20 Best Binary Options Brokers (April 2020)

Installing ALOT, ALOV, MEUITM, and other mods for Mass Effect on Linux

Introduction

Valve's Proton allows Steam users to run games that don't have a native Linux implementation on their Linux machines. It's amazing. Mass Effect is has a Gold rating on ProtonDB which means it runs well when using Proton, with minor adjustments. If you have the game on Origin or you have a physical copy, you can also play on Linux, but you'll have to use Lutris or something similar instead.
Unfortunately, there's not much out there on how to install mods such as A Lot Of Textures (ALOT) and A Lot of Videos (ALOV) for Mass Effect on Linux. It took a lot of work to figure it out, but I was able to do it. Here are some notes I've compiled in my quest in case you want to give it a go.

First...

This guide is assuming you're using Steam. Origin and physical copy users might find these notes useful though.
These are the system specs of the machine I played Mass Effect on:
This guide should apply to most Linux distros, I suspect. For example, GrayDog on YouTube is running Fedora 32 with ALOT and ALOV installed according to this video.
In this guide, I will assume the following:
Finally, this guide is not exhaustive as it's entirely based off of my experience. There might be multiple ways to install these mods or some steps that aren't actually required. If you have any interesting information about installing mods for Mass Effect on Linux, let me know!

Install and run your game once

First, install a fresh copy of Mass Effect. Then run the game to make sure it works and so that Steam creates compatibility files that it needs for Proton to work its magic.
I highly recommend that you backup your game if you have the storage space because it's possible you'll mess up and need to reinstall. If you have any saves in /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/17460/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuseMy\ Documents/BioWare/Mass\ Effect/Save/, make sure to back those up too.

Installing DLC + The Audio Issue

Next, you should install at least the Bring Down the Sky DLC first because some mods, like ME1 Recalibrated, require it. If you want Pinnacle Station, you should install that now too. Read this Steam guide by Flabdad. It explains how to download and install the DLC. It also specifies a way to fix the audio issue, but there have been reported problems with that method according to this GitHub issue comment.
The method to fix the audio issue that I recommend is by LennoxLuther on ProtonDB.

Before Installing Any Mods

First thing to do is to download binkw23.dll and bink32.dll from here. Put those files in /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Mass\ Effect/Binaries/. While testing, I've actually installed texture mods without these two dlls and I didn't run into much trouble. I would still install them anyway.

ME1 Recalibrated

Downloaded the exe version of this mod because installing the exe is the same as installing Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station exes. Below is an example.
export STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH="/home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/17460/"; python3 /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Proton\ 5.0/proton waitforexitandrun /home/useGames/mass-effect/mods/ME1-recalibrated/ME1\ Recalibrated\ \(overwrites\ using\ exe\ installer\)-114-2-2-3-1590649034.exe

Improved Mako

Installing this mod is very similar to how you would do it on Windows.
Keep a copy of the old BIOGame.ini somewhere in case you want to change back.
Extract BIOGame.ini from the archive you downloaded and put it in /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/17460/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuseMy\ Documents/BioWare/Mass\ Effect/Config/ to replace the existing version.
Alternatively, you can edit the original BIOGame.ini. Look for RBPhysicsGravityScaling under the [Engine.WorldInfo] section and change it to 1.27 or your desired gravity levels.

Mass Effect Mouse Fix

Installing this mod is also very similar to how you would do it on Windows.
Keep a copy of the old dinput8.dll somewhere in case you want to change back.
Extract dinput8.dll from the archive you downloaded and put it in /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Mass\ Effect/Binaries/.

ENB or Reshade with SweetFX for Mass Effect 1

Installing this mod is also very similar to how you would do it on Windows.
Extract the rar archive into /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Mass\ Effect/Binaries/.
To uninstall, just delete those same files that you extracted.

A Lot of Videos (ALOV) for ME1

Extract all desired files from the archives you downloaded. From the main ALOV archive, you'll get two directories, BaseGame and BDTS.
In BaseGames, there is a Movies directory. Replace the contents of /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Mass\ Effect/BioGame/CookedPC/Movies/ with this directory's contents.
In BDTS, there is also a Movies directory. Replace the contents of /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Mass\ Effect/DLC/DLC_UNC/Movies/ with this directory's contents.
To install the optional FTL loading screen, take the lone UCW_Loading_Flyby.bik and replace /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Mass\ Effect/BioGame/CookedPC/Movies/UCW_Loading_Flyby.bik with that file.

Before downloading texture mods...

Disclaimer: I had a lot of problems installing texture mods. I was not able to install MEUITM and ALOT with 100% stability, i.e. my game crashed a couple times when I clicked "Investigate" in conversation. Also, I ran into issues where shadows didn't function properly when I installed MEUITM first then ALOT after, e.g. default male Shepard's face became completely black.
Download the Linux zips from here and extract. If the Linux zips aren't in the current release, try another.
First, run ./MassEffectModder.AppImage. Set the game path, e.g. /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Mass\ Effect/Binaries/MassEffect.exe, and the user path, e.g. /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/17460/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuseMy\ Documents/BioWare/Mass\ Effect. What this will do is create a configuration file named /home/use.config/MassEffectModdeMassEffectModder.ini. The reason I use the GUI instead of the CLI version is that MassEffectModderNoGui gets stuck at this line due to an error. I've never written any program in C++, but I know that a single C++ program might run differently on different OSes as well as different machines. In any case, the owner of the MassEffectModder repository removed the Linux programs in the latest release at the time of writing.
If you're using Steam and the version of Proton you're using is 5.0 or newer, you can skip to the next section.
If you're using an older version of Proton, you'll should enable the PROTON_FORCE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE launch option because it's not enabled by default unlike Proton 5.0 and newer. You can skip to the next section.
Otherwise, you should use ./MassEffectModderNoGui to apply the large address awareness fix to ME1. Below is an example.
/home/useGames/mass-effect/mods/MassEffectModderNoGui --apply-me1-laa
I say "should" because the crashes I experienced usually occur due to LAA not working properly, according to C3Anderson the creator of MEUITM. However, I did try Mass Effect with LAA disabled and I felt that my game crashed more than when I had LAA enabled. In short, I believe there is nothing to lose by enabling LAA.

MEUITM and A Lot Of Textures (ALOT) for ME1

This section will be to install both MEUITM and ALOT.
Once you have the zip archives, extract the contents.
For MEUITM, in the mods directory, there will be many mem files. Some mems will overwrite each other. Check installer.ini, which was also extracted, to see which files correspond to which texture packs. Choose one of each type and move or delete the others. For example, I deleted Eyes_Vibrant.mem and kept Eyes_Vanillastyle.mem.
There will also be some zip archives in the MEUITM directory. I've never tried installing them, but I suspect installing them only requires extracting the files to the proper locations similar to the SweetFX mod.
Consolidate the MEUITM and ALOT mem files into one directory. Typically, the MEUITM is installed before ALOT. With all mem files in one directory, the ALOT mems will be installed first since those files come first lexigraphically. If you want to ALOT textures to override MEUITM textures, I would add some z's to the beginning of the ALOT mem files. To check if the ALOT files were properly installed after MEUITM, compare your game to these photos.
Use ./MassEffectModderNoGui to install the textures. Below is an example.
/home/useGames/mass-effect/mods/MassEffectModderNoGui --install-mods --gameid 1 --input /home/useGames/mass-effect/mods/MEUITM/mods/ --alot-mode --limit-2k
If you want to try the 4K textures, remove the --limit-2k flag.
If you run into issues here, you'll need to reinstall your game (I hope you have a backup!) and all other mods.

After installing texture mods...

This section is optional. The reason this section is optional is because although the textures looked better when I did, I felt that the game crashed more than when I skipped this step. Skipping this step should reduce and possibly eliminate crashes. I say "possibly eliminate" because I played the last 10 hours of a playthrough with the original BIOEngine.ini and experienced no crashes.
Use ./MassEffectModderNoGui to update the BIOEngine.ini. Below is an example.
/home/useGames/mass-effect/mods/MassEffectModderNoGui --apply-lods-gfx --gameid 1 --meuitm-mode --limit-2k
I would not recommend removing the --limit-2k flag. My game crashed on startup when I did.
If you want to undo this, you can move /home/use.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/17460/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuseMy\ Documents/BioWare/Mass\ Effect/Config/BIOEngine.ini out of the Config directory and run Mass Effect. This should generate the original ini.

Final Remarks

Feel free to ask questions if something doesn't work. I tried a lot of things to get these mods to work so I might have forgotten to add a step or something.
Okay, that's all. Good luck and have fun!
Edit: Changed my confidence level on reason why MassEffectModderNoGui didn't work for setting game paths
submitted by pixieSteak to masseffect [link] [comments]

Gaarawarr's Guide to Greengrass - Year 3

Last Updated: April 8th, 2020, at 8:27pm PDT - Added tips for The Problem Solvers and Wheat from the Chaff for brand new players
Last Updated: April 2nd, 2020, at 3:15pm PDT - Updated Melf's upgrade info; guide complete unless I missed something
Last Updated: April 1st, 2020, at 9:41pm PDT - Updated Melf's Feat info
Last Updated: Initial Post
 

Event Introduction

The start of spring is traditionally marked by a day of peace and rejoicing, featuring beautiful displays of flowers in celebration of Lathander, God of Spring and The Morninglord. Unfortunately for the town of Triboar on the Sword Coast, their celebrations are interrupted by the arrival of a githyanki raiding party...
Greengrass runs from Wednesday April 1st, 2020, at Noon PST, thru Monday April 13th, 2020, at Noon PST.
You can find the official Greengrass blog post here.
 

General Event Tips

I highly recommend reading my Guide to Event Planning for basic progression information and ways to maximize your gains/efficiency during Events. There is too much information to put here as this specific Event guide is long enough already.
 
Don't be afraid to ask questions in the comment section! Also, I stream the game now and welcome any and all questions there as well!
You can find all of my Idle Champions guides here.
Good luck & have fun!
~ Gaar
 
Note: Event guides are always a work-in-progress and will update over time so check back frequently! I'll note at the top in the revisions area when it's complete.
Important: In Year 3 and beyond, there will be a lot to do to unlock all Champions Gear from an Event if it's your first time doing it. I recommend focusing your time and resources on Gear for no more than 2 Champions as a new player. You can still unlock all 3 Champions though, and should. Your Event tokens are a finite resource, as is your time, and it can be challenging enough to complete two full sets of adventures as a new player, not to mention have time left to do Free Plays for more gear. You also end up with fewer Chests for each Champion if you go for 3+ Champions per Event.
Feel free to ask in the comments about which Champions are recommended in the current iteration of the game so you can make an informed decision on how to spend your time.
 

