A look at what makes Ponyville different from some other places, and some quick
+ s,
- s, and
+/- s.
It is not long before you are greeted by a maid, who politely opens the gate for you, having come back to your small estate in…
[ ] Canterlot – Your estate is literally in the "noble" part of the capital, although still of the "minor" strata that your family is part of, so subtlety will be a must if you are planning on doing suspicious things in person. Here you administer part of your family's several ownings across Equestria, and several other noble families are literally at a stone's throw. Princess Luna, as well as Princess Celestia, are much easier to gain access to. (Low anonymity, great opportunity for interesting contacts, Luna and Celestia)
[ ] Ponyville – You have a rather isolated estate, being the only member of nobility in town, so you need not care much for subtlety when doing things in person. You administer large swathes of land, used for farming, that are owned by your family. The prodigious Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's protege, lives here, but apart from her the town is mostly populated by simple ponies. (High anonymity, low opportunity for interesting contacts, Twilight Sparkle and her friends are here)
[ ] The Crystal Empire – The recently rediscovered Crystal Empire has its own nobles and population, and you are not a part of it. The just-now-unfrozen population is warm to newcomers, though, and quite charming in their own way. Your estate is in a somewhat isolated place, from where you administer your family's trade efforts into the newfound empire, but you will always stick out like a sore hoof by sheer virtue of not being a crystal pony. It is governed by Princess Cadence and her husband, and is (or will be) the birthplace of Princess Flurry Heart. (Medium anonymity and opportunity for interesting contacts, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Flurry Heart, if she has already been borne, live here) UNAVAILABLE FOR THE PATH THROUGH NIGHTMARES
[ ] Manehattan – A bustling city, where all sorts of ponies gather and all manners of livelihoods collide. You administer you family's assets from your manor, in the higher well-to-do part of town. There are no princesses here, and all manners of interesting creatures and scoundrels are going about their businesses. But it's the place where you married and had a child, so it feels like home. (Everything is everywhere at once, wildcard option but no alicorns)
From a budding cult's point of view, Ponyville was the high anonymity, low opportunity for interesting contacts, Twilight and friends present option. We also know Ponyville was an Earth Pony farming settlement that grew into what it is now, and is located near the very-large Everfree Forest.
At this point, Ponyville is "quite large, but by no means the size of a town", and is still small enough that the head of the local government can keep up with issues as they happen, and still personally talk to most of her constituents and resolve their issues without getting her office involved.
Ponyville, like other large Equestrian cities, is connected by railway to other population centers like Manehattan and Canterlot. Even in a more remote place like Ponyville, non-functional railways are a cause for concern, as seen with the Luna disappearance incident.
There are obviously other methods in and out (Pegasi have wings, Royal carriage flying a few ponies in and out, just walking/running, Wendigos can also fly or something, Names/the Master can do their own funky things to get around when personally motivated) but the train is the most common way ponies move in and out of Ponyville.
The question is: should Mayor Mare put her efforts toward supporting and speeding up the inevitable population increase (with Velvet's stamp of approval), or let it happen and the "direction things go in will be left to chance"?
+s:
+ Potential increased influence as a public figure
+ If PC time is mostly spent in Ponyville, fewer ponies exposed to Evil and Paranoia
+ Larger Ponyville economy may mean more bits to go around
- Ponies may be able to lend more in a pinch
- Potentially increased purchasing opportunities for occult items
-s
-More ponies will get caught in crossfire between feuding Lore practitioners
-Potentially more difficult to keep track of overall public opinion/living situation in Ponyville
-If Lunar Bureau business happens in a larger Ponyville, potentially harder to say "Don't send any help, I've got this on my own"
- Potentially more immediate powderkeg situation in close proximity to PC's home base, with enough absences and Evil+Paranoia
-Potential law and order/infrastructure issues if local gov is not equipped to handle crises
-Potential small to large problems to and from environment/Everfree Forest inhabitants (logging, rerouting rivers, mining hills, railway expansion)
- Not sure how bad environmental problems can be? Low-end: Mayor Mare can successfully resolve it without further problems. High-end, giant bears/adult dragons/parasprites.
+/- Wherever population density increases, social instability does as well.
+/- Potential to make Velvet Hill more bits
+/- Those liable to go unnoticed, may find it even easier to blend in (Jade Whistle, enemies, ordinary criminals)
+/- Potential for increased attention from the Crown
^By no means a complete list, but somewhere to start at least.
Mayor Mare obviously has mixed feelings about Velvet's prominence to the public in Ponyville, and what that means for her as the mayor. Casually hosting a Princess doesn't really help with that.
Socials with her in the future are worth considering more closely, even if it might mean sending Rarity or another contact to keep in touch with her.
