Some day in the future, in the aftermath of an anomaly loss, may we all accept with grace what happened yet still be grateful for the time we've just spent with all our friends old & new while we look forward to the next event which we will hopefully win.
And most of all, may we avoid public butthurt and whining.
@Katth , Hank never expressed disappointment in not being able to ride on a bus. I did feel a little bad that he spent all day in a car with my wife and I (and a Niantic videographer for a bit), but he was a good sport about it. We talked a lot about Chicago. We had fun with our disguises. He was very helpful informing us of the effects he was having on portals. He was a real team player!
What makes UPH, and particularly the buses (which have also been used at other sites), a key component of the Chicago ENL loss. Compared to the performance in other components?
Given also that UPH is WTA, does the margin actually show that the buses even fully determined the UPH result more than any other strategy which fully embraced UPH as a priority?
@Pongolyn , an interesting question. A bus out of service has a top and a bottom with an empty space in between, while a bus in service often has a fair bit of meat in the space between the top and the bottom. Sometimes that meat is carrying bags full of vegetables, cheese, and other meat.
I fully understand why you are asking the question, but I don't think I am qualified to provide a definitive answer.
For further research, I advise reviewing the findings of @nathanwpylestrangeplanet on Instagram and the "They're Made Out Of Meat" film on Youtube. (I can apparently not post links on this forum yet.)
It was such a close run that any little thing could and did make a difference. Adaptability is key, IMO. Plus, we kept going, overcoming discouragement at every turn.
There are plenty of car teams on both sides, so I don't see vehicles as an issue. Yes, Res succeeded in concealing Hank to their advantage but any agent on the ground could have said "OMG, I got a media off this unornamented portal, everyone in the area should come this way!" Why didn't any Enl agents clue in their teams and their dispatch?
Hey @chibri I have changed my mind I do have a question. Do you think people will ever just be able to congratulate the other team on a job well done? Are manners along with good sportsmanship still a thing? I remember my first time flying in a airplane I remember seeing the Grand Canyon. Just because I was in a plane did not take away from the beauty of this natural wonder. Since then I have played ingress there as well and it was just as beautiful as I first remembered seeing it from my airplane window, just from a different perspective. Now that I think think about it the same could be said about our teams strategy. I personally didn’t take a bus i left that for the people who’s feet were hurting but still wanted to see chicago. The win is beautiful for one of the teams regardless of what anyone says I for one have not missed an anomaly since I started 4 years ago even though the last time I won was in was in Ann Arbor. I came home to houston being destroyed by hurricane harvey and turned around and hosted exo 5. I wouldn’t change any of that for the world. Agents for both factions I think are amazing and I want to just see people congratulate and continue to keep playing. What are your thoughts? Sincerely
a guy on his 3rd recursion who has played for both factions.
@Ishira , I did see the Dunraven video! My beard played a strong supporting role. I do hope Niantic uses more of the fun footage they captured.
If Niantic ever does something like this with an NPC again, I do hope they get more footage. It's a tricky thing though because of the general need for strategic secrecy about plans and operations. The Niantic videographer that was with us for a bit agreed to not post any images or video until after the anomaly.
re: your second question. I'm not sure where you got 5 minutes, butI will say that I greatly appreciate ENL using the Lens in Amsterdam first because seeing it in use there allowed us to refine how we planned to use it in Chicago. Math for the win!
@Jayrocky , I'm doing great! Thanks for making the trip to Chicago! I'm doing a bad job so far of actually retiring, but wrapping up POC duties takes a bit. Soon!
What do you do to encourage cross faction friendliness? Unfortunately this is a competitive game and folks do get quite mad at each other unfortunately. What has been some of your success stories regarding making the game a friendlier place for both your team and the other team?
