All DLC's required. New game ONLY. Errors may occur. Trophies wont work. Tested on survival difficulty.

What are the changes: - Immersive and very challenging survival gameplay. - No more bullet sponges and rambo playstyle! - Enemies are dangerous and you are trying to survive at all costs.
Immersive gameplay mod is the base of this modlist. Adds thousands of changes mostly combat related. Enemies are smarter, ammo type affects damage, bigger enemies are more scary, perks are reordered and improved, crafting, cooking and building is changed. You don't get health per level up, crafting turrets cost hundreds of rare ammo, legendary items are hard to get and dont drop from humans and ghouls, special stats affect things like sprint, reload speed or health. Enemies are easier to cripple, headshots do tons of damage and usually are deadly. Opening all locks is available from character level1, but one of the perks makes it easier to do. You can also dismember enemies. Synths, robots and supermutants are very dangerous. Settlement raids are very challenging. Loot is hard to find. There is ammo crafting and many, many other things. See for yourself.

Legend:

• ^{Smaller letters mods are optional and my personal choice.}
• Italic mods affect immersion and/or difficulty and are recommended.
• Bold mods are base of this list.

Master files:

1. ^{Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch [UFO4P] [PS4] - Thousands of bug fixes of FO4.} ### Added NPC's:
2. Named NPC Protection [PS4] - Protects named quest npc's, merchants, important characters from random encounters with enemies.
3. No Bugs in Vault 111 - Removes radroaches from the starting vault.
4. Ghouls Of Commonwealth - Adds over 1100 feral ghouls for zombie apocalypse and chaos.*
5. DLC Creatures In The Commonwealth [PS4] - Adds 200 creature spawns to the commonwealth for constant war, danger and chaos.
6. Gulpers Of The Commonwealth - Adds gulpers to more empty areas on the map.
7. Longhorns Of The Commonwealth - Adds longhorns to more empty areas on the map.
8. Nemethianrillas Of The Commonwealth - Adds mutated gorillas spawns to the map.
9. Hermit Crabs Of The Commonwealth - Adds 12 hermit crabs to the Commonwealth.
10. Wolves Of The Commonwealth - Adds wolf spawn points to the map.
11. More Radstags - Adds plenty of radstags, especially north and into forests.
12. More Behemoths In Commonwealth - Adds 5 more behemots to the Commonwealth.
13. Behind Enemy Lines - Adds plenty of enemies to the glowing sea region.
14. Roving War Parties, Raiding Packs And Hordes Of MY - Adds wandering groups that attack some key locations. ### Quest modifications:
15. Disable Minutemen's Annoying Quests [PS4] - Disables 7 types of repetitive and not important radiant quests. ### Settlement and workshop items:
16. ^{Busy Settlers Rugs PS4 - Adds 86 animation rugs. Assign settlers or let them use the rugs randomly.}
17. ^{Miscellaneous Settlement Items Unlocked [PS4] By Callias - Adds 49 objects for building in settlements.}
18. ^{Cinder Block Walls And Sandbags Unlocked [PS4] By Callias - Adds 16 objects like cinder blocks and sandbags.}
19. ^{Constructible Faction Guards - Adds ability to hire guards for caps in build menu after allying with a faction.}
20. ^{[PS4] OCDecorator - Adds inventory items as a decorational building objects.}
21. ^{[PS4] OCDecorator DLC - Support for addons for the above mod.} ### Gameplay changes, tweaks:
22. ^{PC Ports For PS4 - Rain Of Brass - Bullet shells stay on the ground for longer.}
23. Tweaks - Survival Fast Travel Settlements All DLC - You can fast travel to your settlements on survival difficulty.
24. 1st Person Animation Tweaks [PS4] - In first person mode you lower your gun automatically.
25. ^{Power Line Physics [PS4] - Swinging power lines in settlements.}
26. No Sneak Indicators - Completely removes all sneak indicators.
27. Vanilla Moon (4x) [PS4] - Four times bigger moon. ### NPC and companion changes:
28. [PS4] Simple Settlers (Mortal Edition) - Provides five times more different settlers and names them.
29. ^{[PS4] Dogs Not Brahmin - Provisioners and traders use dogs instead of brahmin.}
30. Better Dialogue - Camera focuses on NPC, changes to some generic dialogues and dialogue interuption. ### Audio changes:
31. ^{Silent Main Menu - Adds slider in settings menu for silencing main menu music.}
32. Reverb And Ambiance Overhaul - ALL DLC [PS4] - Tweaks sounds for better ambient and reverb and adds sliders to options.
33. TLS Sound Overhaul Fo4 PS4 - Tweaks all sounds except weather and music.
34. Quieter Settlements PS4 - Vanilla - Generators, turrets and hammering are much quieter.
35. Quieter Settlements PS4 - Contraptions DLC - Same as above, but for DLC.
36. Quieter Settlements PS4 - Wasteland Workshop - Same as above, but for DLC.
37. Esk QuietPerks [PS4] - Muted five annoying perks like idiot savant.
38. No Cash Register Sound When Gaining XP - Silences experience gain sounds.
39. [PS4] Dead Beat - Removes heart beat sound at low HP.
40. Combat Music Remover - Mutes combat music, so there is silence and suspension when enemy detects you. ### Visual changes:
41. Commonwealth Visual Overhaul & DLC [PS4] - Changes colours, atmosphere and makes nights darker.
42. ^{[PS4] No More Fake Puddles - Removes ugly puddles that stay 24/7.}
43. ^{Reduced Rubble Etc. - Safely reduces density of unimportant objects by 50-75%.}
44. ^{Ironsight Blur Removal PS4 - Removes blur when aiming.} ### Light and water:
45. [PS4] Enhanced Flickering Firelight - Better light effects for fire sources including oil lamps.
46. [PS4] Dark Mode - Abandoned Settlements - Empty settlements don't have light sources.
47. [PS4] Water Redux - Realistic water with enchanced visuals. ### HUD and UI:
48. ^{CleanVATS - Green Tint Remover PS4 - Removes fullscreen green tint effect while aiming in VATS mode.} ### Pip-Boy changes:
49. Pip-Boy Flashlight (Brighter) - Pipboy light is now a flashlight. ### Crafting in workbenches:
50. Saving Survival Mode - Adds crafting recipe to chemist station, that allows to save in survival mode using pip-boy. ### World edits and new settlements:
51. ^{[PS4] STS - All-In-One - Allows scraping almost all settlement objects.}
52. ^{Minuteman Watchtowers - Adds 8 minuteman watchtowers containing loot and/or guards.} ### Weapon and armor modifications:
53. ^{See-Through-Scopes [PS4] - Adds new combat scopes in place of 2.5x and 4x magnification.}
54. ^{See-Through-Scopes - Nuka World [PS4] - As above but for 2 Nuka World guns.}
55. ^{See-Through-Scopes - Far Harbor [PS4] - As above but for 2 Far Harbor weapons.} ### Immersive gameplay:
56. Immersive Gameplay Combat Mostly PS4 - Core of this modlist. Hundreds of changes.
57. Immersive Gameplay Seasonpass Patch (Playstation) - DLC compatibility for IG.
58. Immersive-Gameplay. Low Tech, No Powerarmor Justification Patch. (PS4) - Makes fusioncores worn and rare. Balances the game around power armor.
59. Immersive Gameplay Rough Start (PS4) - Overwrites starting level to 1.
60. Immersive Gameplay Dismemberment - A Patch Or Standalone Feature. - Higher damage to headshots, easier to dismember limbs.
61. ^{Tackle! Immersive Gameplay Knockdown Version - Lets you stagger enemies by sprinting into them after aquiring a perk.} ### Overwrites of above mods:
62. ^{Explorer Restored - Cut Perk Mod PS4 - Adds rank two of VANS perk explorer.}
63. Backwards Savant Perk - Changes how the perk works.
64. [PS4] Starting SPECIAL = 7 - Changes starting points to 1 in each SPECIAL base skill.
65. Zombie Walkers (PS4) - Most feral ghouls act like slow rotten zombies.
66. Esk No More Teleporting Creatures [PS4] - Molerats and radscorpions don't teleport that much.
67. Realistic Insects Health [PS4] - Makes insects easier to kill.
68. Realistic Death Physics - ALL DLC Version - Decreases the amount of force of both melee and ranged attacks.
69. Increased Settler Limit - Awareness - Wire Length - Corpse Collisions [PS4] - More aware settlers with limit of 50 per settlement and longer wires.
70. ^{Settlement Attack Spawns Outside The Settlement PS4 - Moves attack spawns outside the settlements.}
71. ^{[PS4] Settlement Build Budget X10 Season Pass - Much higher budget for settlements.}
72. ^{Faster Positive Affinity For Companions - Five times faster affinity gain.}
73. Increased EXP - Increased amount of EXP to make Immersive Gameplay balanced.
74. No Building Houses XP Gains PS4 - Building settlements don't provide experience.
75. ^{Drop Quest Items - You can drop notes, holotapes and quest items. Be careful.}
76. Tracers & Vapor Trails [PS4] - Adds tracer and smoke trail effects to all bullets fired.
77. (PS4) Improved Lighting Ballistics - Improves lighting for projectiles such as bullets, lasers, gauss, plasma, missiles, flares and explosions.
78. Accelerated Fast Travel - Fast travel takes less in-game time, affects survival needs.
79. Time Scale Changed From 20 To 10 [PS4] - Day and night lasts twice as long.

OPTIONAL - change pipboy and hud colours to different ones, turn off crosshair and markers. \
I didn't link the mods, because you need to type the names on your Playstation anyway.

Known Issues:

• Game crashes after reordering mods (works fine after restarting the game).
• Rad resistant and gun-fu perks has only one rank.
• Some institute guns have silenced sound.
• Incorrect cost to build water towers added by Creation Club.
• Assaultrons drop incorect amount of aluminium.
• Incompatible with tons of other mods.
• Ocdecorator replaces creation club menu (items from there still available in other building categories).

Google Sheet File containing the above mod list. \ Google Sheet File (empty).

The Rockbox team are getting ready to launch the next major release for the project, but they need help the community's help improving the various translations for Rockbox.
If you've used a language other than English, you're likely already aware of missing translations. Only 12 languages have over 90% coverage, the threshold required for TTS voice files to be generated. A lot of languages fall below this 90% coverage, and 7 translations are below just 50% coverage (Arabic, Eesti, Hindi and Afrikans to name a few).
So if you're a multilingual Rockbox user, please consider contributing to the project to help improve the translations!
​

• Information on the translation effort
• The rockbox translation portal

​

A bit of an explanation on terminology before I start. I’ll be listing national spirit bonuses as either permanent, limited, situation, short term, or one-time. One-time bonuses don’t provide any lasting effect, like instant units that don’t come attached to any other bonuses. Short term bonuses are bonuses that eventually expire, and no longer provide their bonus. Limited bonuses are permanent, but some outside factor limits the quantity of bonuses that can be given out. I’m not going to include domain powers with increasing cost under this category. Like being tied to a power that increases in cost. Situation bonuses are permanent bonuses, but they may only be useful in specific circumstances, or may be invalidated by such circumstances. Permanent bonuses are, of course, permanent. They’ll be active for the entire game, even if the bonus itself lacks impact in the late-game. I will also be listing any innovation bonuses as a separate section, under whatever above category the specific bonus applies to.
Arts - Great Masters - Grants Access to Spawn Artist domain power:

• Permanent bonuses: Artists can upgrade to Master Artists (one free master), Bonus wealth from artwork/masterpiece (+7/+12), +2 luxury from Artwork/Masterpiece, Upgrades domain power Immigration to Guild Training, Upgrades domain power Reduce Unrest to Public Exhibition. Conservatory building unlocked.
  • Innovation bonus: +1 culture from artwork/masterpiece.
• Situational bonuses: Modifies culture power Local Reforms into Golden Age.
• Legacy requirement: +3 Master Artists
• Guild Training: +1->+2 pops, Cooldown 6->3 turns, removes progressive cost, and pop limit
• Public Exhibition: removes cooldown, increases Unrest removed.
• Golden Age: Region Efficiency x1.25->x1.2, Duration 8->4, effect now applies to all regions.

Like before, we’ll be starting with the worst national spirit. However, Great Masters is not a bad spirit because of what bonuses it gives. Rather, it’s bad because its main mechanic is actively annoying to use, and its capstone ability replaces the Local Reform culture ability with what is effectively a strict downgrade in many situations. While Mercenaries are probably the actual worst national spirit, I’ve got more issues with Great Masters. So, let’s start with the positives. This tree improves artwork and masterpiece goods, and masterpiece goods in particular also produce Arts XP, so this spirit has decent built in synergy for producing its XP. The Conservatory is also a phantastic building, being the best source of building-based culture in the game. Plus it also produces Art XP. I’ll also note that apprentices can also produce artwork, and artwork is a one-per region good. So you can’t double down on artwork by using both an apprentice and an artist. On the other hand, this does mean you can use all of your artists for rushing culture, and artwork no longer costs Art XP to create. I’ll also note that this National Spirit unlocks the Spawn Artist domain power, which means it’s the only way to spawn artists if the Age of Blood occurred. As for the issues; you can only recruit an apprentice if the city “has an apprentice available”. As far as I can tell, each city only has one apprentice, and there’s no UI element that shows you what cities have an available apprentice. So it’s up to the player to keep track of what cities they’ve recruited from, Additionally, Golden Age is effectively a downgrade from Local Reforms. There’s a number of one-per-nation buildings that you’ll probably have in the homeland, and your homeland will also typically have more population/improvements than any other region. So a x1.5 bonus for 5 turns on it will typically produce more knowledge, culture, and XP than a x1.2 bonus for 4 turns on all regions. I think you’d need to have at least 4 other decently developed regions to make the most of the Golden Age ability. I’ll also note that this ability is made worse if you enter the Age of Utopia, as underwater cities are extremely goods focused cities, and don’t benefit much from region efficiency bonuses. In conclusion, I think this spirit suffers from a bit of anti-synergy. It wants you to have a large number of regions, to maximize its bonuses. Golden Age’s changes only make sense if the dev’s assumed you would have 5+ regions, and it needed to rebalance local reform’s effect to reflect that. And it’s not like Golden Age is optional, it’s the capstone ability. At the same time, you also need a large number of AI cities around to acquire as many apprentices as possible. And these two goals are a bit incompatible. The larger your presence is on the board, the less of a presence the AI has. I also think that there’s some built in issues with how the tree tries to operate. There needs to be a UI element to show what cities still have apprentices. Also, the Golden Age itself could use another pass. It’s functionally a downgrade to the original ability, unless you go quite wide. I feel like it should either not replace Local Reforms, or it should be an optional ability instead of the capstone. Perhaps make Guild Training the capstone instead?
Warfare:
Mercenaries

• Permanent bonuses: Contract Termination Warfare domain power, +25 wealth when killing units, Call Ambush Warfare domain power, Mercenary Training Camp outpost improvement, Guns for Hire diplomacy action, Leader Units Security Detail Ability,
  • Innovation Bonus: Privateer upkeep cost x0.7 *Legacy Requirement: 6+ mercenary units.
• Call Ambush - Convert one unaligned army/navy (barbarian) into one mercenary/privatire
• Hire Mercenaries - Spawn one mercenary/privatier in your territory.
• Security Detail - Spawns one mercenary on leaders tile, ending turn. Unit must have at least 10 movements remaining.
• Contract Termination - Disband friendly army, gain wealth per unit disbanded. (25 per unit, +25 per merc)
• Guns for Hire - Requires Envoy. +40 wealth to you, +20 Warfare XP to them.

