027
Or Burst Bolt. I'm fine with either of those, or the original Rivet Burst. One of those three.

>>27116003
Why would she be named for a ship?

>>27116027
I like the "2 - 1 syllable" version of Rivet Burst better than the "1 - 1 syllable" Bolt Burst.

>>27116054
Me too. Rivet Burst for the win.

>>27116039
I voted Rivet too.

>>27115973
Wait... this isn't going to be lewd, is it?

>>27116097
Aye aye, Captain :^)

>>27116114
Mild disappointment.

>>27116126
Not nearly as lewd as Night Delivery. It might happen but its not going to be a focus at all.

You glance over the three portfolios one last time. You start off with the captain. Golden Arrow, a confidant, brash, muscular sometimes socially inept Crystal stallion with a purple coat and a golden mane. His cutie mark is best described as “finding away” and he is emotionally attuned to confidence. He was an explorer before this and wants to bring glory to Crystal-kind and Equestria as a whole.

The navigator, Silver Sextant, a reclusive cartographer with an uncanny obsession for amps. Her mane is pulled back by a pink headband that contrasts somewhat nicely with her grey-brown mane and her yellow-grey coat. Her cutie mark is a map, and a surprisingly accurate on at that. She’s quiet and a bit sarcastic, and a bat pony with good eyesight and agility, which is aided by her sleek figure.

Finally the mechanic, a ‘unique’ sort named Rivet Burst. She’s a bit volatile and has a disturbing ‘appreciation’ for explosions which she says she has “completely under control”. She has a burnt orange coat and a red mane. An earth pony, most of her magic gives her enhanced durability and senses. Her figure is relatively normal for an earth pony of her age and gender, but her mind certainly isn’t, as she has a high-level grasp of all things mechanical.

>>27116114
Can this not be a lewd quest?

>>27116150
That sounds awesome.

>>27116153
Seconded in the vain hope that Arch can contain himself.

>>27116153
This so much please.

>>27116171
>thinking arch can contain himself

>>27116126
>>27116126
I was joking.
I can see it now though.
>O-oh Cap, I need more nitroglycerine!
>After last time Rivet? I'd need a pretty damn good reason for that!
>I can give you one Captain~

>>27116150
Seems we have our expedition sorted out. Can we choose our own boat? Any anon here a boat-ologist?

>>27116150
>an uncanny obsession for amps
Our navigator must have a musical side.

>>27116150
I already waifu Rivet Burst.

Well, that’s all squared away. You finally look at your tea and take a sip before uttering a defeated sigh. Totally cold. You ring a bell and order a new cup. Golden Arrow can take care of the rest of this. You have been balancing budgets for a month now, and you really need a break.

It’s not long before the preparations get underway. Letters dispersed, papers confirmed, funds allocated, and quickly the captain is given his call to action and reports to Canterlot.

You are now Golden Arrow, and you are, in a word, pumped. Years of sailing, hard work, and generally just being the best damn boatpony has made you ready as all hell to get this underway. You eagerly listen to the Admiral as he explains to you the importance of this mission.

“The East Sea is perhaps the last great horizon,” he say with a serious look on his face. His office is pristine, carefully kept, and there’s even a maid pony carefully dusting the pictures behind Admiral Whitewater himself. One hoof casually comes up to brush his mustache as he talks. “Untold riches and horrible danger may await you. I hope that you are prepared for such a task.”

>Input Conversation.

>>27116303
Ready and eager, Admiral!

>>27116303
Sir, I could not be more prepared for this if I tired.

>>27116303
If I wasn't prepared then I wouldn't be here.

>>27116303
Lean forward and show the admiral your game face. Demand that he see your inner fire.

So what about those paddle steamers? Think that'd be cool? Maybe of Rivet's design? Or maybe powered by magic means?

>>27116303
Stand up abruptly, knocking over a chair in the process as you fail to contain your enthusiasm.

“Sir!” You say with a striking tone. “Can’t you see the fire in my eyes?” You open your eyes just a little bit wider to make sure that he can, just in case. “I couldn’t be more prepared for this if I tried!” There’s a brief pause. The admiral coughs. You retake your seat. “That is, uh, yes sir, I am prepared for that.” You give him a smile.

The admiral pauses for a moment and nods once more. “Very good,” he said. “You remind me of a younger me. Maybe a little bit more… exuberant.” He pulls out a thick sheaf of paper and places it on the deck. “Now, there are three basic models we’re working with. The Guppy, the Trout, and the Whale. Each of them is, naturally, larger than the last. I could go into the specific, but I, ahem, well my memory isn’t as good as it used to be. Mostly I’ll put it this way: the smaller the boat, the more tech we can afford.”

“Most modern ships are crystal based technologies,” he explains. “And what with the modularity involved, we can give them a few distinct qualities. For example, a speed module will increase the strength of the engine, while an efficiency module will grant you superior fuel economy. However, the Guppy can have three, the Trout two, and the Whale one. The Guppy is intended for five crew, with a skeleton crew of three, the Trout is designed for ten crew with a skeleton crew of five, and the Whale is designed for twenty crew with a skeleton crew of ten. We can only supply you with a minimum of ponies, I’m afraid. Its the way the budget works. Which one would you prefer?”

>>27116465
Small boat. I want all the cool toys.

>>27116465
So you're saying the smaller the boat the better it will be? That sounds like an easy decision to me.

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>>27116465
>the smaller ships have more slots

>>27116465
An exploratory vessel needs to focus on speed and efficiency. A large boat isn't the best suited.
A medium boat is a good choice, giving more room for supplies, crew and equipment.
For us however, the smallest is the best fit. Quick and well equipped with a small crew.

