I want to preface that the contents of this post is for informational purposes. I do not condone or approve of any harassments or witch-hunting or the attacking of anybody.
 
Richard Lewis recently did a stream talking about the terrible state of CS esports and I thought it was an important stream anyone who cares about the CS community should listen to.
Vod Link here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/830415547
I realize it is 3 hours long so I took it upon myself to create a list of interesting points from the stream so you don't have to listen to the whole thing, although I still encourage you to do so if you can.
I know this post is still long but probably easier to digest, especially in parts.
Here is a link to my raw notes if you for some reason want to read through this which includes some omitted stuff. It's in chronological order of things said in the stream and has some time stamps. https://pastebin.com/6QWTLr8T

Intro

• "The last month has convinced me, that we are going to be heading into a dark place for Counter-Strike esports in 2021."
  • "I think I've seen the scene essentially kill itself."
• "For the past 5 to 6 years, we've basically been in a holding pattern of people coming into our game wanting to run it, wanting to run all of the esports and wanting to profiteer and its been sort of a concerted effort to drive them off and push them away."
  • "We're spread way too thin."
• "If Riot don't get involved and stop the scumbags that have moved over to Valorant from getting their feet under the table, Valorant is going to have real problems."
• RL thinks too much has happened all at once for us to do anything except watch it play out, like:
  • Recent CSPPA strike against BLAST
  • ESIC failures and them not being supported enough
  • Teams cheating i.e. coaches/bugs
  • Widespread match fixing
  • The Pandemic
    • "People who try to hold bubble events are so incompetent and fuck up and people get the 'rona and its their fault."
    • "People who say Flashpoint is a bubble is full of shit and is a lie and people are now suffering for that lie."
      • "To save money they let people go home and break the bubble for a week."
      • "Not just Flashpoint peoples decision, they have a partner that handles the production." (hinting FACEIT)
      • "People are trapped in hotels essentially under house arrest because of COVID restrictions and has fucked peoples lives up."
• "It's all too much, all of this incompetence, all of this greed, maybe we ride it out."
  • RL says he has talked to the Riot devs (the ones working on Valorant) and says, "They are so cognizant of all the fuck ups and all the problems we have in Counter-Strike."
    • He continues to say that this is factored into their business plan and that we never had a competitor, but just so happens to have one coincide, when we are at our worst.

CSPPA - Counter-Strike Professional Players' Association

"Who does this union really fucking serve?"

• RL believes that the CSPPA is a mockery.
  
  • He points out the hypocrisy that they wouldn't strike for the pros who were kicked out of ESL Pro League, or for Jamppi or dream3r.
    • He also says ESL paid CSPPA and are racketeering and many other TOs have to pay them to get their "seal of approval"
      • He says they would strong-arm TOs saying "well if you don't give us the money, these guys are so we'll just have to commit to playing their event."
    • Also points out that they will strike against a competitor they are not in agreement with (Flashpoint)
    • RL: "It's what it says about every other time you haven't done it and it's about every time you don't do it now moving forward." "The issues they've chosen to ignore this year alone are embarrassing."
    • Then he points out that there was no strike for Valve qualifiers even if we have no major but Jamppi and dream3r can't play in them.
      • "and Valve have said 'Oh yeah we know actually their stories are accurate, Jamppi didn't cheat, now in a legally binding document. Yep dream3r did have his account hacked in a LAN café', but they still can't play. Where is the fucking solidarity? Gone. Doesn't exist. It's not important [because] it doesn't affect you." "That's what the union does right now, it looks after all the tier 1 people."
• He says the CSPPA doesn't represent all players all the time and has driven a divide where you have the haves and have-nots
  
  • "We have a tier of players that operate with impunity and do not help their tier 2 or tier 3 players out at all." "If you are not a tier 1 player you do not matter, they don't event ask your opinion."
  • He tells chrisJ to admit and own the fact that the reason he didn't speak up during the ESL Pro League debacle is because it didn't affect him
  • "They are looking after some players at the expense of other players. How the fuck is that a union?"
• He says the BLAST situation is a reasonable dispute and supports the players but is not the right time for a strike and have not even identified the correct enemy
  
  • He thinks players are lashing out now due to previous incidents and are upset that BLAST are working with ESIC
    • He stated that CSPPA shouldn't beefing with ESIC and they should be working in harmony
  • He says what they need to do is talk with the teams/organizations that have sold that right to BLAST
    • RL: "Your employers, the people who pay you that massive exorbitant salaries, when you don't stream and you don't do interviews and you offer no value beyond your ability to click heads and you get 25k dollars a month." "Why don't you talk to them about it? Oh right. You're happy to take away BLAST's paper, but you don't want to risk your own."
  • "I am seeing such unbelievable cowardice from the players here with the battles you choose."
  • "Where was the strike action when in the qualifiers for the world championship, there were teams and players engaged in huge conflicts of interest?" "Where was the strike action when your image rights were taken and sold to every league you've ever been in every union type organization you've ever been associated with like, WESA, to your org every time you sign a contract, to the leagues you play in."
    • "Your image rights are essentially worthless now, there's about 10 fucking separate parties that have them, and how many of them are giving you anything for it? Not much pretty much your org by the way."
    • "That's a big issue. Your image is you, your image is your brand. What are you doing about that? Nothing."
• He is also angry at SirScoots who is "popping off" at people on Twitter who all want the same thing, which is 'A unified Counter-Strike scene for everybody, that works for everybody, that has a sustained ecosystem that nourishes everybody.' "We don't have that now."
  
• He also says their rankings are a joke
  
  • "Just so happened, oh look TACO, that very important prominent member of the board, we pushed his team artificially up when they weren't even in the fucking top 20, not by a long shot."
• He also says the ineptitude of the CSPPA cost Flashpoint a monitor sponsor
  
• "Is it really a player association or is it like a fucking agency at this point"
  

ESIC - Esports Integrity Commission

"They have been put in an impossible position."

• RL says that Ian Smith, the founder of ESIC and who was done work in mainstream sports, is a good and honorable man who has dedicated his life to integrity and sports. He takes on both sides, ensuring match fixers are punished, but also doing appeals and ensuring those punishments were fair.
• "ESIC is a tiny organization" and are in need of money, "They didn't run a grift like the CSPPA did."
  • "Saying 'you want our support and you want the players to turn up you better pay us.' They don't do that."
  • "Had startup seed money from MTG and since then they've been pecking shit with the hens."
    • Ian Smith made sure that the money given by MTG (Modern Times Group, parent company of ESL, ESEA, DreamHack) was nothing more than startup money and wouldn't be in debt to them
      • Ian Smith sat down with other TO's not part of MTG and wanted to partner with them. They declined and called ESIC "ESL spies and we will never align ourselves with you"
  • "They only were just able to afford, hiring a PR guy on a full time salary to deal with the press and send out those releases you've seen, this year."
    • "They have a tiny group of staff investigating these things and they have taken on the biggest problems in our scene: the cheating, the match fixing."
• ESIC have had "unprecedented levels of cheating to deal with, because there's something wrong with our scene ever since we went online. There's something wrong with it, everyone's lost their fucking pride and self-respect and they got no passion for it anymore, so they think fuck it, what's in it for me?"
  • He calls out coaches who are talking about players rights when they would rob and steal from them.
    • Also says more coaches being banned are coming
    • He also points out flaws in community's reaction to the punishments to coaches bans: "Half of the cunts still have jobs and some of the cunts got new jobs. We didn't even shun the cheating coaches."
• ESIC have "found I think another 2 or 3 exploits like that one and they are investigating them all right now, it's going on right now."
  
  • "I know that there are going to be more names getting banned, again."
  • "So they're doing that on a skeleton crew while, investigating 3 continents worth of match fixing in MDL and semi-pro level CS." "They're doing this with half a dozen people." "They don't have any money or any help. People barely even fucking cooperate with them, they are treated like pariahs. It's ridiculous."
    • "Why are the CSPPA popping off at ESIC on my Twitter timeline, when you should be working together." "because its all about what's in it in for me." "2020, the online era of CS: 'What is in it for me?' How can I cheat, how can I get my paper, how can I bleed this scene one last time before I fuck off and play shooty shooty bang bang Riot Games babys first fps."
• RL says that in the CIS region, teams have gone to tournaments and have been eliminated multiple times by the same team. We found out they were cheating and those players who lost, have been cut from their roster, careers ended because of cheaters.
  

Stream Sniping

"They're all at it in the online era, they're all at it, they're all cheating, they're all using exploits, probably that see through smoke bug got used a bunch of times"

• RL talks about how there is no integrity from dead (the player), always denying when caught doing something
  • On the topic of 'BLAST never said we couldn't stream snipe': "Lies, BLAST never said you could do that, they had to sort of retcon it." "because what happened after that they fucking started snitching and squealing"
    • "Suddenly you had like, 10 of the top 15 teams in the world, staring into the abyss of being banned for 6-12 months in line with ESIC recommendations."
      • He says that ESIC was put in a tough situation and couldn't enforce the bans because it would have resulted in killing CS. What resulted was, BLAST, ESIC, and teams came together and gave them a warning and told them, in RL's words "don't do this again or you're gonna get got."
        • He then says the top teams brushed this off and didn't give a fuck
        • The new MiBR team playing Flashpoint, that wasn't involved in the previous incidents are doing it again (stream sniping). He gave credit to Flashpoint for the quick resolution and punishment and respect for cogu's response to the situation.
        • "ESIC came out and said, once more, 'Guys, zero tolerance from now on.'" RL then got upset at community's reaction calling ESIC "pussies" for their non enforcement and said if we want competitive CS we cant ban the top 10 teams.
• He points out how players have no integrity and will do anything for an edge as long as they won't get detected or banned or it's within a grey area.
• "All of this shit was mad avoidable, even in the pandemic era."
  • He talks about why aren't we filming them. Why aren't there representatives for leagues and tournaments making sure players aren't cheating?

Match Fixing

"How many years have we let our scene be fucking pillaged by these greedy cunts?" "We just let it happen."

• RL says that gambling and skins betting which existed in moderation was "accelerated and blown up by the Call of Duty greedy fucks."
  • "Never forget TmarTn was on the board of EnVyUs." "His website, CSGOLotto, they had a bunch of off-the-books sponsorships." "NBK promoted them. People forget."
• "Those people who had access to the skins, go to the players" "Even people like s1mple, best player in the world, even he scammed knives and skins off fucking fans."
• Owners of skin casino sites would approach pros and lend them skins to use in tournaments and possibly keep them after reaching a deal
  • Players would tip off inside info about matches and teams in exchange for skins. Info such as: roster changes, how they played in scrims
    • They would use this info to bet and subvert the odds on their sites. "That happened religiously, I can't even tell you how many times it happened."
      • "I had access to the biggest database of information, from an inside betting circle in NA, and it would take information and screenshots from other pro players, who were feeding them info in exchange for money or skins."
        • "Some of these players are still playing." "Incredibly, there are players still in the CSPPA today, complaining about the BLAST recordings, that were embroiled in this murky shit back then."
• RL also says that there were tournaments where teams contrived with each other, who should throw, who should win.
• "There's a handful of people that are trying to fucking clean it up, and you think you get something over the line and you see something like the CSPPA and it's run by corrupt fucking chuckle heads, and now you've got another corrupt body you have to fight on a fucking daily basis, it's demoralizing."
  • "It's too far gone. Our entire semi-professional scene is compromised."
• "It's rife guys, I'm not going to lie any more. It's not just China, it's not just Russia, it's here, it's NA, it's Europe, it's Australia, so much more than you think, so much more than we can prove."
  • "I get sent chat logs all the time […] and they're morons, these players, short-sighted, amateur, morons and they're doing it on WhatsApp." People would get cut from the bets because they want to make more money, then they leak the logs. He says, from the chat logs, they spread "little" bets across every site they can (400 to 1k dollars) to prevent shifting odds
• He says the scumbags who've fucked off to Valorant will do the same there if Riot doesn't do something and says Valorant "is an esports scene heading for a very early fall based on the sheer volume of scumbags that are already there."
• "That's tier 2 CS in a nutshell these days. They know they're never going to play in a major, so what's the punishment?"
  • "All of these tier 2 fucks that are fixing games now they are like the fucking mafia compared to iBuyPower" "These guys are working with organized criminals to fix entire seasons worth of games. That's what's going on in your tier 2 CS."
• "I'm literally being told that there are players fixing games at all levels of Chinese esports and motherfuckers with guns are turning up to team houses and stuff."

North America

"Everyone in NA has left we've lost a continents worth of support during this pandemic and Valve haven't said a fucking word."

