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thesevenseraphs · 7 years

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Bungie Weekly Update - 3/8/18

This week at Bungie, Lord Saladin returned to host the final 4v4 Iron Banner.

New weapons are directly available from Saladin’s stock, or can be earned through Iron Engrams. This isn’t your last chance to earn those Season 2 ornaments, as Iron Banner will return after Destiny Update 1.1.4 is released, featuring 6v6 gameplay.

Speaking of Update 1.1.4…

Gotta Go Fast

Last week, Cozmo asked you fine readers to set an agenda on what we’d talk about in this week’s article. The overwhelming response: Sandbox!

While we’re still in the process of finishing development on 1.1.4, Senior Crucible Designer Kevin Yanes and Design Lead Josh Hamrick are here to get a bit more granular with what’s coming on March 27.

Kevin: Hey everyone, Kevin here from the Crucible team. I’m dropping by to share the details on the rest of our changes heading into Update 1.1.4. As Derek mentioned in last week’s TWAB, Iron Banner, Rumble, and Mayhem are making their triumphant returns to Destiny 2 with a few twists. Iron Banner has become 6v6, Mayhem features 90% fewer nova bombs (fixed this issue found during the Dawning), and Rumble has welcomed two additional players into the fray. There is a lot to get excited about in Update 1.1.4 but something the team really wanted to do was go back and refine the core experience. Looking at the feedback, it was clear that the community felt there were two key areas for improvement with the Crucible: “Time to Kill” and “Team Shotting”. So we set our sights on re-working systems, mechanics, and values to tackle those two areas.

“Does this mean you’re changing the Time to Kill?” When we looked at the core feedback on “Time to Kill” in the Crucible, we saw that it mostly stemmed from a lack of excitement or spikes of intensity you all came to expect from a Destiny experience. This came in the form of feedback that stated the game was too slow, or the core loop was too stale. We agree, and have worked with Sandbox to increase the pace of the Crucible as a whole. Josh is going to speak to all of the Sandbox changes here in a bit, and I won’t steal his thunder. So alongside all of the great changes the Sandbox team has made, we’re setting our sights on making the Crucible a faster, more dynamic, and more action-packed experience on the activity side. Let’s get down to brass tacks on how we’re planning to change the Crucible and the delivery of the goal stated above. Here is an overview of the changes we’re bringing in 1.1.4:

Respawn and Revive were tuned in all game modes

Player respawn timers for all Quickplay modes have been reduced to 2s.

Player respawn timers for Survival have been reduced to 7s

Revive lockout time in Countdown has been reduced to 7s

Players no longer lose Revive Tokens on death

Power Ammo respawn timers were adjusted across the board

Power Ammo respawn timers in Iron Banner have been reduced ~50%

Power Ammo respawn timers for all Quickplay modes have been reduced ~30%.

Power Ammo respawn timers in Survival have been reduced ~40%.

Power Ammo respawn timers in Countdown have been reduced ~25%

Ammo counts have been adjusted in relation to these timers, and in relation to weapon type.

In almost all cases weapons either retained the same ammo count or received a buff. Swords and rockets were brought down to stay in line with the rest of the weapon offering.

Enemy players now drop their Power Ammo on death.

This brick is now networked to all players regardless of faction. Secure the power ammo to keep it from your foes or steal off your enemy’s ghost, but be quick because these bricks don’t stay in the world forever.

All these changes coalesce to create an experience that relies less on clumping with your team and focuses more on rewarding quick reflexes, thinking, and movement.

“But what about Competitive?” During development of 1.1.4, we realized that while we’d reduced the “Team Shotting” in Quickplay and Iron Banner effectively, we hadn’t quite done the same to Competitive. Knowing this, we looked for a change that reinforced the following goals: reduce team clumping, reward individual plays, and incentivize flanks. With those goals in mind we looked to take a big step in shifting the gameplay in Competitive and Trials: starting in 1.1.4 we’ve opted to remove the Tracker from all Competitive and Trials game modes.

This means more communication is required to secure victories in Competitive and Trials matches. It also means that a crispy flank with Power Ammo is all the more powerful. Subverting expectations and reading opponents is more potent in matches with no Tracker. In playtests we’ve already seen some clutch underdog comebacks and we can’t wait to see what you all do in Competitive and Trials starting with 1.1.4. That said, we’re always listening and reacting to feedback so please tell us what you think about this change and all of our 1.1.4 changes once they go live.

Thank you so much for your time in reading and playing. We’re proud and excited of the work we’ve done on 1.1.4 and look forward to meeting you on the battlefield. Next up Hamslamrick with some Sandbox goodies.

Hamrick: Hello friends! As I mentioned last time, our goal for this update is to provide individual players with more hero moments by increasing overall speed and mobility, increasing the number of supers you charge to demolish your enemies, and increasing the frequency and impact of our most montage worthy power weapons, especially in the Crucible. With Update 1.1.4 drawing ever closer, it feels like a good time to swing back by and provide some updates and additional clarity to what this patch will bring.

