Greeting Theta Gang boys and girls,
I hope you're well and not bankrupt after last week. I'm just now recovering mentally myself. I saw a few WSB converts and some newbies asking for tips, so here you go. V2 of my Options guide. I hope it helps.
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I spent a huge amount of time learning about options and tried to distill my knowledge down into a helpful guide. This should especially be useful for newbies and growing options traders.
While I feel I’m a successful trader, I'm not a guru and my advice is not meant to be gospel, but this will hopefully be a good starting point, teach you a lot, and make you a better trader. I plan to keep typing up more info from my notebook, expanding this guide, and posting it every couple months.
Any feedback or additions are appreciated
Per requests, I added details of good and bad trades I made. Some painful lessons learned are now included. I also tried to organize this better as it got longer.
Here's what I tell options beginners:
I would strongly recommend buying a beginner's options book and read it cover to cover. That helped me a lot.
I like this beginner book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GWSXX8U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OxNDFb2GK9YW7
Helpful websites:

• Tasty Trade (TT) and Ally Invest have helpful articles and videos.
  • https://www.tastytrade.com/tt
  • https://www.youtube.com/c/tastytrade1/featured
• Ally training:
  • What is options trading? https://www.ally.com/do-it-right/investing/trading-options-for-beginners/?CP=EM2012111
  • Top 10 options mistakes: https://www.ally.com/do-it-right/investing/top-10-option-trading-mistakes/?CP=EM2012111
• 3 common option mistakes: https://us.etrade.com/knowledge/library/options/common-mistakes-options-traders-make
• Common options strategies: https://www.optionsbro.com/basic-options-strategies/
• Investopedia has tons of great investing info for stocks and options: https://www.investopedia.com/
• Kamikaze Cash Theta Gang Videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOweupE79XXiBaeH_xBpkUcYUsrAaKQen
• 20 rules of professional traders: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/active-trading/022715/20-rules-followed-professional-traders.asp

Don't trade until you understand:

• You can lose your entire contract value when buying.
• You can lose a lot of money when selling "naked", theoretically unlimited.
• How option expiration works.
• Theta (decay) and how it works. This is imperative since it's attrition when buying and a payout when selling. https://www.optionseducation.org/advancedconcepts/theta
• DTE: Days till expiration/expiry
• Options positions with respect to price:
  • ITM: In the money; strike is below stock value. Signif
  • ATM: At the money; strike is just at or above the stock value, often very highly traded. Can be very effective with moderate - long term expiry.
  • NTM: Near the money; strike is above the stock value, but fairly close. Slightly unofficial term.
  • OTM: Out of the money; price is at least a few strikes from the current stock price. I would say 10-30% over stock price.
  • Very OTM: Not a real definition, this is essentially a lottery ticket. Cheap, but almost certain to expire worthless unless there is explosive movement.
• Understand delta in general and how delta changes with ITM and OTM options.
• Understand all the greeks at a high level, as you get better understand them well. The greeks: https://www.optionsplaybook.com/options-introduction/option-greeks/
• IV, IV crush, and how IV affects pricing. In general, you want to sell when IV is high and buy when the IV is low. Increasing IV is good for held calls/puts. IV drop or crush is generally good for sellers.
• Selling options can be quite beneficial. Once you have a good general understanding, lookup thetagang . Kamikaze Cash has good youtube videos on most theta strategies (linked above). I personally believe selling options (especially cash secured) is much safer and can consistently make you profits. Θ Gang 4 life.
• FOMO and how to avoid chasing a dangerous trend. DO NOT CHASE FROM FOMO!
• What intrinsic and extrinsic value are. Know how they are affected by being exercised/assigned and how theta affects them.
• Understand that some of WSB recommendations are straight up high-risk gambling and factor in the information accordingly. Be careful with Meme stocks and the survivorship bias on YOLO plays. However, I love the sub and think it’s hilarious. It has a lot of valuable information / DD if you are comfortable with the “colorful” language. It’s also great if you like rocket ship emojis.

Basics / Mechanics

• Understand the 4 "main" option types. Buying or selling a call and buying or selling a put. Spreads and more complex multi-legged option strategies are based off these in some way (see below)
• You can sell calls with 100 shares of stock or if you own an underlying longer term option; see LEAPS and PMCCs later. Selling calls naked is incredibly risky and often requires Level 4 (very advanced) permissions and usually a lot of capital. I will literally never sell calls naked since I don't want to ruin my life and end up living in a dumpster eating saltine crackers.
• Puts can be sold/written cash covered (cash secured), which means you have the cash in your account to buy 100 shares. Your broker will put this money on hold until the trade is closed. Puts can be sold "naked" using Margin and Level 3 (with most brokers). Your broker will hold a percentage of cost of 100 shares (often 30-40%, 100% on meme stocks) allowing you to sell more puts. This increases your available capital/power as well as increasing risk.

General Tips and Ideas:

• Don't EVER leave (short) spreads open on expiration day, close them. (more details below)
• Start off trading very small. Slowly build up over weeks / months. You need to get accustomed to a fifty dollar swing a day, then a few hundred, then a few thousand. You need to ensure you don't get emotional (see below). I started trading options with 5k, then 25k, 50k, and later over 100k. I added my own funds over time and used my gains to build my account. Don’t go all in immediately, that’s dangerous and unwise.
• Especially as you build up the amount of money you have invested, keep it diversified among several stocks.
  • Don't go all in on one thing, ever. Be able to take a hit from one stock and not mortally wound your portfolio.
  • A company may be doing great, then there's a major product issue out of nowhere. If you are overexposed in one stock this can really hurt you.
  • I had to roll options I sold that were about to expire completely worthless because FDX's CEO changed and the stock took a hard dip.
• Don't trade emotionally. If you realize you are emotionally trading for vengeance, you should probably exit the trade and cool off for several days with that stock. Same if you get caught up in a wave of hysteria.
• Have a plan for every trade, ideally with entries / exits that are specific values, ranges, or a set condition. This helps remove emotions. This is super important for strong movements and high volatility (see later).
• Use an options profit calculator from your broker or an online one before entering a "new" trade, especially a complex multi legged trade: https://www.optionsprofitcalculator.com/
• “Rolling” an option: Closing your existing option and opening a similar one at different strike and/or expiration.
  • Rolling a call “Up” would be selling a call you own and buying a cheaper call at a higher strike.
  • Rolling a put “Down and out” closes your original one and buying or selling one at a lower strike at a longer expiry.
  • Better broker interfaces have a literal “Roll” button. I know E-trade does. You can manually do it by selecting relevant contract legs.
• If you have a losing trade, re-evaluate it. If your initial assumption is definitely incorrect, close it. Don't stay in losing trades forever and lose the entire value of the option over stubbornness. If you re-evaluate and you think your assumption was right, hold, potentially consider adding another cheaper option (or buy another call / put). Rolling out sold options can help here.
• Don't try to day trade, especially with options. It's statistically unlikely to be profitable. Day-trading with options introduces extra liquidity risks and is dangerous, especially with spreads.
• Try not to over-trade, you'll likely mis-time the market over time. When I get emotional I over trade, then lose additional money on wash sales. If you scale your entries into positions it should help alleviate your desire to exit positions when they turn badly against you. Whenever I buy calls I do it at larger increments after W almost made me loss my hair; luckily it eventually came back.
• NEVER enter a position on a stock you have no idea about, especially when you read about it online or heard about it from some rando.
• At market open options contracts are often volatile and inflated. Buying during this time can be more expensive. Options are usually cheaper mid-day, I read somewhere 2-3PM is cheapest. I’ve had success around 12-1PM EST after prices settle.
• Try wheeling on cheaper stocks once you get all fundamentals down.
• When selling puts if you are very bullish consider "doubling down"; note this is higher risk. Use the credit from your put sale to buy shares or a cheap call. This can be roughly inversed with puts, except I wouldn't ever recommend shorting shares.
• Learn from your mistakes. You can’t go back in time and beating yourself up (to a point) is useless. Make a physical &/or mental note of it so you don’t do it again. If you don’t learn from it, then beat yourself up so you won’t do it again.
• If you have friends that like to trade, I find it helpful to discuss strategies and planned plays. I talk openly with my close friends about my current holdings and planned trades, it helps keep me accountable. If I get a wide-eyed look, I might be doing something excessively risky or stupid. I’ve over-leveraged myself in calls twice and I knew I shouldn’t have done it both times. When I tell my friends what I did and I’m embarrassed, it exemplifies the face that I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. You will also get ideas for new strategies or plays from them. It’s good to stay versatile and use multiple strategies when appropriate. Beware of group think/echo chambers.
• I recommend NEVER telling someone what to buy/sell and when. I’ll tell people MY plays or what I like and why, but I will not encourage them to emulate what I do. Depending on the audience, I’ll tell them my exact positions along with my exit and entrance strategy. With closer friends I’ll offer my thoughts on their trades (if asked). If my friend is doing something really risky (one of my friends does some scary stuff) I may ask them if they want my advice, and provide it, especially if they overlooked a risk/event. I will not encourage someone to execute/enter a trade since it has a high potential for hurt feelings or animosity all around.
• Don’t fall in love with a stock. Just because something made you money before and you have high confidence in it doesn’t mean it will keep performing. I joke that FDX betrayed me when it started dipping and losing me money. I was over-confident of its bounce-back and sold too many puts too quickly. I’m in several losing trades because of it. However, I will keep good stocks in my rostetracking list or try different strategies or re-enter trades when they change their behavior.
• As you start to both buy and sell options and get more experience in general, you'll start seeing the two sides to every trade. You will likely start adjusting your strategies or trying new trades out because of this. Things will likely click one day. Most/all the greeks and options concepts will become almost second nature. For me this was when I could build an Iron Condor from scratch, which was a watershed moment involving a good understanding of many strategies.
• Understand Liquidity and volume.
  • Trading in low volume, low open interest contracts results in wide bid/ask spreads and difficulty having your contracts filled. Look at all the data for a contract, not just the strike and price.
  • Monthly Expiration dates typically have better liquidity.
  • Multi-legged trades (Common examples are 2-legged vertical spreads or 4-legged iron condors) have more difficulty being filled, especially on bad brokers like Robin Hood. Having very liquid options for all legs is extremely helpful in obtaining timely and well-priced fills, which maximize your potential profits.
• Time in market vs timing the market:
  • It is extremely difficult to time the market perfectly. If you wait for the perfect opportunity forever, history has proven you will miss out on gains. Keeping all your money out of the market has proven to be ineffective. Now if there is something serious happening with a stock/the market (like say a new pandemic), don’t go all in. I recommend entering incrementally at dips. If the stock has huge upside potential it may never go down, so it might make sense to partially enter at the current price.
  • IMIO selling puts is a great strategy to get into a stock you like, or at least make money off it. I think buying stock in lots of 100 is usually for suckers. Selling an ATM or ITM put (assuming the math works out) on a stock you were going to buy and hold is ALMOST free money.
  • I recommend keeping some cash available regardless. If you have a very large account or expect a downturn, hedging with indexes like QQQ, SPY, or VIX or calls/puts may be wise.
• Every trade can't be a winner. You will take some losses, you must get used to it. I don’t like having a realized loss of 1K or more on any trade. However, this will happen, especially with larger accounts.
  • As long as you win more often and beat the S&P that year I consider it okay. I’m kind of aggressive, so I consider 20%+ annually good. 30%+ annually is great. 40%+ and I’m dancing. After trading options I am almost baffled by my old belief that 5% annual returns (mostly from dividend ETFs) was “good”. That’s nothing to me now since I’m willing to take risks. Note: While lots of people danced in 2020, realize that’s an insane Bull Run year and is atypical.
  • Adhere to your own risk tolerance and never over-extend yourself, especially with margin use. Don’t make huge gambles leaving you uncomfortable. Only gamble with money you are willing to lose.
  • My personal strategy is to make safer gains for the year and then enter slightly riskier strategies using those gains. I can be slightly-moderately more aggressive and compound my gains. For me I often sell puts to make money, then when I see a big opportunity I’ll sell a put and buy an OTM or moderately ITM call.
• Understand it’s not safe to try and get rich overnight. However, once you hit big “steps” things may start to snowball. You can enter more positions and take more risks if you choose to.
  • For me this when I hit 50k, then 100k. I was able to balance low and moderate risk positions to more significantly grow my account. I’ll even do a high risk thing now and again because my gains can absorb it (assuming I have them).
  • I can’t wait to get to 250K, then 500K. I know it’ll take quite a long time, but I am confident I’ll eventually be able to have 500K and (hopefully) 1M in my non-401k trading account with gains and additions from my job. I can only imagine how “dangerous” I will be with that kind of capital.
• If you missed "the next big thing" like AAPL, TSLA, or the time machine I’m building in my basement. Don't get upset, learn from it. Adapt and become a better trader for next time.
  • Figure out why a company was so promising, before they mooned. Determine how you would have traded differently in hindsight. Apply those lessons to the next company you believe has long term growth prospects.
  • For me that's putting in 1-2.5k towards shares and/or buying LEAPS on it. Depending on my bullishness I may buy “cheap”, fairly far OTM calls. The far OTM options are sort of lottery tickets. If I'm right the (relatively) low cost will have explosive profits; if I'm wrong, they didn't cost that much so it's a calculated loss I’m willing to accept. For more serious bets I’ll buy ITM LEAPS to run PMCCs on. I also like to buy 1-2K in my 401k for very long-term plays.
• The stock market hates uncertainty, it seems to crave the status quo. A shakeup can potential tank a stock, even if it's nothing. With shares you can wait it out, but this can be problematic for options. If you see volatile/uncertain times ahead (politics, disease, manufacturing, earnings, etc.), you might want to reduce your overall portfolio risks or hedge.

