damnit starlight.

@Neop  
I can understand how a story can go through revisions, and while the “lost” parts might be worse, sometimes the “fix” still doesn’t result in a “good” story. Even if it is “better” than what it would have been. I’ve made this same mistake myself in writing fanfic, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it is far better to finish the project completely before revealing any of it for public consumption. You can make all the changes you need, see how it looks after changes, and make more if needed. A comic needs such processes for the writing portions just as much as literature. It just has the additional step that art needs to be produced to fit the scenes.
 
After I replied here, I did go through and look at all the other art under your artist tag in Derpibooru. As I suspected, lots of cute pones. Keep up the good work on that, as I’ve seen some clear progression from the older pics to the newer. I do like the somewhat whimsical style you’ve developed for them.
 
If it takes another large backlash to call the project dead, then I can only hope something of that sort happens. It is no surprise that there are fans of even this, and I’d honestly blame that on your art and low standards for writing/content among some viewers. I’m pretty sure if you spent your time and energy on a new, possibly better project, you’d please those very same people as well as more.
 
Anyway. I’m unsubscribing from this image. If you want to talk further, message me privately. It feels like we’ve depleted the topic relating to this comic/image, and anything further would be unsuitable for here.

@Neop
 
oh of course, this whole time you had such doubts and worries that it didn’t quite seem to fit the characters, because you should have had the great and powerful trixie do mind manipulation on derpy! starlight? more like assistantlight! trixie is clearly the superior magician.
 
I think you made the right decision here. starlight (or trixie *sob*) doesn’t really even need to be in this story. I don’t think people are right for getting all up in arms that “starlight would nevar do that!” she certainly would, and it would be awesome, in the right story for it. like maybe a story where starlight was a two-faced manipulator, and acted flustered and socially awkward around twilight in order to earn her trust, until twilight found out… but uh… this story’s about derpy.
 
I don’t think you should continue the comic just because we like it. we’re two bit fave whores. we’ll go nuts over anything! just do what you enjoy, and try to share your joy with us, and it should work out great. even if… that… joy is… (grinds teeth) solo ponies on gradient backgrounds…

@Cryosite  
Thanks for the honest feedback.
 
I admit this scene almost killed my motivation for this comic. The main reason why I’m still going on is that I have a strong feel of responsibility for those who actually seem to like it - be it for the story or just the art alone. Anyway, the comic probably won’t survive another backlash.
 
I don’t know if I had talked about why the story went this way, or if there is any point in explaining (I don’t want to convince you to read the comic as I’m really not proud of it anymore after this scene happened), but in case anyone is interested to know:
 
The scene was planned differently. Derpy and Starlight were going to start a fight in which Starlight tried to do mind manipulation on Derpy. Changeling-Derpy would have resisted Starlight’s strong magic since she is a master of mind games herself, mocking Starlight to be a weak magician (which she isn’t).
 
I didn’t notice the scene was this far off-canon (I’m a little blind for story issues), so I told the writer to pull the emergency brake after the shit storm happened. He didn’t want to drop the scene entirely so I made him cut it as short as possible and never mention Starlight again (she would have informed the Princesses, helping them find the changeling - that was the point of the scene).
 
I can only apologize again for messing the story up. The writer made her extremely ooc (it wasn’t hate as far as I know but not understanding her actual character) and I made him rip her out of the story so it doesn’t spread to the later chapters.

I saw the latest comic: >>1734218 in my feed, was curious about the cute art, so I went to the start of the comic, read it all the way to that latest comic.
 
I was pretty highly offput by this particular page though. Even after reading ahead and seeing the in-story reasoning going on, I simply don’t buy it. While the comic tries to portray this “past” and it certainly gives this version of Derpy a reason to dislike Starlight, it still doesn’t feel like Starlight has reason to treat Derpy this way. This still feels way out of character for her.
 
It seems like the story will move on without bringing Starlight up any more. While this probably satisfies some readers, it just goes to show how badly this story is written. It wasn’t important to bring up, so why do so? The accusations that the author simply hates Starlight carry a lot of weight still. This was just a stab at a character rather than an important piece of a story. Rather than get on with what the story is actually about, we just get a display of the author’s dislike of a character.
 