The first thing you should know: we are VERY excited for this update to go live. After weeks of solid play-testing, some with external participants, we feel like this is really shaping up to be an update you will be happy with. Huge shout out to everyone involved that helped the list of possible changes grow instead of shrink. Also, to those who play-tested and gave us quality actionable feedback. Now, here’s an updated version of the list of changes first detailed in the February 1 TWAB. New and/or updated entries are highlighted in bold:

All three glides plus Catapult and Strafe Lift have been retuned and buffed to make them faster and more unique.

The mobility stat range has been expanded and completely retuned as well. In short, everyone gets faster and the high end is higher.

The players’ ground speed cap has been increased, allowing for faster total movement speed, regardless of how you may get there.

Arcstrider, Sentinel, and Striker all move faster, and at the same speed as one another, while in their Supers.

Arcstrider, as a whole, is performing well in PvP but mostly due to its neutral game perks. We’ve made the following changes in an effort to get the Super to be a more competitive option:

Faster Attack Animations.

Faster Dodge Animations.

Increased range of all attacks.

The previous Shoulder Charge changes are being reverted, allowing Shoulder Charge to be used as a movement mode once again.

Dawnblade has been improved:

Reduced cost for throwing swords, allowing for one additional throw

Increased super duration extension gained from "Everlasting Fire"

Removed all in-air accuracy penalties while "Swift Strike" is active

Reduced the Icarus Dash cooldown

Increased the Grenade and Melee energy "Heat Rises" gives you per kill

Invisibility on Dodge / Smoke Updates:

Invisibility on Dodge no longer breaks Aim Assist or Projectile Tracking in PvP (unchanged in PvE)

Dodging still breaks both Aim Assist and Projectile Tracking, but only for the duration of the actual dodge

Increased the duration of Invisibility on Dodge by 1 second

Increased the duration of Smoke Bomb Invisibility by 1 second

Supers recharge faster for everyone!

Supers now recharge 1:40 faster, a cooldown reduction of 25%.

Mods that reduce Grenade, Melee and Class Ability cooldowns have been buffed to allow for up to 2x faster cooldowns.

This is NOT replacing Mods 2.0, which was recently delayed. More information is available below.

We’ve buffed several weapon archetypes (including, but not limited to, Hand Cannons, Pulse Rifles, Sniper Rifles, and Shotguns) and a few specific perks, as well. A key goal here is to make Shotguns, Snipers, and Fusion rifles more prevalent in the game.

Pulse Rifles

Increased PvE damage for all pulses

Increased rate of fire for adaptive and high-impact pulses

Increased base damage for adaptive, high-impact, and rapid-fire Pulses

Increased precision multiplier for lightweight pulses

Decreased precision multiplier for adaptive pulses

This keeps precision damage close to where it is now, putting most of the buff into body shots, though it is still an increase in precision damage overall.

Scout Rifles

Increased PvE damage for all scouts

Increased base damage for High-Impact Scouts

Hand Cannon

Increased PvE damage for all Hand Cannons

Increased precision multiplier for precision hand cannons

Increased hip fire accuracy on consoles

Increased ADS accuracy on consoles

Sidearms

Increased PvE damage for all sidearms

Increased hip fire accuracy

Increased ADS accuracy

Increased inventory size (allowing more reserve ammo to be stored)

Increased minimum range

Added an ADS movement bonus

SMG

Increased PvE damage for all SMG’s

Set Optics to 1.3x

Increased inventory size (allowing more reserve ammo to be stored)

Linear Fusion Rifle

Increased PvE damage for all linear fusions

Increased precision multiplier

Increased aim assist

Reduced flinch multiplier

Shotgun

Increased PvE damage for all shotguns

Increased inventory size (allowing more reserve ammo to be stored)

Increased aim assist for Suros precision shotguns

Sniper Rifle

Increased PvE damage for all snipers

Increased precision multiplier

Increased aim assist

Increased inventory size (allowing more reserve ammo to be stored)

Grenade Launcher

Increased blast radius

Assault Rifles

Decreased range and aim assist stats for precision autos (Uriel's Gift). Base damage is not changed.

A few weapon perks are also getting some updates:

High Impact Reserves

Increased PvE damage

Kill Clip

Increased PvE damage

Rampage

Increased PvE damage

Increased duration

Dragonfly

Increased damage

Increased radius

Stronger visual effects

Grave Robber

Reloads .5 magazine instead of .3

Timed Payload

Splits damage 55 Explosive / 45 Direct instead of previous split which was more direct damage

Explosive Rounds

Decreased PvE Explosive Rounds damage

This decrease has been compensated for with an increase in PvE damage for the base weapons - your weapons with explosive rounds will not do less damage after 1.1.4

Just like last time, we have a few additional notes to wrap things up.

Mods Rework

First, let’s talk about the changes to the potency of Ability Cooldown Mods. In our last update, we mentioned that we were going to wait and buff ability cooldowns at the same time we dropped the mods rework. Over the last few weeks it has become obvious that the mod rework was going to need more time to come together due to the scope of the changes. That decision, which has already been accounted for in the last Roadmap that you saw, is ultimately going to be a win for all of us. It gives us more time to deliver something we believe will add value to the game. However, we understood we should not delay the much-needed improvements to ability cooldowns. So, while there are many, many improvements to mods planned for the future, we are going to greatly increase the output for Ability Cooldown Mods in Update 1.1.4.