• RL says the Call of Duty "goblins" that destroyed CS for years are the same people who are now trying to leave CS. "The nerve to treat a game where the fans, and the community, and the TO's were nothing but good to you." "To just kick the players out now and go and leave and say 'It just doesn't make financial sense.' Oh you'll slither back when we have a major though for them stickers won't you."
• There's a cascading effect in NA where people don't bother with CS anymore and people like Chaos suffer.
• He says NA team owners are incompetent for always wanting it easy and always wanting a guarantee on their investment without skill or nuance.
  • RL says he would be able to market a team correctly and would have a good ROI and also points out how TSM wouldn't even be bothered to tweet that their team, which was one of the best in the world, was playing at the Major.
  • He also says not all NA owners are like that, compliments and respects Jason Lake who nearly lost everything to keep Complexity going.
• He then calls out the incompetence in Infinite Esports when they acquired OpTic Gaming and bought an Indian CS team.
  • He says HECZ is not to blame here and that they couldn't tell forsaken was cheating when it was so obvious.
    • They measured his reaction time to the likes of dev1ce and s1mple
    • When an enemy showed up on his screen he won that duel something like 44% of the time
    • "was like the number 1 player in the world statistically"
    • He brought a laptop to their bootcamp and refused to use the high end PCs that hey provided
• He respects Andy Miller (NRG CEO) and HECZ but says that the attitude of not being able to easily monetize their teams is "piss weak" and there needs to be a risk.
  • He says Chaos EC shouldn't be cutting their roster and should be competent enough to be able to figure out how to make money off their team.
• He says there are still opportunities in NA and people are panicking and pulling out, and says Valorant will be the same if not worse.
  • He also says "bums" who couldn't even get out of groups in NA competitions, are making crazy money in Valorant and says it will continue to inflate.
• He also said that he heard rumors that EG (Evil Geniuses) are done.
• He also thinks that the rumors of a Valve franchised league from before was sparked up from "these lazy fabled weak NA fucking team owners basically trying to see if Valve would bite at the hook if it was dangled and they didn't"
  • Slasher says NA team owners are really in favor of franchised leagues because they want to make more money. "Most of the powerful team owners right now are on board with ditching this third party organization structure, or they are trying to play this power politics with all the TOs, and that is contributing to a lot of the problems there"
• RL says that Riot has proved they can run a franchised league (LCS) and will be profitable in 2021 which is what a lot of team owners care about and says the competition will only serve to snatch people away from CS.
• RL continues to say, "I am so sick and tired of what we have done to this scene, I am just exhausted with it." "I think we have legitimately fucked it, I really think we have. I think we're staring into almost like a CGS (Championship Gaming Series) wasteland in NA." "Counter-Strike esports is a fucking joke."

Talent

"TO's have treated CS talent like absolute human garbage for years now."

• RL says that people like Sean Gares and ddk switching over to Valorant isn't for financial reasons because they are making less over there.
• He points out that TO's can't even give talent a 3 month in advance calendar.
• Because of the pandemic TO's won't hire certain people and some people are working more hours for the same money.
• He says we as a community don't respect journalists enough which is why we don't have good journalists.
  • He also says DeKay is leaving the scene soon and that Thorin is close to leaving also
• He says he had to talk a caster down from quitting and was struggling to find reasons.
• He says that DreamHack told Vince they would hire him but not if he wants to stick with dusT and says that this is the norm in esports. "Constant leveraging of people against each other." and says this is why we don't have a talent union.
• New gen casters are getting put into shit situations and the community's reaction to them is adding fuel to the fire
• He says the reason Moses left was because of the terrible conditions
• He says that Anders had to constantly leave his family and kid because someone fucked up or broke promises and had to constantly tell his kid to their face that "daddy can't be home this weekend."
• He says that esports has always been a lie to sell you this dream, "Meanwhile there's about 2% of the cunts getting all the checks."

Valve

"Anything that Riot does, is better than Valve's inaction"

• Slasher says that the larger aspect of esports as a whole compared to other entertainment mediums and Valve's lack of inattention are the bigger problems. He continues saying that the fact that Valve let their game be ran as an esport, they need to take on the responsibilities of it.
  • Both Slasher and RL wants Valve to take control but not on the level of Riot Games, there needs to be a balance.
• In case it was ever a question: Gabe Newell has been to 0 CSGO Majors.
• RL calls Valve out saying they could have done something during the gambling era.
• He says Valve used to come to the majors, but doesn't think they do anymore.
• RL had met with Valve at the Cluj-Napoca Major and had tried to appeal iBP's indefinite punishment and had also gave Brax's life story:
  • A recent family member passed away, they had lost a lot of income, they had to live in trailer, iBuyPower did not pay any salaries, and was pressured by family to make money who didn't support his career.
  • RL said that Valve told him, "How dare you try and make us feel guilty." "We shouldn't feel bad about enforcing the only thing that matters that we need to make players afraid of: cheating and match fixing"
  • RL also tried to share other info about match fixing and nothing came of it
• RL points out that Source 2 or a new engine is not something you will want based on the experience of transitioning from CS 1.6 to CS:S. "Valve's track record with brand new engines being launched, not fucking great from what I remember."
• Slasher says "If there is anything the community should do, is pressure Valve to hire a community manager."
  • They say that we need a commissioner, a community manager (not the person who runs the Twitter who posts memes all day), then we need to have a circuit
• RL reiterates that Valve doesn't care about CS esports and says they need to change the culture at Valve to make them care about CS esports
  • Slasher says a systemic problem is making it so working on CSGO would be a bad decision for you as an employee for Valve
• He also hasn't talked to Valve in ages and have sent over bugs and cheats and doesn't get emails back anymore
• Slasher says we should be directing attention at the developer leads, pointing out Ido Magal, if he even is still the project lead
  • RL thinks that Ido and Brian are the only people that "vaguely even give a fuck about CS" and were the only people that RL recalled that actually read Reddit and paid attention from time to time
• "It is really fucking precarious. Somebody has got to step the fuck up and start giving a shit"
  • Slasher suggests org owners, with CSPPA, with ESIC, with TOs have a concerted effort against Valve
• "Riot Games are doing better things than Valve in the esports space" which is something RL didn't think he'd say.
• "People who used to be talent, working with unions, arguing with other talent, when the unions fucked them over, can't understand their perspective, TOs fucking over broadcast talent, broadcast talent wanting to leave and go and work for orgs, orgs having no money, Valve might take coaches away because all the coaches are cheating, ESIC has about 4 people in a fucking call doing the investigations, everyone thinks they're spies for ESL, ESL are just the evil fucking overlords wanting to rule the scene and will just somehow, like cockroaches outliving a nuclear bomb, and Valve are in a fucking holiday in Hawaii thinking about the next Dota character because they don't give a fuck about us."

Closing Statements

"We've peaked. If we want to sustain and exist, now is the time to figure it out. No esports lasts as long as this, we've already done 8 years. We've already broke the records. We have got to figure out a way to coexist and drive the negative forces out and we need to do it as a collective and we're not doing that."

• RL compared the Counter-Strike scene to the people on the Titanic who ran around with guns robbing people while the boat was sinking.
• "We have given up on being a respectable esports scene." "We are now a conduit to make money for those who want to just milk it, just have one last ride, one last roll of the dice. It's done." "What a fucking mess. What have we done to our fucking scene?"
• "There's just too much self-interest driving all of this." "I don't see a way we stop the dominoes." "When it's that bad, when there's that many dishonest people that ESIC have to come out and say that if we punish them all there's no one left. What does that tell you?"
• "How many opportunities have we had to clean house? How many times have we said, 'this must never happen again', and another scandal." "The entire skins betting operations was the biggest criminal conspiracy in esports ever executed and no one has been punished for it." "The people who could be driving that don't want to."
• "Right now people are fans of those organizations because the scene has value. It is worth being a fan of Astralis because they are excellent at Counter-Strike. It is worth being a fan of s1mple because he is the best player in Counter-Strike, maybe the exception of ZywOo. If the scene is devalued, if the scene loses its meaning, those things lose its meaning too, and people will leave, people will stop tuning into the games. I have seen it happen in multiple esports, this is not my first time at the rodeo. I am getting big Brood War vibes right now and I don't like it."
• "The role you play in all of this as fans, as viewers, as listeners, as consumers of esports content, it's absolutely imperative that you know who the good guys are. It's absolutely imperative that you use your voice. It's absolutely imperative that when things are bad, you know who, at least, is trying to make them good, and you have to apply your criticism to the right targets."
  • He continues saying it's no good in continuing to attack ESIC and saying how they are bad, ESIC have it hard
• He says CSPPA are on the right side of the argument on BLAST but have been on the wrong side of many arguments many times.
  • "If you are not willing to stand along side the weakest member of the union, with the least amount of influence, and the least amount of power, then it is not a union at all and you shouldn't pose as one." "You wanna serve a bunch of special interest do it, everyone else in esports fucking does, but do not pose as something you are not." "We love the players. I've been fighting for players rights for as long as I've been able to, but the CSPPA is not what we needed."
    • "They are not applying the pressure to the right people, they are not fighting the right battles, they are not helping their weaker members."
• He says what orgs have done by keeping or hiring coaches is bad. "When you give up on holding an appreciable standard, you've lost the scene" "Competition matters, rules matter, punishments matter, achievements matter, excellence matters" "If you start stripping that away, you have nothing" "You guys need to take that knowledge and apply it sensibly."
• "Valve has sold you all down the river, they sold everyone in the esports scene down the river, tournament organizers are selling their talent down the river. Don't hate on them for sounding tired after a 16 hour day. Don't hate on them because the hype for a matchup they've seen for the 20th time in the past 3 months, they can't be as excited or it sounds contrived. Support your guys, they're there for you, these are your people."
• "This community has got to start acting like one for the first fucking time. Just put the petty shit away, let's try and fix this fucking scene while we still have one to save."
• "You can't rely on Valve, you can't rely on ESL, you can't rely on the CSPPA, you can't rely on anyone." "Once again, it's gonna be the likes of us, the amateurs, the people who give a fuck, rolling up our sleeves and grafting." "I'm old and tired and I don't want to have to do it again. People need to pick up the torch and do it."
  • "Like Michal did, like Dudenhoeffer did. You see something wrong, fix it. You see somebody doing something wrong, call it out. If you think something could be better, let people know."
• "Vote with your wallets if you're not happy with the direction Valve goes in. If when we do get to the Major, they serve up another subpar, same old bullshit stickers and signatures package again, do not buy it."
  • "You're a powerful block and if you use it correctly we can fucking avert this disaster."
• "I'm not doing another year in this broken, bust-up fucking scene, where everyone is miserable, everyone is broke, everyone is tired, and everyone is trying to fucking rob everyone else, blind, while the fucking people who are meant to be protecting you, are just fucking enhancing it and lining their own pockets."
  • "I'm not doing it anymore and you shouldn't want to do it either."
• "I stand by every fucking thing I said. I mean it, because this game fucking matters to me, this scene fucking matters to me. I put my life into this, my adult life, and to see it in this state is fucking sad."

To avoid multiple, repetitive post on all the bugs in GTA online, especially since the latest DLC release, this post will contain all the common bugs and will be updated as more are discovered and workarounds are found.
Please leave any other bugs you've encountered in the comments below and they may be added to the above list, but please note that this is not meant to be a discussion thread, it's meant to list common bugs so players who encounter them know they are not the only ones experiencing them.
Any comments/replies beyond simply listing a bug will be removed, and the user may be temporarily banned from the sub.
Before leaving a comment, please review the above list, and the comments below to see if what you're about to post has already been listed or commented on.
If you see a comment with the same bug you've experienced, please upvote it so we can see how many others are also experiencing that issue.
Posts about any of these bugs will be removed.
​

Bugs related to the Cayo Perico Heist DLC:

1. Not being able to join friends / error message displaying prompt declaring a certain player hasn’t finished the GTA Online tutorial.
   
2. Not being able to deliver various pieces of heist equipment to the Kosatka during missions.
   
3. During the Plasma Cutters mission, taking a picture of the heist prep board in the safe house won’t register and you can’t send it too Pavel to progress the mission.
   
4. During the RO-86 Alkonost Plane delivery mission and the Velum delivery mission, the delivery checkpoint will be stationed at the casino, either the garage, front door, or music locker enterances will be highlighted.
   
5. During the Longfin boat delivery mission the delivery checkpoint will not register the Longfin once it has reached it destination.
   
6. When poisoning the water tower on Cayo Perico, players have reported either themselves or other players dying randomly.
   
7. When hacking into El Rubio’s compound, players have reported being stuck on a static as the game loads the cameras in the compound.
   
8. When quitting GTA Online after doing a Cayo Perico Heist mission prep, the game won’t save your last prep, requiring you to do it again.
   
9. The Cayo Perico primary target value will sometimes not display correctly and there as issue the incorrect amount of money for stealing the primary target on hard mode.
   