@chibri Yes your beard was a very large supporting role! I am thrilled they waited til afterwards to post about it and i honestly feel it gave an extra bit to the anomaly video that others don't. I would love to see the agents and Characters continue to interact like that and have video of it included in the anomaly videos. I also think though that there is a lot of wiggle room that can happen that doesn't always have to show a secret strategy, It could very well help show more of the anomalies and why people go to them.
I would prefer people not start weaponizing the Flag button on comments on my post here. Let people ask what they want. I'll answer how I like if I like. (Back for more after dinner!)
@chibri do you think your vanguard status had anything to do with you getting an ex parte rules clarification from Niantic that didn't end up in the FAQ or is it just on account of their general difficulty following their own procedures?
Kinda hard to follow now that the post is on multiple pages...
Niantic only has 2 billion dollars in pokemon money. Clearly they don't have the resources to use forum software that has conversation threading as a default.
As for them being a master stroke, that is all thanks to the strategy team. I threw a monkeywrench ("what about four 24-person buses instead?") at their machine on the Sunday afternoon; by Monday morning, they had a new master plan for the strategy. So yeah, I'll take the blame for the crazy idea, but the strategy team gets all the credit for taking a crazy idea and turning into a formula for success.
You also assume far too much about the buses. Much has been written about them, but I've seen the reddit comments go from speculation or jokes to "known fact" quite quickly. Someone made a joke in one thread about how the catering on the buses was subpar and then someone made a new post and said "To add insult these buses were catered too." in the OP. Don't believe the hype. (We had bottles of water on the buses, and that was it. Anything more than water would've cost us up-front cleaning fees, and... well, they were expensive enough already!)
I am realizing my answer here is at least as rambling as your questions, so let me try to address the actual questions you asked...
(1) No, it does not become a case of whoever rents the most buses wins. If UPH remains part of the rules, routing players through the playbox effectively will be a vital task. The anomaly is still predominantly a battle between ground troops, and if we're going to make this analogy, I should point out that ground troops are often moved in vehicles to get them from place to place in a reasonable amount of time. (NOTE: With the exception of four individual RES players, no RES players spent their entire day on a bus.)
(2) I am not sure what the "it" in that question means, but I'll try to answer anyway: I don't think RES should swear off strategies that both follow rules and predecent... and also work. ENL are free to swear off whatever strategy they like. ;) (NOTE: While I don't have a mountain of RES step-counter data from the anomaly to know how representative this is, I know there are some RES players who took a ride on the bus and also walked more than eight miles for the anomaly.)
(3) Your question assumes that there was no genuine competition on the ground for the individual; the assumption is incorrect.
Feel free to ask follow-up questions, but it'll be helpful if they are more directed and asked with fewer assumptions.
@WulfMichaelson , I never actually got to ride on the bus, but I believe they were 24-people (including the driver). They cost... a pretty penny. ;) (Feel free to price your own at Ideal Charter: http://www.idealcharter.com/ !)
I think my rental car -- the switch vehicle for Hank -- was about $150 thanks to being a last-minute rental and also paying the overpriced supplemental insurance. If you're wondering, yes, I paid for that.
The buses were paid for by the anomaly fund. TOTALLY UNRELATED: Anyone want to buy some Abaddon Prime Chicago Resistance swag? http://shop.chicago.willbe.blue/ *cough*
Comments
Some day in the future, in the aftermath of an anomaly loss, may we all accept with grace what happened yet still be grateful for the time we've just spent with all our friends old & new while we look forward to the next event which we will hopefully win.
And most of all, may we avoid public butthurt and whining.
@Katth , Hank never expressed disappointment in not being able to ride on a bus. I did feel a little bad that he spent all day in a car with my wife and I (and a Niantic videographer for a bit), but he was a good sport about it. We talked a lot about Chicago. We had fun with our disguises. He was very helpful informing us of the effects he was having on portals. He was a real team player!
@ArtilectZed , I've never been asked this question before. Is it like asking someone Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Anyway, my answer is hot dogs! But it better be a Chicago-style hot dog! #noketchup
Other sites lost UPH and still won the anomaly.