Invisibility

Nightstalkers, the day of reckoning is soon upon us. Our invisible exploits may have barely been seen, but they have most certainly been felt. In 1.1.4 our ability to ninja-smoke out to avoid any and all incoming fire (and/or lightning) is going to be reduced down to pure skill alone… not that we’d ever admit to it being anything but. As one of only two items deemed nerf-worthy on the entire list of incoming Sandbox changes, we as Hunters shall deal with this as we deal with everything: we’ll take it as a compliment and solid proof of our endless supply of talent, and we’ll never, ever let the ‘Locks and Titans hear the end of it.

Currently:

Initiate Dodge or Throw Smoke

Dodging temporarily kills Aim Assist and Projectile Tracking (allowing you to actually Dodge things)

Smoke just immediately jumps to…

Initiate Invisibility

For the duration of Invisibility Aim Assist and Projectile Tracking remain disabled.

Dodge Finishes

Invisibility Expires

Aim Assist and Tracking are re-enabled

Coming Soon in 1.1.4 (PvP Only!):

Initiate Dodge or Throw Smoke

Dodging temporarily kills Aim Assist and Projectile Tracking (allowing you to actually Dodge things)

Smoke just immediately jumps to…

Initiate Invisibility

Dodge Finishes

Aim Assist and Tracking are re-enabled

Invisibility Expires

Note: Nothing changes for PvE except that they also get the one-second duration increase to Invisibility.

Snipers

In the last update I mentioned how a nasty bug has crept into our scopes and made it near-impossible for us to correctly tune Sniper Flinch. We have good news! That fix has been implemented and those changes will go live in the 1.2.0 update, planned for May. Sweet, sweet sniper action is on the way.

On that note, below you will find a video pulled from a 1.2.0 playtests that has all the 1.1.4 Sniper changes AND the new Sniper Flinch fixes in and working.

youtube

This is not the end…

While we are very excited to get this update into your hands, and we believe you’re really going to enjoy the changes, we all know these aren’t the only changes we’ll need to make to address feedback. It’s just the first leg of a long journey. We hope this makes the game more fun for you all, that it begins to bring back hero moments, and makes you feel a bit more like tiny gods, but we also hope you know there is more to come and that this gets you excited to come along for the ride. See you all again soon,<3 Hamrick

Companions to us all

As Destiny 2 continues to evolve, the Bungie.net team is also hard at work processing feedback and bringing updates to the Companion experience. Today, Associate

UX Designer Joey Carpenter

is here to walk us through some changes that were deployed to the Companion App earlier this week.

Joey: On Wednesday, we released a utility update to the Destiny Companion App. Now you can modify the shaders, effects, mods, perks, and Masterworks of the items in your inventory on the go. All you need to do is fire up your companion app and open up the detail view of the item you want to modify.Find the slot for the mod, perk, shader, effect, or Masterwork on your item and tap what you want to replace it with. If a change you want to perform will cost you something, the cost of the action and how much you currently have to spend will be listed for you. This update in particular is exciting as the foundation for this work can eventually be leveraged for other advanced actions on your character and gear. Ever wanted to clear out the cruft that’s built up in your inventory a bit faster? Us, too. Vendor purchasing on the go? Or perhaps it’s time for clearing all of the rare items from your inventory that have accumulated throughout your play session? These are all possible scenarios that we're considering for future, to make the most of the same system we built. This work also gives us the opportunity to enable third-party developers to take advantage of this functionality, while providing a secure environment where these actions require your explicit approval. We have a bit of work to do before that’s possible, but we’ll keep you informed as we solidify future updates for the API, Bungie.net, and companion app. As a heads up, this update is currently available on Android. iOS is in the process of being released, but we'll let you know as soon as it's available. Now is prime time to head over to our mobile feedback forums to sound off on what cool new write actions you’d like to see in the future.

In the Know

Recently, we added two new members to Destiny Player Support. You may have encountered them in the #Help forum, troubleshooting issues or sharing Help articles. If you’re having difficulties when attempting to play Destiny 2, they’re at the ready to lend a hand.

This is their report.

EDZ Destination Emblem Last week, we noted that players may accrue 38 Ghost scannables on the EDZ Destination Emblem. Through investigation, we have identified that Ghost scannables found at the Farm do not contribute to these emblem statistics. The issue has been escalated to the appropriate team for further investigation.

WiFi: Convenience vs. Stability While Destiny can be played with a strong and stable WiFi connection, many players have found that using WiFi can increase the likelihood that they will lose their connection to Destiny Services.

Sources of interference for WiFi connections WiFi is susceptible to a variety of different sources of interference.

The process of sending data wirelessly takes time and increases latency. This may increase the total latency of a player's network to the point where they encounter latency, packet loss, or error code disconnects from Destiny.