10. In the Cayo Perico heist finale, selecting the drainage point as your entrance into the compound won’t register correctly on your map, with the highlighted icon being the main entrance rather than the back.
    
11. All of the Pariah’s spoilers won’t display visually for any player.
    
12. When using the track pad to open the interaction menu on the PS5, the game soft locks you out of using your interaction menu again.
    
13. When escaping the compound, sometimes the boats at both the main dock and north dock won’t spawn.
    
14. Killing the juggernuat may cause the alarms to go off in the compound, even if done stealthy.
    
15. Both the Tom Conners missions and the English Dave missions sometimes bug up and don't allow you to deliver an objective to the yellow circle.
    
16. When entering the compound, plyers are reporting disconnects, either the host of the heist leaves the game or another team member will leave randomly.
    
17. When leaving the compound, the game will not give you a way to escape, leaving you softlocked in the compound.
    
18. In the heist finale screen, platers report not being able to buy a heist support crew.
    
19. When completing the Cayo Peico heist, players report that they discount from the game as soon as the heist is finished, leaving them without their payment.
    
20. Some players report that the payouts are incorrect when being divided out to players, as an example, a 30/70 payout will change to a 15/85 payout when the heist ends.
    
21. Some players report losing their payout as soon a they reset the game.
    
22. Prep missions for the Cayo Perico heist will not start randomly.
    
23. During the Alkonost setup mission the laptop needed to progress the prep mission will not spawn.
    
24. During the Alkonost setup mission the plane will start smoking instantly when leaving the hanger, causing the plane to prematurely blow up before the mission ends.
    
25. When scoping out Cayo Perico for the second time, (steal the plane from the drug dealers,) the yellow dot mission marker will not display, not allowing the player to fly to Cayo Perico.
    
26. During the scope-out mission for Cayo Perico, players report the supply truck not spawning in.
    
27. When collecting the Chakra Stones for English Dave, collecting all he stones will not prompt the next mission objective.
    
28. When trying to obtain the safe codes from the head of security the casino penthouse, players report the main target not spawning, effectivly softlocking the player in the penthouse.
    
29. "Invisible guards" patrol the compound after you rob it, resulting in your player character getting caught.
    
30. Guards will sometimes not show up on the radar when on the Cayo Perico heist finale.
    
31. Players report different weapon loadouts, entry points, and exit points on the final heist rather than what they choose on the finale screen.
    
32. Players report that when entering the drainage pipe and surfacing into the compound, the game breaks stealth and puts you into combat.
    
33. The Madrazo files will sometimes get replaced with an entirely different target all together on a first run of the Cayo Perico heist.
    
34. Delivering anything to the Music Locker will sometimes not work.
    

Bugs related to the Casino Heist DLC and GTA Online Broadly:

1. Cannot deliver heist prep equipment: The vehicle will enter the yellow circle and nothing will happen.
2. Cannot deliver product from businesses: The drop/delivery won't register, or you enter the delivery circle and it won't register.
3. Cannot deliver Business Battle goods: Will not register when entering the yellow circle.
4. Falling through the map.
5. Getting stuck in the man trap or spawning under the map during the Casino Heist, or being disconnected.
6. Oppressor MKI, or any car floating in the air.
7. Flying over the water and respawning on the beach.
8. Changing lobbies but being put back into the same one.
9. Not receiving Elite bonuses after completing the Casino Heist.
10. Starting a Casino Heist and having no objective point on the map, causing players to have to leave the lobby.
11. Having to setup the Arcade again after previously doing the setup mission.
12. Vehicles/aircraft not spawning after being requested either from the mechanic, Ms. Baker, or through the interaction menu.
13. Nightclub technicians will stop producing certain products.
14. Certain vehicles losing their resistance to rockets/explosives. MOC, Avenger, etc...
15. Infinite loading screens
16. White screening during the Casino Heist end screens.
17. Heist cuts not being properly distributed after completing Heists.
18. Casino Heist being stuck once you leave the arcade: Can't move, etc...
19. Rewards in Arena Wars, or other jobs, not being properly calculated for the person in first place.
20. Trade prices not unlocking after completing the Casino Heist.
21. When searching for a casino heist through quick job in your cellphone, there's a chance it bugs out and upon joining the room, you're unable to see the finale board where you'd normally see the percentages and ready status.
22. On silent and sneaky, there's a chance the guards that are supposed to be moving around and patrolling stand completely still. This is both helpful and annoying in different parts of the heist and if you haven't got duggan shipments completed, you're pretty much fucked or forced to get creative.
23. On Big Con, sometimes the exit disguises don't spawn even though the run was done completely undetected (I've experienced this with gruppe sechs entry).
24. When collecting daily vault, sometimes it might happen that you get stuck in the animation without being able to stop.
25. The stockade sometimes spawns in the wrong arcade.
26. Getting stuck in an endless dancing loop during the Casino Heist setup for the level 2 keycards.
27. Incorrect getaway vehicles will spawn for the Casino Heist.
28. In Sumo(Remix) the wrong team will be awarded the win.
29. Mechanic will sometimes not spawn and the player will not be able to modify their vehicles.
30. MC business raids not sending message to players.
31. Dying during the explosives prep mission for the Casino heist can lead to a long, or infinite respawn.
32. During the Prison Break Heist Rashkovsky will not move, be invisible, or die after parachuting from the plane at the end of the Heist.

​
Please report bugs directly to Rockstar You can also link this post to them as well.
If you have lost money due to a bug, please open a support ticket.
-7DeadlyFetishes

Let me take the recent christmas loot box debacle as a pretense to maybe attract some attention to the matter and explain to you why I think some light should be shown on the design philosophy behind WoWs:
My personal background is in psychology (degree comparable to a masters) so I would like to invite you to have a look at the game through the lense of cognitive-behavioral mindset. Another background of mine is that of a veteran WoWs player who quit once more than a year ago, came back and did so again. This time it’s probably forever. What is this guy talking about? Well, I will try to keep it short because I don’t know how many people actually care and I am aware that I am preaching old news. Anyway..
Imagine two scenarios:
A: you got a mouse in a cage that can pull a lever and get sugacocaine/pick a drug everytime it does.
B: you got another mouse in another cage that can pull a lever and get it’s drug not everytime it does. This reward is unpredictable.
Reinforcing the new behaviour is called conditioning.
So which of the mice you think will become addicted quicker? It’s mouse B. It’s widely found that an unpredictable reinforcement is more effective at getting the mouse to learn the target behavior.
At this point you probably start wondering how this is all tied to addiction in general and yes, that’s something to talk about too, but let’s stay with the basics for a moment longer.
You and I we’re the mouse in cage B, except our personal skinner box is more pretty (insert praise fort he art department here) and made for humans, but in regards of conditioning new behavior, learning and such our minds work remarkebly alike.
Everything in WoWs is unpredictable reinforcement.
Many people are already aware of this, but let me just give you guys some food for thought:

• match making. The spread of 3 tiers exist to randomly give everybody the opportunity to b in a hugely favorable position (MM is complex and there are other factors at play, they want to have people still playing lower tiers for instance, etc)
  
• detonations (nuff said)
  
• fires
  

look at all the build-in randomness and unpredictability from my point of view for a second.
I mean intransparent lootboxes are pretty obvious by now, but how about the 3 daily containers? You ever wondered why the progress bar showing the progress to the third daily container in-game might be intentionably not to scale? Yes, it looks like it is three-times the distance to reach the third container, when it’s actually a lot more XP needed. (don’t have it installed, can’t check exact number)
Edit: thx for the gold thing. now I feel I should have spent some time on it to make an elaborate argument :D
So what’s my deal? When I saw the christmas crate fiasco repeat for another year with people literally spending over thousand euros/dollars for the chance of getting a single, otherwise unavailable pixel boat I atleast wanna rant a bit on reddit:
you’re being exploited.
these mechanics are designed to use your brain against you.
this is intentionally trying to turn you into an addict.
WG is not the only game company applying these predatory industry standards to make bank. As a 33 y/o guy it saddens me to see how games have turned into cash machines when big money got involved in the last 10-15 years or so.
I feel lucky to still have grown up as a kid that just spend way too much time playing playstation and counterstrike 1.3 instead of these evil contraptions with their real world money in-game stores, skins, loot boxes, etc.
So if you’re still with me and think what is this guy on about I am not addicted. Then atleast ask yourself if you want to support that other people are being exploited, that minors are falling prey to a big corporation which keeps pumping out stellar numbers for share-holders while saving their taxes happily on cyprus.
Last time I checked minors were not allowed in casinos. To protect them. Atleast in the real world.

"That just means the game isn't over yet! The goddess of victory will smile upon me, Lupin III!"

Required listening for this thread
Lupin III is the grandson of Arsène Lupin. He is the world's most wanted gentleman thief. Lupin is acknowledged by virtually every law agency on earth as the world's number one thief. Often in his adventures, he and his colleagues, Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa XIII, will take it upon themselves to foil other criminals engaged in more violent crimes. While first glance may imply Lupin as fun-loving, flighty, perhaps even "goofy", his surface façade overcoats a brilliant imagination and a thorough knowledge of a hundred varying sciences. Forever extemporizing and reevaluating, Lupin has been responsible for heists no right-minded individual would believe possible. While arrested and jailed on numerous occasions, typically by his nemesis Inspector Zenigata, he has always managed to escape. He has a fondness for fancy gadgets from time to time plus hands-on experience in many skills a thief would find useful. His infatuation with Fujiko Mine is perhaps his most significant weakness, as it lands him in undesirable situations most of the time.

Equipment

• A bag of bats

Exactly what it sounds like. They are released to distract the motion sensors of an extremely secure museum

• Airbag

A rapidly expanding airbag.

• Backup parachute

Lupin's trademark blue and white boxer shorts double as an emergency parachute.

• Ball Bomb

A small bomb that detonates when shot by Jigen.

• Balloons

A set of balloons that lift an Egyptian death mask display. Lupin also has a larger set they used to steal the Statue of Liberty

• Balloon Briefcase

A briefcase containing a rapidly expanding balloon filled with knockout gas.

• Balloon Coin

A small, golden coin with his face on it. When thrown, releases a giant Lupin-shaped dummy.

• Barrel Bombs

Several large barrels of explosive liquid set off by flaming rags.

• Bat Hang-glider

A massive hang-glider shaped like a bat.

• Blow-up Doll Grenade

A grenade that, upon contact, expands into a massive blow up doll.

• Bracelet

A decorative bracelet with a wire/chain on the end.

• Briefcase Wings

A pair of wings and an engine that extend from a handheld briefcase.

• Bubble Gum Ball

A massive bubble that protects Lupin from traps.

• Clear Hang-Glider

A nearly invisible hang-glider.

• Confetti Flashbang

A small, silver ball that emits a loud bang, a burst of light, and rainbow confetti.

• Distraction Balloon

A large, green balloon with Lupin's face on it.

• Ducky Boat

A paddleboat hidden within a larger boat's hull. The boat also has a large engine on the back

• Duck Bombs

Several duck-shaped bombs that are capable of sinking large ships. They do not discern what they're blowing up, however, and can be dangerous. They can also be hidden

• Dummy Smokescreen

A dummy head that when stomped emits a thick smokescreen.

• Dummy Suit

A dummy large enough for Lupin to hide inside. Can expand enough to lift a large truck

• Electro Light Adhesive Beam Reel

An electric gun developed by the same scientist who invented Lightsabers. Can cut through bullet proof glass, lift a store's worth of jewels and helps pull a building apart. It also instantly KOs Zenigata

• Explosives

Includes exploding chewing gum, exploding cigarettes, exploding cigars, an explosive hat an exploding head, a exploding lighter, a exploding mask, exploding navigation stick, an explosive suit, an explosive tooth, and an explosive watch

• Fake Tooth

One of Lupin's left molars. Has a brevity of uses including a remote control for one of his vehicles, a computer that can analyze any drugs he's given, a pair of robotic arms that can throw the drugs back, a radio, and a lockpick

• Fingerprint Spray

A small aerosol can that allows Lupin to lift fingerprints from a glass.

• Fireworks Grenade

A small grenade that lets off a colorful explosion.

• Flying Car

A remotely-controlled flying car. It manages to lift off the ground but nothing else.

• Fujin

A small device that opens a miniature black hole when used.

• Gas Grenade

A grenade with a powerful knockout gas. Works fast enough to cover an entire oil rig in seconds.

• Giant Flashbang

A massive, propelled dummy of Lupin and Jigen that explodes with a giant boom and flash

• Glue Rocket

A rocket fired from an RPG that, when detonated, sprays glue strong enough to stick several large ships together.

• Go-Kart

Pieces needed to assemble a working go-kart.

• Hang-glider

A small hang-glider that carries a single missile.

• Helicopter Hearse

A standard hearse that turns into a helocopter.