Year One Champion - Nrakk, the Githzerai Monk

You can find their Event Guide here.
Feel free to ask questions about them and their formations here in the comments as the linked discussion may be locked to new comments.
 

Year Two Champion - Aila, the Wild Elf Barbarian

You can find their Event Guide here.
Feel free to ask questions about them and their formations here in the comments as the linked discussion may be locked to new comments.
 

Year Three Champion - Melf, the Elf FighteWizard

You can read their original Champion Spotlight here.
Slot 12: Swaps with Arkhan, Azaka, Nerys, & Zorbu.
Good with: Elves; everyone
Eligible for Patrons: Mirt, Vajra, & Strahd
 
Class Race Alignment Gender Age Affiliation Role(s) Overwhelm Point
FighteWizard Elf Neutral Good Male 210 None Support 5
 
Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Wisdom Charisma
17 15 14 19 11 10
 
Bio: Born into the royal family of Celene, he assumed the simple name of Melf eschewing a life of comfort as a noble to study the arcane arts and train as a swordsman. He delved in the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk, the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth and many other harrowing places honing his skills, knowledge and amassing powerful magic items. Melf sees himself as a weapon of weal hurtling toward the heart of the darkest evils in the realm. He is opinionated and has a touch of conceit that he is blissfully ignorant of possessing.
 
Base Attack Speed: 5 seconds
Basic Attack: Zagyg’s Needle - Melf leaps out and attacks the nearest enemy with his magic spear. If Melf has any Minute Meteors active, he fires one at a random enemy as well.
Ultimate: Melf's Minute Meteors — Melf summons six Minute Meteors that float around him. They are fired when he attacks normally and deal BUD-based damage to all enemies in a small area.
 

Interesting Abilities

Melf's Adaptive Support Spell: Melf creates a new spell to assist the formation. He customizes it based on the Champions in the formation and where Melf is placed within it. It increases the damage of Champions adjacent to Melf by 100% and that value is augmented based on some other parameters, each of which applies multiplicatively.
  • If there is another Elf (aside from Melf) in the formation, increase the effect by 50%
  • Increase the range by 2 if Melf is not in the front-most or rear-most columns in the formation (affects all champions within 3 slots)
  • Increase the effect by 10% for each unique race in the formation
This ability is buffed by upgrades and equipment (buffs apply to the final calculated value, not the individual increases).
Melf's Augmented Support Spell: Melf augments his Adaptive Support Spell for each Champion it affects.
  • Increase the effect by 50% on the non-dominant gender in the formation (applies to non-binary champions all the time)
  • Increase the effect by 50% for each slot away from Melf a Champion is (multiplicatively)
Melf's Speedy Supplement: Melf provides one of the following effects at random. A new effect is chosen at random every 50 areas (though it could pick the same one multiple times in a row).
  • Increase chance to spawn an additional enemy with each wave by 25%
  • Increase enemy spawn speed by 25%
  • Increase chance of double quest drops by 25%
This ability is buffed by equipment; note if the chance of double quest drops gets above 100% it will then always cause double quest drops with a chance to cause triple quest drops, etc. Likewise with spawning additional enemies with each wave.
Melf's Righteous Determination: Melf knows exactly what evil is. Whenever an enemy spawns it has a 50% chance of being deemed "evil" by Melf. Enemies that are deemed evil take 100% more damage from all Ultimate attacks.
 

Specializations

Bonus Adaption: Increases the effect of Melf's Adaptive Support Spell by 100%
Extra Supplements: Increase the effect of Melf's Speedy Supplement by 100%
Absolute Righteousness: Increase the effect of Melf's Righteous Determination by 100%
 

Equipment

Slot 1: Spear - Increases the damage of all Champions
Slot 2: Shield - Increases the damage of all Champions
Slot 3: Cloak - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability
Slot 4: Spellbook - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Speedy Supplement ability
Slot 5: Chainmail - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Righteous Determination ability
Slot 6: Meteor - Buffs Melf's Ultimate attack Damage
 

Feats

First slot is available at 60 while the second is available at 1140.
Default: Selflessness - Increases the damage of all Champions by 10%
Default: Supportive Ally - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 20%
12,500 Gems: Inspiring Leader - Increases the damage of all Champions by 25%
12,500 Gems: Melf's Medium Meteors - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Righteous Determination ability by 40%
Gold Chest: Encouraging Ally - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 40%
Gold Chest: Rushed Plans - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Speedy Supplement ability by 40%
 

Level Upgrades

  • 20 - Melf's Adaptive Support Spell
  • 40 - Increases the damage of Melf by 100%
  • 50 - Increases the damage of all Champions by 200%
  • 60 - Melf's Righteous Determination
  • 65 - Increases the damage of Melf by 100%
  • 70 - Melf's Speedy Supplement
  • 80 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
  • 85 - Increases the damage of Melf by 100%
  • 90 - Increases the damage of all Champions by 200%
  • 95 - Ultimate
  • 100 - Specialization Choice
  • 110 - Increases the damage of Melf by 100%
  • 120 - Melf's Augmented Support Spell
  • 140 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
  • 150 - Increases the damage of Melf by 100%
  • 160 - Increases the damage of all Champions by 200%
  • 210 - Increases the damage of Melf by 200%
  • 230 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
  • 250 - Increases the damage of Melf by 200%
  • 300 - Increases the damage of Melf by 200%
  • 350 - Increases the damage of all Champions by 200%
  • 360 - Increases the damage of Melf by 200%
  • 370 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
  • 430 - Increases the damage of Melf by 200%
  • 490 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 500 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
  • 550 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 560 - Increases the damage of all Champions by 200%
  • 585 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 645 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 655 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
  • 725 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 765 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 775 - Increases the damage of all Champions by 200%
  • 815 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
  • 825 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 920 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 935 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
  • 950 - Increases the damage of all Champions by 200%
  • 1010 - Increases the damage of Melf by 300%
  • 1025 - Increases the damage of all Champions by 100%
  • 1035 - Increases the effect of Melf's Melf's Adaptive Support Spell ability by 200%
Current max upgrade level is 1035
 

Formation & Mission Information

Once you complete the first mission, three Variants and a Free Play show up. There is a new formation that holds 10 Champions. It has an Event-specific format that I've done my best to re-create below.
Back Column 4th Column 3rd Column 2nd Column Front Column
0
0
0
0 0 0
0 0
0
0
New Player Formation & Specializations:
Back Column 4th Column 3rd Column 2nd Column Front Column
NA
NA
Bruenor - Shield Master
Minsc - Humanoids Calliope - College of Lore Nayeli - Oath of Devotion
Asharra - Elves & Dwarves Jarlaxle - Leader of Bregan D'aerthe
Celeste - Life Domain
Hitch - Charismatic
This formation is for the first couple of runs where you're just not going to get enough Gold to get everyone on the field, let alone level people up into their power curves. At this point, Jarlaxle is focusing on being your Primary DPS while everyone else is set up to support him.
The following formation is for once you can get Hitch up into his power curve for damage and he starts outpacing Jarlaxle. You'll have to figure this out during your runs by swapping him and Jarlaxle around every now and then and seeing who's doing better in that Primary DPS slot.
Back Column 4th Column 3rd Column 2nd Column Front Column
Tyril - Moonbeam
Makos - Dark Blessing
Bruenor - Shield Master
Asharra - Humans Calliope - College of Lore Nayeli - Oath of Devotion
Jarlaxle - Leader of Bregan D'aerthe Hitch - Charismatic
Celeste - Life Domain
Minsc - Humanoids
This formation should get you through the Event as a new player. If you have other options or think a different DPS is geared better, try it out and see what happens! Swapping DPS around like this can help you figure out what works best for you with your specific items.
If you need assistance with formations, ask in the Comment section and be sure to list out what extra Champs you have so people know what to work with.
These are the rough Favor values you need to reach to make a Variant (Second through Fourth missions) show as Easy in terms of Difficulty. Keep in mind that this is just a generic rating system and some Variants may be harder than others, even when they show as Easy.
Mission Favor Level (Normal) Favor Level (Scientific Notation)
Second 20,000 ~2e04
Third 15,000,000 ~1.5e07
Fourth 1,000,000,000 ~1e09
 

Initial Mission: The Endless War (Melf)

Cost: 100 Bouquets
Complete: Level 50
Reward: Melf + whatever Lathander's Favor you earned
Info: No restrictions.
 

Second Mission: Honorable Discharge

Cost: 1,000 Bouquets
Complete: Level 75
Reward: Gold Melf Chest & whatever Lathander's Favor you earned
Info: Each Champion can only be used to complete 50 areas.
Gaar's Notes: Not gonna lie, this could be rough if you don't have much Favor. New players will need to remove all Champions from the formation and rely on Click Damage only through the first 25 levels and then build a formation on 26 to beat this due to lack of swappable Champions. Make sure it shows as Easy before starting. Even then, maybe wait until The Problem Solvers shows as Easy as well before starting this one.
 

Third Mission: The Problem Solvers

Cost: 2,500 Bouquets
Complete: Level 125
Reward: Gold Melf Chest & whatever Lathander's Favor you earned
Info: Only Champions with an INT score of 13 or higher can be used.
Gaar's Notes: Well, this is basically your introduction to Strahd as a Patron, only in an Event. Here's a list of viable Champs with those that can be used with a Feat in ():
  • Slot 1: Sisaspia, K'thriss, & Turiel
  • Slot 2: Regis & (Celeste)
  • Slot 3: Artemis
  • Slot 4: Jarlaxle, Paultin, & Stoki
  • Slot 5: Dhadius, Xander, & Qillek
  • Slot 6: Asharra, Krond, & Shandie
  • Slot 7: Jim, Catti-Brie, & Farideh
  • Slot 8: Delina, Vlahnya, Hitch, & (Nrakk)
  • Slot 9: Makos, Morgaen, Birdsong, & (Drizzt)
  • Slot 10: Tyril & (Rosie)
  • Slot 11: Strix, Dragonbait, & Avren
  • Slot 12: Melf, (Zorbu), & (Nerys)
If you don't have a viable formation after this restriction, stock up on Favor before attempting. Get it to Easy, or even better, get Wheat From the Chaff to show as Easy before starting.
As a brand new player who may only have Core Champs and Melf, you may end up at a point where your Champs just aren't doing damage. At that point, try leveling up your Click Damage. Normally I don't recommend this, but I beat it that way on my gearless account with Core/Melf in the formation. So keep it open as an option.
 