WiFi connections use one of several frequencies called channels to transmit data. If more than one WiFi network is trying to use the same channel it can create congestion that slows down network traffic. It can even cause data to be lost or the connection to be interrupted.

If multiple devices are connected to the same wireless network and attempting to reach the internet at the same time they can interfere with each other.

The distance and layout of a player's console from their WiFi source can also negatively impact signal strength and stability.

Some home appliances and consumer electronics, such as microwave ovens, can directly interfere with a network's WiFi signal.

If you only have WiFi available for online gameplay, visit this page of the Network Troubleshooting Guide for tips on how to strengthen your connection: Network Setup

#Curse of Osiris #Destiny #Destiny the game #Destiny 2 #bungie weekly update #long post

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fortunebusiness · 4 years

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C5ISR Market Size, 2020 Industry Share and Global Demand | 2027 Forecast by Fortune Business Insights™

The global ''c5isr'' market size is projected to reach USD 147.97 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.38% during the forecast period. Increasing defense expenditure in major economies will be a crucial factor driving the growth of this market, observes Fortune Business Insights™ in its new report, titled “C5ISR market Size, Share and Industry Analysis by Type (Land, Naval, Airborne, Space), By Application (Electronic Warfare, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Intelligence, Command and Control), By Solution (Product and Services), and Regional Forecast, 2019- 2026”. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), worldwide military expenditure rose by 2.6% from 2017 levels, touching USD 1,822 billion in 2018. United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India, and France spent the most, accounting for nearly 60% of the total military spending in 2018, SIPRI notes. This surge in spending is a response to the growing intensity of border conflicts, proliferation of illegal migration, and rising threat of cross-border and international terrorism.

Increased spending on the armed forces is intended to equip on-field soldiers with latest communication and analysis technologies so as to facilitate more efficient decision-making in the field. The report further states that the value of this market stood at USD 113.44 billion in 2018. Worldwide COVID-19 Impact Analysis:

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. Some industries are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

We are making continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.

Study Period: 2016-2027 Base Year: 2019 Forecast Period: 2020-2027 Historical Period: 2016-2018

List of Key Companies Covered in the C5ISR Market Report are:

CACI International Inc.

L3Harris Technologies Inc.

Northrop Grumman Corporation

General Dynamics Corporation

Elbit Systems Ltd.

Collins Aerospace

SAAB AB

BAE Systems

Lockheed Martin Corporation

The report also contains the following:

Exhaustive analysis of the market trends and drivers;

In-depth research into the factors restraining the market;

Comprehensive study of the regional dynamics of the market;

Detailed evaluation of the competitive landscape of the market; and

Thorough assessment of all the possible market segments.

Market Trends

Rising Adoption of Battlefield Management Systems (BMS) to Propel the Market

A battlefield management system (BMS) enhances quality of decisions and enables better control of military units by integrating information collection and processing on a unified platform. One of the leading C5ISR market trends is the rising demand for BMS for military combat missions owing to the multiple advantages of these systems. For example, BMS units can be worn or handheld by soldiers and commanders individually, thereby enabling each member of the unit to access and analyze incoming information.

Moreover, these systems have preinstalled GPS modules, making it easy for soldiers to find their way through tough terrains. Most importantly, BMS ensures that the messages and orders sent and received are digitally encrypted, thus reducing the risk of interception of communication by enemy radars. Thus, the multiple benefits of BMS tools have made them an integral part of C5ISR systems and their increasing adoption, therefore, augurs well for the market. Regional Analysis

Extensive Modernization of Armed Forces to Augment the Market in North America: The market size in North America stood at USD 65.80 billion in 2018 and the region is poised to dominate the market share for C5ISR, in the foreseeable future owing to the heavy investments made by the US government in modernizing its military equipment. In Canada, establishment of C5ISR centers at strategic points across the country will further boost the market. Asia-Pacific is expected to register a healthy CAGR as a result of higher budgetary allocation for the defense sectors in India and China. On the other hand, in the Middle East & Africa, strong presence of military systems suppliers will fuel the market.

Competitive Landscape: Key Players to Focus on Developing Advanced Solutions The C5ISR market forecast predicts a dynamic period for this market as major players such as SAAB and BAE Systems increase their R&D expenditure to develop next-gen military communications technology. These advancements have empowered the key players to strengthen their hold on the market and ensure their dominance for perpetuity. C5ISR Market report Focus on:

Extensive product offerings

Customer research services

Robust research methodology

Comprehensive reports

Latest technological developments

Value chain analysis

Potential Market opportunities

Growth dynamics

Quality assurance

Post-sales support

Regular report updates

Reasons to Purchase this Report:

Comprehensive analysis of the market growth drivers, obstacles, opportunities, and other related challenges.

Tracks the developments, such as new product launches, agreements, mergers and acquisitions, geographical expansions, and joint ventures.

Identifies market restraints and boosters.

Identifies all the possible segments present in the market to aid organizations in strategic business planning.

Key Questions Answered:

Why Choose Fortune Business Insights?

What are the key demands and trends shaping the market?

What are the key opportunities in the market?

What are the key companies operating in the market?

Which company accounted for the highest market share?