• Horse

A horse capable of outrunning several jeeps, dodging bullets, and running across a small ladder. Lupin has a way with animals that allows him to frequently use them in his escapes. Also he got a horse to do this once. I don't feel like trying to explain it.

• Jetpack

A standard jetpack.

• Jetpack Shoes

A pair of shoes which turn into personal jetpacks when activated by tapdancing. They can also be used offensively and for escapes

• Kusari-gama

A small kusari-gama capable of swinging a car back onto an icy road

• Lighter

Works as a lighter and also can emit a powerful knockout gas. Also explodes when dynamite is strapped to it, as most things do and works as a communicator

• Knockout Drug

A powerful drug slipped into Zenigata's drink.

• Magnetic Grips

A pair of magnetic hand grips that assist in climbing.

• Marbles

Standard marbles or ball bearings used to make a pursuer lose their footing.

• Mini-Kite

A small kite able to carry Lupin.

• Mini Oxygen Tank

A mini oxygen tank shaped like a cigarette.

• RC Cars

A fleet of tiny RC cars, all remotely controlled by Lupin. Comes in Red, Green, and Yellow.

• Rebreather

A breathing device kept in Lupin's jacket.

• Remote Control Gun

A gun that fires a suction cup dart that once attached pierces a glass window. It goes on to attach itself to a safe's dial. Lupin can control the dart remotely, cracking a safe from outside the room

• Remote Controlled Helicopter

A helicopter controlled by a small joystick.

• Remote Controlled Plane

Similar to his helicopter except it is controlled by a Gameboy-like controller.

• Riding Crop

A riding crop that fires miniature tranquilizer darts.

• Ring Light

A bright light attached to a ring on Lupin's finger.

• Robot Legs

A pair of robotic legs that can be attached to an object. Strong enough to make a statue run through a wall.

• Rocket Elevator

A device hidden within an elevator that causes it to turn into a high powered rocket.

• Rocket Weights

A pair of weights fired from an rpg. Used to wrap around submarines to weigh them down.

• Safe Opener

A small device created by Lupin that instantly cracks a safe.

• Shocky Shock Sticker

A small silver sticker that delivers a massive shock "bigger than a stun gun"

• Shoes Knives

A pair of knives fired from the tips of Lupin's shoes.

• Shoe Transmitter

A small transmitter in Lupin's shoe that signals a nearby biplane. The plane has a large bomb attached to it.

• Silver Walther P-38

A silver copy of Lupin's signature weapon. Lupin states it is "only for threatening".

• Sleeping Spray

An immediately effective sleeping aerosol.

• Smoke Bomb

Creates a thick smoke for quick escapes.

• Smokescreen Cigarettes

A pack of cigarettes that react when dropped in water to create a thick smokescreen.

• Sticky Bombs

A small bomb that can stick to any surface. The adhesive is strong enough a grown man cannot remove it and the explosion is large enough to topple a massive statue.

• Submersible Car

A car that doubles as a submarine with the flip of a switch. Allows Lupin and the gang to avoid a missile.

• Suction Cup Gun

A pistol-sized gun that fires a suction cup on a rope. Strong enough to lift a man.

• Switchback Car

A car that can be driven from either the front or the rear.

• Time Bombs

Adhesive bombs with a set timer.

• Umbrella Copter

An umbrella that grows in size and operates that a helicopter's blades.

• Underwater Bomb

A small bomb that causes a big boom.

• Underground Detector

Allow Lupin to see hollow spots underground.

• Underwater Bubble

A propelled underwater vehicle. When surfacing, turns into a raft

• Voice Changer

A small machine Lupin wears around one of his teeth.

• Watch Camera

A small camera inside Lupin's watch. Can take and print photos.

• Watch Grappling Hook

Different from his normal grappling hook, this is attached to a pistol-like controller that reels it in.

• Watch Tracker

A small dart fired from Lupin's watch that emits a trackable signal.

• Water Saber

A sword made of pressurized water. Stated to be as "hard as diamond". During their duel, the blade cuts a door in half

• Wings

A pair of wings that protrude from Lupin's car allowing it to glide.

• Wingsuit

A wingsuit.

• Yo-Yo

A pocket-sized yo-yo.

Speed

General

• Switches the times on everyone's watches while he was shaking their hands.
  
• Throws on an elaborate disguise in seconds
  
• Gets dressed and escapes before a grenade goes off
  
• Captures and trades places with a man before Zenigata realizes
  
• Saves a girl from being kidnapped
  
• Saves Fujiko from an exploding boat
  

Movement

• Instantly leaps to the rafters of a church
  
• Runs across water
  
• Outruns an explosion in two seconds
  
• Runs down a wall to catch the falling Fujiko
  
• Crosses a pair of trains quickly
  
• Hops across several falling pieces of a tower
  
• Runs up a wall after being bitten by a dog
  
• Runs along a narrow pass while being pursued by helicopters
  
• Outruns a bomb being dropped on him
  
• Runs down and across several walls while under fire
  
• Disappears from in front of a man in the time it takes him to move a book from his face
  
• Falls over paralyzed from a drug in his champagne, but recovers and appears in Fujiko's mirror in disguise
  
• Puts a mask on everyone in a theater. He also does this with several people while fleeing the police.
  
• Outruns a killer roller coaster
  
• Runs at incredibly high speeds when bitten by the ninja dog, Kotarou
  
• Avoids being swept away by a tidal wave
  

Reaction

• Avoids a scythe and several bullets
  
• Backs a car up to avoid a grenade
  
• Dodges a bullet fired from behind him at close range.
  
• Avoids a samurai's arrow
  
• Reacts to an ambush and summarily KOs the ambusher
  
• Catches a fired cork in his teeth
  
• Dodges a bullet while running through a fire
  
• Dodges strikes from a trained assassin and swipes her necklace. This assassin was able to weave through bullets
  
• Abandons a disguise to dodge a kick
  
• Turns, draws, and fires on a woman who had pulled a gun behind him
  
• Dodges a Suicide Ray and returns fire
  
• Dodges a bullet and rolls to cover
  
• Avoids a crushing trap
  
• Leaps away from a pair of gunmen
  
• Dodges and blocks several lasers from Mamo's cannons
  

Skill

Accuracy

• Knocks a woman out of the way, draws his weapon, avoids a bullet and puts a bullet directly down his attacker's guns barrel
  
• Throws a dart into a wall while falling
  
• Shoots Zenigata's handcuffs out of the air and causes them to snap around his legs and arms.
  
• Lands a grappling hook shot while jumping off a motorcycle
  
• Shoots a Nazi out of the air while riding down a bannister
  
• Accurately kicks a football
  
• Flicks a small bomb into a man's mouth
  
• While running, picks off several pursuers weapons, knocking them loose of their hands or completely destroying them
  
• Shoots the cylinder of Jigen's magnum back to him
  
• Removes a choker from a girl's neck
  
• Disables a blimp's engine with one shot while under fire
  
• Lassos a diving Fujiko
  
• Snags a gem with a fishing hook
  
• Holds back a small army
  
• Throws a jewel perfectly into a statue's eye socket
  
• Quickly shoots a man's outline in the glass behind him
  
• Shoots ropes off of Jigen
  
• Disarms a gunman with a thrown quarter
  
• Tosses a rose into a woman's lapel
  
• As a woman pulls a gun on him from behind, flips a quarter off of his finger back onto her gun, preventing it from firing
  
• Picks off gunmen while riding down some stairs on the back of a bike
  
• Shoots the lock off of a pig pen
  
• Tags a gunman with a rolling shot
  
• Goes shot for shot with Jigen. Jigen is ridiculously accurate
  
• Tags a building while flying past it in an aircraft
  
• Keeps a quarter spinning by taking turns shooting it with Jigen. He finishes the little exercise by shooting it and making it perfectly land in Jigen's hand.
  
• Dominates a game of ring toss
  
• Throws a spear into a helicopters windshield
  

Dodging

• Avoids gunfire while using a jetpack
  
• Crawls under a truck to dodge a missile
  
• Backsteps Gordeau's attack
  
• After throwing Jigen's hat through a trapped tunnel to memorize the pattern, avoids several laser-esque blasts
  
• Avoids bullets from several gunmen
  
• Leaps out of a disguise to dodge Jigen's bullets
  
• Jumps over a missile
  
• Sidesteps Jigen's shots and escapes him with a flashbang
  
• Avoids several strikes from Goemon while running through a city
  
• Avoids a strike from Goemon but does not avoid the second
  
• Dodges several goons while carrying Fujiko
  
• Dodges strikes from a massive Nazi
  
• Hand walks away from arrows
  
• Dodges bullets while running across car tops
  
• Effortlessly avoids another thief
  
• After giving himself up to be killed, avoids strikes from Goemon and Jigen
  
• Opens a door behind him to dodge Zenigata
  
• Dodges several strikes from Sadachiyo's whip
  
• Avoids bullets as he slides down a bannister
  
• Dodges bullets from Fujiko's machine gun
  
• While mind controlled, avoids both Jigen and Goemon
  
• Avoids a flash kick from Mash
  
• Avoids being killed by a mass of nanomachines. The nanomachines were fairly fast and bulletproof
  
• Dodges multiple ninja shenanigans
  

Driving

• Drives around several pitfalls during a race design to kill him
  
• Two wheels through a closing gate
  
• Avoids a sea of flames by taking his race car off road
  
• Rides a motorcycle across several metal girders
  
• Drives off the back of a moving truck
  
• Drives a car he cannot see, with a remote control on his tooth
  
• Hops a vespa up onto a rail
  
• Avoids being crushed by a large truck by driving on a tunnel's ceiling
  
• Drives through a mass of swerving traffic on a motorcycle
  
• Jumps a roadblock set by Zenigata
  
• Drives a boat that was cut in half
  
• Casually drives with his teeth
  
• Makes his car jump without a ramp
  
• Duels and defeats several other vehicles on a mountain pass
  
• After being pushed through a guard rail by a giant vehicle, manages to balance the Fiat on the guard rail and return to the roadway. He manages to lose the semi by driving under it, going offroad and tricking it into driving off a cliff
  
• Threads the needle between two large trucks
  
• Rides a motorcycle down a tight rope
  
• Drives a scooter through a casino while being pursued
  
• Figures out how to fly a UFO
  
• Two wheels between crowded New York traffic
  
• Avoids a spike strip by clipping it with his tire, sending it over his vehicle
  
• Leaps his car across a broken bridge
  
• Destroys a plane with a motorcycle
  
• Shakes a military pursuit by driving down several waterfalls, blowing up a chunk of mountain, and generally just driving really well
  
• Battles Green Jacket Lupin in a duel on top of a building. This is the only scene that should be viewed from Red vs. Green despite what Tad says.
  
• Drives off the back of a semi truck onto a highway. His vehicle dropped small, metal bearings that caused the pursuing trucks to crash. Shortly after, he avoids a grenade by forcing his car onto two wheels, after which he drives on the highways guard rail, leaning himself in and out of the vehicle to avoid the street lights. The vehicle then crashes into a dentist office Jigen is in.
  
• Chases a truck full of assassins on a motorcycle
  
• Weaves through a police roadblock
  
• Leaps a motorcycle to a blimp
  
• While being pursued by Edogawa Conan, drives his car out of an exploding boat. This includes him again driving on a guard rail and then riding the vehicle down a pair of hand rails. At the end of the chase, he recovers after being hit by one of Conan's soccer balls.
  

Escapes

• Slips free of a large claw
  
• Prevents himself being thrown by bailing on his disguise
  
• Escapes Zenigata's grasp by throwing off his disguise
  
• Slips out from under a dogpile
  
• Escapes via kangaroo
  
• Escapes Zenigata's ultimate weapon, 4 pairs of handcuffs on a rope by "giving him a leg"
  
• Escapes from ropes
  
• Escapes a pair of assassins
  
• Covers Zenigata and his officers in popcorn
  
• Builds a stick scarecrow to escape Zenigata
  
• Escapes a hospital
  
• Slips out of his clothes while riding a bike
  
• Effortless flips into an air duct and loses a pursuing Zenigata
  
• Goes plan for plan against Zenigata
  
• Escapes a trap after getting bit by a dog
  
• Easily frees himself from a rope
  
• Escapes a ton of handcuffs
  
• Abandons his clothes to escape a dogpile
  
• Escapes pursuit by jumping into the wayward top of a van
  

Fighting Ability

• Deflects a whip strike with his grappling hook
  
• Takes out several assassins with sweet Capoeira moves
  
• Brawls with a Nazi officer
  
• KOs a group of guards with a door
  
• Nonlethally subdues several police officers
  
• Fights an assassin with two ends of a broken pipe
  
• Dodges several knife strikes and wallops his attacker
  
• Defeats Cyborg Jigen
  
• Duels Mister X
  
• Fights several armed assassins
  
• KOs several cops with a staff
  
• Catches a ninja strike
  
• Cuts Fujiko's disguise
  
• Goes blow for blow with Goemon. Even without Zantetsuken, Goemon can hit hard enough to clear away stone from a statue and break limbs from a statue
  
• Battles General Headhunter. Their fight spans across several moving platforms
  
• Spins a man around by wrapping him with a whip
  
• Disarms a gunman with a staff throw
  
• Battles Fujiko's ancestor
  
• Headscissors an attacker off of a motorcycle
  
• Knife fights several assassins at once. The white haired assassin alone was able to block Jigen's shots and kill several people at once
  
• Steals a massive truck from a pair of guards and uses it against a warehouse full of goons
  
• Defeats the "mind reading" Rasputin. He explains he defeated Rasputin's technique by "emptying his mind" . Rasputing was fast enough to catch Goemon off guard and dodges his strikes and caught one of Jigen's bullets in his teeth.
  