Mercenaries are interesting in concept, but I think they have a lot of anti-synergy. The main concept is simple; mercenaries are about as powerful as age 8 units. Mercenaries being the equivalent of the early machine gun, while privateers are the equivalent of destroyers. Both favor higher attack over defense in those comparisons. The main drawback of these units is their upkeep cost (40), and their summoning cost. Security Detail is the only ability that does not cost any Warfare XP to use, but comes at the cost of slowing down your leaders. Hire Mercenaries is relatively cheap, but unless you use aggressive outposts as forward bases, you can’t exactly use it offensively. And while Call Ambush can be used offensively, it removes barbarians from the map, reducing the amount of XP you can generate from fighting them. It’s also quite expensive to use. All in all, this means that you’re not exactly going to be able to use these units to aggressively generate Warfare XP. I also think that their expensive upkeep directly competes with chaos mitigation, making these units unsuited to fighting aggressive wars. Which, of course, is a bit of an anti-synergy. On the other hand, these units do seem to be ideal for fighting a defensive war. You don’t exactly care about leader movement if your leaders are being attacked, or spawning expensive units in your territory if that’s where the enemy is. I’ll also note that there’s a niche use of ambush to destroy the larger Revolutionary armies in the Age of Revolution, but it’s so expensive to use that it’s not exactly practical to rely on it if you’ve got a large territory. I’ll also note that the mercenary units themselves are probably not as good in practice as they appear on paper. Due to the extremely high upkeep cost, you likely won’t be able to keep them around for very long. Which means that they likely won’t be in a position to gain veterancy levels. And veterancy is quite the important force multiplier. A veterancy 4 Arquebus has similar stats to the Early Machine Gun. So a high veterancy army can actually match the stats of your mercenaries. Outside of the mercenary units, there’s not a whole lot left to go over. +25 wealth from killing units is nice, but it suffers the same issue as the Age of Blood killed unit trigger. Namely, it doesn’t work if the army is killed out of combat, and units that are broken but not killed do not count. The mercenary training camp is honestly a bit bad. It is an outpost improvement, not a castle improvement, so it doesn’t exactly compete with the armory. But it’s 3x the cost of the armory, so it’s quite expensivie to build. And it only provides +3 wealth, which doesn’t exactly cover the 40 wealth upkeep of the mercenary units. Overall, I think this spirit costs too much to use. Its units cost too much Warfare XP to generate, they cost too much upkeep to be used offensively, and the units themselves aren’t actually that good once you take veterancy into account. Adding to all that, this spirit also doesn’t provide ways to generate the Warfare XP or wealth it needs. Sure, you can generate cash from defeating units, the mercenary camp provides some XP and Wealth, and Guns for Hire can generate a bit of wealth, but it’s not really enough to pay for the costs this spirit imposes. As such, I don’t think the spirit is all that useful. I will note though, that there is a bit of synergy with an earlier Age of Blood, or the Raiders National Spirit. As both of these add ways to generate more Warfare XP. Which can help pay for generating the mercenary units.
Commanders - Spawns unique Field Marshal:

• Permanent bonuses: +1 tactics + x0.5 promotion cost, 5th veterancy level, Battlefield Medicine ability on leaders. -50% forced march cost.
• Situational bonuses: Old Guard Grenadier, Old Guard Cavalry, Field marshal targeting down (base 99 - 199).
  • Old Guard units +5 defense and +5 morale.
• Legacy Requirement: Field martial Veterancy 3+.

Commanders are a bit unique as military national spirits go. Not only does it give you 3 new units, it also does really focus on empowering those units. Rather, it’s focused on empowering your leaders and standard army units. Between the +1 base tactics and +1 tactics from Veterancy Lv.5 - your leader units will have +2 tactics on leaders of their equivalent age. Which means your armies will be hitting at least x1.2 harder than anyone else. Additionally, the Old Guard units are quite the powerful units in their own right. They have the distinction of being one of the few player controlled units with more than 50 health. Adding to that, the Cavalry is effectively a reskinned early tank, while the Grenadiers closest equivalent is the Elite Task Force Heavy, a unit specific to the Age of Visitors. Of course, like most National Spirit units, they cannot be upgraded when they become obsolete. In addition to the direct strength bonuses this national spirit gives, it also reduces the cost of Forced March, and gives leaders the ability to heal their armies at the cost of 15 Warfare XP, and a full turn's worth of movement. The final situational bonus is limited to Commanders unique leadership units; the field marshal. The field marshal is essentially a Leader VI, with +2 base tactics and a higher retirement value. It also has a lower baseline targeting than a standard leader (according to the wiki), with the last National Spirit bonus reducing that into the negative. Needless to say, a leader that will not be attacked is quite useful. Overall, this is a great military national spirit that will empower your military for the rest of the game. This national spirit also has some decent synergy with earlier national spirits; Warriors passive combat XP combines nicely with the focus on added veterancy levels and leaders.Raiders +Warfare XP helps to fuel Forced March + Battlefield Medic. And Shogunate’s Leaders benefit from the added tactics bonuses.
War Priests

• Permanent bonuses: Jaguar Warriors x1.5 attack/defense, Pyramid temple improvement, Human Sacrifice Warfare Domain power, Human Sacrifice spawns Jaguar Warriors at Pyramid Temples.Jungle Farm improvement + faster expansion into jungle.
  • Innovation bonus: +1 Warfare and Arts XP on Pyramid Temples.
• Situational bonuses: +30 faith in capitals (includes vassals) when killing enemy units.
• Temporary bonuses:Musket, Dragoon, Pike can side-promote into Jaguar Warriors.
• Legacy Requirement: 3+ Pyramid Temples

War Priests is an extremely situational tree; and is also unique for being the only non-age 2 national spirit with an expansion reduction bonus. It goes without saying, but you’ll need jungles to really use this tree. For what it’s worth, this tree is quite good. The Jungle Farm is one of the best farms in the game, and is the only way to produce Maize (+1 food compared to wheat, can be used as wheat in all related production chains). The Jaguar Warriors are also a strong unit, if a bit specialized. They are unique in that they can actually be acquired by having certain line units (Dragoon, Musket, Pike) undergo a LEADERSHIP promotion - this is not an upgrade, it’s specifically a promotion (even though Jaguar’s don’t have tactics - oversight?). I’ll also note that it’s best to use pikes or dragoons for this, as musket’s have a higher leadership promotion cost (45/54 vs 84). As for the units themselves, They trade the x2 attack against cavalry the units they upgrade from possess, for a x1.5 attack/defense in jungle. Additionally, the National Spirit imparts a further x1.5 base attack/defense. I’ll note that it’s actually a bit hard to find a unit to compare them against. They are stronger than the musket they upgrade from, but at baseline are weaker than the assault rifle those upgrade into. Of course, the x1.5 bonus turns them into an extremely overpowered unit. It does mean they technically might end up with less overall attack than units with a situational attack bonus, but I think the bonus is comparable, and the higher defense more than makes up for the lower attack (though, I do wonder why it’s a percent bonus instead of a flat attack/defense increase?). I do find it odd that they don’t count as a pre-gunpowder unit, but it’s probably for the best that they don’t benefit from the raiders healing ability. Overall, these are a solid unit that can benefit from pre-existing veterancy levels if generated by promoting units. As for their other aspects - Pyramid Temples themselves are a great faith improvement. They produce a base +6 faith, with an added +6 from being worked, and if they are adjacent to another jungle tile they produce a further +6 faith by producing religious text (this is what the tooltip means by x2 faith for an adjacent jungle tile). It’s the best tile based way of producing faith. That said, abbeys are still better in practice. But you’ll still want to build a number of temples, so you can maximize the number of Jaguar units you can generate via human sacrifice. Which is the only realistic way to use that ability. Human sacrifice produces 20 culture, 100 faith, and with the upgrade produces one Jaguar Warrior in each jungle temple you have (including in vassal territories). Personally, I don’t know why this generates faith? It seems like the ideal use case would be to convert captured cities, but it can’t be used on vassals. And unless there’s more to the mechanic, producing faith in a city that already worships your religion 100% seems to do nothing. The culture is also not that useful, 20 is easy enough to produce per turn from your religion, so not sure 2 pops is worth it. So the only remaining use-case is for spawning Jaguar’s at your temples. But since temples are a one-per-region improvement, you’ll need a lot of regions around jungles to get a lot of use out of this. In other words, YMMV. All in all, I do think this is a rather strong military spirit, if you have the jungles to actually use it. This is also quite faith focused, but that’s sort of a side effect of how it works. I don’t think it prohibits switching to a secular government later on, though you will lose some of the bonuses for building temples and the faith bonus from human sacrifices. I also don’t see why this is an age 6 spirit, instead of being an age 4 or 2 spirit. If it has to remain an age 6 spirit, I’d like to see the Jaguar Promotion revised. It should probably be handled as an ability with a defined cost, rather than replacing the leadership promotion. Additionally, I would like to see it expanded to more units, or have the text explain what units specifically benefit, instead of just saying all “line” units.
Diplomacy - Colonialism:

• Permanent Bonuses: Culture Power Placer Claim. Transport ship buff (+20 movement, +1 sight) (2 free settlers), Trade always enabled and +2 culture from colonies, Trade Factory (upgrade to Trade Post), Vassal max prosperity +75% (2 free merchants), Culture Power Demand Fealty
• Situational Bonuses: Culture Power Eminent Domain,
  • Innovation “bonus”: +5 wealth, +1 Warfare XP, +1 chaos from Tea.
• Placer Claim: Instant outpost (colony), built on a tile occupied by one of your armies. Tile must be a valid location for a colony.
• Eminent Domain: vassalize one minor nation that you have vision on.
• Demand Fealty: +50% prosperity on all vassals for 4 turns, can exceed vassal prosperity cap.

Colonialism is a bit of a situational pick. It gives a lot of good bonuses, but the primary bonuses it gives are culture powers, so you’ll need a high culture income to really make the most use of those bonuses. Which this tree can help with, provided you already have the needed setup. Its +2 culture from colonies provides a small buff to culture generation that synergises with Placer Claim, but the main bonus to culture generation is the +75% vassal max prosperity. Which does mean that colonialism needs a large vassal swarm to take full advantage of all of its buffs. But it’s also worth noting that the above bonus is the only way to boost vassal prosperity permanently without staying a feudal monarchy. As for the other bonuses colonialism grants; the transport ship buff is quite nice, allowing your transports to outrun barbarians, and the added vision helps to avoid them. Trade Factories are also nice, if perhaps a bit anti-synergistic? They double outpost goods production, but is that really necessary when you can just spawn more outposts with the Placer Claim culture power? They also synergise poorly with the free trade posts from Spice Traders. The only real situational bonuses are Eminent Domain, and the added chaos to tea. Eminent Domain lets you instantly vassalize any minor nation that you have vision on. Which basically means it’s a niche power that can only realistically be used on an island map. After all, it requires that minor nations still exist, that you have units nearby, and that those units are either non-diplomat civilian units, or naval units (After all, if you have army units near enough to have visions, you could just conquer them instead.). As for tea, I don’t like getting chaos events, and I’m not sure if the wealth income offsets the cost of paying for chaos events. So I’d probably just take the wealth from the innovation, instead of the permanent bonus.
Explorers - Scholars:

• Permanent Bonuses: +1 education from Books, Great Library Building, Translator Improvement, Knowledge bonus from knowledge culture power (Eureka, SETI) , Scholarly Society building, Scientific Process exploration domain power, +1 All Domain XP from Great Library
  • Innovation bonus: +1 Government XP from Books.
• Legacy Requirements: 3+ Scholarly Societies.

This spirit is one of my favorites, with several nice bonuses to knowledge production. Books are one of the most unique goods in the game, as there are many age specific innovations that add Domain XP or other production to the good (Renaissance +1 Arts, Discovery +1 Engineering, Conquest +1 Warfare, Enlightenment +2 Education, Alchemy +1 Arcana). It’s also a luxury good, so benefits from the +1 production from the Republic's Fine Delicacies innovation. So, all in all, quite the versatile good. The Scholarly Society provides a decent amount of education, as well as a free book. While the Great Library provides 1 foreign manuscript per allied nation, which you can convert into books with the Translator improvement. On top of the added knowledge production from having more books, Scholars also improves the knowledge culture powers, and gives you an expensive domain power to generate even more knowledge. All in all, a nice set of bonuses. The only issue I’ll note - is that perhaps the Great Library should generate manuscripts by having open borders or allies. Previously how it actually worked was a bit arcane and unclear. But it definitely didn’t need 5 allies to generate 5 manuscripts. And because the AI is so likely to go to war with each other, and war automatically calls allies into it, it’s rather difficult to maintain a large number of allies. So this change, while clarifying the mechanic, seems to make the building itself worse overall. Particularly if the intention is to suit a more peaceful playstyle. If you want peace, you actually just want to have open borders with everyone, instead of being allied with everyone.
Engineering:
Inventors - +2 Innovation when purchasing ideals (excluding one-time bonus ideal)

• Permanent bonuses: Cutting Edge +10 innovation, +2 Engineering XP from university buildings, homeland +3 power and upgrades Inventors Laboratory (+1 power draw, +1 inventions), Host World's Fair culture power.
  • Innovation bonus: +5 unrest suppression on capital.
• Situational bonuses: Construct Inventors Laboratory engineering domain power, Voltaic Pile improvement
  • Innovation bonus: +1 innovation when building Inventors Laboratory.
• One-time bonus: +50 knowledge, +20 Innovation, and +100 Specialists.
• Legacy Requirement: 3 Inventors Laboratories.

Inventors are the early access and innovation national spirit. Purchasing their ideals generates innovation. They get access to specialists, even if they can’t produce more of them. They have access to power production via the Voltaic Pile. Their Inventors Laboratory improvement is part of the Laboratory improvement chain, and all of that an age earlier than anyone else. And while inventions don’t produce as much knowledge as books, they do so without needing a long resource chain. And, in one lucky city, you can spawn the world's fair, which can convert inventions into exhibitions (3 knowledge, 1 culture, 25 weatlh. 1 per worker, 2 worker slots). I’ll note that you will probably want to keep one of the Inventors Laboratory improvements un-upgraded. The upgraded building produces 1 good per worker, while the Inventors version produces 2 goods for one worker. So it’s more worker efficient to use inventions for the world's fair, instead of the analytics goods the Laboratory produces, even if analytics technically produce more knowledge. As for the other bonuses, university buildings producing Engineering XP is quite synergistic, and a pretty good bonus if you’ve got multiple regions. And having Cutting Edge produce 20 Innovation is a very nice bonus. All in all - I think Scholars is better if you want a general Knowledge bonus, but Inventors is more focused on generating innovation. I.E. getting through ages faster vs getting more out of the ages. I do think inventors could be improved slightly if the +1 innovation bonus from their innovation was a per-turn bonus, rather than being one-time. You aren’t exactly incentivised to build more than 3 Inventors Laboratories, and it’s not like there aren’t improvements that give per-turn innovation already in the game (Age of Utopia).
Sultans - Tier 2+ ideals provide +3 population to the region with “The New Palace”: Tier 2+ ideals require The New Palace to be built.

• Permanent bonuses: Construct The New Palace engineering culture power, Several new buildings; Theodosian Walls, Engineer’s Quarter, Trade Advisor’s Quarter, Education Advisor’s Quarters.
  • Innovation bonus: +1 Engineering XP from Quarter buildings.
• Situational bonuses: Courtyard Homes improvement, Basilica siege engine,
• Legacy requirement: 60+ Population in a single region.

Ah, the Sultans. They have a heavy focus on increasing their population in the capital region, while at the same time using powerful buildings to provide for the utility needs of the increased population. While this would suggest that they are intended for a tall playstyle, their buildings can be built in any region - even if they don’t produce as many resources in those other regions. Which which should be able to free up some tiles and workers for other uses. So they do still provide decent bonuses if you’ve gone wide. Overall though, I think the main bonus they grant is the +18 pops to your “capital” region. Between the new population, and the improved needs production the quarters provide, that’s a rather massive production bonus to your capital region. In addition to all that, the innovation bonus XP production is some nice self-synergy. As for their more situational bonuses…. The Courtyard Homes could use some improvement. It’s a better version of the Age 6 house, but personally I find myself always using the “unrest” housing in all my regions. And the Age 5 versions of that produce twice the housing (30). So I’m not sold on it being a useful alternative. Tile space is always quite tight in large cities, and the population bonus from Sultans kind of means you need to use tiles more efficiently. And the Courtyard homes just aren't efficient enough. As for the Basilica? It’s a siege engine. It’s got pretty good stats all things considered, but it has no unit-based attack multiplier, and has low defense/moral. So it has all the same problems I have with other siege weapons. As such, I don’t find it a compelling bonus. As for synergies, there’s three notable national spirits that synergise quite well with the sultans. Both of the Age 2 Engineering Spirits have some interesting synergies: Mound Builders half food need combos quite well with the sultans mega region focus. On the other hand, the God Kings have increased influence production, and so should have regions large enough to support the influx of workers without issue. The Age 4 Shogunate also combos quite nicely with the Sultans. Since the Sultanate produces a lot of non-good needs production, the Shogunate’s x1.1 and x1.2 region efficiency bonuses multiply that, letting the quarters support an even larger population.