Fourth Mission: Wheat From the Chaff

Cost: 5,000 Bouquets
Complete: Level 175
Reward: Gold Melf Chest & whatever Lathander's Favor you earned
Info: Melf starts out in the formation with Melf's Righteous Determination unlocked. Only enemies that Melf deems evil can be damaged. Blockers, bosses, and boss trash mobs are always deemed evil. All non-evil enemies are invulnerable and can not even be attacked.
Gaar's Notes: Oof. Make sure you have a reliable tank for this one because they're going to get some work. Do not attempt this before it shows as Easy if you're new. This is going to be difficult without AoE DPS options. It's also going to take a long time... (pssst...set up your formation, level up your Champs, place familiars to level them up if you can, then go offline...)
If you're brand new and only have Core/Evergreen Champs plus Melf, here's a formation setup that should help get you through the early levels until you can get another tank in front. Basically, you're splitting damage between two Champs to help you die slower. Bruenor has his Overhwelm Feat slotted while Nayeli is in Devotion spec and Calliope is in Lore spec to increases survivability. Good luck!
 

Free Play

Cost: 500-2500 Bouquets
Complete: Level 50 to earn a random Melf chest
Reward: See above + whatever Lathander's Favor you earned
Info: No restrictions.
 

Achievements

Recruit Melf - 1%
Recruit Melf, the Elf Wizard/Fighter
Melf's Vigorous Variants - 1%
Complete all three variants of the "The Endless War (Melf)" adventure.
Melf's Marvelous Equipment - 1%
Obtain a piece of gear for each of Melf's six equipment slots. (Event Champ gear does not come from regular SilveGold Chests. You can earn Event Champ gear from their specific Event Chests, Time Gates, and other limited-time Chests as noted.)
Melf's Free Play Slog - 1%
Complete area 275 in any "The Endless War" free play.
Melf's "Broken" RNG - 1%
Complete 200 consecutive areas with Melf's Speedy Supplement providing the same buff.

Adventure Information

Indoor # Outdoor #
30 20

Type Summary

Bosses
  • Aberration - 4
  • Humanoid - 4
  • Fey - 1
  • Undead - 1
Normal Mobs
  • Humanoid - 26
  • Undead - 14
  • Plant - 11
  • Aberration - 11
  • Beasts - 7
  • Fey - 3

Type by Level - repeats after 50

  1. O - Beasts
  2. O - Beasts
  3. O - Beasts & Fey
  4. O - Beasts & Fey
  5. O - Beasts & Fey > Fey
  6. O - Beasts
  7. O - Humanoid
  8. O - Humanoid
  9. O - Humanoid
  10. O - Humanoid > Humanoid
  11. O - Humanoid
  12. O - Humanoid
  13. O - Humanoid
  14. O - Humanoid
  15. O - Humanoid > Humanoid
  16. O - Humanoid
  17. O - Humanoid
  18. O - Undead & Humanoid
  19. O - Undead
  20. O - Undead > Undead
  21. I - Undead
  22. I - Undead & Humanoid
  23. I - Humanoid > Blockade
  24. I - Humanoid
  25. I - Humanoid > Humanoid
  26. I - Undead
  27. I - Undead
  28. I - Undead
  29. I - Undead
  30. I - Undead > Aberration
  31. I - Plant
  32. I - Plant
  33. I - Plant & Aberration
  34. I - Plant & Aberration
  35. I - Plant > Aberration
  36. I - Undead & Beasts
  37. I - Undead & Humanoid
  38. I - Humanoid
  39. I - Aberration & Humanoid
  40. I - Humanoid > Humanoid
  41. I - Plant
  42. I - Plant & Aberration
  43. I - Plant & Humanoid
  44. I - Humanoid & Aberration
  45. I - Plant & Humanoid > Aberration
  46. I - Undead & Humanoid
  47. I - Undead & Plant & Humanoid
  48. I - Humanoid & Aberration
  49. I - Aberration & Plant
  50. I - Aberration > Aberration

Community Event Discussions

submitted by Gaarawarr to idlechampions [link] [comments]

Dota IMBA 7.19g (plus Spring Cleaning 2020 Part 1)

So...this was originally meant to just be a bug-fix patch, but Valve dropped Patch 7.25 on the day that I expected to put this up. Not wanting to delay any of those changes for two or more weeks, I took most of the day to hastily shove in many of the vanilla changes, so this ends up being a standard balance patch, with a LOT of bug-fixes...
As fixing bugs inadvertently results in other bugs emerging (especially with a bunch of new stuff being added), I encourage players to continue reporting any discrepancies they run into. The Discord has a #spring_cleaning_bugs channel where these reports are consolidated and quickly addressed, so feel free to stop by and let us know how we can continue to improve the game.
As mentioned, this patch implements a majority of the standard Patch 7.25 changes. More "personalized" changes are still scheduled for Dota IMBA 7.20.

General

Neutral Items

Heroes

Bounty Hunter

Shuriken Toss
Jinada
Talents

Chaos Knight

Reality Rift

Clinkz

Death Pact

Dark Seer

Surge
Talents

Dazzle

Bad Juju

Earth Spirit

Talents

Elder Titan

Talents

Ember Spirit

Searing Chains

Enigma

Black Hole
Talents

Grimstroke

Phantom's Embrace
Talents

Gyrocopter

Flak Cannon
Call Down

Juggernaut

Blade Dance

Kunkka

Talents

Lich

Talents

Lycan

Shapeshift

Mars

God's Rebuke

Mirana

Sacred Arrow

Nature's Prophet

Wrath of Nature

Night Stalker

Talents

Pudge

Flesh Heap

Pugna

Nether Ward
Life Drain

Queen of Pain

Shadow Strike
Sonic Wave

Sand King

Caustic Finale
Epicenter

Silencer

Talents

Sniper

Assassinate

Spectre

Shadow Step

Spirit Breaker

Techies

Talents

Templar Assassin

Psionic Projection

Ursa

Overpower
Fury Swipes
Enrage

Vengeful Spirit

Magic Missile

Visage

Soul Assumption

Warlock

Shadow Word
Talents

Weaver

Shukuchi

Witch Doctor

Paralzying Cask
Death Ward

Items

Abyssal Blade

Bloodthorn

Boots of Travel

Boots of Travel (Level 2)

Buckler

Crimson Guard

Crystalys

Ethereal Blade

Force Staff

Hurricane Pike

Iron Talon

Kaya and Sange

Necronomicon Series

Nullifier

Nullifier EX

Pipe of Insight

Poor Man's Shield

Silver Edge

Vanguard

Veil of Discord

Yasha and Kaya

Bugfixes / Miscellaneous

Minor Patch for Wednesday, March 18th, 2020

Bugfixes / Miscellaneous

  • Ember Spirit: Rough fix for Fire Remnant charges being inconsistent when manipulating having Aghanim's Scepter in inventory
  • Eul's Scepter of Divinity: Fixed both versions having separate cooldowns
  • Gyrocopter: Fixed Call Down cooldown not being updated as per patch notes
  • Nullifier: Fixed both versions having separate cooldowns
Minor Patch #2 for Wednesday, March 18th, 2020

Bugfixes / Miscellaneous

  • Centaur Warrunner: Minor improvements to Hoof Stomp's Gladiators' Pit logic
  • Centaur Warrunner: Fixed Retaliate's damage return not being affected by spell amplification
  • Centaur Warrunner: Fixed Retaliate being able to get charge stacks while the damage buff is active
  • Centaur Warrunner: Retaliate's Remnants of Return now sources the strength bonus from the modifier owner instead of the aura owner
  • Centaur Warrunner: Fixed Retaliate's Bulging Hide using a custom block system instead of the standard (and potentially not working)
  • Centaur Warrunner: Fixed Level 10 Talent "+100% Double Edge Shake It Off" not working, instead increasing Retaliate's Remnants of Return strength percentage by 1%
  • Centaur Warrunner: Level 25 Talent "Retaliate Upgrade" no longer triggers Bulging Hide from spell damage
  • Satanic: Attempted fix for lifesteal unocassionally not working
  • Tidehunter: Fixed Kraken Shell's Aqueous Leviathan not immediately updating health values due to strength changes
  • Tidehunter: Fixed Level 15 Talent "-25% Anchor Smash Damage Reduction" not showing on client-side
submitted by Altivu to dotaimba [link] [comments]