• Flips a shoe at Gensai to create an opening to shoot him
  

General

• Off screen, won the Burglary Planning and Burglary Techniques games of the Burglary Olympics
  
• Leaps and swings across a gap
  
• Skillfully uses Zenigata's handcuffs
  
• Swings from point to point around a prison
  
• Communicates non-verbally with Zenigata
  
• Cracks a giant safe
  
• Crosses over a pressure sensitive floor using plungers
  
• Snowboards away from several police. He doesn't do it often, but when asked, Lupin is one hell of a snowboarder
  
• Lays a bike down, leaps off it, jumps over some guys and lands back on the bike
  
• Cracks a safe with several dials
  
• Flips through a laser grid
  

Quick Thinking

• While falling, grabs a rope with one hand
  
• Catches a bouncing Walther and shoots a gunman
  
• Manages to kill a snake with nothing but his teeth
  
• Steals Mamou's time machine
  
• Booby traps the Walther P-38
  
• Spits a dart into Fujiko's hair
  
• Hooks a massive Nazi's tie and pulls him down with him
  
• Escapes by pretending to turn into a werewolf
  
• Uses the suction cup gun to save a falling Julia
  
• Shoots a fortune teller before they attack Goemon
  
• Uses a nose pin to prevent himself from being gassed
  
• Shoots a damage light into the water to electrocute Mister X
  
• Throws a briefcase into the air to distract several guards, slides across the ground to shoot them all, and manages to catch the briefcase
  

Sleight of Hand

• Replaces medicine in a bag quickly
  
• Swipes a gun, removes the clip, and empties it before a girl notices
  
• Disarms a gunman by quickly disassembling his weapon
  
• Steals a keycard from a man during a scuffle
  
• Removes handcuffs from himself and slaps them on Zenigata
  
• Handcuffs Zenigata's arm to his own leg
  
• Escapes an assassin with a snazzy hat
  
• Pulls a robot's batteries
  
• Handcuffs Zenigata to a boat
  
• Blocks a spear trap with his magnetic grips
  

Disguises

As Lupin uses disguises all the time, gathering every single disguise he uses would fill the entire respect thread. I gathered some of my favorites for this section.

• A jobsite's foreman
  
• Millionaire Howard Heath. He laid it on a little thick and gave away his true self, however.
  
• Fujiko
  
• A prison guard
  
• A KO'd guard
  
• Uses a dummy of himself to convincingly disguise himself as a guard
  
• An old woman
  
• Zenigata's driver
  
• A security guard
  
• Disguises himself as Gensai, the leader of a group of ninja
  
• Fools Zenigata with a hippie disguise
  
• Wears a disguise of himself while wearing a disguise of Zenigata and doing a Zenigata impression that fooled Fujiko
  
• A fat man with a weak bladder.
  
• A tiger. To complete the disguise he also mimics the tiger's roar well enough it fools Zenigata
  
• Two people at once by using a "reflective plastic"
  
• Legendary painter, Sharaku
  
• Convinces a Nazi that he is an aged Hitler
  
• Quickly changes into a mask of a pretty lady in order to catch a pair of gunmen off guard.
  
• Throws on a disguise in the time it takes a man to fall into a snake pit
  
• May have tricked a Prince into thinking he was his father. There's also a good chance the Prince knew it was Lupin, but hey, the disguise looks good.
  

I'm basically quoting u/coinforce here. I discovered this gem, because of him and am already 14% plus since I bought. Thanks mate.
Alright nerds, gather round and listen closely. I've graduated to pennystocks chasing these juicy tendies while serving as an autistic prophet delivering good news to the retards and gambling degenerates in that sub.
"Alright u/Sweet-Zookepergame hurry the fuck up and give us the ticker you pumper"
This ain't a pump.
When I see the next golden ticket, I know when to enter with conviction and realize profits while some of you nerds decide to bag hold XSPA and downvote comments to make yourselves feel better.

Score Media and Gaming Inc. (TSE: SCR) (OTCMKTS: TSCRF)

What the fuck is this?
Score Media and Gaming Inc. empowers millions of sports fans through its digital media and sports betting products. Its media app 'theScore' is one of the most popular in North America, delivering fans highly-personalized live scores, news, stats, and betting information from their favorite teams, leagues, and players. The Company's sports betting app 'theScore Bet' delivers an immersive and holistic mobile sports betting experience and is currently available to place wagers in New Jersey, Color.
Key words for you nerds who can't read and have ADHD: SPORTS BETTING
It's already common knowledge sports betting is already big in the North American market - and will continue to generate tons of revenue as states continue to legalize sports betting. Canada is following suit. Legislations will be passed Q1 2021 and we're soon going to see an influx of CANADIAN online betting. Basically all of Canada uses this app exclusively for sports.

• 10M+ downloads on their sports media app with 4.7 stars on Google play store
• #1 sports app in Canada (#2 behind ESPN in the US) with 10% of Ontario's entire population that uses it
• theScore successfully began the multi-state expansion of its mobile sportsbook, theScore Bet, launching in both Colorado and Indiana in September
• theScore Bet secured market access to operate an online casino in New Jersey via a multi-year agreement with Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc.
• Recently closed its bought deal offering yesterday, issuing 28.6mm shares at $1.40/sharefor gross proceeds of $40mm.
• Total views of theScore esports’ video content across all platforms reached a new all-time quarterly record of 292 million in Q4 F2020, year-over-year growth of 243%.
• Strong fucking balance sheet = increased flexibility for upfront investments in new markets (e.g., market access fees, infrastructure, etc.)
• theScore is competitively advantaged in Canada, vs. foreign operators, as a homegrown player with a strong brand, which we believe will afford it preferential treatment by regulators with early market access, thus paving the way for early market share gains
• theScore esports just recently has been named the exclusive English language broadcast partner for the League of Legends’ Demacia Championship, a marquee annual event featuring 24 of China’s top esports teams.

🚀 Let's take a look at DKNG and PENN this year 🚀
🚀 Share prices for these companies have gone up 300% already this year alone, and with more legalization coming through 2021, theScore is just beginning to scratch the surface and will follow suit.
🚀 TIMING: As vaccines begin to be distributed and the economy recovers, states are desperate for revenue and will be looking to ease regulations on sports betting. The more Sport games start promoting and reopening, the more these stocks will gain (especially with March Madness, NBA/NHL playoffs, etc.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
🚀 Listen - I'm literally handing you a platter of gold here. If you understand this market, the trends and where actual revenues can be generated - then you understand the play here. Canada is UNTAPPED. This thing will pick up steam soon and will graduate from TSX/OTC and can be easily listed on the NASDAQ. Once that happens, Robinhood will have access and the sky is the limit. I'm not here pumping a fucking non-revenue generating, fuelled by hype only, and a company within an industry that I don't fucking understand.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TLDR: BUY AND GET IN NOW.
Clearly, I'm on Interstellar's Endurance spaceship with TARS and CASE about to enter a wormhole that'll slingshot me into another galaxy... while most of you nerds are fighting to get on wooden sail boats. At the same time, I'm from the future telling Murphy Cooper (you nerds) how to find the tendies.
MURPHY'S LAW: WHATEVER CAN HAPPEN, WILL HAPPEN.
EDIT: FORGOT THESE 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I quite love ORAS, in my opinion it nicely blends together the nostalgia for Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald with the innovations brought to X/Y. The Mega evolutions look amazing, and flying around on Latios/Latias is one of those cool one-off ideas I'm sure people will fondly remember. There's just one aspect where I think it misses the boat: Mauville City. I loved the big central city with its casino functioning as a big crossroads on the map. Just strolling into Verdanturf without having to encounter wild Pokémon felt weird and fresh and it was a great place to hatch your eggs or rebattle some trainers. With the casino and Wattson loafing around it always felt lively and important, a bit like Goldenrod and Saffron also had.
So that's why I think it's such a shame that it's now a generic building block where you go corridor in, corridor out. And a lot of the vendors are more aimed at the later game, so it would've made total sense to just place some extra buildings in Lilycove or Evergrande City (or heck, a small island with a Battle Frontier).
TL:DR Mauville City imo lost its character in the remakes
P.S. As a kid I thought for the longest time it was called Mawile City, wondering why they named it after that particular Pokémon.

I've done the Heist three times now with duos, I'm pretty sure I could even do it solo now.
Make sure you have the Drainage Tunnel option unlocked by swimming behind the compound during the scope out. UPDATE: Make sure you complete the Torch Prep as well! The Torch Prep will not be available in the submarine until you scope out the Drainage Tunnel infiltration point.
If solo, trios, or quads, Make sure you have bolt cutters by the main bay.
I enter through the drainage tunnel putting me right in the compound. UPDATE: I've used the submarine and the halo jump, but I imagine any vehicle will work. If you use the sub it will give you scuba gear, so avoid the pools while you're in the compound, otherwise it will put the scuba gear back on and remove your active weapon. Once you get out of the pool you'll lose 3-5 seconds taking the gear back off.
I suggest you take out all the guys stealthfully while taking out as few cameras as possible, 1 or 2 will be necessary unless you are really patient.
If you're doing it solo you don't need to worry about the key cards or gate keys. If you are doing duos+, then one key card is held by a guard, the other is up in Rubio's office.
Once you get to Rubio's office there will be a fingerprint hack (its easy once you understand how it works) and get the files using the combination given to you in the basement, don't exit through the gate, go back into the compound, grab the secondaries in the compound (duos+), and exit through the main entrance, that causes a save-state, so if you die you don't have to start all over. If you are duos your loot bag should be full. If you are in duos, I recommend grabbing the painting first and is much gold as you can carry, don't bother with the cash.
If you haven't alerted anybody by then, make your way down to the main dock, if solo, or trios, then get the secondary loot there, grab a boat and drive away from the island. Your escape is undefined, so even if you don't make it to your designated escape route, you can leave the island in any direction.
If you are in quads, there's a good chance your loot bags won't be full, at that point you can decide whether you want to go and grab more secondaries, or leave the island while still in one piece.
If you have been caught, kill everybody and book it out the main entrance towards the main dock where you can grab a boat and GTFO. Because I was in duos I had right around 2mil each time, the one time I set the guards off on the way out I only lost 60-80k.
From what I can see you cant hold more than 800k in your loot bag, I may be wrong though.
Potential cut: 6mil
SOLO: 1.1-1.9 Mil
DUOS: 1.1-2.7Mil
TRIOS: 1.1-3.5Mil
QUADS: 1.1-4.3Mil
That Is my experience. If anybody has any good useful information there, I'm sure it would be greatly appreciated to the community. Such as:
*Better ways out of the compound
*Secondary Target values
*Any way to get the full potential 6mil? (During my scope out I had 4.2mil in Secondary targets. That left a total of 5.3mil, I was probably missing two secondary targets somewhere on the island)
*Anything I may have missed
UPDATE: For those of you wondering how the payouts compare to the Diamond Casino Heist.
The payouts for the DC heist hard modes are as followed, not including aggressive.
Cash: don't bother, reset your heist
Artwork: 2.7mil - 2mil split - 100k per 5%
Gold: 2.8-3.1mil -2.1-2.4 mil split - 105k-120k per 5%
Artwork can be done with DUOS (1mil each depending on cut) but gold has to be done with TRIOS (1.2mil 50%, 600k 25%) unless you want to leave 250k on the table. Which Gold DUOS would pay the sililar to Artwork DUOS.
Your best opportunities to make money on GTA online are going to be Cayo Perico SOLO or DUOS and Diamond Casino DUOS.
On another note: I haven't timed it yet, but it seems to take less time to do all of the Cayo Perico preps than the Diamond Casino Preps (Aside from identifying secondary contents). The Diamond Casino Heist takes 15-25 minutes when done correctly with Big Con or Silently & Sneaky while the Cayo Perico heist can be completed in 7-15 minutes SOLO and DUOS.