Lifetime - Staked: 865.9u, Profit/Loss: +28.08u, ROI: 3.24%, Parlay Suggestions: 164-63 Dog of the Week: 13-14
2024 - Staked: 218.8u, Profit/Loss: -5.28, ROI: -2.41%
As always, scroll down for UFC 301 Breakdowns. The following is just a recap of last event’s results.
UFC Vegas 91 (PREVIOUS CARD)
Staked: 8.5u
Profit/Loss: -0.29u
Parlay Suggestions: 2-3
Definitely not my best work there, but a testament to why hedging is an important tool to utilise when possible because it bailed me out of some bad bets. Thanks to those early moves, I managed to reduce my losses a lot more, so I’m happy with the overall results despite actually getting most of my bets wrong here. Onama’s ability to hit that reversal from back control was ridiculous, and if Pearce addressed that I think he would have been just fine. Guskov was a nice hit. Nicolau getting flatlined was not.
❌ 2u Matheus Nicolau to Win at -170
✅ 1u Bogdan Guskov to Win at +175 (won +1.75u)
❌ 1u Jonathan Pearce to Win at -140
❌ 1u Jonathan Pearce to Win & Over 1.5 Rounds at +150
❌ 1u Maheshate to Win by KO/TKO at +150
✅ 2u Liang/Petrovic FDGTD & Means/Medic FDGTD at -105 (won +1.9u)
❌ 0.25u Na Liang to Win in Round 1 at +1200
❌ 0.25u Parlay Pieces at +633
✅ Mayes/Machado Arb (won +0.63u)
✅ Silva/Lipski Arb (won +0.93u)
​
UFC 301
We really were spoiled by UFC 299 and UFC 300, because this PPV looks anaemic in comparison. I guess it’s mainly because those events used up some of Brazil’s biggest names (Pereira, Figgy, Moicano, Andrade, Jailton, Marina, Lopes, Burns), and these kinds of cards are always Brazil vs the World (my favourite kind of style of card). I’m still looking forward to it compared to the typical Apex garbage though=, so no complaints from me!
It didn’t take long to realise that this card has been curated to be very Brazilian friendly. I am absolutely not one of these conspiracy theorists who thinks the UFC is rigged, but I think it’s very important when betting to ask yourself WHY this fight was booked (especially for PPVs). The UFC’s business model runs off creating stars and generating hype (the existence of DWCS proves this), so these kind of cards are the perfect opportunity to do that. The matchmakers are literally paid to make decisions on who fights who, so none of this stuff is accidental. If you’re familiar with my history as an MMA Trader, you’ll know that thinking about public perception is where my skills lie, so I’m always excited for PPVs because there’s extra narrative in a lot of the fights.
Let’s get into it!
​
Alexandre Pantoja v Steve Erceg
This is a very weird main event. The Flyweight division is starting to fade again, as its top 15 is littered with fighters who have either shown their ceiling is below championship quality, or guys who aren’t active enough to be given title shots. Erceg has managed to bag himself a title shot from 11th in the rankings, despite having only three fights in the company. Aside from fighters coming into the organisation with a strong reputation in combat sports, or women’s divisions, I can’t think of a fighter who has made their way to a title shot quicker than Erceg has in recent years.
Historically, I bet on Pantoja against most opponents because I’ve always been convinced he’s been championship calibre, and has multiple paths to victory every time. I have tried to fade Erceg mostly due to the rapid stepping up in competition, but I also bet him against Costa.
I know there’s a bit of a theme with me being non-committal towards betting on title fights (except Pereira last event, hehe), but I think this is probably an acceptable fight to shrug my shoulders at – purely because of the unknowns regarding Erceg. I don’t really think you can look at his performance against Alessandro Costa or David Dvorak and come away with any conclusion regarding his chances against Pantoja. I guess you could take something from the opening five minutes against Schnell…but that’s still not a great comparison because Schnell’s biggest weakness is still Pantoja’s biggest strength (chin/durability)?
On the flipside, what we do know about Erceg is that some of his best strengths are actually in the areas that Pantoja looks to exploit. The Brazilian is one of the most durable fighters in MMA history, having never been finished in 32 professional bouts – 14 of which took place in the UFC. He weaponizes that by pushing a pace and creating chaos that he knows he can be the more durable fighter in. Aside from that, he’s also got an elite submission game, and his grappling is top notch. His striking certainly isn’t bad either.
But, as I said, that doesn’t sound as much of a nightmare for Erceg as it does for a lot of other guys. Steve’s done most of his work in the UFC on the feet, where he has shown some very impressive durability (and on the regional scene). People also therefore forget that he’s primarily a grappler also, having six submissions on his record. Of course I expect him to be inferior to Pantoja in both areas, but I don’t see him getting steamrolled like Perez, Royval (1) or Schnell did.
So whilst there are still a hell of a lot of unknowns about Erceg, what we do know is enough to predict that this is unlikely to be Pantoja’s most dominant win. If the Brazilian can’t get finishes against an opponent, he has to rely on his minute winning ability. Whilst those are still very good skills (and enough to get the better of Brandon Moreno!), it’s definitely the way he can be exploited the most (a 9-5 record in fights that go the distance, to quantify that belief).
So in short, despite not having much confidence in my line here, I have to grade Pantoja as less of a favourite than the books currently do, but a favourite nonetheless. Erceg’s ceiling is still unknown, but logic would dictate that this is too much too soon. It’s therefore no bet from me on the moneyline, but my belief in Erceg’s durability will obviously lead me to consider the overs in this fight. Not too sure what I expect to see here but if the FGTD is plus money then I’ll probably get involved somehow. Keep an eye on the bet list at the bottom of the post to see what/if I bet.
How I line this fight: Alexandre Pantoja -188 (65%), Steve Erceg +188 (35%)
Bet or pass: I may look at the overs, but the ML is a pass
Prop leans: None
​
Jonathan Martinez v Jose Aldo
Second fight, second non-committal stance, I’m afraid. I know this one is around a pick’em, and I know it’s super interesting…but do any of you train with Jose Aldo or know him personally? If not, I don’t think any of us have even the slightest clue how he’s going to look in the cage after almost two years on the sidelines. Yes, he’s been boxing, which gives some positive signs that he’s still keeping in some sort of shape – but he drew with Jeremy Stephens and beat two guys with combined pro records of 0-9-1. Hardly enough to believe he’ll be as sharp as when he was an active UFC fighter.
Jonathan Martinez on the other hand is eight years younger than Jose Aldo, and in his athletic/career prime. He’s currently riding a six-fight winning streak that includes wins over Said Nurmagomedov and Adrian Yanez. He’s a very well-rounded fighter that uses leg kicks to great effect, as is typical from a Factory X homegrown talent. He’s also been criminally underrated in these last few years after the shock loss to Davey Grant. Dude was -105 against Zviad Lazishvili (who even is that?), and both of the aforementioned wins.
Unfortunately for Martinez, Aldo is not going to lose out to the leg kicking game, instead he may be the one landing the significant leg strikes there. That kind of takes away one of Martinez’s most reliable weapons, which makes this one even more interesting.
Other than that, I genuinely don’t know what more to say. Logic and history tells us that the younger and more conditioned Martinez should win here, but if Aldo manages to find a special Brazilian doctor of some sort, or if he just ends up being fortunate that father time is generous to him, then the Jose Aldo we know and love should confidently beat Jonathan Martinez.
Who wins this fight? I have no idea. Neither do you. That’s why it’s a pick’em. Don’t think about it anymore than that. Just pass and enjoy watching the questions get answered inside the cage.
How I line this fight: No idea.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Paul Craig v Caio Borralho
Hell yeah, I love it when we get fights like this. Guys I rate very highly and always look to bet, vs guys I think are massively overrated and always look to fade. In case it wasn’t obvious, Craig is the fade and Borralho is the prospect.
I have a lot of love and respect for Paul Craig. He’s long been one of the most successful and inspiring UK fighters – and his fights at various UFC Londons have often been the highlight of the entire events. Also, the man has an exquisite music taste - his walkout song choices always result in me finding new bands and albums to listen to. Thanks for that Paul!
But in terms of in-cage ability…he’s as one dimensional as it gets. His style is pretty much identical to Royce Gracie in the earliest UFC days. He has an elite submission game, but everything else in his skillset is hugely inferior, which will always limit him. Statistically, I rate all of his skills at a 3, but his pure submission game as a 9.
It’s been really fun to see the UFC booking Craig in fights that allow him to show his best work (as opposed to the Volkan Oezdemir fight, which was painful to watch), but MMA is much more complex than sheer submission ability. Against Muniz he was victorious because he was actually the superior striker, and also had the superior cardio that night…but the fight against Brendan Allen showed those limitations again. Going back to those aforementioned skillset rankings, Craig was inferior in every area of MMA, but he was matched or even trumped by Allen’s BJJ too. In short, I knew that Craig had no consistent way of winning that fight, and needed a high variance Hail Mary. I bet Allen quite confidently there.
And that conclusion is the exact same one I come to here. Caio Borralho is actually a severely underrated wrestler, and that is what makes him so great. I have no doubt that his wrestling is superior to Craig’s, which will result in more top control time for the Brazilian. Of course, Caio is an elite BJJ fighter himself, so like Allen and Muniz before him, I’m not worried about Craig’s offence from guard.
So the only other ways I see Craig winning this fight are the same as the Muniz fight, via superior striking or cardio. Right off the bat, I don’t think Craig’s a better striker than Caio (though it’s competitive enough), and the aforementioned wrestling success should stop that from being the story of the fight if Caio approaches the fight intelligently…but the cardio dynamic could be one to be wary of. I personally think the complaints about Caio’s cardio are vastly overdone – he’s won the third round on 11 of the 12 scorecards that has been submitted in his UFC career (if we ignore the point deduction against Omargadzhiev).
Therefore, that leads me to conclude that I think this is a well-booked fight by the UFC, who want to bolster the record and popularity of one of their most interesting Brazilian prospects and get a big win for the home crowd. Craig will give Caio the fight he wants, and he will likely lose in doing so. Caio should win this fight at least 80% of the time, I think…which gives me about 6-7% of value on the -275 price tag I pounced on. As expected, that’s long gone now. That’s a 5u bet for me.
How I line this fight: Paul Craig +400 (20%), Caio Borralho -400 (80%)
Bet or pass: 5u Caio Borralho to Win (-275)
Prop leans: Caio could win this fight in any of the three ways tbh.
​
Anthony Smith v Vitor Petrino
The UFC reward Anthony Smith for his years of warrior spirit, company-first mentality, and his contributions on the UFC analyst bench…with a fight against one of the LHW division’s scariest upcoming prospects. How generous of them. Nonetheless, Smith is still talking crazy in interviews saying he’s close to a title shot with a win here, lol.
Vitor Petrino had one of those questionable records coming into the UFC. People have tried to fade him with Anton Turkalj, Marcin Prachnio, Modestas Bukauskas, and most recently Tyson Pedro. I understood the Modestas one, but the others were ridiculous. I bet Petrino at -250 against Pedro, and I think he definitely justified the price tag there.
Petrino is just so physically imposing. Whether he’s using his wrestling or striking, it just always feels like his opponents are tentative that Petrino’s about to do something explosive and dangerous. It’s been quite impressive seeing him show off his wrestling ability, as most believed him to be a pure striker that would struggle on the ground.
Anthony Smith is a very interesting litmus test for any aspiring top 15’er though, because despite the fact that Smith is very shopworn and clearly a bit mentally muddled (the “you attacked my family” thing against Walker was terrifying and really should not have been glossed over IMO), he is still a very well-rounded martial artist that is respectably skilled everywhere. He can be outgrappled by a safe guard-chilling gameplan, or just by generally being a more powerful striker though, as seen in his multitude of losses in recent years to the likes of Rountree, Walker, Ankalaev, Rakic, and Teixeira.
Those are two routes that Petrino can take, because we’ve already seen him follow those paths on multiple occasions. Whilst that’s clearly enough to deem him the favourite against a clearly declining Smith, this is enough of a step up in competition that I’m not convinced enough by Petrino to get on board with the idea of him being -400. Yes he probably goes and starches Lionheart, but if the finish doesn’t present itself easily then I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this one turn more competitive than that line indicates. Therefore, -200 to -250 sounds like an appropriate price to me, so it’s no bet.
How I line this fight: Anthony Smith +250 (29%), Vitor Petrino -250 (71%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Michel Pereira v Ihor Potieria
This is a pretty simple one to break down. Doesn’t surprise me that it kicks off the main card. This fight makes absolutely no sense from a ranking perspective, but it makes all the sense in the world from a narrative and promotional perspective.
Michel Pereira is one of the hardest non-Heavyweight hitters in the UFC. Ihor Potieria is a bang average fighter that is basically being used as a litmus test for a lot of unproven prospects. He’s a very beatable fighter and the perfect sacrificial lamb to get you an easy UFC win on your record. He was originally scheduled to face Shara Bullet Magomedov, who is definitely flavour of the month. Hell, they even tried to use him as a softball for 40 year old Shogun Rua last year!
Potieria’s recent upset win over Robert Bryczek does demonstrate that he’s got SOME life in him though, but there’s a massive difference between Bryczek and Michel Pereira. Potieria isn’t overly interested in shooting for takedowns either, making this even more of a nightmare fight for him.
Another highlight reel KO for Michel Pereira is expected, and I’d be quite surprised if he didn’t get it here. Therefore, I fully expect that prop to be priced at something around the -150 mark, maybe even steeper.
Took some time for the line to come out but -400 sounds about right in my eyes. I decided to combine Pereira with Mateusz Rebecki on next week’s card. -140 for the double.
How I line this fight: Michel Pereira -450 (82%), Ihor Potieria +450 (18%)
Bet or pass: Potentially on the KO, price dependant
Prop leans: See above
​
Joaquim Silva v Drakkar Klose
This was the first bet I made on this card, and I placed it a couple of weeks ago when the line was much closer. I bet Drakkar Klose at -137.
I bet against Drakkar Klose when he faced Joe Solecki last time, and I’m still frustrated by how unlikely that finish was. Klose was definitely looking the inferior fighter there, but a moment of brilliance can be all it takes sometimes.
This one seems pretty cut and dry to me. Klose is a well-rounded fighter whose biggest issue had typically been his lack of finishing ability, but he’s still a very reliable fighter that will work hard for 15 minutes. He’s been in competitive fights with the likes of Beneil Dariush, Marc Diakiese, and Bobby Green in his time, and these bouts have spanned across all different realms of MMA. He’s never really done anything that will blow your hair back (aside from being on the receiving end of that amazing KO by Dariush, and the recent slam of Solecki), but I think that makes him a bit underrated. He’s 36 years old now, but he’s never been the fastest fighter, nor has he had a long and gruesome career.
Joaquim Silva has a similar level of experience, but his UFC record paints a different picture by comparison. The calibre of fighters he has lost two really does vary, but a decision loss to Vinc Pichel, as well as being finished by Ricky Glenn and Nasrat Haqparast, doesn’t really fill someone with confidence.
Silva’s most recent win came against 41-year-old Clay Guida, where he clearly lost a round and honestly could have lost the fight with a couple of adjustments. That fight was a terrible look for the -320 favourite, and to me that was a clear indication that he seems to be on the decline. Klose, by comparison, seems to be operating on a similar enough level to how he has done for most of his UFC career. Yes he has taken a step down in competition lately, but he’s performing as you would expect him to.
Statistically, Silva has a negative strike differential, and most of the key metrics are inferior to Klose as well. There’s every chance that this one turns into a barn burner, which would definitely suit the more dangerous Brazilian...but I fully expect Drakkar Klose to put on a typical 15 minute performance, where he settles down into his pace, and mixes in his superior striking and wrestling to coherently win rounds. It probably won’t be the most entertaining fight we’ve ever seen, but a commanding win is perfect for me. A vintage Drakkar Klose performance.
In terms of the betting line, I had Klose capped at around -200. The -137 available was a steal and I was very keen to take it, but I’d definitely be passing on this fight if I was looking at it for the first time now. Another reason why it’s important to keep track of my bet list at the bottom of each post, as I gave this out when -137 was widely available.
How I line this fight: Drakkar Klose -200 (67%), Joaquim Silva +200 (33%)
Bet or pass: 2u Drakkar Klose to Win (-137)
Prop leans: None
​
Alessandro Costa v Kevin Borjas
Alessandro Costa is a very flawed fighter. Good skills across the board, but the guy’s volume is so, low. I bet against him when he faced Steve Erceg, and that was most of the reason.
He faces Kevin Borjas, who we don’t know much about other than he isn’t as good of a striker than Joshua Van…which doesn’t tell us much at all. He did win a round in that fight, but that’s because Van is a bit of a slow starter and will take some time to get going.
I didn’t do tape on this one because I’m still kind of unsure about Borjas, and the betting line kind of reflects that the books don’t either. He’s a non-committal underdog at +110, where the books think he’s inferior but they don’t believe it with any degree of confidence. That sounds about right to me.
I just hope Costa wins this one so I might get another opportunity to fade him in the future.
How I line this fight: I didn’t tape but it looks about right to me.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Dione Barbosa v Ernesta Kareckaite
I lost money on Kareckaite’s DWCS fight, in what was brilliant demonstration of why you really shouldn’t bother betting or researching that show. Ernesta basically followed the blueprint I thought Judice was going to use, almost like I’d gotten the fighters the wrong way around. Super high variance when they’re so green.
And we’ve got more green-ness here. Both women have less than 10 professional fights. Barbosa is a -225 underdog. I’d blindly fade that if you had to bet on this fight. Otherwise I’d leave it alone. Take it as an opportunity to learn more about them for next time.
How I line this fight: Don’t know, didn’t tape
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Joanderson Brito v Jack Shore
Banger. This is potentially the most exciting fight on the card, as you have to really high skilled grapplers facing off against one another.
I am convinced that Joanderson Brito is quite overrated. He’s so explosive and dangerous, that it actually makes up for some pretty significant flaws. He’s an awful minute winner, and any opponent that is able to stay safe against him is likely going to win on the scorecards. He has bulldozed three opponents in R1, shown a moment of brilliance against Jonathan Pearce, and been out-hustled by Bill Algeo. That shows a 4-1 UFC record, but all I see is a guy who has actually lost more minutes in the UFC cage than he’s won. I think he’s also getting second hand hype because he beat Diego Lopes on DWCS, and that guy is possibly the most exciting prospect in the UFC right now.
So can Jack Shore stay safe here? Well he’s definitely got the grappling to give it a good go. Just like Jonathan Pearce before him, Shore can use his intense wrestling to stay safe from Brito’s striking. Shore also has good BJJ, which makes me feel confident he can avoid Brito’s opportunistic but ultimately low percentage submission from bottom – at least better than Pearce did.
Obviously the striking is where Brito has a big advantage, and his dangerousness will certainly show itself there in the early goings. Shore hasn’t really fought any dangerous strikers in his UFC tenure so far, so it’s kind of hard to say how well he will fare in those striking moments.
This is one of those fights where breaking down the betting line from a probability perspective just results in an uncomfortable feeling, however you spin it. Brito has more ways to win and is somewhat of a fan favourite, so I can understand why he has the minus next to his number. However, I can really easily see the path to victory for Jack Shore, and I don’t think it’s crazy to say he could go out there and look like a -300 favourite. But then if I think about making Shore the favourite I’m immediately thinking about how dangerous Brito is and how he could easily look -300 as well! It’s a mind fuck.
At the end of the day, the line is relatively close at the moment. Shore sits around +125 which, given he hasn’t fought for a year and is going up against the flavour of the month, I guess I’m okay with. If Shore moves to +140 or better, I think I’ll have to play him. I think he could easily do what Jonathan Pearce or Bill Algeo did. Brito is a boogeyman who is half the fighter he’s hyped up to be if he can’t find a finish.
How I line this fight: Joanderson Brito -110 (52%), Jack Shore +110 (48%)
Bet or pass: Pass, for now
Prop leans: Brito ITD probably the best looking prop available, Jack has too many paths
​
Elves Brener v Myktkbek Orolbai
Man, what does Elves Brener have to do to catch a break!? Dude steps into the UFC (possibly on short notice?) and gets a win as a massive underdog against Tukhugov, then pulls off another upset against Guram Kutateladze. His opponent pulls out of his third fight and they give him a guy with a 15-1 record. Now he’s 3-0 and you’d finally think they start to give him the chance to build up some hype…but then they go and book him against Myktkbek Orolbai!
For those who haven’t seen Orolbai’s debut against Uros Medic last year, it was definitely one of the best debuts of 2023. He stuck to the Serbian like glue and, despite some persistent get ups, managed to find the submission relatively easily in what was a dominant performance.
Unfortunately, that fight was so one-sided that we don’t really know anything else about Orolbai at this level, as his other recent bouts took place on LFA against guys with 18-14 and 10-7 records.
With no further relevant info, there are too many gaps to form an opinion on Orolbai. What I will say is that Elves Brener has continued to play spoiler so far in his UFC career and continues to be underrated by the books despite that. Does he deserve to be around +200 here? Only if Orolbai is the real deal.
We will get our answers, but there’s no reason to put money on this fight. Anyone who does is putting blind faith in nine minutes of dominance against a Serbian on the mat…or they’re just chatting shit.
How I line this fight: Impossible to say
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Jean Silva v William Gomis
On the subject of underrated fighters, William Gomis features in our next bout. The Frenchman has a very underrated style, one that isn’t going to grab all the highlights or get him clamouring for a main event, but it’s still a very useful one inside the cage. He’s well-rounded, has great kicks to compliment a very technical striking style that goes well with his long frame. I was made first aware of Gomis when he dismantled the overhyped Cage Warriors prospect Tobias Harila. He was calm amongst the chaos, and put in a really professional performance that likely got the ball rolling to eventually earn him a UFC contract. The experience from that fight will serve him well here.
He faces Jean Silva, a very explosive Brazilian that trains with Caio Borralho’s Fighting Nerds. We saw him most recently when he obliterated the vastly inferior Westin Wilson – God knows how that kid got asked to come to the UFC. And they’re giving him a third fight. Really is an embarrassing company at this point.
Before that we saw Silva go 15 minutes on DWCS, and his style looks a lot less impressive when he can’t find a finish. There wasn’t much investment in striking fundamentals, everything was a big action with fight ending intentions. That’s all good when you’re fighting Westin Wilson who blocks punches with his face, but what about when you’re facing a talented kickboxer who prioritises defence and range management? I could very easily see Silva hitting air for 15 minutes.
So I think the line is the wrong way around here, and that William Gomis has the potential to win this one quite comfortable if he can play the matador game. Whilst that sounds like I am gearing up to bet him, I’m actually going to pass on this one currently. He’s only at +110 so it’s not like he’s at a clear underdog price, and considering he’s not the explosive fighter that’s going to be chasing the finish and doing the damage, I think he’s got more of a job to do to impress the judges. Furthermore, we are obviously in Brazil where I think the crowd can certainly emphasise the work that Silva does, which may twist the judges’ arm a bit more.
So there’s value on Gomis, but not enough to warrant a bet. It’s a reluctant pass for me. If there’s major line movement I might play Gomis at like +150, but I doubt it goes that far.
How I line this fight: Jean Silva +120 (46%), William Gomis -120 (54%)
Bet or pass: Pass, unless the line moves.
Prop leans: None
​
Karolina Kowalkiewicz v Iasmin Lucindo
If Craig v Borralho was a nice gift for me as a bettor, this is possibly my worst nightmare. I’m probably one of KK’s biggest fans, and Iasmin Lucindo is a prospect I am very high on. I bet on these women pretty much every time I can, and I think I’ve actually won money on both Moneylines and Method of Victorys in every fight they’ve both had since I started posting here.
If you read my stuff every week, you’ll know Karolina is my girl. Genuinely my favourite fighter. But I think this is the wake-up call she and I knew was coming eventually. KK’s resurgence has been such an inspiring journey, from getting absolutely brutalised, struggling badly with her mental health, taking the time off and coming back to string together four wins on the trot. That post-fight interview against Herrig was one of my favorite interview moments in UFC history.
But, having said all that, the UFC have been really kind to her. They’ve given her competitive fights that she is capable of winning if she keeps herself together…but Diana Belbita, Vanessa Demopoulos, Silvana Gomez Suarez, and Felice Herrig are certainly a lower calibre within WMMA who have already shown us their ceiling. Iasmin Lucindo is a completely different fighter.
Lucindo is a prospect, pure and simple. She’s got great striking, and great BJJ. I said when she fought Jauregui in her debut that these two could easily meet again in the top 5 of the division in a few years time, and I think her sophomore performance against Polyana Viana showed that (I bet her quite heavily in that one). Viana’s trash and it was the perfect matchup for her, but there’s reason to believe that this one could be too.
Kowalkiewicz’s resurgence has relied on her fighting opponents that mostly want to strike, and even if not, the wrestling of these women has been at a level she could handle…I don’t expect that to be the case against Lucindo. Iasmin has an advantage in speed, and age/youthfulness as 16 years the junior. We know that plays a massive part in fights, and I expect it to here. Karolina isn’t particularly good on the mat if those takedowns, but we just haven’t seen it for some time. If Lucindo gets top time, I think she probably manouvres her way to a submission with relative ease.
Of course, this one is much more competitive if they choose to strike, as Karolina’s got the right blend of determination, volume, and technique to keep any B grade or lower striker honest over the course of three rounds. Lucindo’s not the most amazing striker I have ever seen, but I also don’t expect her to be outclassed by Kowalkiewicz either. In WMMA, if you don’t have a unique striking style such as power or suffocating pressure (which neither girl has), then there’s only so much you can really do at this level to separate yourself as the superior striker. If they fight 100 rounds on the feet, I wouldn’t expect either woman to win more than 65 of the 100 times.
So that’s the key bit of information when looking at the betting line here. I know Lucindo deserves to be a significant favourite, due to youthfulness and a style that finally doesn’t actually suite her Polish opponent…but Karolina is sound enough to easily make this one competitive. If Lucindo doesn’t show a significant urgency or even desire to shoot takedowns, or if Karolina can stuff them, then this one looks much closer to a 50/50ish fight on the feet.
Whilst that sounds like I’m leaning towards playing my girl Karolina Kowalkiewicz, I’m unfortunately not. It’s impossible to really say how much success Lucindo is going to have with her takedown attempts here, so I can’t clearly quantify how much of a favourite she could be. If she can land them with ease, she might look -500. If she can’t land them at all, she could look +100. Compared to the -300 betting line we are getting, that definitely sounds like a pass. If you’re someone who likes to bet on every fight for the fun of it, a roll of the dice on Kowalkiewicz definitely isn’t the worst idea.
However, I will be keeping an eye out for that Lucindo by Submission prop. I doubt I’d get a good line on it with her being -300, but there’s always a chance the books get caught napping because it’s WMM and they expect a decision. We’ll see, I’d probably take +200 or better.
How I line this fight: Iasmin Lucindo -200 (66%), Karolina Kowalkiewicz +200 (33%)
Bet or pass: Pass on the ML, might bet Lucindo by Submission if I get a nice price (I’m talking +225 or better)
Prop leans: See above
​
Mauricio Ruffy v Jamie Mullarkey
Mauricio Ruffy has won all of his professional fights via KO, and has fought quite a few cans in his day. He is the -160 favourite and is obviously very undeserving of that price tag against a guy with a decent amount of UFC experience.
Jamie Mullarkey is very unreliable, has bad fight IQ, and just generally isn’t very good. Dude lost a striking fight to Michael Johnson and got KO’d by Nasrat Haqparast – two things I thought were very hard to do in this day and age.
Pick your poison. Or don’t, and just be smart and leave this fight alone.
How I line this fight: who knows
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Ismael Bonfim v Vinc Pichel
Ismael Bonfim returns from what was originally a massive upset at the hands of Benoit Saint Denis last July, but thankfully for him the Frenchman’s performances since have helped that result age well, as he elevated himself to prospect status and faced Poirier.
I was sadly all aboard the Ismael Bonfim hype train, as I deemed his debut win over Terrance McKinney as arguable the debut of the year for 2023. McKinney’s actually been fraud checked a fair bit since then so that win has coincidentally aged badly on the reverse. Nonetheless, I still think this Bonfim is good and will eventually turn into a top 15 fighter (not like his brother, an overrated fraud that I faded against Nicholas fucking Dalby).
Either way, the UFC are trying to run the Ismael Bonfim hype back again by pitting him against a 40 year old Vinc Pichel, who they’re probably just looking to get off the books as he likely has a contract that pays far more than he’s worth (by the 10/10 standard, anyway). Pichel is old but not particularly shop worn due to lack of commitment to his MMA career. He’s a well-rounded guy that always seems to end up in grappling-based fights. He has been competitive with the likes of Mark Madsen, Austin Hubbard, Jim Miller and Roosevelt Roberts in recent years, which kind of paints the picture that he’s capable but limited.
I think it’s fair to assume that Ismael Bonfim really should have Pichel covered here. He’s the way more dangerous fighter, and will be the one having moments of success where he threatens to finish. Outside of some sort of massive cardio dump, I think he can either find a finish or competently win 2/3 rounds with relative ease.
He’s -400 on the betting line so the odds clearly reflect that. I definitely wouldn’t be interested in playing him at that number, seeing as he’s returning from a massive setback and may not be the same as he once was. I could see him winning via all three potential methods of victory, so I’m not really sure a bet is possible here.
How I line this fight: Ismael Bonfim -400 (80%), Vinc Pichel +400 (20%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Bets (Bold = been placed)
Xu Pantoja vs Erceg to last Over X.5 rounds (+XXX, can’t really say what I’d bet until I see numbers)
5u Caio Borralho to Win (-275)
1u Michel Pereira to Win by TKO/KO (+XXX, probably not bettable but I’d take under -150)
2u Michel Pereira + Mateusz Rebecki to Win (-105)
2u Drakkar Klose to Win (-137)
2u Jack Shore to Win (+140 or better)
1u Iasmin Lucindo to Win by Submission (+XXX, I’d take +225 or better)
0.25u Parlay Pieces (+XXX, props not out yet)
Parlay Pieces: Pantoja/Erceg Over 1.5 Rounds, Caio Borralho, Michel Pereira, Drakkar Klose, Ismael Bonfim
Dog of the Week: Jack Shore