DEMOLITION DAYS, Part 47

continuing
As I was picking myself up off the shooter’s shack floor, I glanced over to the TV.
The ballplayers were all wandering around the field, looking skyward. Evidently, there was this hellacious explosion…even the television sports commentators were speculating as to what happened.
Whoops.
I looked out into the quarry. The wall that I had charged had receded some 75 feet.
There was rather a large amount of shattered, blasted dolomitic limestone now in the quarry. Enough, I found out later, for a full month’s worth of orders.
We never did find the blasting mats. I think they sort of evaporated.
Luckily, the quarry is essentially an open amphitheater in plan view; basically a big hole in the ground with vertical limestone walls. The shockwave of the blast that didn’t spend itself shattering the limestone into which it was housed, blew out laterally, hit the opposite quarry wall, rebounded, and then dispersed, rather energetically, vertically upward.
I set off car alarms for a 20 block radius.
There were no broken home windows, as the lion’s share of the shock wave was redirected upward.
Good thing there were no low flying zeppelins or dirigibles in the area...
I waited the requisite time to allow for any loafers. There were none, so I jumped into the nearest wheel loader and began clearing the quarry floor. Hell, I had to so I could open the front gate.
As I was clearing the floor, making pile number eight of the loose rock I had liberated, I heard the characteristic whoop-whoop of emergency vehicles.
I parked the wheel loader, opened the front gate, and raised the green flag. That was enough blasting for one day.
A few minutes later, three police cars zoom into the site. Two were local city cops, and one was a state trooper.
“Hi, guys!” I waved, “Nice day, innit?”
“Doctor Rock! We should have known.” One of the local boys groaned.
“Hey, I did call you beforehand, as per procedure,” I said.
Polack the cop walks up, just knowing I was responsible. “Yeah, but we didn’t figure on you terrorizing the entire city.”
“Polack! How goes it?” I asked.
The other local cop and the state trooper look to Polack, “You know this maniac?”
“Oh, hell yeah. For years. Don’t worry, the good doctor is mostly harmless.” He chuckles.
“Damn. OK. I guess everything’s OK. Just no more shooting today, please, Doctor. It’s going to take hours to calm everyone down.” He laments.
“Yes, sir. I’m done for the day.” I reply, snickering slightly.
The one local and state trooper depart, shaking their heads in amazement. This left Polack to follow me over to the shooter’s shack to mooch a cigar and whatever else he can find.
“Jesus Hula-Dancing Christ, Rock. What the hell was that? I was all the way out in Whitewatosa and heard you.” He asks as he sneakily snakes a smoke out of my case.
“Just some common chemicals in the proper proportions.” I snicker.
“Which were?” he asks.
I go in the back of the shed and toss him an empty container of one of the parts of the binaries I used. He catches it, reads the label, and drops it like a live grenade.
“Binaries? Fuck! Like what you used at the tower?” he asks.
“Yep. I used just a little more.” I reply.
“Little more? Damn, as I said, we’ve been briefed on the stuff. This shit’s nasty.” He shakes his head.
“Yeah. Fun, too.” I reply.
Polack grabs a Sprechler’s Cream Soda out of the fridge as I opt for a cold Cream Ale and shot of potato juice. Hell, I was done for the day, so…
We sit around and have a chat, just shooting the shit, as it were. Manly topics, so the conversation eventually steered over to guns.
“Hey!” Polack remembers, “That’s right! You fucking owe me. Let me borrow that fucking cannon you carry. I want to show the chief a thing or two.”
“Yeah, that’s right”, I agree, “When do you need it?”
“This Friday, after shift. It’s the monthly qualifiers for us.” He notes.
“Are pyromaniacs allowed in?” I ask.
“To observe? Sure. To shoot? Nope. Insurance regulations.” He says.
“What time?” I continue.
“1800 hours.” He tells me.
“I’ll be there. I’ll bring my gun and an assortment of loads. Hey, this could be fun!” I evilly smile.
“Doctor. You’re doing that thing again. You’re grinnin’ like a shithouse rat. You know how much that scares me. Stop it.” He pleads.
“No worries. Friday at 1800 hours.” I reply, grinning.
Polack slurps down his Sprechlers, snitches another stogie, and squeals out of the quarry in a cloud of dense dolomitic dust.
I arrive back at our flat, after stopping for two frozen custard Turtle Sundaes, to go. I give one to an appreciative wife and I ask her about her day.
“Oh, went shopping with Oma. Got the cutest shoes, and a new purse, and…oh well, never mind. You’ll see.”
Between bites of Turtle Sundae, she asks how my day went.
“Oh, my dear. I had a real blast.” I replied, not lying in the least.
Monday, after my first classes, I’m back in the faculty lounge, savoring a Greenland Coffee.
There was the usual instructor chatter when Dean Vermiculari walks in.
“Good morning, Dean!” I say. “Care for a sit-down and a coffee?”
“Good morning, Doctor Rock. Yes, please to both.” He replies.
I fix us both a fresh Greenland Coffee and return to our table. I hand him one and sit down to savor my soupçon.
“How was your weekend?” I ask the Dean of the College.
“Oh, very nice. Had a fine time catching some perch and crappie out on Lake Genever. I see you had a victorious weekend as well. Twice.” He smiles.
“Twice?” I asked.
“Well, your handling of the tower demolition made all the papers. Very, very well done, Doctor. I congratulate you.” He smiles.
“Thank you, Dean. That means a lot. Just doing what I can with what I’ve got. But twice?” I replied.
“It wasn’t front-page news, but I saw there was some, well, let us just say, ‘energetic activity’ out at the Silurian reef limestone quarry yesterday.” He grinned.
“Oh, yes. I had a job to do and well, as I always say: ‘Nothing succeeds like excess.” I smile back.
“Quite. This beverage you’ve created is really rather extraordinary, Doctor. Again, I thank you.” He tips his mug my direction in the age-old Midwestern salute.
“It’s a little recipe I picked up on my last expedition to the northlands. I grew rather fond of the concoction.” I replied.
“Ah, I see. Marvelous.” He smiles.
“Thank you, Dean. High praise indeed.” I reply.
“Which leads me to…ah, Doctor Rock. I have another favor to impose upon you.” He says, all serious.
“Yes, Dean? How can I be of service?” I ask.
“We, as you no doubt know, have many, many fine extractive mineral company connections. We actually receive quite a large amount of funding and endowments from them. They recruit here extensively for our young geoscientists. Now, since Dr. Pataariki has left for industry himself, I would like to appoint you as the College of Natural Sciences corporate liaison.” He explains.
“Indeed?” I replied, too stunned for words for once.
“Yes, indeed.” He continues, “It will require travel, mostly domestic, and delivering symposia at various companies on differing extractive geological subjects. You will also serve as host and university coordinator when they are present on recruiting tours. There will, of course, be additional remuneration to accompany the added responsibilities.”
I slurped my coffee, thinking furiously.
“Could I please first discuss it with my wife before I answer?” I ask.
“Oh, Doctor. Of course, of course. Take your time. I will not require a reply until… tomorrow.” He smiles, finishes his coffee, thanks me again, and toddles out.
“Yow, Es!” I exclaim, “This is one hell of an opportunity. It’s never before been offered to a junior professor. This will cement my tenure-track. It’s going to be a bitch with time, though. What do you think I should do?”
“Well, Rock, honey, I think you should do…” Es begins.
“No! None of that ‘do what you think is best’ stuff. I want your own thoughts, just like when I decided to go after my doctorate.” I explained.
“OK, then.” Esme looks all serious like she’s going to deliver a bipartisan political speech.
“Yes.” She says, firmly
“That’s it?” I ask.
“Yep. You asked I answered. We’ll make it work. We always do. You can’t let the Dean down. You will accept tomorrow without fear or qualms of your wife’s hesitations, of which I harbor none.” Esme proclaims.
“Did I ever tell you of the myriad reasons I love you so?” I ask.
The next morning I meet with Dean Vermiculari. He’s pleased that I accept and hands over to me the charter. Then the lists of company representatives, their contact information, and some other secret stuff that I can’t divulge right yet.
A raft of oil companies will be coming in the late spring semester, so I need to contact each and every one to solidify dates, times and positions for which they’re recruiting. But that’s for then, I have something more proximal for now.
I have a Friday appointment with Polack the cop at the town police shooting range.
I arrive spot on time with my Casull .454 Magnum pistol, in its carry bag, along with a small duffel crammed with Pyrodex, Tannerite, and selection of specialty loads I had Herman the German, the inveterate gunsmith, create.
Herman the German, his actual sobriquet, was this incredible gunsmith, craftsman, and all-around artillery specialist. Have any sort of problem with a rifle, shotgun, or pistol? See Herman. Gun holding too high? See Herman. Barrel warped? See Herman. Need solid gold projectiles for a certain one-off job? See Herman.
Herman the German can sort it out.
Just never ask him: “How?”
“Ach! I’ve lived so long to learn, and you want it free? I’ll fix it, you pay, but I am only one knowing how!”
Herman was a cranky old Kraut, and has lived here for as long as anyone can remember. Even my Grandfather had deferred to Herman when he had some particularly delicate machining operation that need special attention and was unique.
As far as anyone knew, Herman had no family, but was never at a loss for friends. He was one of the most popular, and well known, but still oddly really unknown, kind of mysterious, old bastards in the entire community.
Herman the German liked me because I could obtain for him certain high-energy things he couldn’t. All were entirely legal, but some were sort of out there in the gray zone.
He also liked that I was educated, as he held education in the highest esteem. He also liked that I was of German extraction myself.
I often made it a point to drop by with odd and unusual high-octane potables while never expecting anything in return other than a story or a shared cigar.
Herman created some special loads for my .454 Magnum, which he prized.
“I like your gun, Doctor Rock, it is so big! I can still see well enough to build things for it.” He told me one day over cheroots and Schnapps.
Herman was a character to be certain. It must have been the pixie in him to dream up some of the specialty rounds he created for me to share with the local constabulary.
He lived out in the county by himself in an old farmhouse. He had a full machine shop in his basement, complete with forge, metal handling equipment, and a firing test range.
He handed back my .454, rather solemnly.
“Doctor, I am afraid to say I couldn’t test all the special rounds I’ve created for you. I need to patch the hole in the cinder blocks in the downstairs range. Your gun punched right through the back…” he apologized.
Now, Herman does all sorts of work on the local’s deer rifles, the police’s ordinance and has even worked some with the Baja Canada National Guard. Some of the little novelties he’s dreamed up for me are the first to escape his homemade basement test range.
I felt oddly honored.
After proving who I was to the nice range officer, I looked around trying to find Polack.
“It’s 1550. Where the hell is Polack? I wondered.
“Rock! Over here.” Polack calls to me.
He motions me outside to the police department’s tactical outdoor range. I had thought all along he was referring to the indoors police target range. This might pose some problems.
The tactical range was a series of clapboard shacks, all setup and designed to represent some downtrodden urban inter-city landscape. There were a couple of junked cars, broken sidewalks, storefronts, houses, bus stops…in short, all things necessary to replicate the seediest sections of a settlement where malefactors live and breed.