What makes UPH, and particularly the buses (which have also been used at other sites), a key component of the Chicago ENL loss. Compared to the performance in other components?
Given also that UPH is WTA, does the margin actually show that the buses even fully determined the UPH result more than any other strategy which fully embraced UPH as a priority?
@Pongolyn , an interesting question. A bus out of service has a top and a bottom with an empty space in between, while a bus in service often has a fair bit of meat in the space between the top and the bottom. Sometimes that meat is carrying bags full of vegetables, cheese, and other meat.
I fully understand why you are asking the question, but I don't think I am qualified to provide a definitive answer.
For further research, I advise reviewing the findings of @nathanwpylestrangeplanet on Instagram and the "They're Made Out Of Meat" film on Youtube. (I can apparently not post links on this forum yet.)
It was such a close run that any little thing could and did make a difference. Adaptability is key, IMO. Plus, we kept going, overcoming discouragement at every turn.
There are plenty of car teams on both sides, so I don't see vehicles as an issue. Yes, Res succeeded in concealing Hank to their advantage but any agent on the ground could have said "OMG, I got a media off this unornamented portal, everyone in the area should come this way!" Why didn't any Enl agents clue in their teams and their dispatch?
I'm kind of jealous. I wanted to meet Hank Johnson. That was one heck of an anomaly. 3 points was all that was it. Could have gone both ways.
Hey @chibri I have changed my mind I do have a question. Do you think people will ever just be able to congratulate the other team on a job well done? Are manners along with good sportsmanship still a thing? I remember my first time flying in a airplane I remember seeing the Grand Canyon. Just because I was in a plane did not take away from the beauty of this natural wonder. Since then I have played ingress there as well and it was just as beautiful as I first remembered seeing it from my airplane window, just from a different perspective. Now that I think think about it the same could be said about our teams strategy. I personally didn’t take a bus i left that for the people who’s feet were hurting but still wanted to see chicago. The win is beautiful for one of the teams regardless of what anyone says I for one have not missed an anomaly since I started 4 years ago even though the last time I won was in was in Ann Arbor. I came home to houston being destroyed by hurricane harvey and turned around and hosted exo 5. I wouldn’t change any of that for the world. Agents for both factions I think are amazing and I want to just see people congratulate and continue to keep playing. What are your thoughts? Sincerely
a guy on his 3rd recursion who has played for both factions.
@Ishira , I did see the Dunraven video! My beard played a strong supporting role. I do hope Niantic uses more of the fun footage they captured.
If Niantic ever does something like this with an NPC again, I do hope they get more footage. It's a tricky thing though because of the general need for strategic secrecy about plans and operations. The Niantic videographer that was with us for a bit agreed to not post any images or video until after the anomaly.
@MandoMerc , re: pizza vs. hot dogs, neither would've worked well in the car.
@ThePrevaricator , re: your first question, I asked nicely.
re: your second question. I'm not sure where you got 5 minutes, butI will say that I greatly appreciate ENL using the Lens in Amsterdam first because seeing it in use there allowed us to refine how we planned to use it in Chicago. Math for the win!
@JiefSourd , I walk often. I'm about to walk to dinner, in fact!
@Jayrocky , I'm doing great! Thanks for making the trip to Chicago! I'm doing a bad job so far of actually retiring, but wrapping up POC duties takes a bit. Soon!
@chibri What is your favorite Muffin Recipe?
@AFoxinSox , thank you for all your work on the anomaly! :)
@SoylentGrien , 6! (But I'm not sure of the units.)
What do you do to encourage cross faction friendliness? Unfortunately this is a competitive game and folks do get quite mad at each other unfortunately. What has been some of your success stories regarding making the game a friendlier place for both your team and the other team?
@DisasterPyrite , go fish!