>>27116465
I really like the idea of a small comfy boat with only us three on it. Smol.

>>27116465
Smol

>>27116505
The slots don't take up SPACE, they are UPGRADES, and therefore would take more money/resources, which bigger ships take more of.

>>27116465
Smaller.

>>27116465
Can we get more upgrades in the future?

>>27116681
We have a mad scientist in our employ. Just TRY to stop her from inventing upgrades for the ship.

>>27116704
In that case we can go for the whale and a speed upgrade. We'll become the toughest ship in the sea and we'll have a huge cargo hold for all of the treasure we'll find.

“In my VAST EXPERIENCE as a boat captain, I have learned that speed and efficiency trump power and capacity EVERY TIME!” You assure the admiral. “I shall take the Guppy, but it shall be like a SHARK in my hooves!” You announce. “Now, tell me of these modules, that I may decide how to best ADORN MY CRAFT.”

The elderly green seapony nods slowly, a little less ruffled by your volume this time. “Well, the most basic functions are simple. Efficiency reduces the amount of fuel you use, power makes your cannons strong, and speed makes your engines faster. There are a couple of more unique ones. A shifting module makes it so that you can shift your boat into a combat mode, increasing fuel consumption but empowering defense and attack. The party module, designed by a bizarre pink engineer from lower ranks, increases crew morale but lowers crew output. The capacity module means that your ship is a bit more susceptible to strange magics but it is bigger on the inside. Finally, the three overhaul modules completely change how your ship operates. The submarine module puts you under the waves, the living module makes it more of a genius loci, with a rudimentary consciousness, and the adaptive module means that certain stimuli will cause your boat to shift with them. In my opinion they’re more trouble than they’re worth, but you may find a use for them.”

Which three will you pick?

Discuss amongst yourself. If you don’t come to a consensus in a bit I’ll make a poll with the front-runners. More updates will come later, but they will be rare. Also, is the EXUBERANT speaking style okay, or should I cut it?

>>27116731
Or we can go for the guppy and have three starting upgrades, plus another half dozen that Rivet makes. More toys equals more fun.

>>27116740
Sub module, speed module, efficiency module.

>>27116740
>The submarine module puts you under the waves
Whatever else we pick, I want this to be one of them.

>>27116740
I like the sound of the weird shit best.
Party module.
Capacity module.
Submarine module.

>>27116754
This.

>>27116740
Can we get more in the future?

>>27116754
This seems pretty optimal.

>>27116740
Adaptive speed and party sounds good.

>>27116740
This might be a long voyage where we are cut off. Efficiency and morale are most important in this case.

Efficiency, party, sub.

>>27116740

>living ship module

How living is it? Is it just "the boat can talk but is otherwise normal", or something like "the boat has been partially merged with a magical semi-sentient plant organism that can repair it over time by growing, among other things"? Because the latter would be something I'd like to see.

>>27116837
>>27116754
Either of these. Kinda like the ponk module, not going to lie.

>>27116845
I'm partial to the ponk module as well, honestly.

>>27116859
Fine. You've convinced me. Changing my vote from >>27116754 to >>27116837.

>>27116875
Why not allow multiple options so we can pick 3?

http://strawpoll.me/7404993
I'm an idiot.

>>27116875
You still haven't answered the question about whether or not we can get more modules in the future. It would influence the decisions.

>>27116899
Yes you can.

>>27116740

I really want the adaptive module. It means our engineer would never get bored aboard our ever changing ship.

>>27116929
She'll never get bored anyway. And I prefer just sub for weird shit.>>27116929

>>27116991
Why did you pick not what we voted for?

“First of all, the SUBMARINE is clearly one of the best choices!” You proclaim. “I shall take that, with the EFFICIENCY upgrade in order to make sure that I am not caught in a bad situation when things are the MOST CRITICAL. Finally, the PARTY, lest I get bored in the long transit between locations.”

The admiral nods and takes note of all of these, horn glowing as he jots down notes quickly. “Alright,” he said. “That’s about all of it. Now, two more things. I had been informed that like most Crystal sailors, you have a single unique artifact that you own? Something shaped to assist you in day to day tasks and combat? May I ask what it is?”

Selected a linked artifact. It will always come back to you one way or another and may have basically any function as long as it’s not too broken.

>>27116991
Uh. Party has two more votes than speed

>>27116999
Catapult.

I meant to put party and switched it out when I realized the mistake. Calm down.

>>27116999
Can you please show enthusiasm in some way other than making him shout every other word? That's going to get obnoxious really quick.

>>27117011
Oh good. Parties are fun.
>>27117014
I disagree. It's an amusing vocal tic.

>>27117019
You and I will have to agree to disagree, ecause it reads like one of those video games where they highlight important words.

>The SOS came from the BOTTLE SHIP.
>The signal was codenamed BABY'S CRY because of its intent to draw attention.
>THE BABY

>>27117040
Yeah, I'll drop it.

Any votes for a linked artifact? I only say catapult.

>>27117055
What about that thing from earlier where the engine feeds on emotions?

>>27117040
That only makes me like it more, but I imagine more people agree with you. I'll let the tic go. He can show his enthusiasm other ways.

>>27116999
How about a magical spyglass? We enjoy exploring after all, and it's more portable than a catapult. It can be enchanted to see in all sorts of unusual ways.

>>27117069
Not a linked artifact. Just the ship's engine.

>>27117079
Oh, that's standard? Neat