The cops all run around this range, shooting at bad guy pop-up cut-outs and avoid the not-bad-guy pop-up cut-outs. They’ve got music blaring, firecrackers going off, all trying to re-create a shady deeply urban environment. Points are awarded by the accuracy of fire on the run, time to maneuver the course, and the ability of not gunning down innocent bystanders.
It is not the best place to test a .454 Cusall. This hand cannon recoils like a fundamentalist Christian being solicited for donations to Anton LaVey, shoots flames and incandescent gasses like Smaug after a hard night of drinking and a stop at the Taco Bell buffet, is louder than a dime-store Karen demanding to see a Manager, and more powerful than a Ghost Pepper suppository.
To quote Joe Piscopo: “It shoots through schools.” Especially faux-schools made of plywood.
A .32 or .38 cop special is the correct weapon here; even a 9mm is a little heavy. Enough power to make a serious dent, easy on control, light on the recoil…a good tactical weapon.
But, nothing succeeds like excess.
Polack’s Chief is running around, capping off his ‘big ol’ .44 Magnum, and making the valley echo. He punches considerable holes in the pop-up cut-outs, but has such a hard time handling the recoil, his score is barely passable.
Polack runs his test with his standard 9mm sidearm and qualifies easily. However, he’s nowhere near done with his Chief yet.
I suggest to Polack we have a shoot-off. And since a .44 Magnum bullet ‘is so close to a .454 Magnum’, which it isn’t…the .454 Casull generates nearly 85% more recoil energy than the .44 Magnum; that we’d need something other than holes punched in plywood to judge the efficacy of each.
We are literally just down the road from Max Yazzer’s farm and market. They’re the place you go for your Halloween jack-o-lantern. However, now, he has a surplus of melons.
I think you can see where this is headed…
I borrow Polack’s personal conveyance and run down to Max’s farm. I return with a trunk-load of elderly, overripe, cheap as chips, melons. Watermelons, Honeydews, Musks, and Casabas.
We place them in strategic areas on the course, five for the Chief to find, and five for Polack.
A .44 vs. a .454 melon-wise results in pretty much the same sort of mess: high-velocity fruit spatter. Although, the Chief was very impressed by the report of the .454. So, after running the tactical-melon course, clear demarcation of a winner was elusive.
OK, OK, clever dicks. How about this? A standing shoot-off? We’ll set up 3 melons each at 30, 20, and 10 yards. Beginning at 30 yards, your time will be until you take out all three melons. But, they’re not going to be in a straight line, we’re going to make them somewhat camouflaged. You will stand in one small demarcated area, hunt those miscreant melons, and bring them to justice. Fastest time and greatest display wins, as determined by the Police Peanut Gallery.
Polack and the Chief agree.
The Chief goes first and dispatches the melons, with a fair amount of spatter, in 15.3 seconds.
Not bad.
Polack is next. He wipes out all the melons and creates some thoroughly impressive displays with Herman’s ‘special’ rounds. Normal ballistics for the .454 are, for a 250 grain (16 g) bullet, a muzzle velocity of over 2,400 feet per second, developing up to 2,800 ft-lb of energy.
Herman’s hot loads are double that.
Polack wins the day on impressive high-velocity melon distribution, but misses, so close, with a time of 17.0 seconds.
Recoil’s a bitch.
Then there are Herman’s ‘specialties’.
The Chief is duly impressed and even comments that his ears are ringing even with the ear protectors. He asks to inspect the weapon. He is even more than duly impressed.
Polack knows what’s up and asks the Chief if he’d like to give a whirl.
Of course, the Chief can’t back down.
Polack loads the .454 with 5 of Herman’s specialties: hollow-point rounds loaded hot, compressed, and tipped with alkaline earth metals, like metallic sodium and metallic potassium…
We set up the nastiest, glorpiest, just barely-holding-together, overripe, laced with Tannerite (an impact-actuated low-explosive) watermelon at the ‘Concealed Carry’ distance of 5 meters.
We slowly fade back into the distance to avoid the inevitable ‘Gallagher reaction’.
The Chief fires one, and just nicks the top of the melon. Don’t laugh, with the type of recoil and heft of the sidearm, and tensing up in anticipation, it’s easy to be off the mark initially.
The second round impacts dead-center. Now, alkaline earth metals and water don’t get along really well. In fact, their relationship is explosive. Especially explosive when delivered at 2,900 feet per second.
The Chief catches a huge smattering of vitamin-packed watermelony back blast goo.
He’s not entirely happy. He looks positively grisly with all that blown-up melon schmoo on his nice, neat uniform.
He returns my gun and bans me from ever showing up at the police range again.
Polack is on traffic duty for the next month.
He figures it was well worth it.
Back at the flat, Esme is shaking her head and wondering if I’ll ever grow up.
“I may grow old, but I’ll never grow up.” I reply.
I see I have several missed phone calls. Ah, me; no rest for the weary. Back to company-university liaison duties.
After I had contacted these companies, I receive no less than 12 requests for symposia, talks, and seminars to be given to various level of industrial scientific employees in their respective companies.
I am now slated to give academic conferences on stratigraphy, sedimentology, and seismic structural geology to different companies in Houston, Oklahoma City, Denver, Casper, Corpus Christi, New Orleans, and Tulsa. In the next 12 weeks, I’ll be giving no less than 8 talks in seven cities.
I speak with Dean Vermiculari on how best to handle the situation. He understands and appoints two graduate student teaching assistants to handle my classes while I’m on the road. That relieves me of being physically there, but I still have to grade papers, compose lesson plans, and keep things running smoothly until finals.
Besides giving the talks, there’s travel to oil fields, production facilitates, manufacturing plants, hotels, restaurants while I’m in town…the pace is excruciating. I’m gone more than I am at university. Plus in my time back home, I’m still the ad hoc master blaster for the limestone quarry.
Then, there’s the companies arriving on campus, and the roles are reversed. Now I’m the welcome wagon and have to sort out the logistics of receiving the company representatives. I need to set up the colloquia to introduce the companies to the prospective students, arrange lodging, arrange passes for the university, transportation, “Meet-and-Greet’s, ad infinitum.
I knew this was having a bit of effect on me when I came back to the flat after one particularly grueling ordeal of canceled flights, full hotels, missed connections and lukewarm reception by the company workers.
“Hello”, I said, as I walked in the flat, “I believe you have a reservation for…”
Esme just stood there, wondering if I was having a laugh.
No, I wasn’t. I was completely hallucinating from road weariness, lack of sleep, jet lag, and total disorientation. This continued on for the next approximately 18 months.
Esme was beginning to have second thoughts about all this.
My teaching load was diminished by one whole introductory course. However, I was still flying hither and yon, delivering symposia, meeting with young geoscientists and getting to know the ins-and-outs of the Oil Industry.
I found it particularly fascinating.
Time marched on and it was once again it was the recruiting season. We had no less than eight oil companies visiting the university in their quest to swell the roster of their junior scientists.
I’m still busier than a one-armed paperhanger in a windstorm, but have settled into a groove of sorts. I know the company recruiters and they now know me. I’ve actually struck up friendships with several. Particularly since I take them to the best local restaurants and bars after their recruiting duties are finished.
I’ve met with recruiting representatives of Shrill Petrol, Mexxon, Nobil, Nocono Oil, Flug, Geddy, Brutish Petroleum, and Qexaco.
The recruiting season is winding down and I find myself with Red (not Adair), of Nocono Oil.
“Well, Doctor Rock”, Red states, “Another fine recruiting run. We’ve snagged two of your young geologists and one geophysicist. I’d say it was almost a perfect score.”
We’re sitting in the Norton’s Steakhouse. After a couple of prime pink porterhouses, we’re working on the post-dinner double vodka and bitter lemon for me, and Lagavulin for Red.
“Almost perfect?” I ask.
“Yeah. There’s been this one small nagging concern from our company higher-ups.” Red continues.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“We need some more senior people. For one thing, we’ve recently opened a new petroleum laboratory down in our Houston office. Going to need some serious talent to run that show.” Red says.
“I see”, I reply, “And…?”
“We need mentors. Those with varied and far-flung knowledge. They must be well educated, global in experience and stature, with an [ahem] diverse set of skills.” Red notes.
“Whew”, I agree, “That’s a tall order. You want my help with names of possible candidates? Is that it?”
“Not as such, Doctor.” Red drains his drink, motions for me to do the same, and orders another round.
Our drinks arrive and Red downs half his in one gulp.
“Well, then”, I continue, “How can I help?”
Red chuckles, “For someone so educated, you can really be thick as two short planks at times.”
I sit back, and sip my Old Thought Provoker.
The mercury-vapors light off.
“No!” I say, incredulously.
“Oh, yes.” Red smiles.
“No?” I ask, slowly taking in the possible effects of what he’s hinting at…
“OK, Doctor Rocknocker”, Red gets all serious and corporate, “We’d like to offer you a position at Nocono Oil as Senior Laboratory Manager and Head of Corporate Continuing Education.”
You could have knocked me over with a grenade. I was stunned. I fumbled with my drink.
“Red, you old con artist” I reply, “Is this a set-up?”
Red, serious as a heart attack, looks directly at me and replies, “Doctor Rock, absolutely not, it’s a genuine offer.”
He slides over a folder with some papers inside. “Here are the particulars.”
Reeling, I accept the folder. I open it and right after the corporate logos and legal bullshit, I see a tall figure with a whole raft of zeros trailing behind it.
I read furiously. The job would be both interesting and challenging. It would be in Houston, with travel and teaching at all other company outposts on a regular basis. I reexamine that figure from before and verify that I’m not now hallucinating.
The job comes with furnished, corporate-paid housing, incredible benefits, loads of opportunity for advancement, more opportunity to travel, really generous vacation time…
“Right. On the level?” I ask again.
“Yep.” Red bluntly says.
“Well”, I gulp, “you know I have to discuss this with Esme”, whom he’s met several times previous.
“Of course, and you probably want to finish out the semester, correct?” red asks.
“Oh, yes.” I reply. There would be a monsoon of paperwork and other grunt work I’d need to conclude or hand over if I were to accept this offer.
“OK, then”, Red finishes his drink, motions for me to do the same, a real rarity; but I was in another dimension at this point. He orders another round and sits back, waiting on a refill.
“You have two weeks to reply” Red states.
“I know that’s not a terribly long time, but we need to fill this position ASAP. Can I ask for that? Your answer, yea, or nay, within a fortnight?” Red demands.
“Yes”, I reply. “I at least owe you that.”
And that was the end of the discussion for the night about me joining the private sector. We stayed a few more hours, chatting, smoking my cigars, and discussing everything but the lumbering elephant in the room.
We part outside as I need to head back to our flat. Red wants to go downtown to one of those “Gentleman’s Clubs” he’s heard were so famous at the time.
I was flummoxed the whole cab ride home.