The astronomical growth of the Chinese economy in recent decades has reshaped global power dynamics, with an impressive 9% average yearly growth since 1978 (World Bank, 2023) sparking predictions of China surpassing the United States as the biggest economy measured by nominal GDP (BBC News, 2020), and has caused some to even posit that China will be able to rival the US in power (Tucker, 2023).
However, a more nuanced examination reveals complexities in China's economic development model and its intersection with foreign policy. This paper delves into the evolution of China's economic rise, emphasizing its high-savings, investment-led growth model and its profound global implications. The inherent connection as well as tension between China’s domestic economic policies and its foreign policy will be examined.

China’s economic rise and the development of its economy over time

To understand how China has managed to join the ranks of the most influential players in the global economy, and what consequences it has for its foreign policy, it is essential to understand its political economic development model. Additionally, for the argument of this paper it is important to understand how the Chinese economy fits into the global economic puzzle.

A short history of the Chinese development model

From an economic perspective, societies can improve standards of living in a number of ways: increasing employment, improving the efficiency of workers, or expanding production through investment in capital equipment. Crucially, all of these factors highlight the importance of investment for development (Klein, Pettis, p.68, 2020). When domestic production is running at maximum capacity, there are two major development models (often applied simultaneously) that economies can follow to pay for additional investment (Klein, Pettis, p.68, 2020): On the one hand there is the ‘high savings model’, which transfers resources from domestic consumers to businesses and the government who save more than they consume. This thereby creates a trade surplus because it raises domestic production relative to domestic demand (Klein, Pettis, p. 68, 2020). On the other hand, there is the high-wage model, which transfers resources from the rest of the world by raising imports relative to exports in an attempt to attract foreign investment by raising domestic demand, increasing the trade deficit (Klein, Pettis, p. 68, 2020).
Authoritarian political culture and high centralization made the high savings model a logical option for the CCP. From the 1990s onwards, the Chinese government started to transfer spending power from ordinary Chinese people in order to subsidize domestic investment and foreign consumption, which meant the high savings model would end up becoming the development model China pursues until this day (Klein, Pettis, p. 108, 2020). Even though household income would increase greatly due to the substantial economic growth that these investments generated, households consumed an increasingly smaller share of economic output as savings increased as a share of the economy (Klein, Pettis, p. 108, 2020).
China utilized several internal transfer mechanisms to supress consumption and increase savings which included: currency manipulation; regulatory measures such as expropriations; unfavourable lending conditions for consumers and favourable lending conditions for elites with political connections; and lastly, the hukou system which deprived internal migrant workers of social security (Klein, Pettis, pp. 108-112, 2020). As a result, the decrease in household spending relative to GDP during the 1990s and 2000s was significantly more pronounced than the increase in investment (Klein, Pettis, 2020, p. 108). This led to a significant surplus in the current account, amounting to around 10 percent of China's total economic output by 2007-8 (Klein, Pettis, 2020, p. 108).

Untenable numbers

Global investment on average represents 25% of GDP (World Bank, 2023), and even though it is normal for a developing economy to have a higher rate of investment, China’s investment share of GDP sits at an exceptional 43% (World Bank, 2023). With a GDP of almost $18 Trillion accounting for ~18% of the world’s economy (World Bank 2023), China’s economic imbalances have great implications for the world economy, and at the same time the state of the world economy has great implications for China.
In his recent blog, Michael Pettis (2023) argues that with a share of only 13% of global consumption while having a 32% share of global investment, the Chinese economy cannot sustainably grow at 4-5% with the same model as it currently follows. Pettis (2023) argues:
Every $1 of investment has required approximately $3 of consumption globally to sustain it during this century. In China, however, $1 of investment is balanced by only $1.30 of consumption. If the global relationship between consumption and investment held over the next decade, an increase in the Chinese share of global investment from 32 percent today to 38 percent in a decade would require that the rest of the world disinvest to accommodate China’s domestic imbalances. (Pettis, 2023)
The following sections will discuss how China’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy, in combination with changing geopolitical circumstances has made global disinvestment extremely unlikely.