Update 201 Changelog
Update size: 174.7MB
General

• Fixed an issue where the effect of night vision goggles would be permanent if attempting to turn off the night vision goggles and picking up a bag at the same time.
  
• Changed Japanese translations to use English for job/heist names, character names, difficulties as well as the word Infamy.
  
• Change the link used to show what mod a player is using from paydaymods to modworkshop.net.
  
• Fixed an issue where the hair and/or masks would disappear from certain NPC's when their heads were close to the edge of the screen.
  
• Fixed an issue where Hajrudin looked visually different in Stealing Xmas from his appearance in White Xmas.
  
• Changed the link attached to the tablet in the safehouse from pd2stash to fbi.overkillsoftware.com.
  
• Added the ability to equip angled sights on the default sniper scope.
  
• Fixed issues with skins covering the lenses of gadget/laser modules. Tweaked Bernetti pistol sights to be green again.
  

Character

• Fixed some clipping issues with the Balaclava mask for Sydney and Houston.
  
• Fixed an issue where the heisters arms would be missing while wearing the Repairman outfit.
  
• Fixed an issue where the heisters arms would be missing while wearing The Casual Formal outfit.
  
• Fixed an issue where the heisters arms would be missing while wearing The Classic outfit.
  
• Fixed various issues with the Duelist outfit on certain characters.
  
• Fixed a graphical issue on the Duelist outfit that occurred with certain male characters.
  
• Fixed some graphical issues on the Tuxedo outfit when equipped by Bonnie.
  
• Fixed graphical issues with the Improved Combined Tactical Vest when equipped by Ethan or Hila.
  
• Fixed graphical issues with The Avenging Gunman outfit.
  
• Fixed a graphical issue with the Molten gloves.
  
• Fixed graphical issues that occurred when the Molten gloves were equipped with the Impresario outfit.
  
• Fixed a graphical issue on the Cosmos gloves when charging a melee attack.
  
• Fixed a graphical issue that occurred with the Cosmos gloves when equipped by Bonnie.
  
• Fixed a graphical issue with the Cosmos gloves that could be seen when using the halt action with Bonnie.
  

Heists

• Fixed an area on day 1 of The Biker Heist that could possibly soft-lock the player.
  
• Fixed a spot behind a couch where players could get stuck on Border Crossing.
  
• Added a collision to prevent players from getting stuck between a wall and a chair on Branch Bank.
  
• Fixed some waypoints on Buluc’s Mansion for loud gameplay that never appeared after reaching the office.
  
• Fixed an issue on Buluc’s Mansion with the list prop for the guards that was floating in the air.
  
• Added pre-planning costs to assets on Buluc’s Mansion. Prevented cops from spawning near the boat when the front gate spawn is used on Buluc’s Mansion.
  
• Added extra AI navigation blockers on Buluc’s Mansion in the closed basement path.
  
• Fixed an issue on Buluc’s Mansion where the player could see through a wall.
  
• Fixed an issue on Buluc’s Mansion near the office, where loot bags could fall through the floor.
  
• Fixed an issue on Buluc’s Mansion where the gate opening animation would play twice if the swat van arrived while the thermite was burning.
  
• Fixed an issue on Buluc’s Mansion where lamps in the secret meeting room did not sync between host and client.
  
• Adjusted the cafeteria spycam location on Buluc’s Mansion.
  
• Added collision to a pair of glass doors, located in the inner sanctum on Buluc’s Mansion.
  
• Fixed an issue on Buluc’s Mansion where the keypad numbers, for the wine cellar door, were unreadable in Low/Very Low Texture Quality settings.
  
• Fixed a visual effect issue with the flare on Buluc’s Mansion, used to signal the helicopter, for Low/Very Low Texture Quality settings.
  
• Fixed an issue where the masks of the guards on Buluc’s Mansion would reduce in quality when the player marked them.
  
• Fixed an issue on Buluc’s Mansion where waypoints to the inner sanctum would appear even after players had already discovered them the entrances.
  
• Fixed an issue on Buluc’s Mansion where a guard's path would incorrectly lead him to areas that should not be accessible.
  
• Fixed an exploit on Counterfeit where the level could be prevented from going loud.
  
• Fixed an issue where the fountain on Diamond Heist, would disappear when viewed at certain distances.
  
• Updated pre-planning costs of assets on Golden Grin Casino.
  
• Fixed an issue on Henry’s Rock where a player could get stuck inside the crate that is delivered by the crane.
  
• Fixed a progression blocker on Hoxton Revenge where killing the FBI boss from the basement before opening the vault would not cause the level to go loud.
  
• Fixed an issue on San Martín Bank where a police officer's badge was not visible at certain distances.
  
• Fixed an issue on San Martín Bank where the VFX and SFX from drilling a door would remain if the drill was interrupted by a saw.
  
• Fixed an issue on Shadow Raid where a guard's body could fall into an unreachable area, blocking the player from answering the pager.
  
• Moved a stack of boxes on Slaughterhouse to prevent players from getting stuck in a container.
  
• Fixed an issue on The Big Bank where a vault door could be opened again using a set of keys if previously opened with a saw.
  
• Fixed an issue on Car Shop where tied up civilians would clip through walls and be seen from outside the building.
  
• Fixed an issue on The White House where a player could get stuck between the cameras in the press room.
  
• Fixed a wall missing collision on Alaskan Deal.
  