@chibri Yes your beard was a very large supporting role! I am thrilled they waited til afterwards to post about it and i honestly feel it gave an extra bit to the anomaly video that others don't. I would love to see the agents and Characters continue to interact like that and have video of it included in the anomaly videos. I also think though that there is a lot of wiggle room that can happen that doesn't always have to show a secret strategy, It could very well help show more of the anomalies and why people go to them.
What is next for you after retiring?
Who will be the next vanguard for the midwest?
@010000110110101 , I'm glad you had fun! Being clear, I don't deserve *credit* for the buses, but I'll take all the blame anyone is dishing out. LOL
I would prefer people not start weaponizing the Flag button on comments on my post here. Let people ask what they want. I'll answer how I like if I like. (Back for more after dinner!)
@chibri do you think your vanguard status had anything to do with you getting an ex parte rules clarification from Niantic that didn't end up in the FAQ or is it just on account of their general difficulty following their own procedures?
@chibri how long has the victory buzz lasted?
@chibri is it possible to quote the question you're responding to? Kinda hard to follow now that the post is on multiple pages...
Kinda hard to follow now that the post is on multiple pages...
Niantic only has 2 billion dollars in pokemon money. Clearly they don't have the resources to use forum software that has conversation threading as a default.
I just wanted to say kudos on a job well done.
It was clear that your team fought for every point, which is as it should be.
@mcwebtree , oh, there is definitely doubt that the buses gave RES the win. Please refer to https://drthod.com/chicago-anomaly-a-closer-look-at-the-scores/ for a pretty solid analysis.
As for them being a master stroke, that is all thanks to the strategy team. I threw a monkeywrench ("what about four 24-person buses instead?") at their machine on the Sunday afternoon; by Monday morning, they had a new master plan for the strategy. So yeah, I'll take the blame for the crazy idea, but the strategy team gets all the credit for taking a crazy idea and turning into a formula for success.
You also assume far too much about the buses. Much has been written about them, but I've seen the reddit comments go from speculation or jokes to "known fact" quite quickly. Someone made a joke in one thread about how the catering on the buses was subpar and then someone made a new post and said "To add insult these buses were catered too." in the OP. Don't believe the hype. (We had bottles of water on the buses, and that was it. Anything more than water would've cost us up-front cleaning fees, and... well, they were expensive enough already!)
I am realizing my answer here is at least as rambling as your questions, so let me try to address the actual questions you asked...
(1) No, it does not become a case of whoever rents the most buses wins. If UPH remains part of the rules, routing players through the playbox effectively will be a vital task. The anomaly is still predominantly a battle between ground troops, and if we're going to make this analogy, I should point out that ground troops are often moved in vehicles to get them from place to place in a reasonable amount of time. (NOTE: With the exception of four individual RES players, no RES players spent their entire day on a bus.)
(2) I am not sure what the "it" in that question means, but I'll try to answer anyway: I don't think RES should swear off strategies that both follow rules and predecent... and also work. ENL are free to swear off whatever strategy they like. ;) (NOTE: While I don't have a mountain of RES step-counter data from the anomaly to know how representative this is, I know there are some RES players who took a ride on the bus and also walked more than eight miles for the anomaly.)
(3) Your question assumes that there was no genuine competition on the ground for the individual; the assumption is incorrect.
Feel free to ask follow-up questions, but it'll be helpful if they are more directed and asked with fewer assumptions.
@WulfMichaelson , I never actually got to ride on the bus, but I believe they were 24-people (including the driver). They cost... a pretty penny. ;) (Feel free to price your own at Ideal Charter: http://www.idealcharter.com/ !)
I think my rental car -- the switch vehicle for Hank -- was about $150 thanks to being a last-minute rental and also paying the overpriced supplemental insurance. If you're wondering, yes, I paid for that.
The buses were paid for by the anomaly fund. TOTALLY UNRELATED: Anyone want to buy some Abaddon Prime Chicago Resistance swag? http://shop.chicago.willbe.blue/ *cough*
@Guschtel , only if they are blaringRide of the Valkyries.