What is the market size and growth rate of the global and regional market by various segments?

What is the market size and growth rate of the market for selective countries?

Which region or sub-segment is expected to drive the market in the forecast period?

What Factors are estimated to drive and restrain the market growth

Browse In-depth Summary of This Research Insights with Table of Content: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/c5isr-market-102102 Detailed Table of Content:

Research Scope

Market Segmentation

Research Methodology

Definitions and Assumptions

Market Drivers

Market Restraints

Market Opportunities

Key Industry Developments –Contracts & Agreements, Mergers, Acquisitions and Partnerships

Latest technological Advancements

Porters Five Forces Analysis

Supply Chain Analysis

Land

Naval

Airborne

Space

Electronic Warfare

Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Intelligence

Command and Control

Product

Services

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East and Africa

Latin America

TOC Continued…! Industry Developments:

March 2020: Lockheed Martin Corporation, the US-based aerospace and defense bigwig, launched its Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) satellite from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The satellite forms an important component of the protected communications network, delivering enhanced communication and security capabilities to the US Space Force.

January 2019: The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWARSYSCEN) Atlantic of the US Navy awarded the Navy Cyber Mission Engineering Support contract to the American aerospace and defense company, General Dynamics Corporation. At an estimated value of USD 898 million, the contract will require General Dynamics to supply state-of-the-art defense technologies to meet the American Armed Forces’ military needs.

Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Military Antenna Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Frequency (High Frequency, Ultra-High Frequency, Super High Frequency, and Extremely High Frequency), By Type (Dipole Antennas, Aperture Antennas, Travelling Wave Antennas, Loop Antennas, and Array Antennas), By Platform (Airborne, Marine, and Ground), By Application (Communication, Surveillance, SATCOM, Electronic Warfare, and Telemetry), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Military Drone Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Fixed-Wing, Rotary-Wing, and Hybrid/Transitional), By Range (VLOS, EVLOS, and BLOS), By Propulsion Type (Battery Powered, Fuel Cell, and Hybrid Cell), By Technology (Remotely Operated Drone, Semi-Autonomous Drone, and Autonomous drone), By Application (ISRT, Delivery and Transportation, Combat Operations, Battle Damage Management and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Military Radar Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Platform (Land Radar, Naval Radar, and Airborne Radar), By Range (Long, Medium, Short, and Very Short), By Application (Airspace Monitoring & Traffic Management, Weapon Guidance, Ground Surveillance & Intruder Detection), By Frequency Band (UHF/VHF, L-Band, S-Band), By Components (Antenna, Transmitter, Receiver), and Regional Forecast 2019-2026

About Us:

Fortune Business Insights™ offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data.

At Fortune Business Insights™, we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges.

Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights™ Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: [email protected] Fortune Business Insights™ LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs

Read Press Release: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/c5isr-market-9822

#C5ISR Market

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thevividgreenmoss · 4 years

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The Republican Party in Texas is highly mobilized, one might say even militarized, to prevent or postpone the transformation of this new demography into a Democratic majority. Its odd ally has been the Democratic National Committee, which for years has ignored Texas despite appeals from local Democrats that major investments in voter registration and community organization could shift the balance of power in the state and thus in the country. Their argument was fortified by Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 campaign against Ted Cruz which made up in grassroots energy much of what it lacked in cash. (Beto, following the Sanders example in 2016, rejected pac contributions.) Republicans laughed off the challenge in the beginning but sweated heavily in the homestretch when polls showed the candidates neck and neck. A large injection of cash from energy industry pacs ultimately saved the day for Cruz, but Democrats reveled in the closeness of the outcome, 50.9 to 48.3 per cent.

This year national Democratic money, much of it from Michael Bloomberg, arrived at the last minute to support a Beto-designed campaign that focused on ten heavily-gerrymandered Republican districts, mainly in the suburbs of metropolitan Dallas–Fort Worth, that he had won in 2018. Flipping nine of them would give Democrats control of the Texas House for the first time in nearly a generation. Misleading polls in October stoked optimism, even suggesting that Biden might win the state. In the event Republicans retained all the seats and Trump, although his margin was reduced, easily won. The Texas Observer, the state’s unique progressive magazine, concluded that ‘one of the biggest takeaways from the election is that there is a clear ceiling for Democrats in the growing suburbs . . . Now, Republican dominance of state government remains unfettered, as is the gop’s ability to lock in their majorities for years to come in the next redistricting cycle.’

The one-size-fits-all suburban template that was used by the Biden campaign in Texas and almost everywhere else ignored the consensus view of veteran campaign strategists from both parties that the real key to swinging the state is the mobilization of the ‘sleeping’ Latino majority in South Texas, especially in the seven major border counties where 90 per cent of the population is of Mexican origin. This was acknowledged two days before the election when Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez made a last-minute visit to the McAllen area. ‘The road to the White House’, he declared, ‘goes through South Texas. Remember, Beto lost by about 200,000 votes in 2018. We can make up these votes alone in the [Rio Grande] Valley. If we take Latino turnout from 40 per cent to 50 per cent, that’s enough to flip Texas.’ The strongly Democratic border is one of the poorest regions in the country, heavily dependent upon agriculture and nafta trade with Mexico, with a population routinely vilified by Republican propaganda as aliens and rapists. The Biden campaign seems to have believed that anti-Trump sentiment alone would add another 100,000 votes along the border without having to divert resources from the suburban battlefields. A blue wave along the Rio Grande from El Paso to Brownsville was taken for granted.