The evolution of Chinese foreign policy over time

As explained previously, the Chinese rise as an important actor in the global system has been facilitated by foreign consumers who consume the excess production which underpaid Chinese workers cannot consume themselves. Hence, China has great interest in maintaining the current global liberal trade regime, from which it has greatly benefited following its accession to the WTO in 2001. Seeing as trading relations with Western countries are of paramount importance to China’s economic prospects under the current economic model it pursues, it should be in China’s interests to avoid antagonizing the West. This section will explain how the historical Chinese stance allowed or its rise within the international system, and why its current stance undermines its future.

Chinese foreign policy pre-Xi

For a long time, Chinese foreign policy had been led by a quote of Deng Xiaoping in reaction to the international backlash to the Tiananmen Square incident. Around this time, he told other CCP leaders that their reaction should be to “lengjing guancha, wenzhu zhenjiao, chenzhuo yingfu” (observe calmly, secure our position, cope with afairs calmly) (Chen, Wang, 2011, p. 5). The foreign policy debate in China would long centre around this stance, paraphrased as “Tao Guang Yang Hui” roughly translated as: “hide your strength and bide your time” or “hide capabilities and keep a low profile”[1] (Chen, Wang, 2011).
The relative low-profile of China meant that other great powers not only tolerated its rise in the global system, but they also increased their ties with China dramatically, Western companies poured into the Chinese market to take advantage both of cheap manufacturing (caused by aforementioned reforms and industrial policy) and the large Chinese market. Between 1980 and 2004, US-China trade rose from $5 billion to $231 billion (Council on Foreign Relations, 2017).
Another guiding principle in the Chinese rise within the international system was the supposed “peaceful development” of China, a concept where progress and expansion were based on the historical philosophy of the “Middle-Kingdom” in which a non-confrontational approach was valued highly (Stevens, 2014, p. 1). The peaceful development narrative has persisted until this day but has arguably been more of a soft power campaign as of late to counter the “China threat” discourse (zhongguo weixie, 中国威胁) (Sørensen, 2015, p. 8), which has taken hold among foreign powers. The “China threat” discourse refers to a narrative that frames China as a potential menace to global stability and established international norms. This discourse encompasses concerns related to China's military modernization, economic influence, territorial claims, and geopolitical ambitions. Wang Yi, currently the Chinese minister of foreign affairs, called this discourse an “outdated Cold-War mentality” which has “no place in the new era of globalization” (Wang, 2013). Crucially, Wang's statements along with the "China threat" discourse within China concerning globalization, demonstrate an acknowledgment of the adverse consequences stemming from China's assertive actions in the realm of foreign policy. Wang went on to reassure that “China would never seek hegemony in the world” (Wang, 2013).
However, sentiment within the Chinese government started shifting around the 2010s (Stevens, 2014, pp. 1-2). The combination of the great financial crisis in 2008 and the resource intensive US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, combined with the symbolic achievement of holding the 2008 Beijing Olympics, made some government officials believe that the balance of power was shifting, and that China should be more assertive towards a declining US (Stevens, 2014, p. 1). This was not truly a dramatic shift, which was to come later, with a new leader taking the stage.

Chinese foreign policy after Xi

The ascension of Xi Jinping as Chinese leader has dramatically altered the way China interacts with the world. Bolstering development was no longer the only priority. A new moral objective inspired by the century of humiliation had entered the picture. Essentially, Xi Jinping has changed Chinese state identity within the international system. Under Xi Jinping, China no longer lay low and started to figuratively stand up, from 2013 the new guideline was to be “Fen Fa You Wei” (奋发有为, “striving for achievement”) (Sørensen, 2015), with the ultimate goal of achieving the “Chinese dream”.
The Chinese dream is inspired by historical revanchism, with the ultimate goal being the great “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”, in which China regains its international status, rights and power (Sørensen, 2015, p. 10); reminiscing over times when China made the rules as hegemon within East-Asia. Essentially, Xi Jinping slowly and methodically started reconstructing Chinese state identity within the international system. This rhetoric has attracted negative attention in the Western media, seen as carrying sinister implications for the international order (Sørensen, 2015, p. 5). In 2017, Xi definitively departed from keeping a low profile. In his (im)famous “new era” speech at the commencement of the 19th party congress, Xi presented statements that appeared contradictory to Wang’s 2013 remarks. Xi asserted that Beijing would no longer shy away from world leadership and would aim to promote its model around the world: “It is time for us to take centre stage in the world and to make a greater contribution to humankind […] [China is] standing tall and firm in the east”. (Xi, 2017)

Chinese assertiveness antagonizes the world: The rediscovery of industrial policy, protectionism, and economic deterrence

Beyond long speeches and articulate rhetoric, Chinese assertiveness has manifested in such numerous ways that it is difficult to name every incident. The most prominent examples include its aggressive military posture in the Taiwan strait and the South China sea, where the Chinese military and coast guard have initiated numerous hostile encounters over the years. These encounters have prompted the EU and US to voice strong opposition to the PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) actions, with the US calling PRC actions “unlawful” (Reuters, 2023) and the EU “emphasising” that parties should “respect freedom of navigation” and settle disputes “through peaceful means in accordance with international law” (EEAS, 2021). However, more direct confrontations with Western powers have taken place in the economic realm. In 2005 Robert Zoellick, then Deputy Secretary of State of the United States urged the Chinese to become a “responsible stakeholder” within the system, as a result of Chinese hostile actions however, these hopes have been given up; the EU has labelled China a “systemic rival” (EEAS, 2023) and the Sino-American competition is no secret. The West is now changing its geo-economic policy according to the perceived “China threat” that Wang Yi (2013) was worried about.

Chinese economic coercion

Through its strategic use of industrial policy China has managed to forge several dependencies for the West, notably in the area of green energy, where it dominates the refining of rare earth minerals, the production of electric vehicles and batteries (Hárven, 2023). China has been abusing such dependencies through economic coercion (Cha, 2023). In a testimony to the US congress, Senior Vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at CSIS Victor Cha, perfectly articulates the consequences of Chinese economic coercion:
China’s economic coercion has become part and parcel of its foreign policy against many trading partners. Countries that interact with Taiwan, support democracy in Hong Kong, oppose genocide in Xinjiang or offend any other “core interests” of China face discriminatory, non-WTO-conforming sanctions and embargoes. Targets of this weaponization of trade since 2008 range widely. Eighteen Western and Asian countries, including Japan, Lithuania, Norway, and Australia, and over 123 private companies, including Walmart and the National Basketball Association, have been targeted precipitating tens of billions of dollars in economic damage. (Cha, 2023)
Cha (2023) went on to call on the United States and like-minded partners to consider a “collective resilience” strategy to deter China’s economic coercion. Even though Cha (2023) recognizes that most targets of coercion are asymmetrically dependent on China, he highlights that there are still a number of export items these countries possess on which the Chinese market is “highly dependent” and “in some cases almost 100% dependent”. If states come together to promise collective retaliation, Cha (2023) argues, it would be enough of a deterrence to Beijing to cease its aggressive behaviour.
In Europe too there has been a response to Chinese economic coercion, with the introduction of the Anti-Coercion Instrument, which went into force on the 27th of December 2023, providing the EU with means to deter and respond to economic coercion acting as a deterrent for future coercion by China (European Commission, 2023).

The rise of industrial policy and protectionist measures as a response to the fragmentation of the Liberal International Order

A more serious concern for China is the rise of industrial policy and protectionism in states that have until now acted as a sponge for excess Chinese production. Arguably, this is the most serious threat to the Chinese economic growth model. In the United States, the concept of economic decoupling from China, as advocated during President Trump's tenure, may have been an extreme interpretation of this viewpoint. However, the Biden administration has sustained and expanded specific policies aimed at reviewing critical supply chains, enhancing investment screening and export controls, and allocating substantial subsidies to national industries (Gehrke, 2022). In a similar vein, the European Union (EU) has also been actively pursuing strategic autonomy in response to the evolving landscape of global economic interdependence. A catalysing factor in the rise of European industrial policy has been the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Chinese alignment with Russia in the conflict, leading some to say that this has been the starting point of a fragmentation of the Liberal International Order (Costa, Barbe, 2023, p. 2). There are strong signs that the dependence on China is viewed in Brussels in a similar vein as the one with Russia. This was signified by a statement by Ursula von der Leyen in the State of the Union of 2022: “Lithium and rare earths are already replacing gas and oil at the heart of our economy. [...] The not so good news is – one country dominates the market. So, we have to avoid falling into the same dependency as with oil and gas.” (Von der Leyen, 2022).
As a response to this dependence the Commission introduced the Critical Raw Materials Act (European Commission, 2023), which seeks to reduce EU dependence and was adopted last December. In addition, the EU is bolstering its industry through the Green Deal Industrial Plan and is seeking to apply tariffs to products which are produced with a lower environmental standard than within the EU through the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (European Commission, 2023). Similarly, the United Kingdom, under Project Defence, is exploring ways to diminish dependence on key imports from China, while Japan has elevated its bureaucratic infrastructure to monitor new technology and economic security threats, including potential risks associated with foreign dependence (Gehrke, 2023). Additionally, India's economic and technology policy, encapsulated by the term "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India), has become a focal point under the Modi administration (Gehrke, 2023). ECB research from 2019 indicated that if trade tension were to escalate significantly in the future, global trade would decline significantly. Based on the previously mentioned policy initiatives, this scenario seems more likely than ever, with potentially severe implications for the Chinese economy.

Implications for China

As mentioned earlier in this paper, the rest of the world would have to disinvest to accommodate Chinese investment-led growth. Seeing the discussion above, this seems like an extremely unlikely outcome. Critics might argue that the CCP has been aware of the problems its internal imbalances generate, for it can simply choose to escape the investment-trap by sharply increasing consumption, which it is already attempting to do under its “Common Prosperity Policy” (Koty, 2022). However, here Michael Pettis’s (2023) calculations can assist with finding out whether this is manageable within a reasonable timeframe. Michael Pettis makes two optimistic assumptions regarding China's rebalancing process. Firstly, considering China's historical high investment levels and the recent surge in its debt-to-GDP ratio, Pettis (2023) suggests a sustainable investment share might be lower than the global average. However, for this analysis, Pettis (2023) assumes it can be as high as 33–34 percent. Despite being one-fourth below the current level, this would still make China the world's top investor for the next decade. Secondly, based on Pettis's (2023) perspective, there is an assumption that China has a decade to bring its investment share to a more sustainable level, with GDP growth outpacing investment growth, reducing the investment share by nearly 10 percentage points to 34 percent. However, to achieve such a transformation Pettis notes that GDP growth would have to outpace investment growth by 2-3 percent per year, which would in turn necessitate consumption to outgrow GDP by 2-3 percent per year.
Pettis (2023) notes that the above will be incredibly difficult to achieve, as slowing investment growth will require a painful transformation in which construction jobs are lost and household income growth would have to be accelerated drastically through either direct transfer in wages or indirectly through a more generous social safety net. The challenge with implementing transfers lies in the financial burden they pose, and only three sectors can viably shoulder this responsibility. The first sector that wealth could be transferred from is the affluent, who consume a much lower share of their income, but seeing the size of China’s population this would have a smaller impact on consumption than it would have in economies like that of the US (Pettis, 2023). Pettis (2023) argues that the business sector is also an unlikely candidate, as jeopardizing China’s manufacturing competitiveness will likely be difficult given the “vested interests” which have been shown to have a significant influence on CCP policymaking, with Le Keqiang once saying: “It is now more difficult to deal with vested interests than it is to touch the soul” (Spegele, 2013). The last option is the government, specifically local governments, since the central government has explicitly stated reluctance to bear the costs of adjustment (Pettis, 2023). According to Pettis (2023) it would technically be possible to do this, but seeing the limited room for choice the Chinese government has as explained above and the trickiness of reversing four decades of direct and indirect transfers from household savings into investment (Pettis 2023), Beijing might very well fail in this task which might lead to a global overproduction crisis, or it might resort to a softer foreign policy stance. There are signals that Beijing is attempting to rescue its foreign image by going on a charm offensive and softening its stance, with China’s controversial “wolf warrior diplomacy” falling out of fashion, with prominent “Wolf Warrior” Zhao Lijan being “banished” according to Foreign Policy (Palmer, 2023). Additionally, China is presenting itself as an international peacemaker, although it is unclear whether this is a true change in policy or simply a “cosmetic change” (Harper, 2023).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the interplay between China's economic trajectory and its foreign policy shapes a complex narrative that underscores how domestic policy can influence foreign policy and vice-versa. This paper highlights the inherent tension between the investment-based Chinese economy versus its assertive global posturing. Xi Jinping and the CCP have arguably hurt the PRC’s economic prospects by poor coordination between the political-economic and foreign policy domain.
The response of the West to Chinese economic coercion and the nascent disintegration of the liberal international order underscores the pervasive implications of China’s economic course. The implications for China are substantial, encompassing the formidable challenges associated with rebalancing its extremely unbalanced economy and contemplating potential adjustments in its foreign policy to address global reactions. As the international community grapples with the ramifications of China's ascendance, the CCP faces a critical juncture. The decisions forthcoming will not merely shape China's trajectory but will wield strong influence over broader global economic developments and geopolitics.
[1] Some Chinese officials like the former deputy chief of the PLA have argued that the phrase is more benign than it sounds, due to difficulties in translating the phrase to English. (Chen, Wang, 2011, p.9)

Bibliography

BBC News. (2020, 26 december). Chinese economy to overtake US “by 2028” due to COVID. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55454146
Brunnstrom, D. (2023, November 3). US airs concerns to China about “dangerous and unlawful” South China Sea actions. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-airs-concerns-china-about-dangerous-unlawful-south-china-sea-actions-2023-11-03/#:\~:text=%22The%20United%20States%20underscored%20concerns,China's%20obstruction%20of%20an%20Oct.
Costa, O., & Barbé, E. (2023). A moving target. EU actorness and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Journal of European Integration, 45(3), 431–446. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2023.2183394
Cha, V. (2023). Examining China’s Coercive Economic Tactics. Csis.org. https://www.csis.org/analysis/examining-chinas-coercive-economic-tactics
Chen, D., & Wang, J. (2011). Lying low no more? China's new thinking on the Tao Guang Yang Hui strategy.
China: An International Journal, 9(02), 195-216.
Clover, C. (2017, October 20). Xi Jinping signals departure from low-profile policy. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/05cd86a6-b552-11e7-a398-73d59db9e399
European Commission. (2023, March 16). Critical Raw Materials Act. Press corner https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscornedetail/en/ip_23_1661
European Commission. (2023, December 27). New tool to enable EU to withstand economic coercion enters into force. Press Corner. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscornedetail/en/ip_23_6804
European Commission. (2023). Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Taxation and Customs Union. https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
European External Action Service. (2021, 11 november). South China Sea: Statement by the Spokesperson on recent incidents [Persbericht]. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/south-china-sea-statement-spokesperson-recent-incidents_en
European External Action Service. (2023, December 7). EU-China Relations factsheet EEAS. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-china-relations-factsheet_en
Gehrke, T. (2022, 1 April). EU open strategic autonomy and the trappings of geoeconomics. https://kluwerlawonline.com/journalarticle/European+Foreign+Affairs+Review/27.SI/EERR2022012
Harper, T. (2023, September 6). China is switching away from its aggressive “wolf warrior” foreign policy – here’s why. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/china-is-switching-away-from-its-aggressive-wolf-warrior-foreign-policy-heres-why-212658
Harvén, S. A. (2023, December 8). The Europe-China relationship: dependencies, divergence and decoupling - Friends of Europe. Friends of Europe; Friends of Europe. https://www.friendsofeurope.org/insights/critical-thinking-the-europe-china-relationship-dependencies-divergence-and-decoupling/
Klein, M. C., & Pettis, M. (2020). Trade wars are class wars: How rising inequality distorts the global economy and threatens international peace.
Koty, A. C. (2022, March 21). How to Understand China’s Common Prosperity Policy. China Briefing News. https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-common-prosperity-what-does-it-mean-for-foreign-investors/
Palmer, J. (2023, January 11). Why Did China Banish Wolf Warrior Diplomat Zhao Lijian? Foreign Policy; Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/01/11/china-wolf-warrior-zhao-lijian-diplomacy/
Pettis, M. (2023, 4 december). What will it take for China’s GDP to grow at 4–5 percent over the next decade? Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/chinafinancialmarkets/91161
Spegele, B. (2013, November 11). Are Chinese Leaders Ready to Take on Vested Interests? The Wall Street Journal; The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-CJB-19516
Sørensen, C. T. N. (2015). The significance of Xi Jinping’s “Chinese Dream” for Chinese foreign policy: From “Tao Guang Yang Hui” to “Fen Fa You Wei”. DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals). https://doaj.org/article/8e9bac4f0d574454b88f68739a01f705
Stevens, F. M. S. (2014). What happened to Deng’s maxim ‘Tao Guang Yang Hui’?: Explaining China’s increased assertiveness in East Asia. Atlantisch Perspectief, 38(2), 24–28. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48581107
Tucker, H. (2023, June 13). Billionaire Ray Dalio Issues Warning About Rise Of China, Why He Thinks U.S. Is On The “Brink Of War.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hanktucke2023/06/12/billionaire-ray-dalio-issues-warning-about-rise-of-china-why-he-thinks-us-is-on-the-brink-of-wa
U.S.-China Relations. (2017, 27 april). Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-china-relations
Wang Yi. 2013. China at a new starting point. Statement at the general debate of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly. New York. September 27.
World Bank. Gross Capital Formation (% of GDP). (2022). https://data.worldbank.org/indicatoNE.GDI.TOTL.ZS
World Bank. The World Bank in China. (20 April 2023). https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/overview#:~:text=Since%20China%20began%20to%20open,lifted%20themselves%20out%20of%20poverty
Jinping, X. (2017, 18 October). Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