It was late when I returned, but I simply had to wake Es with the news.
“Rock, for pity’s sake, its 2 o’clock in the morning!” Es protests. “Can’t this wait until later?”
“Sorry, my dear” I reply, probably as serious as I ever had with Esme. “This is a potential game-changer.”
“What is it? Are you OK?” Esme trembles.
“Oh, I’m fine. Better than fine.” I reply.
She’s relieved.
“Then what’s so important?” she asks.
“Um…how would you like to move to Houston?” I ask.
“You going to teach at Cougar High (University of Houston)?” she inquires.
“Nope. Brace yourself. I’ve been offered a job with Nocono Oil.” I finally spill the beans.
Esme is slightly stunned and sits down.
I go to the wet bar, fix me a bracing potato juice and citrus and Esme a stiff white Zinfandel.
I hand her the wine and she is still semi-dazed and digesting the information.
I slurp a good portion of my drink, retrieve her Sobranjes and me a cigar from my Turkmenistan humidor.
I sit on the couch next to her and hug her soundly.
“Esme? Es? Earth to Es? You in there?” I joke.
“Oh, Yeah. Rock. Really? Hang on”, she leaves, returning with her housecoat as this might take a little time.
“So?” I ask, “Your thoughts. Now! Immediately! Initial reaction!” I try to jar her back into reality.
“Well, what do you want?” she asks.
“C’mon, my dearest. You know I hate that. No, what do you think? What do you honestly think?” I reply.
We both fire up our smokes, and I refresh our drinks. We return to the dinner table where Red’s folder lies.
“Es, here. Look at this.” I say, sliding the portfolio over to her.
She reads like a hungry man at a Vegas casino buffet. I can tell where she was stopped by something extraordinary.
“This is for real?” she asks, “Red’s not pulling a fast one?”
“Nope. It’s the genuine article”, I tell her, “He needs my reply within two weeks.”
“Rock, Rock…I just don’t know. It’s a lot to process at 0230 in the morning. Let’s go to bed and have a think in the morning. You have the luxury of at least that amount of time.” She notes.
“Right again, as usual”, I say, “Stuff it. It can wait.” We toddle off to bed.
The next morning, over Cuban omelets and Greenland Coffees, we sort through the particulars.
“Rock, it’s an extraordinary offer. But, do you want to leave teaching? I remember how you got all animated by Dean Vermiculari giving you the corporate liaison job and how that would improve your shot at tenure.” She notes.
“I just don’t know. I’m still shell-shocked.” I tell her. “Let me go to school and we’ll pick this up tonight. We both have work to do no matter what. Oh, bloody hell. I hadn’t considered your job. Another wrinkle in the mess.”
“Don’t you worry about that”, Esme smiles. “One catastrophe at a time.”
“I do so love you.” I hug her soundly. “Think I should mention this offer to anyone at school?”
“No. Definitely not.” Esme shakes her head. “Let’s figure this out on our own.”
“I agree”, I say, kiss her and depart for school once again.
The next week was a blur. Recruiting duties were dragging and I was being preoccupied.
Even my students noted the lack of in-room explosions lately.
I spend the next Saturday at the quarry, doing some small amount of blasting. I quiz the quarry owners about their progress in acquiring a new master for the quarry’s operation.
“Oh, Doctor Rock” they gush, “You’re doing such a fine job, we haven’t really looked. Why do you ask?”
“No particular reason at this time, I reply, “But perhaps you might want to begin looking”
The chinks in my armor were finally starting to show.
Sunday was spent out on Sliver Lake, with Esme and me chasing the elusive crappie, perch, and bucketmouth bass. It also gave us a chance to clear our heads from work, school and other such intrusions. We both needed a bit of downtime.
Later that night, after a meal of beer-battered fillet of crappie and perch on the barbie, we sit down at the dinner table.
The portfolio sits there, taunting us.
I get up, makes us both our drinks, sit down and declare that this is it.
“Es, darling” I say, “its nut-cuttin’ time. We need to make our decision.”
“You’re right.” Es agrees, “Time for risk-reward analysis. Get some paper and some pencils.”
We spend the next few hours listing the pros and cons of accepting the Houston position or staying here and pursuing my tenured professorship.
After several hours, I stretch, stand, and go to the fridge. I retrieve the bottle of Bollinger Les Vieilles Vignes Francaises I had purchased the other day.
I return to the table with the wine and the glasses, pop the cork and pour us both a glass of high-brow bubble water.
I hug and kiss Esme like I had just returned from a long, solo expedition.
“Esme, my darling. I’d like to propose a toast. First to us. Hа здоровый!”
“Cheers!” Esme replies.
“Secondly to Red, Dean Vermiculari, the quarry guys, Polack the Cop, and all the others that makes our life weird around here.”
“Seconded”, Es echoes.
“Finally: to Houston, Texas. Our new home!” I finally add.
The next morning, Dean Vermiculari peers over the top of his pince-nez glasses. He’s not looking overly happy with me right now.
“Why is it, Doctor, that everyone that receives the job of corporate liaison ends up going with corporate?” he asks.
“Perhaps it’s just the exposure to another world that exists beyond academia.” I reply, truthfully.
“Doctor Rocknocker,” the Dean gravely states, “I am not at all happy about your decision. We had great hopes for you here and you were riding right up the tenure track. Another five years and it would have been assured.”
“Five years is a long time, Dean”, I state the obvious.
“Yes, indeed.” The Dean replies frostily. “However, you are young. Perhaps you need to get this private sector nonsense out of your system, then you can return to academia where you belong.”
“Perhaps, perhaps”, I reply.
“Please, do consider this option down the road. You and your antics will be missed here, by students and faculty alike.” He says.
“I will, Dean, I promise.” I reply “However, for now, it’s time for my boot heels to be wanderin’.”
“Doctor, I will miss your strange and unique way of looking at life. I reluctantly accept your resignation at the end of the current semester and wish you all the best in your newest endeavors. Please remember us when corporate support for academia is mentioned in your new company.” he says.
“I promise you, Dean, I will not forget what I’ve learned here and what you’ve taught. It’s the least I can do,” I reply. “I will never forget my roots.”
“All I can ask”, he concludes. He stands to shake my hand. We shake and my audience is over.
I resign from the quarry a week later. They haven’t found a new blaster but wish me well on my new journey. I tell them I’m here until the end of the semester, so I won’t leave them high and dry.
I tell Polack the Cop about all the goings-on.
“Who the hell can I roust for beer and cigars now?” He whines. “Let me know when you get to Texas if they need any cops. I wouldn’t mind trying’ that. Hell, maybe a Texas Ranger!”
“A Cheesehead Ranger…?” I assure him I will and pass a box of cigars to him as a parting gift. He gives me a mayoral-signed get-out-of-jail-free card.
“Now you can drive that old Harley just as crazy as you want.” He chuckles.
“Thanks, Polack.” I say, shaking his hand. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I sold my bike a week earlier.
Red was very chuffed with the news.
“Snagged me a big one this time!’ He laughed, over the phone.
There was enough paperwork, considerations and decisions to be made to last the remaining time Esme and I had in-state until our move. Already, a moving company had arrived, done inventory, and was preparing for our move to Houston.
Esme resigned her position and decided she wanted to take some time off. She wanted to be a housewife, a colleague, and not have to work for once at an outside job. My new position allowed for that in spades. Besides with her credentials, anytime when she wants to re-join the workforce, there are myriad opportunities in the Bayou City.
We made the choice of housing out west of town, in Katy, Texas. We could have chosen Sugarland, Addicks, Greenspoint, Greenway, or the Memorial area. However, these west Houston company properties were closest to the job and largest in square footage.
My students got wind of my resignation and relocation. They threw me an unexpected farewell party at the Gast Haus. It was nickel-beer night and since they were footing the bill, it all worked out just fine.
I would miss the old place. The camaraderie, the seasons, the university; hell my home these last many years. I’ve been on many, many expeditions, but I always returned home.
Now, home was moving and was awaiting our arrival.
Esme and I said our farewells to our families as well. We were the first through college, the first ones to travel international, the first Doctor in the family, and the first to leave the state.
That’s a lot of familial firsts.
I had to keep reminding everyone it wouldn’t be the last. Hell, we’re just moving to Texas, it’s not like we’re off to Greenland or Mongolia…
[Gasp]
We saddled up Es’s old Chevy Nova, took one last, lingering look in the rearview mirror, and said fare thee well to our previous lives.
“We’ll be back. Someday. I promise” I told the city of our youth and young married adulthood.
We decided to drive to Houston because we had the luxury of a bit of time. We needed the stretch to chew over some interpersonal and private things on the way to the next chapter in our lives. Besides, the weather was good, the roads ahead open and clear, and Texas had no ‘Open Container’ law, yet.
We pointed the old Nova south and hit the gas.
A week later, we’re wandering around our new house in Katy, Texas. Our belongings, scant though they may be, arrived the day after we did. Esme and I spent the next couple of day rearranging the house, buying necessary domestic bits and pieces, and getting to know our new neighborhood.
First thing, though, Esme wanted to replace the old Nova. I concurred, but insisted we keep it as a second car and went out to purchase our first new car as a couple.
I wanted a Land Rover. We ended up with a glossy black Toyota 4-Runner. Close enough.
I was scheduled to show up at my new job the next Monday.
I had my own parking spot, complete with “Reserved for Dr. Rock” painted on the bumper block. I was shown my new lab and was introduced to my seven laboratory assistants. I was shown the catalogs I could use to order what I needed and went over the requisition procedures.
I was trotted around to meet the company CEO, CFO, CIO, VPs and many, many more company executives and managers. I’ve met with presidents and heads of state, I was impressed but not overly. They seemed like a more or less nice bunch of chaps.
Almost exactly five weeks to the day from our arrival in Houston, I come home, yelling “Darling, I’m home!”
Esme comes to greet me with a rib-rearranging hug. She tells me to sit at the dinner table, where my long hard day at the office drink, cigar, ashtray, and lighter are already set.
“How was work, dear?” she asks, sitting down with her Perrier water.
“Oh, it’s going great. The knotheads let me have an open-ended budget until I get the labs sorted just the way I want it. These guys pay their bills on time and I have carte blanche at Wards Scientific, and other supply houses. My crew is great, no interpersonal crapola, and hard workers. I can smoke in my office and no one dares give me shit about my cigars. I’m getting to know the exploration department quite well. They’re really interested in our expeditions and are more interested in my opinions of their new exploration directives.”
Esme just smiles and sips her water.
“Odd”, I thought.
“That’s great, dear.” She says. “I am so glad to hear it.”
“Me too”, I say, “How are you holding up after all these weeks alone?”
“Oh, I’m getting used to it.” She smiles.
And smiles. Beatifically. Glowing.
“What?” I ask.
“Remember what we talked about in the car on the way down here?” She asks.
“We talked about a lot of things…” I say, suddenly my eyes grew very, very wide indeed.
“Yes. You’re going to be a father. I’m pregnant, Rock.” Esme smiles.
submitted by Rocknocker to Rocknocker [link] [comments]