However when the fog of battle dissipated, Democrats were stunned to discover that a high turnout had instead propelled a Trump surge along the border. In the three Rio Grande Valley counties (the agricultural corridor from Brownsville to Rio Grande City) which Clinton had carried by 40 per cent, Biden harvested a margin of only 15 per cent. More than half of the population of Starr County, an ancient battlefield of the Texas farmworkers movement, lives in poverty yet Trump won 47 per cent of the vote, an incredible gain of 28 per cent since 2016. Further up river he actually flipped 82 per cent Latino Val Verde County (Del Rio) as well as Zapata County, which no Republican has won since the end of Reconstruction. In addition he increased his vote in Maverick County (Eagle Pass) by 24 per cent and Webb County (Laredo) by 15 per cent. Rep. Vincente Gonzalez (D-McAllen) had to fight down to the wire to save the seat he won by 21 per cent in 2018. Even in El Paso, a hotbed of Democratic activism, Trump made a 6 per cent gain. Considering South Texas as a whole, Democrats had great hopes of winning the 21st congressional district which connects San Antonio and Austin, as well as the 78 per cent Latino 23rd, which is anchored in the western suburbs of San Antonio but encompasses a vast swathe of southwestern Texas. In both cases, Republicans easily won.

...First, NAFTA as well as the shale oil boom in the Laredo area has greatly expanded the entrepreneurial class in the border counties—independent truckers, shipping agents, warehouse foremen, oil and gas sub-contractors, car dealers, and the like—whose natural magnetic orientation is Republican. Since the border economy is capitalized on poverty and low wages, this group has a keen interest in opposing a higher minimum wage or a pro-union Labor Department. Republicans have avidly responded to new opportunities to recruit leadership from this dynamic stratum. In his 2014 campaign Republican Governor Greg Abbott made no less than 20 trips to the Valley.footnote7 Although Trump initially jeopardized their livelihoods with his threat to withdraw from nafta, the 2018 treaty revisions with Mexico left the status quo largely in place and freed the tejano business community to vote its wallet. (Nationally, the Latino share of the ‘middle class’, as the Brookings Institution defines it, has grown from 5 per cent in 1979 to 18 per cent last year. In contrast the Black share has only increased by 3 per cent in 40 years, from 9 per cent to 12 per cent.)footnote8

On the other side of the ledger, there was a spectacular wave of support in South Texas for Bernie Sanders during the March ‘Super-Tuesday’ primary. After the withdrawal of San Antonio’s favourite son Julián Castro from the race at the beginning of January (he immediately endorsed Elizabeth Warren), rank-and-file tejano Democrats rallied to Sanders. With 200 young Latino organizers working full-time for his national campaign and helping shape its strategy, Sanders was able to speak to the Valley communities with a passionately informed voice. As was the case with the Nevada caucuses in February, radicalized Latino youth and their working-class families embraced his platform of universal healthcare, free public higher education, a $15 minimum wage, and pathways to citizenship for undocumented populations. Sanders swept the entire border from Brownsville to El Paso as well as San Antonio and metro Austin, winning 626,000 votes, 99 convention delegates and 30 per cent of the votes cast, just 5 points behind Biden. (If the Warren vote is combined with Sanders, the left wing of the party outpolled Biden by 140,000 votes.)

The Sanders campaign was also an uprising against a conservative Democratic machine led by old pols like Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo, a former customs broker who belongs to the Blue Dog caucus and frequently votes with Republicans. Jessica Cisneros, a 26-year-old human rights attorney backed by Sanders and the progressive organization Justice Democrats, came very close to beating him in March. Biden’s nomination and Cuellar’s narrow victory were twin disappointments that deflated the enthusiasm of Sanders’ voters, ratifying the widespread perception that centrist Democrats give no priority to fighting for the interests of the Border working class.footnote9

Spanish-surname people are the biggest minority in the United States and this year surpassed African-Americans as the second largest pool of eligible voters. Their electoral clout will only increase: amongst the first wave of GenZ eligible voters (age 18–23) Latinos constituted 22 per cent, Blacks 14 per cent.footnote10 In the Bush years many Republican strategists in the Sunbelt, having read the demographic tea leaves, argued that culturally conservative Latinos were the key to building a new and more durable Republican majority. Mainstream Democratic leadership, however, has never endorsed a similar vision and continues to treat Latinos as second-class citizens within the party hierarchy who will automatically vote for Democratic candidates. The exclusion of Julián Castro from the speakers’ platform at the virtual convention in August was interpreted in the Spanish-language media as salt rubbed in an old wound. The Democrats have other neglected or abandoned constituencies, including Puerto Rico and Appalachia, but South Texas has a unique strategic importance.footnote11

Mike Davis, Trench Warfare

#trends among victorious coalitions here and & in his obama post-mortem from 08 #essays #mike davis #*

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wmaitla · 7 years

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40k Factions Headcanons Part 2

Right, here’s part 2 of what might be a long running series I’m mostly writing because I want to get these ideas out of my head so I never have to think about them again.