RAK Pirates (fanon pirate crew) from "Rorschach: Gelecegin Korsani"

OC Lore post
(credits to shinminase,again.)
This is the story of Rorschach, a pirate born in the world of One Piece... five centuries after Luffy..
Rorschach: Gelecegin Korsani's main protagonists are the crew of the Azi Dahaka. They are called RAK Pirates, with RAK meaning "Rorschach Against Kaidists".
The word "Kaidist" in the name RAK, obviously derived from Kaido's name, is a common slur against Devil Fruit-using terrorists and violent criminals (and an insult used against people who have Devil Fruits): the word is derived from the Seiryu Faith, a theocratic DF-supremacist superpower ruled by a cult which worships Kaido, Big Mom and Enel as incarnations of gods: Rorschach is extremely fond of this insult because he was himself a victim of the Seiryu Faith. Most are cyborgs rather than users of Devil Fruits, due to the cyberpunk setting.
They work as privateers for the Alabastan Jamairiyah, an authoritarian socialist government akin to Gaddafi Libya in real life.
They also nickname themselves "the harem", since there are only two men and the rest are women. However, they aren't an actual harem, none of them is in love with Rorschach (who even calls himself "hard to appreciate"), and Rorschach is already part of a lesbian couple with Hussein.
Note: for the most part, in the five centuries between OP and RGK, naming conventions have switched from Eastern (surname first) to Western (first name first). The only exceptions are Wano (as it's a counterpart of Japan) and Nikaea Empire (which is a colonialist empire inspired by the British Empire whose royal family descends from Monkey D. Luffy so it still keeps Eastern name order).

• Rorschach Kimyacıoğlu (captain, gunner, cook, infiltrator): Rorschach is the hero. He's already been a pirate for seven years, and he starts with Hussein and Mahtab already in his crew. Rorschach is a cyborg and He's got a Devil Fruit, Spider-Spider: Model Solifugae, which he despises (considering it a curse) because he'd been force-fed as a child as his initiation ritual in the Seiryu Faith. He moslty uses his cyborg parts for fighting, having a barrier generator and a gatling gun in his black mechanical arms and using a grenade launcher and a shotgun with fire, ice, poison and thunder rounds. He considers himself a monster due to having been force-fed a DF, which makes him see himself as authorized to kill and unaffected by "laws meant for humans". He's the son of a Silver Dragon of the Seiryu Faith named Mehmet (an Ancient Zoan user, and now ascended to the position of one of the four Gold Dragons) and dreams to kill his father who had abused him and forced him to eat a DF, and to kill all four Yonkos (Palazzinaro Viktor Ornstein of Nova Germa, David Ogan CEO of Ogan Corporation, Queen Monkey D. Elizabeth of Nikaea, and especially Black Dragon "Neokaido" of the Seiryu Faith). While Rorschach dislikes most DF users and believes them to be cursed monsters, his hatred reaches racist extremes only against Zoans, especially Ancient and Mythical Zoans who he believes not even an authoritarian regime can control but that must be outright destroyed (because his abusive father has an Ancient, and Kaido, worshipped as a god by the Seiryu Faith, used a Mythical, and also most Mythical Zoan users of Rorschach's time are extremely messed-up people). Rorschach is also the cook of his crew, as he can cook a lot of what in real life would be Indian and Middle Eastern dishes, his specialty is kebab, and he can't stand anything containing milk.
• Hussein Yaman (navigator, hacker, computer expert): One of the original members, hailing from Erumalu. Rorschach and Hussein became friends when Rorschach, as one of his first major exploits as a crimefighter, saved Hussein from a Fire Logia-using terrorist (actually a privateer sent by the Nikaea Empire) named Gaffur Kaplan, who had taken him hostage for his proficiency in hacking. As a hacker, Hussein has cybernetic implants combined with Conqueror's Haki: the implants made his body frail and unable to fight, but transmit Conqueror's Haki to the brain and allow it to connect with machines (the very term "Hacking" is derived from "Haki" in-universe: being born with the ability to use Conqueror's Haki is needed to be a hacker).
• Mahtab Osmani (detective and sniper): one of the original members. Mahtab is a cyborg like Rorschach, but specialized in sniping with a sniper rifle with bullets made of Seastone. She wears a hijab which hides a hologram projector: her body is capable of turning invisible and copying the looks of everyone else through holograms (she doesn't copy DNA, just the looks, and beneath the hologram she's physically like herself. She can also turn invisible by projecting a hologram). Mahtab is the most skilled in reasoning, talking to suspects and doing detective work. She's a former policewoman of the Jamairiyah Military Police who was investigating a drug deal when she got attacked by a bandit using a Sheep Zoan working for said drug dealer, a bandit that Rorschach tracked down and killed, then he asked Mahtab if she wanted to join him, and she accepted.
• Ibrahim Massoud (was a swordsman, but was arrested and executed after dueling the Nikaean Empire's former Royal Knight Trafalgar Irene during a pillaging of a Nikaean Royal Navy ship two years before the events of the story, considered ad honorem member: his katana Zomorrodnegar, known for its blade that shines green, is kept by Rorschach and is handed to Irene when she joins)
• Trafalgar D. Water Irene (swordswoman, weaboo): Irene is the last descendant of Trafalgar D. Water Law, and a ronin, originally a Royal Knight from the Nikaean Empire (the very Royal Knight who dueled Ibrahim Massoud in the duel that led to his death), who retired because of disagreeing with an imperialistic massacre on Sorya Island, South Blue, ordered by fellow Royal Knight Lestrange Etienne as reprisal for a rebellion (who has the Mythical Zoan Dino-Dino Model Geryon). She intentionally looks for Rorschach to apologize to him for having dueled Massoud, and because he takes in everyone who was wronged by Devil Fruit users who are violent criminals (as she considers her superior Etienne after he did a massacre). On the Azi Dahaka, she's gifted the sword Zomorrodnegar belonging to the late Ibrahim Massoud, and soon adapts to it, obtaining the respect of Rorschach who starts considering her a worthy successor of Massoud. Irene idolizes legendary swordsmen including her ancestor Law and Roronoa Zoro, and dreams to find Zoro's Sandai Kitetsu (which had been stolen from former Nikaean king Monkey D. Marcus by the Black Dragon of the Seiryu Faith in a duel which lasted seven days). Irene is a weaboo, AKA a fan of Wanoan culture who however isn't sworn to the Seiryu Faith controlling Wano (weaboos like Irene are not to be confused with Otakus, people who actually do join the Seiryu Faith without being initiated as children).
• Anya Derfflinger (martial artist, strongman, diver): A female shark Fishman from South Blue's Reisenkol Fishman Kingdom (formed three centuries before this story, so not existing in OP's times), a master of fishman karate who studied in the dojo of famed fishman karate master Sieg Friedberg. She possesses all three forms of Haki (including Conqueror's Haki), and is a strong fan/worshipper of Jimbei (who founded the dojo that was inherited by her master Sieg). As she's incredibly strong in water, she's a specialist for attacks and sabotage missions underwater. She's the physically strongest and most durable member of the team. She joins on Sieg's behalf when Rorschach swears to fight against the New Yonko power called Nova Germa, inspired by the Germa and which is based in Punk Hazard. Nova Germa's lord "Il Palazzinaro" (an Italian slang term for a corrupt building contractor, and a common epithet for owners of the Beton-Beton Logia) Viktor Ornstein (who is the user of the Beton-Beton Logia, AKA manipulation of concrete) is a Yonko and one of the most wanted men on Rorschach's hit list, and he's got colonialist ambition in South Blue which the fishmen led by Sieg Friedberg oppose. As such, Anya looks for Rorschach as part of the alliance between the Jamairiyah and Reisenkol against Viktor.
• Valentina Azuma (chemist and biologist): A young scientist hailing from Repubblica Sociale di Uenoyama, West Blue, working as the assistant of Dr. Crisostomo Hojo at Istituto Centrale della Scienza Biologica's Devil Fruit Studies Department, under the false name Valentina Shinoda. Her kingdom is ruled by dictator Mattia Hashimoto, also known abroad as "Tiamat the Fascist" (the very words "Tiamat" and "fascist" are derived from Mattia Hashimoto's name in OP's world: the dictator named his devil fruit "Uo-Uo Model Tiamat" after himself). Valentina is the daughter of a wanted communist Partigiano resistance fighter named Kazumasa Azuma, and is secretly crafting explosives for her father's Partigiani warriors. Rorschach picks Valentina up when he's pretending to be allied with Mattia against the Nikaea Empire, but actually working with the Partigiani. Valentina is a DF user but was also wronged by Devil Fruit users, as Hojo and Mattia both have Mythical Zoan DF (Hojo has Slug-Slug: Model Heretic, modeled on a Final Fantasy boss, Mattia has Uo-Uo: Model Tiamat). Valentina keeps researching Devil Fruits while an Azi Dahaka member and is the one who nicknames Rorschach "Harem Daddy" for treating his harem like daughters.
• Sarah Axwell (musician): Sarah comes from North Blue's Zhu Island (do not confuse with Zou). She is a Northern Yakuza Pirate working for the Yonko Crew called Ogan Corporation (based in North Blue's Ogan island) who is a DJ by hobby, she plays EDM, a style of music popular in North Blue. She's a cyborg too, having parts which allow super speed, super reflexes and walking on walls. She was conscripted in the Northern Yakuza, and Rorschach kidnapped Sarah when he was on his mission to overthrow boss Hermes Bulsara (user of the Mercu-Mercu Logia, of mercury) in order to start his war against Ogan by breaking its connection in the underworld. She has Stockholm's Syndrome (called "Sulvetr Syndrome" in the OP Universe, as Sulvetr is a city in the North Blue where such a thing happened) for Rorschach.

Their ship, the Azi Dahaka, can shift into a flying mecha called Simurgh Mode, which is reminiscent of a Rorschach test inkblot (and whose stylized form is the Jolly Roger of the crew).
Image of their Jolly Roger https://img.fruugo.com/product/8/90/32867908_max.jpg

In the spirit of post draft football it’s time to ponder what could’ve been. What players in the past were you exhilarated by and were absolutely delighted when your team selected them only for the player to let you down. Personally my choice is Andrew Booth Jr of the Vikings, I remember watching his film and thinking “there’s no way he escapes the first round, he’s easily a top three corner in this class”. Then my Vikings get him and he gets buried on the depth chart now my generation’s Kris Boyd. Everytime I see a preseason game or hear his name echoed I get a little hope that he’ll live up to the potential.

Post Synopsis

This write-up will discuss LittleBigPlanet’s humble origins, its place in the market in 2008, its unique features and mechanics, and a brief summary of the games, impact, and news following the first game. It will be broken down into five sections listed below.

• I. Introduction
  
• II. Origins of Media Molecule
  
• III. General Game Overview
  
• IV. Post-LittleBigPlanet 1
  
• V. Closing
  

I. Introduction

With the advent of the Internet, user-generated content has become an increasingly common phenomenon, and in the last ~20 years in particular, it has propelled entire platforms to become major media centers and empowered users to explore and express their creative side. In 2006, Time named “You” as their person of the year, referring to the millions of users who had contributed user-generated content to websites like YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Wikipedia, and others, and Business 2.0 and ABC News gave similar accolades to "You" in 2006. In the realm of video games, user-generated content has practically become a genre in itself, with modern examples like Minecraft, Roblox, and Super Mario Maker amassing millions of players and building dedicated communities around them that have persisted for years.
LittleBigPlanet was one of the earliest examples in the console space built around the concept of user-generated content. The tools available were top-of-the-line and the best available for a console game at that time. But its appeal as a game went beyond just its robust level editor: the multiplayer and network features, the customization options, and the inviting art style and family-friendly image filled a much-needed niche in the early PS3 library. Its broad appeal enabled it to become one of Sony’s flagship series.

II. Origins of Media Molecule

Rag Doll Kung Fu, The Room, and the Formation of Media Molecule
Media Molecule was founded in January 2006 by four former employees of Lionhead Studios – the studio behind Fable and Black & White. Before forming Media Molecule, members of the team worked on Rag Doll Kung Fu in their free time, and even starred in live action cut-scenes for the game. After presenting the game to a crowd of 300 people at GDC 2005, Mark Healey was approached by both Valve and Nintendo to bring the game to their platform, and ultimately worked out a deal with Valve to put the game on their then new digital platform Steam. Rag Doll Kung Fu was the first third party game on the platform.
Around this same time, the would-be Media Molecule founders built a tech demo called “The Room.” The Room featured elements of creation that would later form the framework of LittleBigPlanet – players could mold objects out of clay and move objects around the room. Valve was interested in hiring them to develop The Room or another project, but it never came to fruition. The Room also featured portals the player could move between. Coincidentally, Valve would hire the students behind Narbacular Drop – which used a similar portal concept as its central game mechanic – that same year (2005) to expand their concept, and eventually create Portal in 2007.
Soon after their work on Rag Doll Kung Fu and The Room, Mark Healey and three other Lionhead Studio employees – Alex Evans, Kareem Ettourney, and David Smith – resigned on the same day to start up their own company, which they called Media Molecule. They turned in their notice to Peter Molyneux, one of the founders of Lionhead Studios, and a man Healey had worked with for around 15 years, between both Bullfrog Productions and Lionhead Studios. While he was disappointed to lose four talented developers on the same day, he wished them well and was happy that they were striking out on their own, rather than taking jobs at Valve.
Initially, the team didn’t have a clear vision of what they wanted their game to be outside of a few general principles. In a 2007 interview with GameSpot, Healey had this to say:

“The idea was to make the most ambitious game we possibly could," Healey said, "and most importantly, get somebody else to pay for it.

Healey went on to talk about the tumultuous nature of working on a creative project:

"What we're aiming to do with the game we're making is somehow give that to people and take away the tedium," Healey said.

Meeting with Sony and Development of LittleBigPlanet
In the initial talks with then President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Phil Harrison in January 2006, Media Molecule presented a demo called “Craftworld” starring Mr. Yellowhead – who would later be featured as a collectible costume in LittleBigPlanet. Craftworld was a physics-based side-scrolling platformer, with no button presses – the character’s movement was wired to the exact physical movements of the analog sticks, which was a novel idea at the time. Instead of using PowerPoint, Media Molecule made a live demo play within their presentation. Alex Evans recalled the meeting at the Develop 2011 Conference in Brighton:

“Our first meeting with Phil was meant to be a 30 minute pitch for our idea for a game called Craftworld that soon turned into a 3 hour brainstorming session,” explained Evans. “Phil said all sorts of buzzwords that hadn’t really hit yet. He said it should be driven by DLC and that it should be free-to-play, have a social core and premium, paid-for content.

This is interesting, because this model didn’t really exist yet on consoles back in January 2006 – the infamous The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’s horse armor DLC (today it’d be called a microtransaction) was still three months away. However, Sony was working on PlayStation Home around this time which shared these core tenants and was being pushed by Phil Harrison. Despite these initial talks, LittleBigPlanet ended up releasing as a $60 USD game rather than a free-to-play title, though microtransactions in the form of costumes and DLC level packs did make it into the game. Sony would revisit the idea of a free-to-play LittleBigPlanet title in the form of LittleBigPlanet Hub, which was planned to launch in late 2013, but the project was canceled, and presumably the work for it was carried over to LittleBigPlanet 3, which was also sold as a $60 USD game.
Soon after their meeting with Phil Harrison, Sony agreed to fund the project for six months, after which they’d need a playable prototype ready to demonstrate. This was later extended by another three months, as the demo after the initial period was reportedly “unfocused and unplayable.” Alex Evans recalls debugging the game the night before the presentation because the game slowed to a crawl when a fourth controller was added. The game was revealed at GDC 2007 for two reasons, according to Phil Harrison:

“Firstly, I wanted to demonstrate the future of games, which was service-based projects: always on, no end to them. And secondly, to communicate the idea about the user being the creative manager of content. LittleBigPlanet and Home were perfect examples of that.”