Profit Retention / Loss Mitigation

• If selling options, it is a viable strategy to close early after a large gain with many DTE left until expiry. See TT videos / strategies on this.
• Don't hold options through earnings unless you literally want to gamble. I like playing on earnings run ups, but that can be risky.
• If you hold options through earnings, IV crush will happen immediately afterwards, devaluing the option. However, if the option is profitable enough, IV crush won’t matter, which will still make money for a call buyer. A sold put sufficiently far OTM will benefit from IV crush, even if the stock dips after slightly bad or lukewarm earnings.
• Don't throw good money after bad. Don't gamble on a recovery if your assumption appears to be wrong or the market is flat out tanking. If you are wrong and still believe in the company, wait twice as long as your original plan (wait for your 2nd entry point vs 1st) before adding to your position.
• Consider using stop losses to lock-in profits on rides up or sometimes use them to prevent losses. Note, stops can be easily triggered in volatile options. Now when I'm up a lot on calls (especially around earnings or large momentum run-ups) I always set stop losses. I have been burned too many times. In December 2020 I didn't set a SL on several thousand dollars of FDX calls I was already up on and I "lost" ~$5K of unrealized gains. If you're up big, don't get too greedy.
• A possible strategy if a stock is on a tear and you have multiple options open: Close some positions (I prefer to do this incrementally if the stock has momentum), but leave 1+ open in case the stock goes into outer space/the floor. Next, set a stop loss with a little buffer below its current movement / range so it doesn't get hit unless the stock falls hard. Finally, watch the stock closely and if it keeps rising, keep moving the stop loss up in little bits incrementally. This will let you keep more profits on a hot streak, but give some protection and secure more gains. It will also help eliminate FOMO if a stock exceeds your expectations.
• Have rules when to roll out, down & out, or up & out. I like TT’s roll at break even or at 1x loss and to always roll for a credit (or for me a very minor cost). Obviously these rules need some monitoring. Know your stocks, the news, and technicals so you don’t jump the gun.
  • If you roll early for a credit and you’re right, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll just need to hold longer, which will obviously tie up capital. Sometimes it’s better to tie up some money (especially if you aren’t paying interest) than eating a huge loss.
  • Rolling too late can be worse though. I currently have a very underwater FDX put I sold that is over 2x loss, rolling it does almost nothing unless you want to pay a debit or extend it extremely far out.
• On huge options gains, I strongly you recommend taking profits by rolling up/down or incrementally sell your contracts at several different prices (this is why having multiple contracts is nice).
  • Rolling up involves selling your initial call, then using a fraction of your proceeds to buy a cheaper, further OTM call with the same expiry; puts are inverse this. When rolling up I like to ensure the new option’s cost is 15-40% of my realized gains. I’ll buy a more or less expensive new optoin based on my convication to the stock and predicted movements. You can also roll up and out to get a further expiry and strike.
  • This is monumentally important if you are playing with incredibly high rising stocks or during a short squeeze.
  • Sad story time: I completely screwed up when I forgot to roll up, twice, during the GME gamma/short squeeze. I didn’t take my own advice; I didn’t have a real exit or transition plan and I got emotional. It all happened so fast and I was at work; the insanity of the run up and subsequent gamma squeeze caught me off guard. I should’ve clocked out and thought through the situation for 15-30 minutes to form an impromptu plan, then executed trade(s). My moderate risk tolerance coupled with my desire to take profits took over. When the stock partially cratered after a run up, I sold to retain gains. In the heat of the moment I thought the squeeze was squoze and it was going to plummet into the ground and I wasn’t being rational.
    • On 1x 4K call I would’ve made an additional 15-25K if I rolled up to a cheaper contract with some of my profits.
    • I know I missed out on significantly more with a 2nd call I had. Depending when I rolled it, it would likely have been an additional 25-50k in profits.
  • I talked about learning from your mistakes above. This mistake is branded into my brain due to the massive gains I missed out on by not rolling up. I’m furious with myself as I write this 1 week after the GME gamma squeeze, I’m a planner and I didn’t plan. If anything I own is significantly up ever again, I’m rolling up (or at least setting a stop loss). If necessary, I’ll roll up a trade multiple times to keep extracting profits.
  • Learn from my mistake so you don’t miss out on gains too. I strongly recommend rolling up when you are up big on a call / roll down when you are up big on a put. This enables you to take profits, stay in the game, and keep extracting more gains.
• If you trade a lot of options, talk to your broker about a discount. I was getting the standard $.50/contract with E-Trade, but I traded over 300 contracts a quarter and was able to get the fee reduced by over $.10 by just asking. I am now doing more spreads and condors, so once my volume gets very high, I’ll ask again.
• If you have a broker that isn’t great and you want to switch, leverage your current trading fees to the new broker. Tell them you’ll move over $### thousand if they beat your current options trading fee per contract.