Sisters of Battle

The Sisters are probably my favorite faction in all of 40k. Fanatical power-armoured catholic space nuns wielding flamethrowers and rocket-firing submachine guns really encapsulate the feel of 40k. The fact that they haven’t received a real update in two decades makes me sad. SO here’s how I’d redesign them if I woke up one morning and suddenly found myself in charge of GW’s intellectual property: Crunch-wise there’s quite a few changes I’d make, including the Faith system, but a lot of them are really minor. I’d give Sisters units the Faithful special rule, which gives them the Shield of Faith invulnerable save and generates a Faith point at the start of each turn. Sisters can spend Faith points to either perform Acts of Faith (which buffs units) or to “dispel” hostile psyker powers. Because more units = more Faith powers, it means the Faith system will scale with the size of the army, something Faith systems have traditionally struggled with. I decided to go unit-by-unit for this analysis, explaining the changes I’d make to each one, because a lot of the changes where fairly intricate HQ Canoness with a possible Celestian bodyguard - Celestians all get storm bolters, canoness gives a “strategy buff” (An extra command point?) Priest with a possible Crusader Bodyguard - Priest gives a “morale/faith” buff compared to the canoness, possibly generating d3 faith pointsinstead of just one. Crusaders are Crusaders, one or two can take flamers/meltas/stormbolters. No plasmaguns for the priests, the sisters should be about the faith and fire. Elites Arco-Flagellants - a Fearless unit of crazy naked dudes. They throwout 2d3 Str 4 attacks each and have toughness 4 and feel no pain, but they aren’t Faithful (they aren’t believers, its why they’re here, they’re just raging on Holy Cocaine and Blessed Steroids). Repentia - Another Fearless unit of mostly naked people frothing at the mouth, tearing at their enemies and taking up an Elite slot, bThese guys need a few things to differentiate them from the Flagellants. First of all they have big girl eviscerators (instead of the nerfed versions they have now) making them effective against a different kind of enemy to the horde-killing Flagellants. They have two attacks each so they can dish out the hurt, but they’re only toughness three with no armour besides Shield of Faith. I’d consider including an Act of Faith that increases Shield of Faith to 4+ for a phase/turn, just to give them a better chance of surviving until they can actually kill something. I don’t wanna give them feel no pain, because it makes them too similar to Arco-Flagellants. We want our units to be diverse and interesting after all. Troops Sisters of Battle - 5 to 15 strong, able to take two special weapons for each five Sisters in the Squad. Flamer/Meltagun/Stormbolter, but no heavy weapons. This is to help keep them mobile and aggressive. Faithful Mob - a weak but Fearless close-combat tarpit, lead by a lay preacher. Gets around the Decree Passive because the Ministorum isn’t technically keeping them under arms. If some Lay Preacher, totally unaffiliated with the official Adeptus Ministorum, gathers a crowd of Ordinary Pious Imperial Citizens and inspires them to march to the battlefield in order to take the fate of their planet into their own hands and smite the Foul Enemies of the Most Holy Emperor of Mankind, its not really breaking the Degree Passive if the Sisters point them in the right direction, now is it? Having these guys as troops also serves to show how influential the Cult of the Emperor is in the lives of everyday imperial citizens and how fanatical those citizens tend to be. Transports Rhino - As standard. Its not broken so there’s no need to fix it. Although I would make the Rhino is the heavier armoured of the typical imperial Metal Bawxes, when compared to the IG’s Chimera. Can carry up to twelve people, can be upgraded to be Faithful with Laud Hailers, can take a pintle-mounted flamer. Immolator - As they are. BEHOLD! THE IMMOLATOR! PURGATION MANIFEST! Repressor - Similar to a rhino, but lighter armoured and open topped in exchange for firing ports. These things have been around forever, there’s no excuse for why they’ve remained forge world only for so long. Fast Attack Death Cult Assassins - infiltrating infantry, placed here so the Elite section isn’t so crowded. I wouldn’t necessarily give them power swords, we have enough close combat ass-kickers in this force with the Flagellants, the Repentia and the Crusaders. Maybe swap them out for some kind of short-range gun. Shotguns maybe? Seraphim - as they are. these girls are cool. Dominions - similar to Sisters of Battle, but they have the ability to outflank. I’d want to differentiate them from the normal sisters more than “they have outflank and more special weapons”, so I’d give them a smaller unit size and less amour and say they have to take an immolator or repressor to outflank in. Heavy Support Retributors - Sisters with heavy weapons. Nuff said. May not be able to take a repressor, because that may be too broken. Penitent Engines - Random attacks like the Arco-Flagellants, but they don’t die if they roll max attacks. More lightly armoured than dreadnaughts but cheaper, meant to be taken in squads of two or three. The pilots are surgically connected to their machines, as they are never meant to be removed. Only in Death Does Duty End. Exorcist - shoots a barrage of four long-ranged missiles, each hit at strength 6 AP-3 and causing d3 hits. With all your melta guns you don’t really need d6 Krak missiles, and although this might be too “middle ground” its at least different. Super