Warning: massive amount of text ahead. I created a mostly functional race route around the world (all loactions like buildings, businesses, landmarks, etc. are REAL locations and could theoretically actually work in the race). I tried to have a good variety in locations and types of challenges, but it's really hard! I find it a lot harder to complain about challenge design after making this. Even though this could technically happen there are probably some safety concerns in going to South Africa and Lesotho and it's probably not possible for the American Amazing Race to film in Cuba, but I decided to do it anyway. If you have any questions or feedback please let me know!
​
RACE #2
Leg 1 (USA - Japan)
Leg 2 (Japan - South Korea)
Leg 3 (South Korea - India)
Leg 4 (India - Oman)
Leg 5 (Oman)
Leg 6 (Oman - South Africa)
Leg 7 (South Africa - Lesotho)
Leg 8 (Lesotho - Greece)
Leg 9 (Greece)
Leg 10 (Greece - North Macedonia)
Leg 11 (North Macedonia - Cuba)
Leg 12 (Cuba - USA)
​
LEG 1
USA - Japan
Start at Cloud Gate, Chicago, Illinois
Run to clue at Millenium Monument
Clue #1
Make your way to the Gunma region of Japan, and travel to Sarugakyu Onsen. However, to get your tickets to Japan, you must make your way on foot through the busy streets of Chicago to Navy Pier, where flights will be given out according to the order of your arrival. Flights go to Tokyo, and you must make your own travel arrangements from there.
Flight 1 (5 teams): Chicago - Los Angeles - Tokyo, arrives 8:00 AM
Flight 2 (4 teams): Chicago - Tokyo, arrives 9:30 AM
Flight 3 (2 teams): Chicago - San Francisco - Tokyo, arrives 9:45 AM
Clue #2
Both team members must go into the hot springs and search it for the partly submerged cluebox to get your next clue.
Clue #3
Travel to Sarugakyo Bungy for your next clue.
Clue #4
Roadblock: Who’s ready to take a jump?
Bungy jump at the largest bungy jump in all of Japan at 62 meters, or over 200 feet! Once you’ve taken your leap of faith, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #5
Travel to Uenokunirokunomiya Haruna Shrine, Takasaki, for your next clue.
Clue #6
Create one string of paper cranes in Senbazuru. Senbazuru is the crafting of 1000 paper cranes for good luck. Following the demonstration, learn how to craft paper cranes. Once you have created forty of them and strung them together, deliver them to a Shinto priest at Akiba Shrine. He will give you your next clue.
Clue #7
Travel by train to Akihabara, Tokyo, and go to the top of the Tokyo Skytree to receive your next clue.
Clue #8
Roadblock: Who can ‘go’ kart? The teammate who did the first roadblock cannot do this one.
Travel to Akihabari Street Kart 1 and dress up in one of the many ridiculous costumes the company has to offer. Then, join a fifteen minute go-karting tour around the streets of this bustling region and look for three enormous signs in race colors with three different Japanese characters on them. If you can spot and write all three characters down correctly during the rush of Tokyo, you’ll receive your next clue. If you can’t get it right, you’ll have to join the next available tour.
Clue #9
Travel to Horin Park on foot to find the first pit stop! The last team to check in here may be eliminated.
Pit Stop, Leg 1
trip to Canada
last: eliminated
​
LEG 2
Japan - South Korea
Clue #1
Fly to Busan, South Korea! Upon arrival, make your way to Beomeo-sa for your next clue.
Fast Forward, Leg 2
Go to Songdo Beach and swim out into the ocean, locating the five whale statues in the water. At each statue, pick up marked letter tiles. Once you have all seven (two statues have two tiles), you can go back to the beach and unscramble the letters that spell out the name of a traditional South Korean delicacy that the other contestants eat at their first challenge. If you get the right word, you’ll be given a clue that takes you straight to the end of the leg.
Clue #2
Master the art of Korean meditation. If you can master all of the moves correctly, then your instructor will give over your next clue.
Clue #3
Head to Taejongdae for your next clue.
Clue #4
Roadblock: Who’s desperate to eat?
Take the marked path over one mile uphill to the marked food stand, and finish one serving of Soondae, a traditional South Korean delicacy that is made of pig intestines and pork blood. Once you have finished the food, you can run down to your partner and get your next clue.
Clue #5
Take the Songdo Marine Cable Car from Songnim Park to Amnam Park to receive your next clue.
Clue #6
Detour: Fish Identity or Fish Delivery
Fish Identity: Go to Jagalchi Fish Market and search for the marked stall. Once there, sort an enormous box of fish and organize them. Once the stall owner approves, put them up for stock in the stall to receive your next clue.
Fish Delivery: Go to Jacky’s Seafood and take three orders and three addresses that need to be delivered. Once you have delivered all the fish to all the correct addresses throughout the Gamcheon Culture Village, you will receive your next clue.
Clue #7
Make your way to the pit-stop at Haedong Yonggungsa. The last team to arrive may be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 2
-first: trip to Belize
-last: non-elimination
​
LEG 3
South Korea - India
Clue #1
Fly to Hyderabad, India, and go to the Charminar for your first clue.
Clue #2
Travel to Ramoji Film City Main Entrance to receive your next clue.
Speed Bump, Leg 3
Make your way to Saha’s Adventure Park and zorb down a steep hill. Once you’ve made it, you can continue racing.
Clue #3
Detour: Birdy Woods or Bollywood
Birdy Woods: Dressing up in clumsy bird costumes, search through Asia’s largest aviary for a cutout of the bird your partner is dressing up as. Once you’ve found the two cutouts, head to the Bonsai Garden. If you match the right bird, you’ll receive your next clue.
Bollywood: Head to Ramoji Movie Magic. Dressing up in traditional Indian outfits, memorize a short dance to the tune of some Bollywood music and perform it to the live audience and judges. If you meet their standards, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #4
Head to Nehru Zoological Park where your next clue will be waiting.
Clue #5
Take an amazing elephant ride! With both teammates on the elephant’s back guide it through a short course. If you can reach the end in under two minutes, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #6
Make your way to Bidar Fort by public transport for your next clue.
Clue #7
Roadblock: Who’s itching to get etching?
One team member must help in the process of the creation of bidriware. First, you must chisel one section in the piece of bidriware very precisely. Any error and you must restart. If given the clear, then you must then make their way inside Bidar Fort and collect a total of three baskets of soil for the artisans to use later in the process. Finally, you must use some of the soil you collected and coat a piece of bidriware in it. If every part of the challenge was done to the satisfaction of the artisans, you will receive your next clue.
Clue #8
Make your way to the Bahmani Tombs and the pit-stop! The last team to arrive will be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 3
-first: trip to Japan
-last: eliminated
​
LEG 4
India - Oman
Clue #1
Fly to Muscat, Oman! Once you have arrived, make your way to Al Alam Palace, where you will find marked cars waiting outside. Your clue will be waiting on the car.
Clue #2
Drive all the way to the Nizwa Souq in Nizwa, Oman, where you will find nine different tags, each releasing teams at different times the next morning, when you will be given your next clue.
Tag 1: departure at 7:00 AM
Tag 2: departure at 7:05 AM
Tag 3: departure at 7:10 AM
Tag 4: departure at 7:15 AM
Tag 5: departure at 7:20 AM
Tag 6: departure at 7:25 AM
Tags 7-9: departure at 7:30 AM
Clue #3
Detour: Selling Goats or Weighing Dates
Selling Goats: Navigate through the souq to the weekly goat market. You must select a seller and help them sell their goats. First, thoroughly clean five goats so they are ready for selling. Then, parade five goats around the “walking circle,” where potential buyers will inspect which goats to buy. You must finally buy a goat yourself, haggling for a price under 100 riyals, or 260 US dollars. Once you can purchase a goat, you will receive your next clue. Keep the goat for the next challenge.
Weighing Dates: Find the marked stall in the souq that is selling dates. Your goal is to weigh out 200 grams of Ajwa Dates, 175 grams of Barhi Dates, and 125 grams of Hayani Dates. To do this, you must travel across the market to a scale at a different date stall. If you can get the perfect amount of dates, you will receive your next clue. Keep the dates for the next challenge.
Clue #4
Travel on foot to the Contemporary Mosque with either your goat or dates and trade them with the man waiting out front for your next clue.
Clue #5
Make your way back to the souq, and head to Omani Craftsman's House where you will find your next clue.
Clue #6
Roadblock: Who can work and weave?
The teammate participating in this roadblock must help create a small basketwork bowl. After watching the example, you must use the provided materials to finish off the bowl. If it meets the requirement of the shop owner, you will receive your next clue.
Clue #7
Make your way to the pit-stop for this leg of the race, Nizwa Fort! The last team to arrive may be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 4
-first: continue racing
-last: continue racing
​
LEG 5
Oman
Clue #1
Drive yourself to Bimmah Sinkhole in Muscat, Oman! You will receive your next clue after having a cup of delicious locally-made coffee. Caution! Double U-Turn ahead!
Clue #2
Detour: Script Write or Shipwright
Script Write: Drive to Bait al Zubair and go into the Manuscript Room. Using a provided paper and translation guide, figure out what the marked manuscript says in English. If anything is wrong when submitting it, though, you must start completely over.
Shipwright: Drive to Oman Maritime Boatyard and find the marked boat. Oman Maritime has been reviving the craft of making the traditional wooden boats of Oman’s past, and you must help with the process. First, you must hand-sand a small section of the marked vessel. Then, you and your partner must work together to stitch coconut palm fiber through twenty holes, or eighty total stitches. Once you’re done, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #3
Make your way to Mutrah Souk for your next clue and the U-Turn board!
Clue #4
Search through the enormous market for one of three marked stalls. One you’ve found a stall, search through their wares for a trinket with a red/yellow flag on the bottom. Give the correct trinket to the shop owner, and they will hand you your next clue.
Clue #5
Drive yourself to Qurum Beach, where you will receive your next clue.
Clue #6
Roadblock: Who will pass the shells?
For this challenge, one team member must watch the demonstration of two fishermen playing a traditional Omani game, Al Hawalees. You must first create a “board” in the sand and collect the required amount of shells to play. You must then challenge a local fisherman. If you can win while following all of the rules correctly, you will receive your next clue.
Clue #7
Make your way to the pit-stop at Wadi Bani Khalid. The last team to check in will be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 5
-first: trip to Tanzania
-last: eliminated
​
LEG 6
Oman - South Africa
Clue #1
Fly out of Oman to Durban, South Africa, on one of two flights.
Flight 1 (2 teams): Muscat - Durban, arrives 7:30 AM
Flight 2 (6 teams): Muscat - Dar es Salaam - Durban, arrives 8:00 AM
Upon touching down, make your way to Moses Mabhida Stadium, where you will find your next clue.
Clue #2
Roadblock: Who will swing for the skies?
One team member must strap in and complete the Big Rush Big Swing, the largest swing in the world! Dive 263 feet down. Once you have finished the swing, you will receive a section and seat number. You will search the stands for your next clue.
Clue #3
Make your way to Umhlanga Lighthouse for your next clue.
Clue #4
Shake it up! In this challenge, you must create Lighthouse Bar’s famous “Umhlanga Schling.” Use the provided recipe to create fifteen drinks to perfection, and you will receive your next clue.
Clue #5
Head to Addington Beach and dig underneath one of the large sandcastles for your next clue.
Clue #6
Detour: Tree or Sea
Tree: For this detour, go to Durban Botanical Gardens. Use a provided golf cart to make your way to the famous Wood’s Cycad, a tree dating back to the age of dinosaurs. It has been cared for here since 1848. Once there, use one of the provided pieces to put together a large 3d puzzle of the tree. Once it has been approved, you will be handed your clue, and you can drive back to the front of the gardens and continue racing.
Sea: Go to uShaka Marine World and help out with some chores! First, help the kitchen staff and prepare 5 pounds of specially made vegetables for some of the aquarium’s fish. Second, travel around the park and take water samples from each of the specified exhibits. Finally, record blood test results taken during routine health check-ups. If you’ve completed all of the steps correctly, you will receive your next clue.
Clue #7
Head to the pit-stop at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World! The last team to check in may be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 6
-first: 5k each
-last: eliminated
​
LEG 7
South Africa - Lesotho
Clue #1
Drive yourself through Qacha’s Nek and into Lesotho! Once in Lesotho, drive yourself to Maletsunyane Falls where you’ll find your next clue.
Fast Forward, Leg 7
By completing this fast forward, you will skip an overnight rest point and will be able to head directly to the pit-stop. Head to Sehlabathebe National Park. Once there, using the provided map and compass, ride by horseback to the nomadic tribal people’s current village. At the village, help cook pap-pap, a type of porridge common in Lesotho. The first team to complete the challenge will be able to head directly to the pit-stop.
Clue #2
Drive yourself to Seshoeshoe Decor and Fashion Designers in Maseru for your next clue.
Clue #3
Who can cut up a pattern?
One teammate will choose one of the complicated tribal Lesotho designs, and must find five pieces of fabric that match it perfectly. But be careful, the designs have miniscule differences between them. Once you’ve found all of your fabric, cut them at the directed places to receive your next clue.
Clue #4
Make your way to the Subeng River Dinosaur Footprints, where you will find seven tags, each releasing you at a time in the morning when you will receive your next clue.
Tags 1-2: departure at 7:00 AM
Tag 3: departure at 7:20 AM
Tag 4: departure at 7:40 AM
Tags 5-7: departure at 8:00 AM
Clue #5
Detour: Cave or Maze
Cave: For this challenge, go to Liphofung Cave. You must memorize all of the rock paintings in a specified section (15 paintings), and then run approximately a quarter-mile away and select the correct paper cutouts and put them in the right order as they were shown in the cave. When you have everything selected and ordered correctly, you’ll receive your next clue.
Maze: Make your way to the second largest dam in Africa, Katse Dam. Enter the first marked gallery and record the air temperature and the humidity. Use those observations to crack a complicated code, and enter the parallel gallery it directs you into. Be careful, it might be hard to find! If you enter the correct gallery, you will find a boat key, which you must give to the boatmaster. He will then give you a small ride around the reservoir and you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #6
Drive yourself to Sani Stone Lodge for your next clue.
Clue #7
Help a local Basotho Shephard and their dogs move their sheep to a new grazing location. Don’t let the sheep get away! Once they’ve all been successfully moved, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #8
Make your way on foot to the pit-stop at Sani Top Chalet! The last team to check in may be eliminated!
Pit-Stop, Leg 7
-first: trip to Egypt
-last: non-elimination
​
LEG 8
Lesotho - Greece
Clue #1
Via Maseru International Airport, make your way to Athens, Greece, known to be the home of the first democracy! From there, make your way to the Theatre of Dionysus on The Acropolis, where you will take part in a U-Turn vote. The two teams with the most votes will be sentenced to an automatic U-Turn when they arrive at the detour. After the vote, teams will be given their next clue.
Clue #2
Fly to Chania, Greece on the island of Crete! Upon touching down, use the provided cars to make your way to the Agora and search for the marked stall.
Speed Bump, Leg 8
Together, team members must eat through a total of twelve Greek figs. Once all of the fruits have been stomached, that team can continue racing.
Clue #3
Detour: Traverse or Immerse
Traverse: Make your way to the Maritime Museum of Crete, and find the small yacht model outside the museum. Your goal is to remember as much as you can without writing it down, then make a half mile walk through the streets of Crete to the yacht harbor, where you must find a marked yacht and rearrange the items until it is just like it was in the model. Once the actual yacht matches the model, you’ll receive your next clue.
Immerse: Travel to Minoan’s World 3D Museum, and get treated to a five minute long “9D movie” on Cretan History which engages all of your senses. If you can answer all five questions correctly, you’ll receive your next clue. However, only two teams can participate in the show at once.
Clue #4
Drive to the Palace of Knossos for your next clue.
Clue #5
Use the provided map to navigate through the ruins, collecting puzzle pieces at each of the marked rooms. Once you have all ten bundles of pieces, head outside and recreate the large painting using the pieces you collected. Once it has been finished, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #6
Drive to Cretan Olive Oil Farm for your next clue.
Clue #7
Roadblock: Who is feeling oily?
In this challenge, one teammate will help in the process of creating olive oil. First, set up special tree-shaking equipment and a net, used to efficiently get olives out of the tree without bruising them. You will then sort the olives between bruised and fair. Finally, crush both bruised and fair olives with a traditional granite olive press. Once they have been successfully grinded into a paste, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #8
Find the pit-stop along the coast of the small village of Loutro back on the west side of Crete. You will soon discover, however, that the village is completely blocked off from the mainland by mountains, so you will have to find alternate transportation. Hurry, because the last team to arrive will be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 8
-first: trip to Austria
-last: eliminated
​
LEG 9
Greece
Clue #1
Fly back to the mainland in Thessaloniki! When you’ve arrived, search Aristotelous Square for your next clue.
Clue #2
Detour: Serve or Observe
Serve: For this detour head on foot to Bougatsa Giannis, a renowned restaurant in the Ladadika area. You must take the orders of twelve total people and retrieve the correct dishes for them from the kitchen. Each person also has a dessert, which must be retrieved from nearby pastry shop Trigona Elinidi. You may take notes, but if you mess up someone’s order, you must start it over again.
Observe: Go by taxi to the Thessaloniki Science Centre Technology Museum and make your way to the main planetarium. The night sky will be projected above, and will be moving around you at one hour of regular movement per second. Using the provided key, identify five Greek constellations first identified by Claudius Ptolemy- Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, Centaurus, and Perseus. Be careful, it might be dizzying! Once you’ve found all of the constellations, you’ll be rewarded with your next clue.
Clue #3
Find the Arch of Galerius for your next clue.
Clue #4 Use one of the marked cars to drive yourself for the rest of the leg. Go to the Thessaloniki Concert Hall for your next clue.
Clue #5
Roadblock: Who can blow a note and hold a tune?
Macedonian brass bands are extremely popular in the Macedonia region of Greece, so for this roadblock, learn how to play the trumpet, a popular instrument played in these bands. If you can play a few notes of the folk song with the band, you’ll get your next clue.
Clue #6
Drive to Dalamara Winery. Once there, follow the guide to the directed area, where you must load two empty kegs onto a horse drawn cart. Direct the horse approximately half a mile through the vineyard and return back to the kegs. You will continue to load and deliver a total of eight kegs to receive your next clue.
Clue #7
Drive to Ski Center Voras and take the lift to the top where Kajmakcalan, a chapel right on the border between Greece and North Macedonia is situated. The last team to arrive at this pit-stop may be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 9
-first: trip to Colombia
-last: eliminated
​
LEG 10
Greece - North Macedonia
Clue #1
Drive yourself across the border into North Macedonia to Popova Kula Winery! Once there, pull a tag that departs you at a certain time the next morning.
Tag 1: departure at 8:00 AM
Tag 2: departure at 8:10 AM
Tag 3: departure at 8:20 AM
Tags 4-5: departure at 8:30 AM
Clue #2
Roadblock: Who is a master chef?
The teammate doing this roadblock will use the provided recipe to cook the national dish of North Macedonia, Tavche Gravche, a special type of baked beans. If it is cooked to perfection, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #3
Drive yourself to the Millenium Cross in Skopje for your next clue.
Clue #4
Detour: Art Block or Charity Walk
Art Block: Drive to the Art Bridge, which is home to 29 statues of important Macedonian artists and musicians. Wandering on and around the bridge are 29 people dressed up as those artists and musicians. You must match nine total people to their statues. A maximum of three teams can complete this challenge.
Charity Walk: Drive to the Mother Teresa Memorial House and load a trolley cart with a marked group of items that will almost completely fill the trolley. On foot, travel to the SOS Children’s Village National Office where you are to deliver the items. If you do not choose this option, your items will still be donated after the leg.
Clue #5
Drive to the city of Struga, where the North Macedonian national anthem was created. Make your way to the Saint Archangel Michael Cave Church for your next clue.
Clue #6
Teammates must work together to memorize four total stanzas of the Macedonian national anthem- in Macedonian. If you can perform it with the orchestra without forgetting the lyrics, you’ll receive your clue to the next pit-stop.
Clue #7
Drive to the Monastery of St. Naum and the pit-stop! The last team to check in may be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 10
-first: trip to Indonesia
-last: eliminated
​
LEG 11
North Macedonia - Cuba
Clue #1
Make your way back to Skopje, then fly to Havana, Cuba, on two predetermined flights. Once there, go by taxi to Taller Calle 8, a car repair shop, where you will receive your next clue.
Flight 1 (2 teams): Skopje - Paris - Havana, arrives 6:30 AM
Flight 2 (2 teams): Skopje - London - Miami - Havana, arrives 7:10 AM
Clue #2
Roadblock: Who can fix it up?
The teammate doing this roadblock must follow the example to repair one of the classic Cuban cars. If it makes it past inspection, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #3
For the remainder of the leg, you’ll have to drive the car you just fixed. Head to Fusterlandia, where you’ll find your next clue.
Clue #4
Find where the attached image is in person throughout the folk neighborhood of Fusterlandia. If you can find where the image actually is and show the judge, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #5
Sell the Box or Find the Band
Sell the Box: Drive to Santa Maria del Mar Beach and sell the provided boxes of boxed rum, the “juice box for bug kids.” While never selling any box for under 25 Cuban Pesos, make 375 Cuban Pesos (around fifteen US dollars). Once you’ve made your sales, you’ll receive your next clue.
Find the Band: For this detour, drive to the Cuban Art Factory and observe the large, marked piece of sheet music in the first room. Going from room to room in the factory, try to find the band who is playing the music that was in the first room. You must make your guesses ten minutes apart, so be confident in your answers! Once you have chosen the right band, you’ll be rewarded with your next clue.
Clue #6
Drive to Vinales Valley Tobacco Field and search the marked area for your next clue.
Clue #7
Perfectly roll ten Cuban cigars, five per contestant. Watch the example closely, as any small mistake in rolling the tobacco leaf will cause the cigar to fail. Once all of the cigars have been perfectly rolled, you’ll receive your next clue.
Clue #8
Take a long drive to the eastern side of Cuba and the pit-stop at Ignacio Agramonte Park in Camaguey! The last team to check into the pit-stop will be eliminated.
Pit-Stop, Leg 11
-first: trip to Botswana
-last: eliminated
​
LEG 12
Cuba - USA
Clue #1
For the first part of this leg, you’ll be staying in Cuba! Drive yourself using the car you used in the last leg down Neptuno street in Havana, where you will find a guarapo stall with a flag.
Clue #2
Using the hand-press to crush sugarcane, make forty glasses of guarapo. Once all of the glasses have been successfully made, you’ll be handed your next clue.
Clue #3
Drive to the Tropicana Night Club for your next clue.
Clue #4
Roadblock: Who can make it and shake it?
For this challenge, one team member must follow the instructions of the costume designer to create a costume for one of the showgirls. If the costume is made correctly and given a pass, teams will be given their next clue.
Clue #5
Teams must drive to Aeropuerto de La Habana Ciudad Libertad, where you will embark on a charter flight to Key West, Florida, back in the United States. Once in Key West, teams must go to the southernmost point in the continental United States for their next clue.
Clue #6
Make your way to the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, where you’ll find your next clue.
Clue #7
Roadblock: Who is a reader, a writer, and a decipherer?
Ernest Hemingway, known for books like The Old Man and the Sea, had a notoriously bad handwriting, with little regards to punctuation or accuracy. One team member must copy one of Hemingway’s notes perfectly, letter for letter, on the provided typewriter. If it was typed perfectly, you will be handed a decoder key which you can use to find the hidden message, which will reveal the location of your final challenge.
Answer: Smathers Beach
Clue #8
Now that you’ve made it to Smathers Beach, you’ll partake in a final challenge. Out in between the marked buoys are bundles of letter tiles. You must dive down to retrieve them and bring them back up to shore. Figure out what you’re supposed to spell out with them, and once you think you have the answer, hang the tiles in order on your clothesline. If you have the correct answer, you’ll be given the final clue.
Answer: United States, Japan, South Korea, India, Oman, South Africa, Lesotho, Greece, North Macedonia, Cuba, United States (teams must figure out that they have to spell out all of the countries they visited in order on the race)
Clue #9
Congratulations! Make your way to the final pit-stop at Fort Zachary Cruise Pier! Go, go, go, the first team to reach the pit-stop will win 1 MILLION dollars!
Pit-Stop, Leg 12
10 countries
4 continents
over 27,000 miles
first: 1 million dollars