Trade Planning & Position Management Tips

• As you gain experience, start monitoring what kind of Delta, OTM, DTE, etc. you are most profitable with. Use it in your future trades. You'll often see the tasty trade 30-45DTE .3 Delta strategy for selling.
• Before entering a trade, look at rough technicals like resistances and supports to consider your relevant strikes as well as entry/exit points. Look at upcoming earnings & dividend dates as well as stock/market news.
• Consider staggering strikes and expirations for safety and diversity; it’s nice to avoid assignment on 3 puts at once because you used the same strike for all 3.
• Incrementally enter positions on large rises/falls. One of my favor strategies is to buy dips after over reactions. By doing this slowly in large price "steps" it helps combat FOMO and helps you avoid getting slaughtered.
  • This will also help you avoid "chasing a falling knife". It also ties into having a plan.
  • I set alerts at several predetermined prices and I REALLY try not to enter new trades unless I hit my preset points. It makes me less emotional and usually more effective.
• Don't buy far expiration options with poor liquidity for shorter term plays. I bought 1x GME 1-year+ LEAPS call before the 2021 short squeeze. That was stupid, I should've bought 2-3x 60-120 day calls to have better liquidity. I also paper-handed it and missed out on my lambo.
• If selling options, consider rolling (for a credit) to avoid assignment when it makes sense / meets your plan. Rolling closer to expiration can be a valid strategy to get theta on your side. On the flip side, if the stock moons or plummets it could've been better to roll before it got crazy deep ITM. See rolling “rules” above.
• Covered Calls:
  • If a stock has a large movement range, I think it can be worthwhile to wait to open a CC after the last one is closed/expires. I have been more successful waiting for another opportunity vs. opening one immediately on the Monday after the second the last one expires.
  • Consider selling covered calls at all time highs/peaks. If you sell a CC and the stock dips significantly, and you think it’s temporary, you can buy to close your CC for a quick profit, then reopen it later.
  • If you own Meme stocks, selling covered calls runs the risk of missing out on large gains. On these stocks I typically only sell them further OTM than I normally would or not at all. If I do sell CC on a Meme stock I try to ensure I have 25-100 other shares that won’t be called away.

-Advanced Beginner-
Spreads

• Spreads (with 2 legs) are neat because they manipulate how delta and theta act. It caps your gains and losses, but you can profit with less stock movement. Try several spreads on a P/L calculator to see for yourself.
• Spreads usually require margin trading.
• Spreads allow you to define max losses (assuming you close before expiration day) and use less capital.
  • Experienced traders will open many spreads at identical/similar strikes to heavily profit off movement. Spreads can make you/lose you a lot of money if you are right.
  • For example. I could make a $200 premium off a $500 risk trade, max loss would be $300. This is much more effective capital utilization than a naked or cash secured put, however it does not have the same downside protection or “wheel” potential as a sold put. Higher risk, higher reward.
• Vertical Debit spreads: I think of these like mini calls/puts. I personally don’t use them unless calls are outrageously expensive or the break even is absurdly high, but there’s nothing wrong with them. A call debit spread will lower your breakeven and overall cost vs just a call. You can do clever things like making a positive theta call spread if you’re creative. I like doing this since I hate losing money to theta.
• Vertical Credit spreads:
  • Very good theta strategy to define downside/upside risks.
  • A put credit spread is bullish and allows you to bet on upward movement with less capital and defined losses.
  • A call credit spread is a bearish strategy that allows you to bet on downward movement. These are very cool since they allow you to sell calls without selling naked calls, which can ruin you financially. I see selling these as better than buying puts since it’s so much easier to be profitable; to be redundant, Θ rocks.
  • https://www.schwab.com/resource-centeinsights/content/reducing-risk-with-credit-spread-options-strategy-0
• I repeat this on purpose: Don't EVER leave short spreads open on expiration day, close them. If you don't close, they better be VERY far from the strike on a non-volatile stock. In after hours a stock can jump/dip below your strike and be exercised without the other leg to protect you. This can lead to massive, life ruining losses. This is not an exaggeration, google this and be scared. It happened to a fair number of people with TSLA. Video explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtVFj9nRRDo&t=315s
• Short Straddle:

Trading Mechanics, Taxes, Market Manipulation

• Learn about wash sale rules. They suck and are very easy to activate with options. This will eliminate your ability to write off losses. Over trading can easily cause wash sales. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/washsalerule.asp
• Short attacks:
  • Learn to recognize these sketchy attacks by hedges/firms. They manipulate the market, it’s been documented countless times. A common one is rapid short selling, which pushes the price down.
  • Short Ladder attacks:
    • https://www.google.com/amp/s/seekingalpha.com/amp/instablog/11442671-gerald-klein/3096735-anatomy-of-a-short-attack
    • Some people say short ladder attacks don't exist. I've seen some very strange stock nosedives off low volume, so I tend to think they do.
  • If you plan well enough and the market doesn’t give up on the stock you may be able to use it as a great opportunity to buy the dip.
• Cramer explains how he intentionally manipulated the market when he ran a hedge fund years ago. Multiple links to the video are below since this video gets pulled often, Cramer / The street never wanted this to go public.
  • Reuters article: https://www.reuters.com/article/cramer-interview-idUKN2036292620070320
  • httpss://youtu.be/r07Gg92YjOI
  • https://youtu.be/VMuEis3byY4
  • https://youtu.be/JEzsfPmh894
  • https://youtu.be/QFfjX8dW-QQ
  • Due to this video I don’t fully trust Cramer. His show can give you stock ideas to buy (or inverse), but you never know where his true loyalties lie.
• Plan for taxes if you are up big. You may need to over withhold or contribute to taxes quarterly depending on your situation. https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc306

-Intermediate / Advanced Strategies (work in progress)-
You’ll notice many of these strategies inverse one another.
Options Strategy Finder
This website is great for learning about new strategies, you’ll see many links to it below.
https://www.theoptionsguide.com/option-trading-strategies.aspx
Short Strangle / Straddle