2019 /r/Peloton Pre-TDF Survey Results!

Here we are with some results from the Pre-TDF Survey!
Sorry for the delay, I realise that this is a bit too long of a wait and we could possibly have gone into more depth in places but rest day is the best day for this.
Year 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018 Mar 2018 Aug 2019
Results 2013-06-12 2014-06-25 2015-08-07 2016-11-17 2018-03-06 2018-08-20 2019-07-22
Replies 351 598 1395 892 630 928 986
Slightly more respondents than last year, though dwarfed by 2015 again.

Top 15 Countries

Country 2015 2016 2018 Mar 2018 Aug 2019
USA 32% 28.3% 22.84% 25.32% 20.23%
UK 18.6% 17.6% 14.70% 20.13% 15.48%
Netherlands 6.4% 9.4% 11.50% 11.58% 10.01%
Germany 3.73% 3.4% 4.95% 6.39% 7.84%
Denmark 3.9% 3.6% 4.31% 3.79% 7.64%
Belgium 3.8% 2.7% 8.15% 3.57% 5.78%
France 2.01% 1.08% 2.88% 2.27% 5.26%
Canada 4.9% 7% 6.39% 4.22% 4.95%
Australia 5.2% 4.7% 3.83% 4.00% 4.33%
Norway 2.58% 1.8% 1.60% 1.95% 2.58%
Sweden 1.08% 1.09% 1.44% 1.41% 1.75%
Portugal 1.65% 1.8% 2.40% 1.52% 1.34%
Slovenia 0.73% 0.32% 1.30% 1.14%
Austria 0.18% 0.96% 0.65% 1.03%
Italy 1.45% 1.44% 0.65% 1.03%
No major surprises at the top of the list, with the USA & UK still dominating. But down almost 10% betwen them on last year, whilst the influence of Bora's German superstars helps them out, and Fuglsang's scintillating year lifts the number of Danes.
Worth noting that whilst some major European countries get a look in, Spanish representation is dreadful, with just six users or 0.62% claiming to be from the host nation of four WT races.

What's your age?

u17 17-19 20-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-50 51+ Total
2015 2.22% 12.04% 41.51% 24.66% 10.68% 4.87% 2.94% 1.08% 1395
2016 1.5% 8.9% 40.8% 24% 12% 5.4% 5.2% 2% 887
2018 Mar 1% 7.1% 33.5% 27.4% 16.2% 7% 5.7% 2.1% 617
2018 Aug 1.7% 9% 33.9% 26.4% 15.5% 7% 5% 1.5% 905
2019 1.5% 6.6% 33.2% 27.5% 16.4% 7.1% 5.8% 2% 972
Year on year it's as you'd expect for Reddit demographics as a whole, with slightly fewer teenagers around and a few more people over 30.

What's your Gender?

'13 '14 '15 '16 '18 (1) '18 (2) '19
Male 97.2% 97% 94.9% 93.4% 93.3% 93.6% 95.1%
Female 2.8% 2.7% 4.8% 5.3% 5.3% 5.4% 3.7%
Other - 0.33% 0.29% 0.78% 0.76% - -
Non-Binary - - - - 0.64% 0.99% 1.2%
More generic reddit samples, with a mostly male contingent and very few women in comparison.

How much of the season do you watch/follow?

Type March '18 (%) August '18 (%) 2019 (%)
Grand Tours 84.7 92.0 90.2
Monuments 79.1 74.9 79
WT Stage races 67.4 62.4 70.5
WT One day races 73.3 59.8 62.3
Non WT Stage races 32.6 16.7 17.4
Non WT One day races 34.8 13.7 17.4
Literally everything I can consume 35.9 18.1 21.1
The results for GTs & monuments are pretty stable no matter what part of the year we poll this, but after that it varies depending on spring and summer. Far more spring viewers are inclined to watch Le Samyn and other glorious 1.1 races than the ones who tune in in the summertime, though that number is ticking up, probably because race coverage is getting more and more accesible.

How long have you been watching Cycling?

Time (years) under a year 1 -2 2 - 3 3 - 4 4 - 5 5 - 6 6-7 7 -8 8 - 9 9 - 10 10 - 11 11 - 12 12 -13 13 - 14 14 - 15 15 - 20 20 - 25 25 +
'18 March (%) 4 10.5 12.6 9.6 8.1 8.9 - 6.9 4.8 - 6.2 2.2 1.8 0.8 4.5 10.7 4.9 3.5
'18 August (%) 4 10 13.2 9.9 7.7 8.3 5 4.6 2.7 5.4 3.2 2.2 1.8 1.9 1.8 9.5 5 3.8
'19 (%) 1.3 8.2 10.7 9.1 8.1 6.4 5.5 4.9 2.7 6 4.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 3.9 10.6 7 5.4
Time (years) 0-5 5-11 11-15 15 & more
'18 Mar 44.8% 26.8% 9.3% 19.1%
'18 Aug 44.8% 29.2% 7.7% 18.3%
'19 37.4% 30.2% 3.9% 23%
Lots of viewers have been watching for a while now, having switched into 15 years plus bucket, or post 2004.
These age brackets will change next quiz as suggested!

Section 2

Which teams do you like or not like?

14.5% of people don't really care for any team in particular. Of those that do, the results are:
AG2R Astana Bahrain Bora CCC DDD EF FDJ Ineos
Like 314 226 76 482 89 114 504 210 205
Meh 467 393 468 310 626 489 305 532 272
Dislike 24 198 256 28 73 188 29 54 371
Karma 290 28 -180 454 16 -74 475 156 -166
Katusha Lotto Soudal Movistar Mitchelton Quick Step Sunweb Trek Jumbo-Visma UAE
Like 66 229 215 394 490 360 189 415 56
Meh 507 526 448 381 283 407 549 374 449
Dislike 221 52 152 39 54 47 51 20 292
Karma -155 197 163 355 436 313 138 395 -236
So then, the most popular team from this year's survey is EF Education First, followed by Bora-hansgrohe & Quick-Step. Least popular are UAE and Bahrain, the two petrodollar fuelled teams.
Oh and no one cares about CCC. I've illustrate that with this particular graph, and it also shows Ineos are the most polarising team in the bunch. Who'd have guessed.
For a historical comparison, here are the normalised results of every time we've conducted this kind of question over time
What you'll notice is that the usual suspects are still negative: Ineos, Bahrain, Katusha & UAE. They've been joined by the woeful Dimension Data Team, and in stunning fashion Astana have finally escaped the negative karma ranks after years and pop up in the positives.
At the other end of the scale, EF Education First are up in popularity despite less US respondents, so it seems like they've picked up a worldwide audience. Otherwise most teams have slightly regressed towards the mean.

Do you ride a bike regularly?

Answer 2018Mar 2018Aug 2019
For fun 61.5% 63.4% 59.9%
For fitness 59.3% 59.6% 54.8%
For commuting 46% 46% 45.6%
For racing 20.6% 20.6% 15.9%
No, I don't 14.2% 12.9% 14.8%
Fewer of us are bike riders, and less than one in six of us are racers.

Is Cycling your favourite sport?

2015 2016 2018Mar 2018Aug 2019
No 40.7% 34.7% 30.6% 39.7% 38.5%
Yes 59.3% 65.3% 69.4% 60.3% 61.5%
Usual themes of more casual fans in summer than spring.

What other sports do you follow?

Sport #
I don't follow other sports 7.27%
Association Football / Soccer 53.33%
Formula 1 26.82%
American Football 23.03%
Basketball 20.78%
Esports (yes, this includes DotA) 18.42%
Skiing 12.90%
Ice Hockey 12.59%
Track & Field 12.28%
Rugby 12.18%
Tennis 11.46%
Baseball 11.05%
Motorsports (Not including F1) 10.34%
Cricket 9.72%
Biathlon 7.88%
Chess 6.86%
Climbing 6.55%
Snooker 6.04%
Golf 5.94%
Triathlon 5.53%
Boxing 5.02%
Handball 5.02%
Many, many others <5%
Notably others include swimming, Speed Skating, Martial Arts, Darts & Ski Jumping that were all above 3%
As per usual, Soccer is top of the tree, with just over half of all respondents following it. Otherwise Formula 1 is next up, followed by American Football. Esports is in the top five, whilst lower down Ski Jumping has a small following and Jousting is just for the one person.
Other cycling disciplines
Type #
Cyclocross 19.96%
Track Cycling 13.20%
MTB 8.70%
BMX 1.23%
As for other cycling disciplines, /Cyclocross leads /Velodrome as usual.

Section 3

How often do you participate in a /Peloton Race Thread whilst watching a race?
2015 2016 2018Mar 2018Aug 2019
I always participate in Race Threads during races 2.8% 2% 2.2% 4% 2.5%
I follow Race Threads during races 41.7% 36.7% 38.1% 42.1% 42.5%
I often participate in Race Threads during races 16.8% 19% 16.5% 18.9% 15.2%
I rarely/never participate in Race Threads during races 38.7% 41.3% 43.1% 35% 39.8%
More or less the same numbers as usual, reverting to the norm after the very invested 2018 Summer crowd.

How do you watch races?

Method 2018Mar 2018Aug 2019
Pirate Streams 62% 46.5% 50.2%
Local TV 55.7% 64.5% 59.6%
Desperately scrabbling for Youtube highlights 37.9% 30.2% 28.2%
Paid Streaming services 32.3% 35.4% 38.3%
Pirate streams more or less level with last year, and paid streaming services now up to nearly 40% of the sub base, the main grower over time as it is easier and easier to get coverage. In most countries at least.