My long-ish 'rant' that is borderline full on psychoanalysis; Feel free to tl;dr and answer the title in comments.
As usual I spent more time thinking about packs than making one. There are quite a few types of packs but for this discussion I will list a few; Obviously #1 is kitchen sink, though it's not really an abstract category because being all rounded it's a combination of playstyles. And obviously really any pack, even highly specific, will have a combination of aspects.
Crafting is exemplified in things like skyblocks - nothing to explore, just craft. Basically it emphasises the Skinner Box aspect; make thing A to make more of resource A to make machine B to make resource B, automate, etc. And an obvious subset of this is questing like Sevtech - while it has the other elements, it's still centred around this loop.
RL Craft (yes I know it's overrated) and Valhelsia are on the combat and building ends of 'Adventure'. And then you have dedicated 'Adventure' packs like Journey to the Core or Regrowth or Survival Islands, Crash Landing, Exoria, etc, etc. - what I will respectfully call gimmick packs, being the broadest category. They are all wildly different yet the common thread is some sort of intrinsic limitation that provides meaning. And really this area is pretty endless in that you could have the entire overworld covered in snow, ocean, spawn in the nether, Galacticraft with tweakers and custom gen, etc. And of course things like Hostile Worlds, Storms and Tornadoes, Tough As Nails, etc. These radically change what it means to exist in the world by undermining something (almost always safety) that is taken for granted. Though here is also TerraFirmaCraft - undermining the vanilla system almost entirely (and obviously stuff like Pixelmon, Craft to Exile).
Perhaps the pack has this change in mind specifically, like "Safety Lost is a survival focused mod pack, focusing on challenging survival through mechanics rather than enemy difficulty or expensive recipes. Rather than just trying to make everything a slow and painful grind Safety Lost tries to make things tense by using mods like Hardcore Darkness and Tough As Nails to add new pressures and dangers rather than filling the world with monsters and increasing resource costs and tedious amounts of work. "
And finally on the other end of the spectrum are townys, harvest moons, stuff like Peace of Mind, etc. and any sort of play that is centred around building. Are these types an exhaustive list? Probably not.
I personally think that a combination of these leads way to a 'purposeful' pack - i.e. something that moves away from the degenerate fantasy escape / slot machine with extra steps. Though we can completely remove singled out elements like combat (e.g. Peace of Mind) or exploration (skyblocks), and that's perfectly fine. But if you were to remove most ~ all but 1 element it feels more and more like a fabricated game that just happens to use Minecraft as the game engine. It stops being a world / simulation and starts being a casino.
Take Factorio as a simpler example. If you remove the threat of combat then it becomes a crafting loop and is edging closer and closer to being like a dressed up idle game or something. Similar can be said for SkyFactory, and if we are going to be cynical we could say that the major game loop is basically the same as an idle game, who's saving grace is complexity of automation and not merely just clicking upgrade.
Personally I've struggled with the addiction that comes. Nothing can feel better than sitting down to start a new world a build a little cabin, when life is stressful and you don't feel like you're going anywhere. That's what I mean by enjoyment and purpose - like actual enjoyment and purpose.
In a way it's actually hard to conceive of any instance of Minecraft that isn't ripe to be extremely addictive and psychologically regressive. After all it's designed to be a 'children's game' (despite the median consumer being well older). We can point the finger at Minecraft as a base or the mods themselves as a game that is inherently designed into addictive and often shallow loops; but I don't think that's completely true. And obviously it's entirely up to how someone chooses to spend their time in a healthy way. In saying that I think it's largely just how the potential of modded has developed. For instance the massive popularity of SkyFactory can be attributed simply to the fact that it's the most obvious direction to go with the modded feel, e.g. rf feels very modded as opposed to vanilla. SkyFactory is simply the top piece of a pyramid which at the bottom are mechanics like pipes, rf, etc. Likewise with RL Craft, and so on.
One solution is to see Minecraft as a simulation as opposed to a game. What I mean is that all of the above analysis is analysis of Minecraft as a game. If we analyse it as a simulation, then primarily Minecraft is about spaces and form, and the primary factors are things like movement and block types. From this perspective we could say Minecraft is quite underdeveloped. You can walk, sprint, swim, and that's about it. Modded tends to opt for obtaining something close to creative flight. And block types are largely trivial (maybe Mojang had a similar idea with powder snow).
When I think about the ways Minecraft was constructive or 'served its purpose' as opposed to being a drug, it's when I stepped back and learned the more broad principles about what I was doing - like how to build in a way that's open to future needs, 'functional aesthetics', or simply viscerally feeling that a 100x100x100 cube really is made up of a million blocks - something that while we know mathematically is hard to appreciate until you're placing them.
Some of my memorable experiences in Minecraft: Building my first shelter, building a nice shelter, completing the crappy cobblestone stair case down to bedrock the first time, realising I could just jump into a water pool and get down in 3 seconds, building a tower near my base so I could find it because I didn't know about F3 coords, connecting a river to the ocean, creating a waterfall and ridding it down in the boat (we've all done this, right?), laying minecart track when I was still blissfully unaware how useless it is, nether highway, building a wall around a village and then having a zombie spawn inside and kill everyone anyway. Setting a modded fan to max vertical push and using it as my hand glider launch pad, etc. etc.
Clearly I'm biased towards building but don't get me wrong I love melting my dopamine receptors on Omnifactory as much as the next guy. I said most memorable, not most enjoyable. If anything I love automation, resource amassment and power creep cause it's addictive af and appeals to what nerds are good at.
We could say that Minecraft is doomed to be degenerate because there's no nuance in crafting or building. Plugging Lego pieces together. And on the other hand we would say: Why ruin Minecraft's simplicity. I mean you could literally make a pack where people have to learn to program Lua just to progress. (and I'm pretty sure something like that exists already). I think it's less about adding legitimate barriers to dopamine as it is removing the necessity of quick shallow dopamine loops to progress in the game. Paradoxically, making things easier and moving away from Avaritia would actually make the game harder.
​
What all of these memories have in common is they gave the adult lego blocks an in-world purpose. OK, towny is the best? Clearly not. Obviously towny can be basically just as bad because it can be it's own power creep. It's not merely in-world mechanics over magic box.
One continuation is heavier platforming; to have more block types and movement. Here we can give more movement abilities by default or easy to renew, like double jump, leap, side step mods (these already exist). Different move speed on different blocks is tempting but it could easily kill the fun. Or make all the blocks slippery like ice, speed up the mobs, hilarity ensues. It's not the platforming that's important. The general idea is to just 'be' in the world is more pleasing - to 'incentivize' building of projects that are fun to test, not fun to complete, caving because it's fun, not because you need ore W for magic box P, etc. In vanilla these might be the many carnival style games seen on SMPs and so on. My point isn't that this is what would make a 'better' pack - just one example of a pivoted philosophy. And to, immediately contradict myself, a big appeal of modded is obviously, exactly; Get ore W for magic box P. It appeals to the git r' dun mentality.
Previously I would fuss over various 'psychopathic' aspects of the game - As many have pointed out, Survival should really be called Conquest. You are the pillager of the villages, not the hero. You're the one that desolates the environment for consumption. It's a power fantasy. So you have mods like pollution of the realms, Nature's aura, etc. Yet it's hard to see these as anything more than chores and minute hurdles to be automated over. And it's impossible to remove the Mine out of Minecraft even with mods like Harder Branchmining, Heat & Climate (makes you suffocate in underground airblocks). These will all simply be interpreted as chorelike things to be overcome with more power. Speaking of - that's the exact 'issue' with things like Tough as Nails and Hardcore Darkness. (I'm not saying they're not part of a solution, just that they aren't the secret sauce).
I'm not sure exactly what this would look like. Prospecting and adventuring for biomes can be boring, on the other hand if it is varied enough it's a lower dopamine, higher engagement activity. I also had the thought that mods like Bountiful and Vending Machine more accurately resemble the reality we live in. The question becomes; On the one hand playing the game exists as an extremely accelerated version of tangible success (which we can learn from and/or get addicted to) on the other hand it exists as a realm for the things that we would never do in real life - an outlet or sharpening stone. And then there just the simple fact that the purpose of the game is be an extreme fulfilment of the natural drives.
Tl;dr I don't think it's things that need to be added to the game, rather a minimalism that avoids certain dopamine high activities, such as grinding for ore tripling or unlocking heavily gated content. That way players can be in the moment as opposed to chasing some addictive completion curve.