Neop, your art is cute. I’m interested in seeing more you’ve done besides this comic.
 
I’ll be blocking the tag for this comic though because it’s not worth seeing any more of it. Even if it ever finishes, it has already shown to be poorly written, and it’s a bit sad that your talents are being dragged down by working with this author.

@Background Pony #0B41  
She still seems a bit OOC/mean to me though.

Thank goodness it looks like these insults are getting explained in the next few pages (they apparently have bad history together). I had also been thinking this was pretty OOC for post-S5 Starlight.

@Perteks  
I’m talking about after they were both reformed.
 
And there was a time Trixie was a tyrant too. (Granted, she was sort’ve possessed.)

@Mr grump  
Glimmer as a villain was filled with rage. She mocked Twilight’s failure to stop her, but she never just tossed out random insults at ponies that had done her no harm. She hated Twilight with a passion that drove her magic to the very heights of her capabilities.
 
Unless Derpy somehow managed to ruin Glimmer’s life, yeah, this is unlike Starlight.

@Beau Skunky  
Trixie perfomer with overhead ego vs tyran with ‘equal and more equal’ idealogy hmm nah, trixie was petty, starlight was asshole

@Mr grump  
Yeah, she was no saint. (Some tend to forget that about her, or Sunset) but regardless, after her redemption, even at her worst, (like casting spells on Big Mac or friends) she was never quite as bad as the above page.
 
In fact, ironically Trixie is more rude & insensitive then she is, even after her heel-face-turn too.

@Background Pony #3876  
Oh yeah, bad glimmer was so respectfull. Firing laser beams at defenceless ponies is the height of civility.  
And remember when she nearly burst a vein screaming at people to shut up? Completely respectfull.
 
C’mon man, bad glimmer was a lot of thing but respectfull wasn’t one of them. Smarmy, delusional, insincere and phychotic are more apt.

Okay. NO That is not Starlight. Even when she was bad, she still treated others with respect and only mocked others that wronged her personally. Even then it was never lowbrow or as direct. Not mouth off slander at a given notice just based on paltry rumors. Dragging Trixie with her is just pushing it. This a poor example of character usage p, and all just to fulfill the old “mean girls” insult outcast cliche. I mean really.

 
damn, starlight…

dude wtf starlight

@Perteks  
Ah. That’s fine, then. :3

@Beau Skunky  
How? Trixie pointed out that she could hear them, making it clear that she was saying it ‘behind back’ and later just getting cocky.

@Perteks  
I see no difference personally. Also, technically, she’s not really doing it behind her back here.

@thps48  
Yes, especially after few beers, you can point out my flaws that would help me to not make them next time :P
 
 
@Background Pony #C868  
can dance could avoid Celestia, but yeah they are kind of blind for spotting changelings

@Beau Skunky  
Kids namecalling and insulting behind back somebody who have reputation of retard and walking disaster?  
Antagonizing and insulting somebody is 2 different things

@Perteks  
And for changeling comments, then you make trixie an idiot
 
Not really. Ponies are apparently just really bad at recognizing changelings. Only Twilight has been able to spot weirdness in a pony and suspect something was wrong. Celestia herself apparently didn’t recognize that Candance had been taken, and Candance is her niece. So yeah, Trixie seeing Starlight acting differently and not assuming anything is wrong is pretty normal.

@Perteks  
English is difficult, yes. XD

@Perteks  

 
“BLANK-FLANK! BLANK-FLANK!”
 
I’m pretty sure “insults” from mean characters are allowed in TV-Y rated shows. I can recall some in other shows.

@soundtea  
I’m not dodging the question, if you can’t get that they can’t show that kind of actions in that rating for somebody who will for sure use that kind of comments on other ‘less fortunate’ to her friends, thinking that they can’t hear them.
 
And for changeling comments, then you make trixie an idiot

Agree on the OOC comments. Starlight has self control and socialization problems, but she’s not pre-reform Diamond Tiara. REALLY should have chosen someone else to play the asshole, because randomly insulting someone just doesn’t seem like Starlight.