Where do you follow races (in addition to watching them)?

Type 2018Mar 2018Aug 2019
/Peloton race threads 86.2% 83.4% 80.2%
Twitter 30.5% 34.7% 33.3%
PCS Liveticker - - 30.2%
The Cyclingnews liveticker 26% 23.5% 21.5%
Sporza (site/ticker) 1.89% 9.5% 10.8%
Steephill 0.52% 13.5% 10.2%
Other cycling forums 15.1% 8.1% 7.6%
/Peloton discord 6.5% 5.4% 7.5%
NOS Liveblog - 6.8% 7%
feltet.dk - 2.2% 5.4%
Facebook 3.8% 5.4% 4%
BBC Ticker - 3.5% 2.1%
DirectVelo - 1.3% 1.6%
Non Cycling Forums - 1.3% 1.2%
/cyc/ - 1.3% 1%
/peloton IRC ~0 0.8% 0.4%
The new big kid on the block is the PCS live ticker which they introduced this year, and since its introduction it has become an exceptionally handy resource especially for following ITTs live.

Do you use /Peloton mostly in classic reddit or redesign when on the desktop?

Type 2018 Aug 2019
Classic 75.1% 67.2%
Redesign 24.9% 32.8%
Fear it. Run from it. Reddit is embracing redesign.

With what version of reddit do you browse the sub mostly?

Version %
Desktop Classic 37.8
3rd Party App 18.3
Official App 17.9
Desktop Redesign 13.7
Mobile Web 12.4
Most of us use the Classic browser, but next best is third party apps like Reddit is Fun, Relay and so on.

How did you find the sub?

How did you find the sub? %
Honestly it has been so long I don't remember 41.2
Reddit Search 29.7
Linked in another thread on another sub 14.1
Google Search 10.2
My mate/friend/enemy told me 2.9
Short of memory issues, incredibly most people found the sub via reddit search of all things.
And at least two people really, really wanted to talk about their exercise bike. And one person from 4chan.

How much racing do you think the sub should automatically cover in terms of race & results threads (obviously can cover more if there's interest on the day in the race)? Bear in mind that next year the UCI will roll some (but not all) .HC & .1 events into a new "Pro Series" that exists below the WT.

Type of racing %
Just WT 9.1
WT & HC 14.7
WT, HC & important .1 39.4
All televised racing 34.9
I think it's fair to say that it's a toss up between everything and most of the important races of the season, .1 and up. By automatic the idea was to mean stuff we'll make race threads for, anyone is always welcome to make a race thread if the race deserves it in your opinion (if it's a UCI one anyway).
Next year the ProSeries will change the make up of racing anyway!

Section 4

This survey we picked up on feedback and decided to poll women's racing with a variety of questions!
First up:
Do you maintain an interest in women's professional road racing? %
Yes 49.8
No 50.2
Nice and split down the middle. Next up:
If (big if here) Women's World Tour racing received at least the level of broadcast time that you'd expect out of the men's WT, would you watch it? %
Yes 51.4
No 30.6
Unsure without viewing said productions 18
Women's cycling suffers from broadcasting issues, with many of the WWT races nor even televised, including the biggest one of the year, the Giro Rosa. Happily that will change next year with the new reforms being installed, but being able to actually watch the damn thing is part of the hurdle of following the women's calendar.

Do you think the UCI is doing the right thing for the women's side of the sport, in regards to steps taken regarding minimum wages and the creation of WorldTeams starting next year?

So next year the whole sport is getting rewritten by the UCI, and a good chunk of that is on the women's side. There will be minimum wages for the new WorldTeams, mandatory broadcasting for WT races, as well as employee rights like sick day, maternity leave, and a prize money going up. Our thoughts on the subject were:
Is the UCI doing the right thing? %
Yes 41.6
No 10.2
I don't follow UCI press releases 48.1
So yes, the UCI is doing better, but most people are not aware of what they are doing to make it better. Hopefully this survey made it more obvious what changes are afoot.
Lastly, we had more of a wide ranging question on how women's cycling is treated on the sub. Obviously since it was an open form answer, there's no specific feedback but most people seem to think we should keep it here, and that we generally do enough for the sport. It's just that user participation is somewhat lower than mens and it is fairly obvious. Also it seems that a lot of you have missed the Womens Reddit Fantasy League (WRFL) that is run for all WWT races, so rest assured the fantasy side does exist.
Having read every single bit of feedback there's some good ideas in there regarding a content filter for womens cycling and other things we will try to work on so thanks for that!
Over time with the reforms, televised races and so on the interest should likely trend upwards. We shall see!

Section 5

Do you think the reworking of the invite system in 2020 is a good thing or not?

So next year the UCI is redoing the very structure of professional cycling, by changing the classifications of races in a new hierarchy & redoing the invite system entirely. How it essentially works is that the top two PCT teams from the previous year get automatic invites to every single WT event, and sometimes the top three. The usual wildcard invite system is partially gone, that means for the GTs only two invites can be offered. Teams can deny these mandatory invitations of course but only then can the race organiser offer that slot to another team.
Is it a good thing? %
Yes 22.5
No 19.3
I'm not entirely sure who Gianni Savio is and why he is mad 58.2
Outside of the 58% of people who unacquainted with the man/legend hybrid who produces a stream of riders for big WT teams after grounding them at Androni, we're kind of split on the subject, and it's easy to see why. It does streamline the process by making it so that there is essentially a season long reward for PCT teams in terms of sought after GT invites or monument invites.
However, for a system that has forever relied on wildcard organiser invites it will restrict some teams from ever seeing these races again potentially. One of the classic Italian teams Nippo Vini Fantini has already announced it is folding next season, and you can see why the lower achieving teams might look worriedly at this reform.

Who will win the 2019 TDF?

Here's a good one. Two weeks into the race and what did we think beforehand?
And the winner is: %
Egan Bernal 28.4
Geraint Thomas 16.4
Jakob Fuglsang 12.2
Thibault Pinot 7.3
Romain Bardet 6.5
Nairo Quintana 5.3
Adam Yates 4.4
Steven Kruijswijk 3.8
Rigoberto Uran 2.9
Vincenzo Nibali 2.2
Dan Martin 1.3
Alejandro Valverde 1.1
Mikel Landa 1
Emmanuel Buchmann 0.7
Bernal was the clear fan favourite, and not a single person mentioned Alaphilippe for the overall.
And that's it for multiple choice questions. There was a huge amount of feedback on the women's longform question which we covered earlier but it had over 300 responses from simply yes to longer answers so thank you for that.
There wasn't nearly as much feedback on the more general end of survey questions so we'll briefly cover a couple of responses here. Whoever the poster is that asked about content filters you will be happy to know they've been implemented in redesign & classic reddit using some changes to the flairing of threads and how automod works. Though redesign has a slightly fancier format currently, both options now live in the sidebar. Also to the user who asked about Velogames flairs, we have them! Just that one user continually hoards them (you know who you are). And to the person who wrote "Free Talk Friday?", we do have one, every Friday.
Also for the more technical question on thread collections, unfortunately it's a feature of new reddit, and whilst we were trialling it during the Tour de Suisse, the fact it takes up half the page is not ideal, and the size is not adjustable... which means that commenting is a pain. Still thing it's a good idea though.
Lastly it's very clear that HerHor is the loved one of this sub though unfortunately we do not have infinite money to give him infinite gold as one user suggested.
submitted by PelotonMod to peloton [link] [comments]

Overwatch Survey 2017 Results!

Hi guys, first off I just wanna say a huge thank you to you all for taking part in the survey! I was aiming for 5,000 within a week and we got 10,000 in less than 48 hours! I closed the survey off at 10,013 responders – sorry to all who didn’t get to take part, there will be more!
Here is the information in a very simplified format. If you would like any more specifics please just ask below and I will try my best to help!
Thank you all for taking part – hope you enjoyed it and hope you find some interest in the results!
Please note – This information is not a representation of the entire Overwatch community/player base, but is a somewhat good indication of the users who frequent this Sub. Even so, there 10,000 responses while there are over a million subscribers so take the information with a grain of salt. Make of the following information what you will!
Results are posted in order of most votes, second most, third most and least due to time constraints. I will post more later along with the actual raw data.
UPDATE: Sorry it took so long, but here is a spreadsheet of all 10,013 responses for whoever is interested. Again guys, thanks for taking part! Link: https://goo.gl/JQgR54
Gender
Age
Region
Purchased Overwatch:
Platforms:
Statements on Sexism/Racism/Homophobia
Current Level
Most Played Hero
Favourite Hero
Class which needs a hero the most (even when Moira is considered)
Class least fun to play
Most played Game Mode
Most popular Skill Rating
Favourite Arcade Mode
Would you consider playing Arcade even after you get all your loot boxes?
Favourite Assault Map
Favourite Hybrid Map
Favourite Escort Map
Favourite Control Map
Favourite Arcade Map
Favourite Event
Loot Boxes Purchase Frequency
Loot Boxes average spend per transaction
Overwatch Improved in Year 2?
Overwatch community improved in Year 2?
Season Length - too long?
Would you like a Clan System?
More options to spend Competitive Points on?
Is content released at a reasonable pace?
Would you consider paying for an expansion including an array of maps, characters, cosmetics, game modes or Story?
Would you like to see an Overwatch animated mini-series/movie?
Would you like an Overwatch story mode?
Have you lost interest since purchasing?
Do you follow Overwatch ESports
Console players, do you want a PTR?
Top 3 most recommended features – excluding Clans & Story Mode
Feature Most Needed right now?
submitted by apagandolasluces to Overwatch [link] [comments]

Little Details from the 5/15/2019 SMM2 Direct

Holy fuck. This game, man.
Okay, so here's a list of all the little details I missed during my first viewing of yesterday's SMM2 Direct, complete with timestamps:
Also, we can observe throughout the Direct that all four playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Toadette - do play identically. No unique behaviors or properties.
Whew! Hell of a list... and that's just the non-obvious stuff I missed during my first watch.
So excited for this game, guys. I'm gonna play the shit out of some multiplayer co-op.
submitted by AbandonedArts to MarioMaker [link] [comments]

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