Media Molecule would go on to release LittleBigPlanet in October 2008. In less than three years, the team went from a vague premise to a landmark title for the PS3, as well as the second highest rated game of 2008, according to Metacritic. It’s interesting that the team didn’t really have a clear idea of what they wanted to create before their leaving their jobs when LittleBigPlanet feels like such a spark of creative energy, which coincidentally is the premise for the game itself.

III. General Game Overview

The Market in 2008 and LittleBigPlanet's Unique Appeal
As the 2000s wore on, and particularly with the arrival of the HD consoles, it seemed AAA platformers were being phased out. Studios known for their platformers in the 1990s and early-mid 2000s, like Rare, Naughty Dog, and Sucker Punch, were moving away from them, leaving Mario and Ratchet & Clank to carry the genre in the late 2000s. A platformer wasn’t exactly what people thought of as a “next-gen” experience on the HD consoles at the time (PlayStation 3/Xbox 360). It seemed more studios were focused on bringing about more realistic experiences, typically ones that had guns and/or cars. LittleBigPlanet released in a year with games like Grand Theft Auto IV, Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots, Fallout 3, Dead Space, Resistance 2, etc. – games that prioritized realistic graphics, gritty settings, and cinematic set-pieces.
However, if there was a way to make a platformer feel next-gen rather than iterative of the design we had seen for over a decade at that point, LittleBigPlanet achieved it, by utilizing network features and user-generated content as its central focus. The story mode acted as both a fun adventure to play through as well as a showcase of what was possible with the extensive level editor, which allowed players to share levels online and access a database of levels from users all around the world, and even use user-created objects as collectibles in one’s own levels. Its appeal was broadened beyond just the scope of a conventional platformer though, as users would utilize the level editor to create more experimental levels - like this museum level featured in Mm Picks. LittleBigPlanet 2 would expand on this concept further.
The handcrafted art-style was an excellent complement to the game’s vision as a vehicle for level creation, and it allowed parts to be glued together without looking amiss. The idea of customization was extended to the player's character: Sackboy acted as a blank canvas that could be customized, but his knitted nature didn’t look out of place on marketing with nothing on. The soundtrack featured licensed music and spanned all different eras and cultures yet somehow formed a cohesive package – much like the nature of putting together a level using various parts and materials.
Curation Tools and Mm Picks
Sharing and playing community levels was a seamless experience held up by some awesome curation tools. You could play levels off the game’s servers without going through a download process. Additionally, levels featured tags for categorizing types of levels, hearts for bookmarking them, a five-star rating system (later changed to a thumbs up/thumbs down), a comment section, and the ability to view the profile of users to see their levels and favorites. These features are all ubiquitous now and were likely inspired by YouTube’s curation tools, but it was by far the best infrastructure in a game with online level sharing on consoles at that point. Additionally, LittleBigPlanet benefitted from the rise of outside media platforms, namely YouTube, as a way to showcase levels on message boards.
Adding to these curation tools was Media Molecule Picks (Mm Picks), which were community levels branded with Media Molecule’s emblem, signifying their exceptional quality or experimental ideas. This was before Twitter became ubiquitous and developers – and businesses in general – had less direct interaction with their users. Mm Picks were instead posted to their website and even included embedded YouTube videos of the levels, though they did join Twitter seven months after the game’s release, in May 2009. It was a novel thing to see the developer of a game take part in the community of a game in that way, and it was personally the first instance I recall seeing of something like that (as primarily a console gamer at the time). Media Molecule went a step further by including 18 users to create bonus levels for the Game of the Year Edition of the game in 2009.
Additionally, Media Molecule added water in the Pirates of the Caribbean level pack in December 2009 after much clamoring for it in message boards. It’s possible this was already in the works since they had to work out the licensing with Disney in advance, but the trailer seemed to acknowledge that Media Molecule had heard the requests for water in the game. Unfortunately, it and many other cross-promotional level packs are now unavailable to download due to licensing agreements expiring. At the time, DLC seemed liked a great fit for the game, as every added item to the game multiplied what was possible with the game’s level editor, and the frequent level kits would regularly reinvigorate interest in the community. However, many are now inaccessible through practical means (not all level kits were included in the Game of the Year Edition).
Multiplayer
LittleBigPlanet made no concessions with its multiplayer – it was four-players locally, online, or a mix of the two – in story mode, community levels, and creation mode – it featured both cooperative and competitive elements, but the game could still be experienced as a single player experience if desired. Other games usually come with a caveat – either they’re local or online only, provide multiplayer only in certain designated modes, and/or limit the number of players to just two. There were some camera issues in local play in certain fast-paced and/or vertical levels, but the widescreen helped make the game feel less crowded than it otherwise would have (widescreen had just recently become ubiquitous on the HD consoles during this time).
LittleBigPlanet also incorporated a lot of elements that amounted to just goofing around, like slapping your friends, painting them with stickers, grabbing them, and making smiley faces after watching them fall to their death. As inconsequential as these qualities might seem when typing them out like this, people got a ton of mileage out of these.
The competitive play didn’t really work in favor of the platforming levels, but the more experimental, survival-based levels did lead to some fun competition. Chasing leaderboards, collecting all prize bubbles and keys, completing a level with no deaths for rewards, and completing optional co-op puzzles led to a great deal of replayability among the story levels, so there was plenty of reason to jump back into them with someone new, especially since the game had plenty to reward you with in the form of objects, stickers, costumes, and bonus levels.

IV. Post-LittleBigPlanet 1

General Overview of the Series' Games
Sackboy became Sony’s family-friendly mascot and was featured in many advertisements during the Kevin Butler-era. He has been featured as a playable characteskin in games like ModNation Racers, Minecraft, Fall Guys, and Sony’s platform fighter PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale. The series has regularly showcased the new features of Sony’s hardware: the PlayStation Eye and network features in the original game, the PlayStation Move controller in Sackboy’s Prehistoric Moves, and the touchpad in the PS Vita game – although in recent years, it seems Astro Bot has been positioned to showcase these features more than Sackboy’s games (the VR headset and DualSense controller).
There were eight LittleBigPlanet/Sackboy games released between 2008 and 2014, plus a ton of DLC content – since then there have been just two (the last one was a 2023 mobile runner title), neither of which include the creation tools the series was founded on. However, Sackboy: A Big Adventure did retain the cooperative multiplayer, which I believe is an important part of the series’ legacy and isn’t as easy to transition to a 3D platformer.
Media Molecule and the Series' Evolution
Media Molecule stepped away as the main developer after LittleBigPlanet 2 (2011), acting as support for some of the later games. It really shows, as LittleBigPlanet 2 was a major evolution over the first game and expanded the tools and what was possible with the level editor to such a degree its identity as a platform game became blurry: you could make a retro-style arcade game with unique physics, a turn-based battle system, a top-down racer, in-game movies, etc. The possibilities felt endless.
In contrast, LittleBigPlanet 3 was the buggiest game I had ever played at launch, though most of the game-breaking bugs were ironed out over time, it lost its momentum and was still a pretty buggy experience in the end. It did bring some new tools to the table - namely the new characters with unique abilities - but the improvements were much more modest/complementary to the original design, than the massive evolution that was LittleBigPlanet 2. Media Molecule has since developed Tearaway and Dreams, though many of the studio founders have since left the company.
Server Shutdowns
LittleBigPlanet 2 and 3 carried over levels from the previous mainline game(s) - it was nice to know users' works were being preserved. However, there were many bugs in LittleBigPlanet 3 when accessing levels from the first two games so it really wasn't the ideal way to experience them. Sony had shutdown the servers for the PS3 games in September 2021, so it was the only way to play a lot of these old levels for awhile.
Unfortunately, the LittleBigPlanet 3 servers – and therefore all uploaded community created levels from the first three mainline games – were just recently shutdown after being compromised by hackers in January 2024. While the story levels remain, it’s disappointing to know you can only re-experience part of a beloved game, and not the game in its whole. Many of the levels people remember the game by are now lost to time, after 15 years. The ending of LittleBigPlanet even highlights the community levels, as if the ending of the story mode is just the beginning for the rest of the game.
Showing future generations LittleBigPlanet will always come with the caveat that there was much more to the game than they’re able to experience, unlike other classics like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as there are custom servers that have retained some of the more popular levels. It goes to show the love the community has for the game.

V. Closing

LittleBigPlanet's slogan of “Play, Create, Share” was superbly executed on all fronts – falling short in even one of these areas would’ve been enough to taint the whole experience: without good gameplay, it wouldn’t be worth making levels, without good creation tools, it wouldn’t be worth sharing levels, without good sharing and curation tools, it wouldn’t be worth keeping a vested interest in playing the game and engaging with the community. But it went even beyond that, with a great art-style that complemented the game's vision of creation, excellent and all-encompassing multiplayer, and active engagement from Media Molecule with the community, through Mm Picks and DLC. It really seems like the type of game that would’ve taken a second game to get right, but instead they got the first game right and made an even more incredible sequel. It brought something uniquely its own to the PS3 in 2008 and earned its place as a flagship PlayStation series.

This might be a bit difficult for me to word properly, but why do so many fics that reject the events of the epilogue feature characters giving their children the same names as in the epilogue?
A friend recently pointed out to me that it's pretty common in Drarry fics for any children to be named for Draco's 'canon' child (Scorpius), or Harry's 'canon' children (Albus Severus, James Sirius and Lily Luna), even if they aren't born from the pairing of Draco/Astoria or Harry/Ginny.
I've noticed almost every other fic with the characters having children follows a similar pattern, with children of Harry's generation having the same names as the epilogue or Cursed Child even if they were born to different parent pairings.
So if you write these kinds of fics - why do you choose to keep these names? Or if it's more applicable, why do you choose not to change them?

Like so many curses, truth slips between clenched teeth.
Its violence is relentlessness, inexhaustible relevance.
It's time collared by the meaning of nothing.
It's a bold secret, a parent of sorrow.
It's a shade found haunting a keyhole.
Dreadful insecurities found in her crown like bloody jewels.
It's a period sought after and between fateful lines.
It's an impossible spine binding a body of work
It's a demesne, Baron of unflinching authenticity.
These generational gems reflect a monochromatic clarity
All human creation shouts at birth.
All Divine creation is still.
This herculean barks obedience at the semblance of God.
Its voice is short and crude, undecipherable.
Caught in a mirror growling at its reflection.
Where does this gamble go?
When is Illusion Honest?
Why utter ineffable syllables?
How did it unbecome?
Weather or not its gravity drops like splashes, its unsure
It testifies where it says "nothing"?
It lies when it can't hear itself?
It Speaks to the Imagination?
It lost its name once spoken?
It knows its its ignorance?
Truthfully I can't say.

I’ve struggled with folliculitis since 2018, and it started seemingly out of nowhere. Had biopsies (unspecified folliculitis - wth does that even mean) and tried every treatment, you name it - I’ve done it. It’s dramatically changed my life bc I’m always worried when a new bump forms on my face…they take forever to go away. Resembles hormonal acne and stays as long as cystic acne. I know the struggle. I know many of us would try basically anything to get this to go away. Trust.
I’m going to suggest this bc somehow it appears to be working (crossing fingers) but will update if the progress changes.
I’ve started vitamin c, in what some would call megadoses. I take 1000 mg once in the am and once in the evening. So far, no new bumps. Im actually considering going up in dosage a bit more if more bumps form. I’ve done research on studies of vitamin c and folliculitis, here is one that caught my interest:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6040229/
“Vitamin C in other dermatological diseases is seen as an adjuvant for use in combination with other drugs or for physical therapy. It has good therapeutic potential in a variety of dermatological diseases, such as acne, allergic contact dermatitis, psoriasis, and progressive purpura, especially when used in combination with other clinical drugs (Table ​Table22). Propionibacterium acne (P. acne) plays an active pro-inflammatory role in the whole process of acne and is involved in the skin keratinocytes and sebaceous glands of the pilosebaceous follicle, resulting in the generation of acne (Beylot et al., 2014). The combination of zinc and clarithromycin, along with vitamin C, has an antibacterial effect against clarithromycin-resistant…”
Worth a try. Will update once a couple weeks have passed. Reddit has a bunch of great info on vitamin c and its benefits, too, if you feel like doing a deeper dive.
I’m currently taking Liposomal vitamin c, which is expensive. Switching to pills once this batch of Liposomal runs out, to see if that will also work for me.

This is not a rant ! Hope that some of this stuff will make into the game :

• maps, need to be bigger. We need more land regions are to small.
• planning out the settlement - it is hard to say how big some stuff will be - maybe add placeholders or ability to put a building using some reserve option.
• maybe on top of placing roads people could make their own dirt roads so we can see the optimal placement for future?
• buildings should reserve 1 extra "square" just for that around them.
• we need some random features on the maps that we could give villages some aesthetics or benefits. for example some hill top or river splitting in 2, lake etc.
• hunting grounds should be just be "forest" the bigger it the more animals it can generate, unless you over hunt.
• i love the irregularity we can generate ... can we have more of them
• have i mentioned rivers? they were essential thing for majority or medieval locations.
• the whole family systems is nice, but need to be adjusted - having not enough people to run your setup ... unless you micro manage and reassign people. Simply annoying. Maybe by industry type? Like you don't want to put all your food and materials into single place ... well fire and it is gone.
• Seasons, need to be longer unless i missed a part where we can define how long they are
• fields are source of stone ... bogs should give iron ore and rivers clay and stone ... in some passive way. (limited resources are sometimes fun, but i think balance should be in how fast they can be extracted as with the medieval industry scale very rarely stuff did run out and this was mostly tin, silver and gold).

From UI perspective :

• sometimes when you plan out some buildings, even if you cancel the graphics is not removed and you just see what was the planned last.
• esc/quit should also close ingame menus and not stuck in endless loop
• on game start sometimes after typing name a all other options are getting disabled need to quit / enter to solve this.
• textures sometimes becomes huge pixels for some areas and game likes to crash after that.

The most important stuff :

• Linux version when?

Race Information

• Name: Kentucky Derby Festival "MiniMarathon" (Half-Marathon)
• Date: April 27, 2024
• Distance: 13.1
• Location: Louisville, KY
• Website: https://derbyfestivalmarathon.com/
• Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11275078395
• Time: 1:35:53

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Sub 1:35:48 (PR)	No
B	Sub 1:39:49 (time from 2011)	Yes
C	Sub 2:07:45 (2023)	Yes

Splits

Mile	Time
1	7:11
2	7:10
3	7:11
4	7:03
5	7:12
6	7:08
7	7:16
8	7:15
9	7:27
10	7:36
11	7:30
12	7:32
13	7:15

Background
The derby "MiniMarathon" is what the Louisville locals call the half-marathon which is part of the Kentucky Derby Festival. This race is one of many events leading up to the "most exciting two minutes in sports."
I get free entries through work and ran the half-marathon the past few years, including finishing the 2023 race in 2:07:45. I barely finished the 2023 race and reminded myself that at 33 years old I could be in the best running shape of my life. I made a goal to break the half-marathon PR I set back when at 20 years old (1:39) and joined a local running club.

Training

My local running store hosts a club that trains for Fall and Spring half-marathons. I have a 2 year old daughter and am limited with my time, so I committed to a plan of 20-30 mpw consisting of 1 long run, 1 speed/hill workout, and 1 tempo run.
Oct 2023 I finished the Urban Bourbon half-marathon in 1:43 but bonked around mile 9. It was encouraging to see some improvement but did not hit my goal time. A few friends from the running group wanted to continue running through the winter so that's what we did. There were a few days in the single digits but having a group kept me accountable and running during the 2degF weather.
I kept at the 20-30mpw pace and sprinkled some short races (5k's, 10k) as well as swimming/weight lifting for cross training. I did not know what pace to shoot for, so I signed up for a 15k in March 2024 and the Knoxville Half Marathon in early April 2024 to test out my pacing.
I was encouraged when I finished the 15k at a 7:06/mile pace and the half at 7:18/mile pace. I was not expecting to do so well during the Knoxville half due to their hills, but I ended up hitting a NEW PR!!! (1:35:48) and building confidence that I could push for a 7:10/sub-1:34 pace. Following this race, I began to taper and replace running workouts with cross-training.