• Both of these strategies profit from little price movement. I recommend using a P/L calculator to determine BE, profit, etc.
• A straddle sells (or buys) two options at the same expiry and strike.
• A strangle sells (or buys) two options at same expiry with different strikes.
• Both these strategies involved selling a Call and a Put for a credit. Straddle uses ATM legs, strangle uses OTM legs.
• Limited max profits and unlimited risk. Due to the unlimited risk, I am not a fan. However, many people like these a lot.
• https://www.theoptionsguide.com/short-strangle.aspx
• https://www.theoptionsguide.com/short-straddle.aspx

Iron Condor and Iron Butterflies

• These strategies profit from neutral or mostly neutral stock movement. They receive a credit to open and benefit from theta decay. If your stock is range bound, these may be a good choice.
• These are both 4 "legged" trades, so you will have 4 trading fees to enter or exit the trade. A lower cost or zero cost broker shines here. However, “bad” free brokers will give you poor fills, which may not be worth the discount.
• Condors and butterflies have "wings" which are your purchased puts and calls. The wider the wing the higher the max profit/risk. The condor body can be riskier and skinny with a narrow high profit range or wider for a much greater chance of success with lower payout.
• An iron condor is built by combining a put credit spread and a call credit spread with the same expiry.
• An iron condor can be thought of as a modified short strangle with limited risk, and therefore a bit less profit. I prefer defined limited risk.
• The butterfly is similar except instead of a plateau it has a sharp peak. My personal mental note is that a condor looks more like a strangle with wings, while a butterfly looks like a straddle with wings.
• Pay attention to earnings dates when you open these, I have forgotten to check before and it led to bad trades.
• https://www.theoptionsguide.com/iron-condor.aspx
• https://www.theoptionsguide.com/iron-butterfly.aspx

Long Condor (Debit Call Condor)

• The debit version of an Iron Condor. You expect the price to stay inside your defined range. This strategy profits from neutral or mostly neutral stock movement. I’ve never tried this, Iron Condors make more sense to me.
• Limited risk / limited reward.
• https://www.theoptionsguide.com/condor.aspx

Short Condor (Credit Call Condor)

• Inverse of an Iron Condor. You expect the price to go OUTSIDE your defined range. These are useful when you expect significant price movement. Credit to open.
• Limited risk / limited reward.
• Can be harder to set up. I want to try these, haven’t yet.
• https://www.theoptionsguide.com/short-condor.aspx

Reverse Iron Condor

• Inverse of an Iron Condor. You expect the price to go OUTSIDE your defined range. These are useful when you expect significant price movement. Debit to open.
• Limited risk / limited reward.
• https://www.theoptionsguide.com/reverse-iron-condor.aspx

LEAPs

• LEAP Options are options that are long term with many DTE, often over a year until expiration. LEAP calls are great for long term growth plays (downtrends with LEAP puts) or simply when you really like a company and can't afford 100 shares. LEAPs (or any "longer term" option) enables you to sell a PMCC or PMCP (below)

PMCC / PMCP

• PMCC or PMCP are poor man's covered call (or poor man's covered puts). They are diagonal options often used with purchased LEAPs. You sell a shorter DTE call/put with a further OTM strike than your purchased call/put. For PMCC/PMCPs it is often recommended to recoup your extrinsic value as soon as possible, some recommend with your first call CC or put sale, to ensure you are positive if the option is assigned early. These have a lot of moving parts and strategies. If you buy a barely ITM call/put and sell a nearby strike call/put you run the risk of the purchased option getting "blown by" on large stock movement and ending up with a very negative losing trade. Keeping your purchased LEAP deeper ITM should protect you. Check your initial PMCC using an options calculation to make sure you don't screw up.
• I'm currently tinkering with these myself. So far I like .7-.9 delta call LEAPS with 30-45 DTE calls on my CC. The goal is to hold the LEAP long term, potentially until expiration, and constantly sell calls/puts on it that expire worthless. Typically the call/put is rolled up and out or down and out if it's going to be assigned, unless you don't want your LEAP anymore.
• Some people look at these many sold CC or puts as profits, I look at them as lowering my cost basis until it's zero (or even negative). I have a page in my notebook I write each CC on my NIO LEAP (I Meme stock sometimes). I find it satisfying to slowly see the cost of the original option disappear. When I originally wrote this I had ~2 years left on it and it's 9-10% paid for; that doesn't even count the actual gains the LEAP has.
• TT states this is considered an IV play, which I partially agree with. You want to buy these during low IV times since an IV drop will hurt your LEAP value. I look at them more as a way to sell calls/puts on a high IV company with a lot of price movement and potential upside/downside.

Advanced Orders

• Guide to several order types: https://us.etrade.com/knowledge/events/webinars/order-types-from-basic-to-advanced-07162019
• One Triggers Other (OTO):
  • Good brokers will allow you to set these up, some will require a desktop to do it. This lets you link one action to another. In programming think of it like an if-then. You’ll tie a buy/sell to another buy/sell
  • Setting trailing stops on options is very chaotic since their price movement can be drastic due to volatility. I prefer to set my trailing stop to a stock.
  • What I like to do is set a trailing stop on a stock (or just link it to a stock price drop) and have it sell 1 share I own. Then it immediately executes a market order to sell my call. I’ve had good luck doing this with incredibly volatile plays were stop losses aren’t effective. I’ll often have an order saved and ready saved for when a strong run up starts. When my price alerts start blowing up my phone, I’ll immediately hit execute to turn it on.

​
Disclaimer:
I’m not a financial adviser, I'm actually an engineer. I’m not telling you to invest in a specific stock/option or even use a specific strategy. I’ve outlined and more extensively elaborated on what I personally like. You should test several strategies and find what works best for you.
I'm just a guy who trades (mainly options) part-time for financial gain and fun. I don't claim to be some investing savant.