Heavy Living Saint - a generic version of Saint Celestine. Can fly and smite people with a giant flaming holy sword, essentially an Imperial Demon Prince. VERY hard to kill. She can be healed using faith points, one wound per Faith point expended. She has 6 wounds and a 3+ Invulnerable save, although she’s only toughness 3. Inquisitor - these guys aren’t the sneaky, investigative Inquisitors, oh no. They’re the Faith and Fire Inquisitors who raise armies of the faithful to purge entire planets, turning the skies black with the smoke from millions of pyres. They’re in the Super Heavy section instead of the HQ or Elite section because they have the ability to call down orbital barrages, which are devastating and can strike multiple units in one turn. It also gives them more “presence”, sticking them in the Super Heavy slot shows that these guys are a big deal in-game. In terms of their play-style, the Sisters tend towards a very aggressive mechanised force, although you can run them as a priest leading a vast horde of the faithful. I left Heavy Weapons off the normal Sisters squads to encourage close range, objective-seizing firefights. Their playstyle mirrors that of the Tau, in a way. They’re a mostly mechanised force, but while the Tau prefer to hang back and fight their enemies at a safe distance the Sisters want to rush in to a range where their bolters and flamers are more effective. Despite this, they aren’t meant to be a “close combat” army, there’s a reason the only good close combat units are Elite choices. Pushing so close to the enemy while depending on ranged combat makes them a high risk/high reward army, which suits them thematically. Sisters aren’t “safe”. They’re the DOOM soundtrack if it had a hymnal choir, they’re Faith and Fire, they’re here to rush across the table and smite the enemies of Humanity with Great Anger and Righteous Fury. Fluff-wise, I’d have there be more sisters. Like, A LOT more. I’d change them from being one of the minor factions to being a galaxy-wide fighting force. The Adeptus Ministorum is really pushing the Decree Passive with this, but the Inquisition doesn’t clamp down on them because large armies of powered armoured fanatics are actually very useful in the 41st Millenium, especially when you need to call up Righteous Soldiers of the Emperor to smite some deserving heretics. In a very real way they’re “budget space marines”, which isn’t a bad thing considering the Imperium’s current military situation. They have the powered armour and the fire power, but there’s enough of them that they’re useful in a defensive capacity and armies more of them can be raised up relatively quickly. They aren’t genetically enhanced like their big brothers, but they are enhanced in every other way imaginable while still remaining human - a high-protein diet since childhood, grueling physical training, steroids, etc.Thematically, they represent the religiosity and fanaticism of the modern Imperium. Faith and Fire. Gigantic techno-cathedrals full off countless faithful, their voices united in ear-blistering hymns. Violent redemptionists leading mobs of normal citizens to attack vagrants and mutants. This is the side of the Imperium represented by the Sisters and their followers.Also, there are trans sisters.p.s. I realise there’s a lot of ableism involved in this, what with the whole “purge mutants in the name of the emperor” thing. I’d acknowledge this in-universe: The Imperium AREN’T good guys, especially not in the new version of 40k I’m making. They’re is a brutal fascist empire, where the nobility live lives of unimaginable extravagance on beautiful garden worlds or in shining cities above the clouds, while the average imperial citizen works 16 hours a day in a dangerous manufactorum and dies of carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 29. The leaders of the Imperium don’t value any part of humanity that doesn’t benefit them, and they go to extreme lengths to monopolise all of their subjects’ waking hours - time a worker spends doing things they enjoy is time the Imperium doesn’t benefit from after all. Heresy Grows From Idleness, from workers who waste their time doing things for themselves instead of working to strengthen the Imperium or from workers who stop and ask themselves WHY they have to work 16 hours a day in a manufactorum seemingly designed to maim them. A disabled human who couldn’t work, who was incapable of producing for the imperium, would be demonised for this reason. Not only are they not useful to the Imperium, they also risk laying bare its greatest hypocrisies. The harshness of life under the Imperium is why rebellion is so tempting, and why the Forces of Chaos find it so easy to recruit new soldiers. The Imperium are NOT the good guys, and the fact that Games Workshop have forgotten this is one of the worst parts of modern 40k.So yeah. There’s my headcanon for the Sisters of Battle in 40k. They’re my favorite faction, so much so that when Raging Heroes releases enough of their Sisters range I’m going to collect an army of them for 8th (they’re going to be an army of disabled IG vets who use their power armour as mobility devices and fight to protect fringe worlds). I was going to do my headcanon/redesign for the Guard in this post too, but this post took two hours to write so I’m going to hold off and do that another day. Tell me what you think, if you actually managed to read through all this.

#my writing #wmaitla #40k #40k headcanon #Sisters of Battle #Adeptus Ministorum #warhammer 40k #ableism #tw ableist #maybe? I'm fairly certain mutant is an ableist slur

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