Pre-race

The race is a 7am start which I was hoping would mean cool temperatures. My ideal race temperature is 40-45degF. All week the weather was perfect but I saw in the forecast a warm front hitting the night before the race. Leading up to raceday all I could do was do my best to hydrate and hope for low humidity.
I woke up at 4:45am and began my pre-race ritual of eating a bagel with melted butter and drinking a pot of coffee. I have gotten into a schedule where my body will empty out ~1 hour after my coffee which was the case. I hit the bathroom before I left my house and decided not to drink any more water since the last few races I started the races with full bladders. In hindsight, I should have held off on some of the coffee rather than the water.
This is a large race with difficult parking. I found myself with only 45 minutes to go navigating traffic and looking for a parking spot. I parked, hit a porta potty for poop #2, and made it to my corral with only a few minutes to spare. The half-marathon is run in tandem with the full marathon and I eyed the 3:10 pacers at the start. It was already 70 degrees at the start so I began reevaluating my pace due to the temperature.

Race

I decided to start off with the 3:10 pacers for the first two miles to keep myself from going out too fast. I assumed they were going to bank a little time in the early miles of the race which was the case. Around mile 3 I started feeling the 70+ temperatures and my heart rate was higher than normal. I knew that the heat was going to be an issue this race and considered slowing down. I have been used to running in the cool mornings all spring and was hoping the rising summer temperatures would hold off. I ultimately said "screw it" and decided that since I didn't have another race anytime soon I might as well shoot for my goal. Every water station I grabbed a cup, took a small sip, and dumped the rest on my head.
Mile 7 I began to feel the heat but my legs and breathing felt good. I was staying ~10 meters ahead of the 3:10 pacers and was seeing how long I could hold on. I was ahead of them when the marathon course turns away from the half around mile 9 and allowed myself to slow down to a 7:30 pace.
Miles 9-12 I knew I needed to hold on for a chance at a PR. I had banked some good miles and was having trouble doing the math in my head. My wife and daughter were at mile 11 so they were the first milestone. I stopped briefly to see my 2 year old and ask how stinky I was. She said I was very stinky.
My heart rate was maxed out but my legs felt fine. Miles 11 and 12 I knew some folks at a the water station so I tried to hide how I was feeling on the inside as I ran by. I ran both these miles at 7:30 pace and could feel a PR slipping away.
Mile 13 I turned off my music and tried to optimize how fast I could run. I find that early in the race it is better to run with a "distraction," but later in a race I should run by "feel." I was getting passed by a couple people who clearly had juice left in the tank, but I was passing a lot more runners getting hit by the heat. I was surprised how many people were walking after running a faster pace than me for the first 12 miles.
As I turned down the last stretch, I told myself I can just cruise into the finish as long as I don't slow down. Every race I debate whether I should kick it into the finish. Ultimately, I would hate to lose out on a goal by a couple seconds (more on that later) or lose out on an age group award. I finish the last quarter mile at 5:00/mile pace and sprint past a handful of people at the finish. I cross the finish line at 1:35:53.

Post-race

5 seconds. I miss out on a new PR by 5 seconds. I'm not disappointed. At 33, I am faster than I was at 20 years old. I beat my 2023 time by over 30 minutes. I've had a great series of races this spring and in arguably the best running shape I've ever been.
I hurry past the post-race food and get in my car and head home. I think about some of the things I would have done differently. Perhaps I tapered too soon. I think my pacing strategy was ok but I could have taken the first half of the race a little slower.
Overall, I am proud of how much I improved from a year ago. It was a lot of work to stay consistent with a toddler at home and balancing a career. I plan to continue running 20 miles/week until I nail down a new target race. My marathon PR was also set at 20 years old so I am tempted to try for a new marathon PR.
Made with a new race report generator created by u/herumph.

Am i eligible for a proper credit card now? Which one should i get? Preferably LTF.
18F. Studying accounting in college (commerce background) Earn upto 4k per month. I have a HDFC bank savings bank account which i have maintained quite well.
Got my first CC against FD of 10k - IDFC WOW about 3 months ago which i also maintained properly. To build a good credit history - i never spent more than 50% of the cards limit (The 50% i spent is actually locked by the bank on EMI for 12 months for an electronic). EMIS don't apparently affect credit utilisation thus credit history/score.
I used my CC like a DC and paid all my bills immediately after generation rather than the due date. Spends were about 40k per month (family expenses - like groceries and meds) were done through the CC as well and bills were paid immediately.
Now am i eligible for a proper card?If yes, How much credit limit will i probably get? HDFC is offering me a credit card based on the good accoumt maintainance rather than income but I'll most likely get a moneyback CC by them which is shit and likely won't be upgraded for a long time. It isn't LTF either.
I could also make an account with another bank to increase the chances of getting one.
Priority rewards in a CC I'm looking for are mainly discounts on electronics etc.
Why i want a credit card at this young age : To learn financial discipline and excel in financial literacy.
Also being an accounting student practically applying my knowledge just feels so great.
I don't really make big spends/don't do impulse buying. I have had about two lakhs in my HDFC savings and I never have really done a big purchase impulsively. And as as the small purchases are concerned i just check if i have enough funds to make a purchase with my DC, if i do then only i make the purchase. If i don't, It equals no purchase since i pay my bills immediately as I'm not really trying to get a credit facility. As i said, using my CC like a DC for finacial discipline etc.
About EMIs my rule is only one EMI at a time and either at no interest or as low as possible. After i was done paying for phone (EMI of 15 months pn mothers name) i made another EMI scheme. And yes i agree to your EMI rule - EMIs should only be less than 30% of the monthly savings which i always follow.
Of course the golden rule : - Credit cards are for those who don't need credit.
Financial literacy and discipline are incredibly valuable assets which a person can use pretty much their whole life.

Genedancers were a Western ( particularly American and to a lesser degree present across the World ) subculture based on Genetic Engineering, specifically Somatic Genetic Engineering which is the type of Genetic Engineering that affects one's bodily ( ''morphic'' ) form as outwards appearance, Genedancers also mostly focused on Short-Term Somatic Genetic Engineering which manifested its outcomes in a very short period of time rather than the more gradual, over-time or literal generational Genetic Engineering of early 21st century.
Genedancers first came to being in late 2040s and early 2050s in the United States as well as some parts of Western Europe independently from each other as Short-Term Somatic Genetic Engineering ( which got nicknamed ''Genedancing'' after the subculture in early 2050s as its former name was too academic and long ) became more and more available and affordable for the broader society with especially a lot of American teens, belonging to Generation Omega ( 2029-2044 ) ,turning themselves into Genedancing and the American legal opinions on Genetic Engineering started to soften in 2050s under the Libertarian regime of Democrat President Jeffrey Eastwood ( 2052-2060 ) which only helped to further the subculture in the region.
2054 Walls v Walls US Supreme Court decision, where 15 year old American citizen from Atlanta, Georgia Jeremy Walls sued his parents on violating his Morhpic Rights and infringing upon his freedoms by not letting him do Genedancing relating to his hair color, was perhaps the most important event relating to Genedancers in history as the decision of the Democrat-controlled Supreme Court gave people of any age the right to Genetically modify themselves to whatever degree they desired. This led to Morphic Rights becoming the new grounds for the American Culture War as Democrats and Social Progressives endorsed Genedancing for all ages while Republicans and Social Conservatives opposed the idea of Genetic Editing on Minors.

Genedancers were a Western ( particularly American and to a lesser degree present across the World ) subculture based on Genetic Engineering, specifically Somatic Genetic Engineering which is the type of Genetic Engineering that affects one's bodily ( ''morphic'' ) form as outwards appearance, Genedancers also mostly focused on Short-Term Somatic Genetic Engineering which manifested its outcomes in a very short period of time rather than the more gradual, over-time or literal generational Genetic Engineering of early 21st century.
​
Genedancers first came to being in late 2040s and early 2050s in the United States as well as some parts of Western Europe independently from each other as Short-Term Somatic Genetic Engineering ( which got nicknamed ''Genedancing'' after the subculture in early 2050s as its former name was too academic and long ) became more and more available and affordable for the broader society with especially a lot of American teens, belonging to Generation Omega ( 2029-2044 ) ,turning themselves into Genedancing and the American legal opinions on Genetic Engineering started to soften in 2050s under the Libertarian regime of Democrat President Jeffrey Eastwood ( 2052-2060 ) which only helped to further the subculture in the region.
​
2054 Walls v Walls US Supreme Court decision, where 15 year old American citizen from Atlanta, Georgia Jeremy Walls sued his parents on violating his Morhpic Rights and infringing upon his freedoms by not letting him do Genedancing relating to his hair color, was perhaps the most important event relating to Genedancers in history as the decision of the Democrat-controlled Supreme Court gave people of any age the right to Genetically modify themselves to whatever degree they desired. This led to Morphic Rights becoming the new grounds for the American Culture War as Democrats and Social Progressives endorsed Genedancing for all ages while Republicans and Social Conservatives opposed the idea of Genetic Editing on Minors.

Race Information

• Name: Jim Thorpe Marathon
• Date: April 28, 2024
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Location: Jim Thorpe, PA
• Website: https://runjimthorpe.com/
• Strava: https://strava.app.link/8DD1JbayaJb
• Time: 3:16:16

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	3:03:30	No
B	3:05	No
C	BQ and PR 3:10	No

Splits

Mile	Time
1	6:51
2	6:42
3	6:45
4	6:46
5	6:49
6	7:03
7	7:05
8	7:01
9	7:04
10	7:11
11	7:09
12	7:17
13	7:17
14	7:23
15	7:26
16	7:14
17	7:23
18	7:17
19	7:39
20	7:26
21	7:53
22	7:41
23	7:55
24	9:07
25	8:00
26	8:25
27	4:30

Training

After my November marathon, where I missed my BQ by 7 seconds, I wanted a repedemption race to get a good 5 minute buffer. I chose Jim Thorpe for the fabulous course profile, and the timing was about as soon as I could get another good training block while still taking advantage of the srpring weather.
Training started off poorly, as it took me longer to recover from November and a mild bout of covid than anticipated. A few tough early weeks with a slow 2 mile time trial and a scuddled race pace long run got me in the dumps. Fortunately, that was a low point that gave way to a series of fantastic runs, workouts, and a tune up 10 Miler with a 2 minute PR that instilled a lot of confidence. I followed a plan from a local run coach who oversees group workouts every Wednesday on the local university track. Basically it consistented of speed work on Wednesday, each weekend was either a long, slow run or a slightly shorter tempo or pace run, with various combinations of MP, half marathon pace, and faster. This culminated in a tough 17 miler with lots of fast distance. My longest runs were a few 20 and a single 22 miler at zone 2. I peaked at two, 60 mile weeks and was thriving at that.
Then I caught a cold from my daughter 9 days out from race day that ended up being more persistent than I had hoped. Mild fever and body aches suggest it could have been RSV or a mild flu, but whatever it was it left me sluggish all week and scuttled my well planned taper.

Pre-race

I checked the weather obsessively while recovering and was happy to see that race conditions were going to be sweet: 45F at the start, though ending in the low 60s with sun. I drove up to the race city hoping that my now mild symptoms were a good omen. I had a nice 2 mile shakeout run on the first two miles of the course and got to bed early. I had done a good carb load for the past 3 days and was cautiously optimistic for race day. I woke up eager to run, kept my Wordle streak going, had a half a bagel with jam and a caffeinated Maurten gel and headed to the race.

Race

While I can give plenty of excuses for the cold, I made the cardinal sin of marathon racing: I went out too fast. My plan was to start slow at 7:30 per mile and ease into race pace, 7:00, by mile 2-3. The good weather, the lack of pacers, and the obvious race day excitement chucked that out the window, with several early miles that were far too fast. I knew it, but I couldn't rein myself in. It's easy to say "go out slowly" but it's so hard to follow that simple advice.
By mile 7 I knew I was in trouble. I was simply feeling too tired for what should have been the cruising section of the course. I was at target pace by then and was deluding myself into the "banked time" fallacy: "Ok just stay at this pace and you'll be good". But my HR and general aerobic feeling foretold of the troubles to come.
The race course was beautiful. I was enjoying the scenary and trying to stay optimistic. The course goes gently downhill, about 30 feet per mile, in a beautiful gorge in the Poconos of PA. The other item of note about the course was the substrate: packed gravel. While a generally good surface, the tiny amount of slippage on each foot strick I think added up to a bit too much effort.
Miles 15-26 were... not great. I was slow and I knew I was on the downward spiral. I just couldn't keep my heart rate down and I struggled. Compared to my previous two marathons, I was too tired, too early. The only thing that felt good were my quads- previous races this was one of my weak points, but lots of good strength and speed work have resulted in strong legs, for which I am thankful. I shifted to a run/walk interval of doing roughly 30 seconds at each mile, or a bit more by the end. It was not pretty(I'm not bashing run/walk, but it wasn't part of my plan today) but I was proud of myself for the tough run.

Post-race

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at all disappointed, but honestly I'm less frustrated than I thought I would be. I loved the course, I KNOW I've got a BQ in me, and my depleted cardio state slowed me down enough so that I'm less beaten up than my last race (or maybe it's the shoes: newish Endorphin Speed 4s have been great!). So after I take some good weeks of recovery, I'm eager to get back to it.
Boston 2025 is looking very unlikely, though I'll be pondering a few September races for the next few weeks. I'm already signed up for the Disney marathon in January, which is the most fun I have ever had as an adult. While it's not known as a fast race because of all the photo stops on the course, it is flat and starts before sunrise for decent weather.
Feedback is welcome: but if you tell me that I went out too fast I'm just going to reply: "Thank you, Captain Obvious :)"
Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.

Gaze into the abyss!

Welcome to /Paladins' Champion of the Week, a place to celebrate the Champions of the Realm. Share your fan-art, gameplay videos, and memes. Tell your funniest and most exciting stories! Talk about the best card loadouts and strategies, and tell us why you love the Champion of the Week! This week, we're celebrating
​Seris
Oracle of the Abyss
Affiliation: ​Neutral
Lore:
A being from beyond the void, Seris was summoned into the Realm and needed a form, one she found in that of Abby. Destroying the town that would be her namesake, she set out to be Oracle to the Abyss' reign.
Draining the souls of her enemies and occasionally restoring them to her allies, however, pales in comparison to her unnatural prescience, granting her the ability to see into the past and predict the future all at once. She appears here and there in time and space, always at the opportune moment to change the course of events toward some unknown but seemingly inevitable fate.
Class: ​Support
Health: 2200
Abilities:

Name	Skill Type	Description	Cooldown
Soul Orb	Area Damage	Fire a magical projectile every 0.3s that deals 210 damage, Pierces enemies, and applies a Soul Orb stack. Soul Orb stacks up to 4 times. Has a maximum Ammo count of 14, and is fully effective up to 300 units. Soul Orb stacks can be detonated with Rend Soul.	-
Restore Soul	Healing	Target an ally and Heal them for 1650 over 1.5s. All allies within 50 units of your target are Healed for 1000 over 1.5s. Has a range of 200 units.	1s
Rend Soul	Direct Damage / Self-Sustain	Detonate your Soul Orb stacks, dealing 90 damage for each stack on an enemy. Enemies with 4 stacks will be Stunned for 1s. Each stack detonated Heals you for 12% of your maximum Health.	7s
Shadow Travel	Untargettable / Stealth	Phase into another plane of existence over 0.8s, becoming Stealthed and Ethereal, avoiding all harmful effects for 4s. While Shadow Travel is active, your Movement Speed is increased by 25%. Activating this ability restores all your Ammo.	12s
Convergence	Crowd Control	Cast your Soul Core onto the battlefield, causing a tear in reality to manifest 0.5s after it lands. Enemies within 60 units are dragged in and Stunned for 1.4s.	-

Talents and Cards:

Name	Ability	Description	Cooldown
Bane	Rend Soul	Every Soul Orb stack you detonate increases your Movement Speed by {1/1}% for 4s, up to a maximum of 15%.	-
Dark Sight	Rend Soul	Every Soul Charge you detonate generates {1/1} Ammo.	-
Essence Rip	Rend Soul	Increase the Healing done by Rend Soul by {8/8}%.	-
Blood Pact	Restore Soul	Heal for {70/70} every 1s while channeling Restore Soul.	-
Fade to Black	Restore Soul	Reduce the Cooldown of Shadow Travel by {0.8/0.8}s after activating Restore Soul. This can only occur once every 5s.	5s
Dark Whisper	Shadow Travel	Increase your Movement Speed by {8/8}% while Shadow Travel is active.	-
Nether Siphon	Shadow Travel	Heal for {50/50} every 1s while using Shadow Travel.	-
Revenant	Armor	Increase your maximum Health by {50/50}.	-
Ebon Dynamo	Weapon	Increase your maximum Ammo by {2/2}.	-

You can find an archive of every Champion of the Week here.
Join us next week when we talk about ​Sha Lin!