I am 33 years old make $101,975, live in Baltimore, MD and work as a Systems Engineer. My husband is an Electronics Engineer, he earns $94,200 a year. Combined salary - $196,175
Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance: ~85K combined for me. My employer contributes 10%, I contribute 8%. I also put 50$ in a Roth IRA every paycheck. Husband (P) has ~75K total. His employer ended their 8% contribution thanks to COVID Edit - He just received an email this week that it will be resuming in March, yaaaay! He also contributes $100 a month to an IRA. So ~160K Total.
Equity: We have ~45K in home equity. We bought our house about 4 years ago, and thanks to grants we were able to afford the down payment of the house (we got about $17K in grants)
Savings account balance: We have $40K saved. We are saving up for our next house, so we are trying to build our cash savings.
Checking account balance: I try to keep at least $500 in my account just in case
Credit card debt: None:. I use a CC for most of my purchases but pay off the balance every month. P does the same.
Student loan debt: I graduated with about 33K in student debt. I paid this off somewhat aggressively, then was able to pay off the final lump sum with money I received when my grandmother passed away. P also graduated with around 30K in loans, and paid it off before we were dating.
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: Both my husband and I both only very recently started making as much as we do now. My first salary out of college was 30K as a software tester, and P's salary was $29K. We changed jobs and even moved across the country twice growing our career. When we moved to Baltimore a little over 5 years ago, I was making 49K and P was an hourly employee with no benefits, but earned around 52K a year. I was able to switch from a software tester to a systems engineer a couple of years ago, and that is when my salary began to really increase. I received a 10% raise this year and a promotion, which bumped me over the 100K mark. P's salary increased a bit when he became a full time employee with benefits. His job here in Baltimore was a really challenging transition for him, but he really stepped up and his hard work definitely payed off.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: I get paid biweekly, each paycheck is 2257.20, my monthly is usually 4514,40, except for the two months where I get an extra paycheck. P's monthly take home is 5400. Our combined monthly take home is usually 9,914
Section Three: Expenses
Mortgage: $2240 P pays this.
Daycare: $2200 I pay this!
Donations: Monthly $10 to local NPR. We donate randomly to other organizations throughout the year.
Electric: Usually ~200 in winter, closer to 100 in summer. I pay this.
Wifi/Cable: $120 P pays this.
Cellphone: $128 P Pays this.
Subscriptions Netflix - 12 Hulu - 12 Baltimore Sun - 14 Neighborhood association - 23 (P and I split these)
Pet expenses: We just had to put down one of our cats, who did have considerable expenses at the end of her life, including medication that cost $50 a month, and special medicated food. We still have two cats, but they are all healthy and have no extra expenses for now.
Car insurance: $250
workout classes: I take aerial silks and trapeze, the cost works out to be ~120 a month. It's an expensive hobby but it gives me so much joy.
Section 4: Money Diary
Day 1 - Tuesday
5:30 am - I have a 16 month old (T) who wakes me up at 5:30am. We got a bit of snow on Sunday, and expect his daycare to have a late start today, but T has a runny nose so I have a sneaking suspicion he will be home with us all day today. I give him milk and play with him until it's time to wake up my husband (P). We take turns waking up with T because we both hate mornings.
7 am - P is up, and we give T some sort of food
8:30 am - we agree T cannot go to daycare, so we decide to split the day watching T so we can both work some. I work in the morning, so I bring my laptop downstairs so I can check my email while we get the real breakfast ready. P makes pancakes for himself and T, and he also makes tea for me and coffee for himself. I have a piece of toast with my tea.
9 am - I go upstairs to our spare bedroom which we have converted to be an office thanks to COVID. I try my best to focus on work in the morning. I work on some reports and get some files organized and ready for analysis. At some point in the middle of this I get dressed, wash my face and brush my teeth. Days with T home can get chaotic and my self care often gets dropped.
12:30 pm - P and T ran out and picked up lunch while I was working - we all feast on tacos (T eats an entire chicken taco). $28.14 We normally cook lunch but thanks to the snow and having T home we are mostly out of food.
1 pm - P leaves for work (he cannot do most of his work remotely so he has to go in). T goes down for a nap, and I try to make the house less chaotic, also get a little more work down. T wakes up around 3 and we play for the rest of the afternoon.
5 pm - P is home, we make flatbread pizza with red peppers for T. T has gotten super picky and pizza is one of the few ways he eats any veggies these days, so it's a common offering. P and I have instant ramen for ourselves, with lots of veggies added in from the fridge (we really need groceries).
8 pm - T is asleep, P and I clean up a little, then I video chat some friends of mine for an hour. I remember to order bread, which is delivered on Fridays to the liquor store a couple of blocks from my house. Suddenly it's 10pm and bedtime. $9
Daily Total: 31.14
Day 2 - Wednesday
7:10 am - I am woken up by T running into the bedroom. It was my turn to sleep in a little, never thought how much I would appreciate an after 7am wakeup. P and I discuss T's runny nose. T has no fever or other symptoms, but we play it safe and decide to keep him home one more day. Ugh. T gets as breakfast bar for his first breakfast today.
8:30 am - I make T eggs for 2nd breakfast, get ready for another half day of work (I am working in the morning again).
10 am - I am trying to pay attention to meetings but it is hard. T is clearly fussy and tired of being stuck in the house. He has been cold and miserable when he is brought outside though. Everyone is frustrated and grumpy.
12 pm - I give up on work early, heat up Trader Joe's chicken tikka for lunch. P also heats up a frozen Trader Joe's meal. We heat up some leftover flatbread pizza for T, but he refuses it. He eats yogurt and all of the chicken from my meal. Thanks kid. I start putting together an order from the grocery store (we only do curbside pickup because of COVID). It's going to be a larger order because it's been longer than usual since we have gotten groceries.
5 pm - P gets home with takeout. P gets a veggie burger, I get meatballs, we get spaghetti for T. We offer T some of our meals, he refuses everything except the spaghetti. $47.53
7:45 pm - T is in bed, I log back into work. A coworker send me some documentation to review, I do that and also start going through files and gathering data. While I work P makes pumpkin bread!!
9:15 pm - I log off for the night. I play Just Dance on the switch and dance around alone in my living room for a half hour to get some sort of exercise in.
Daily Total: 47.53
Day 3 - Thursday
6:10 am - Woken up by T. It's after 6 - yay! I watch T closely, we are hoping to take him to daycare today. His runny nose is still around but seems better.
7 am - T gets some of P's pumpkin bread for breakfast. P is up and we decide to take T to daycare today. We run around throwing everting T needs in a bag, de-ice our 2nd car as P has a dentist appointment at 8 and we haven't used that car since the snow storm.
7:45 am- the whole family somehow makes it out the door. T gets very excited to see he is going back to daycare. He was definitely tired of staying home too. I drop off T and and head back home for an actual full day of work
8:15 am - check email from my kitchen while I make tea. P stops back home after the dentist, makes coffee to bring to work and feeds the cats.
11:45 am - I make the last hello fresh meal I have that has been sitting in the back of the fridge getting sad. It's grilling cheese with veggies and couscous. P shows up around 12:15 and we eat together (he eats the other portion). I started getting hello fresh irregularly in November, to help with my sanity thanks to COVID. [Note - P works just a few minutes from our house, so he has been coming home for lunch every day during COVID times]
1 pm - P heads back to work, I go back upstairs to my "office". The rest of my work day is filled with meetings, screensharing covid life, and writing some code.
4:45 pm - I wrap up work and head out to pick up T. His face lights up when he sees me.
5:15 pm - P makes bean and cheese quesadillas for T and himself. I have half of a Trader Joe's frozen beef and broccoli. T gives up on the quesadillas after a few bites, but accepts some applesauce.
7:45 - T is in bed. P runs out to pick up some beer and tonic for me. I prepare a grilled cheese with some pesto and spinach snuck in for T's lunch tomorrow while P is out. $16.53
8 pm - P is back, I make a gin and tonic and hop on a virtual game night with some of my coworkers. P watches hockey and has some beer.
10pm - go upstairs for bed. Brush teeth, wash face, moisturize, bedtime!
Daily Total: 16.53
Day 4 - Friday
7:10 am - Woken up by T who is trying to climb in the bed to wake me up. P takes him down to have breakfast (pumpkin bread and some oatmeal), while I wake up and brush my teeth. I help get T out the door, then I take a much needed long shower. My showers are either 2 minutes or 20 minutes these days, there is no in between.
8:10 am - P asks if I want anything from the bakery by the daycare. I decline, as we need to finish up the bread we have. He gets himself a raspberry danish and a coffee $7.16
8:20 am- P makes me toast and tea as I empty the dishwasher. Then we eat breakfast together and answer our morning work emails. P is out the door by 9 to go into work, I head upstairs.
12:10 pm - P stopped by the grocery to pick up our order $89.30, and also picked up Chipotle for lunch $13.77. He gets a burrito, I get a bowl. We both add queso to our meals for the first time, because fuck it. The queso makes the meal so decadent and I only want to sleep now. After we finish eating we put away the groceries - they were out of a lot of things we requested. Blah. I can't make much of what I was planning to cook, and continue to feel frustrated with COVID.
1 pm - P heads back to work, I go back upstairs despite the meows from my cat who wants me to stay downstairs on the couch. I wish cat. I eat 2 squares of chocolate to get me through the Friday afternoon (yes, I am the person who eats dark chocolate one square at a time. It can take me a month to get through a bar sometimes. I am a monster)
4 pm- I stop working a little early and jump on a zoom call with a couple of friends. We catch up for a little as I start making veggie fritters in hopes to get T to eat any vegetable.
5 pm - P arrives home with T. I offer T the fritters I made and he eats a few bites. I'll take it. I also quickly cook some pasta and steam some broccoli. I mix in some pesto and call that dinner for P and I. P gets T to eat some applesauce as well.
6:15 pm - I go to my aerial silks class. I have been doing aerial since I moved to Baltimore and I love it! Class is an hour long, after it I stop by the liquor store where the bread I ordered earlier in the week is dropped off. I also pick up a bottle of wine while I am there. $16.34
8 pm - I get home and T is asleep. P and I have a couple of drinks (beer for him, wine for me) and we watch RuPaul's Drag Race. We have watched this show for years and had kinda stopped watching it, but picked it back up in the pandemic times and it's exactly the energy we need.
10:30pm - Head up to bed a little later than we should. Lazy face washing and teeth brushing, then sweet sweet bedtime.
Daily Total: 112.80
Day 5 - Saturday
6:45 am - I wake on my own and T is still asleep!!!! I actually get to wake up for a few minutes on my own before I see that T is up. This is the latest he has ever slept and I am overjoyed. I give T milk and we play and look at every book he owns. At 7:45 we wake up P and we both marvel at how well T slept.
8 am - P starts making breakfast for T and himself. I just have toast and tea as usual.
10 am - Another aerial class for me this morning - this time dance trapeze, my favorite! This class is so challenging but I love it. I come home bruised and worn out. It's not ideal for me to take the two classes so close together, but that is just how the schedule worked out. While I am at class, P takes T to the playground to get some energy out.
12 pm - I try to get T to eat more veggie fritters for lunch, but no luck. He "eats" an apple for awhile, and has his trusty yogurt. I honestly don't remember what P and I eat for lunch.
1pm - T naps. P and I chill on the couch and do as little as possible. I order a pair of leggings off of amazon, as I have only worn leggings this winter and it shows. $25.44
3:30 pm - T is up, and we all get dressed to go to the bookstore near our house, which allows you to shop by appointment only - we have one for 4pm. I am just so excited to go somewhere. We browse for a bit and get 3 books for T, P gets a random book, and I randomly buy an expensive but beautiful cookbook - it's all about lunch bowls, and everything in it looks delicious. We spend a lot, but we never go shopping these days and are glad to support a local business. $70.98
5 pm - Dinner time! I heat up some chicken, which T eats most of. I am able to add a few pieces to some instant ramen I made. I also add spinach, green onion, and corn to my ramen. P makes a burrito for himself (P is vegetarian, which is why we eat completely different meals sometimes. He had no interest in any chicken). After dinner we video chat the grandparents, then it's T's bedtime routine.
7:45 pm - T is asleep. I decide it is time for me to make a chocolate torte. I haven't had a true dessert in awhile and I am craving something, and this is what we have the ingredients for. While I am baking, P runs to a grocery near our house. We don't like going inside a grocery these days, but we really need some of the items that were missing in our last pickup. He comes home with way more than what was on our initial list, but we will use everything $71.71 The cake is out the oven, I make a ganache for the first time ever to top the cake and P is in love. He has a much bigger sweet tooth than me, so he is very supportive of my random baking. We end the night eating cake, having some wine, and just chatting and catching up until we head to bed at too late of an hour.
Daily Total: 161.13
Day 6 - Sunday
7 am - Woken up by P & T. I take T and we play downstairs while P gets as little extra rest. It's snowing/raining outside and it just looks awful. Around 8 P comes downstairs and we agree to order breakfast for delivery since no one wants to do breakfast or anything at all in this weather. I ordered homefries and turkey sausage (something other than toast!!) and P gets an egg and cheese sandwich, and also orders pancakes to share with T. We put something on the TV, which we rarely do with T around, but if there was a day to be lazy this is it. Our food comes quickly and we eat it up! $19.51
10 am - we put T in his high chair and let him go wild with paint. This is fav indoor activity for rainy days. Once he is sufficiently messy, P takes T upstairs to wash off, and I pick up downstairs.
12 pm - P makes mac and cheese for T, which he eats up! Both P and I eat some of the boxed mac and cheese, and never get around to eating anymore.
1 pm - T is down for his nap. I play stardew valley on my PS4, while P plays something on his Switch until T is up. We eat some of the chocolate torte.
3:30 pm - It stopped raining and the sun is out! Once T is up, we all get dressed and walk to the park near our house. T finds lots of good sticks and watches lots of good dogs.
5 pm - I make a chicken noodle soup, P makes a flatbread with pesto and red bell peppers. T eats some chicken from my soup and some of the flatbread.
8 pm - T is down, P runs by walgreens to get diaper cream for daycare, since both groceries were out of it. $15.49 We watch another episode of RuPaul and go to bed around 10pm.
Daily Total: $35
Day 7 - Monday
6:15 am - wakeup by T. Play with all the cars until we wake up P at 7. T gets the last piece of pumpkin bread for breakfast.
7:45 am - Drop of T at daycare. Head back home, P makes me tea and makes himself coffee. We both have toast. As usual, we check email and have breakfast together, then he heads into work at 9.
9 am - I start working on some very exciting reports. Yay Monday. Daycare calls and says T hasn't been eating lunch and asks for advice. They commiserate with me on how tricky he is with food and we come up with a few ideas.
12 pm - I heat up some leftover soup for lunch, P comes home and heats up a burrito. We are both busy with work so todays lunch is a quick one and we don't talk much.
1 pm - I am back to work, back to reports.
4:30 pm - I stop working and get some food ready for T. I make some spaghetti and also some bread with peanut butter on it. P arrives home with T, and T runs into the kitchen asking for food. I give him the plate and he throws everything on the ground. I try not to let his eating (or lack thereof) get to me but it's been hard yall. P can tell I am frustrated and takes T upstairs so I can chill out. I say fuck it and heat up this frozen flatbread thing from trader joe's that we have had in the freezer for awhile for P and I. T decides he will eat that. Whatever kid.
8 pm - T is asleep, P runs out and gets a taco for from the place near our house. I had told daycare how T always eats tacos for us when we get them, so we are going to see if he will eat them at daycare. P also gets a taco for himself, since the flatbread wasn't much food. $7.86
9:30 pm - I eat my feelings in chocolate torte. I also decide I need to do something productive to feel better and that we are going to finally order the next size up carseat for T instead of looking online and getting overwhelmed and never buying something. We decide on using the same brand his current carseat is (Britax) and get a midrange model $201.39. This devolves into watching dumb videos on the internet until it's time for bed.
Daily Total: $209.25
Section 5: TOTALS
Total Expenses - $640.15
Food + Drink - $326.85
Home + Health - $15.49
Clothes + Beauty - $25.44
Transport - $0
Other - $272.37
Section 6: REFLECTION
This was honestly a stressful week for me. The snow days hit a bad time with work for P and I, so we spent more on takeout because of that. We also spend more on groceries than normal, but that was because we had spent much less the previous week and were out of many staples. The carseat was as bigger purchase, but I feel like there is always a bigger purchase around the corner these days, which has been making it harder for us to save as much as we would like.

Early this morning I popped in the BE CD and let it play while I tidied up. It had been a while since I played it. My son, he’s 9, got up from his switch and started dancing. He skipped around the house just really enjoying it. When it was done he asked if we could play it again. Of course! But maybe this time we watch YouTube color coded lyrics? Ok!
We went in order, pausing when needed, to talk about how the lyrics applied to us and our lives during this pandemic, our feelings, etc. My son has only seen friends 3 times in person (masked and at a safe distance) since last April. He lost his grandpa to suspected Coronavirus. His friend’s mother died from coronavirus. He misses his friends. He misses school. He hates online school. It’s been tough for him. From the perspective of a child, this album can be really deep.
He got quite emotional during Fly to my room:
“This room is too small Yes, to contain my dream (Yah, yah, yah) Landing over the bed This is the safest place Somehow there's no joy, no sadness, no emotion It's just me here Sometimes this room becomes an emotional trash can It hugs me They greet me again The toys in my room, like people”
“Let's go, let me fly to my room Lower your gaze and zoom anywhere Come on now, let me fly to my room Get me outta my blues And now I'm feelin' brand new”
We talked about how sick we were of being stuck inside, but how we can choose to look at it in new ways to be happier. Reframing our experience can bring us more joy.
I skipped over blue and grey because tears were already falling. It really gets me crying about my Dad and I just wanted this to be for my son. We laughed at the Skit. Because he’s 9, he really liked that Suga was in the bathroom and his swearing 😆
During Telepathy we talked about how we still visit friends over the internet and how the internet is our “island” “in the blue sea” where we can meet with friends. And that the album was an island where BTS can be with ARMY.
“Let's go to the blue sea The blue sea where we used to play together Pointless worries, for a momеnt Leave them asidе, for a moment Let's enjoy it, in our common memories A small island in the middle of the blue sea”
In Stay we talked about how my son would “Stay” with his friends even though they can’t see each other in person. The friendships will “always stay” even if we can’t see each other in person for a while. Tears were shed. Devotion to friends reaffirmed.
I often worry about how all of this is affecting him. He always says he is fine. But today was a really good emotional release and it felt very healing. We danced hard to Dynamite!! Boy did we need that song today! I expressed how thankful I was that BTS gave us this whole album as a gift to help us deal with this pandemic. My son agreed. They were a shining light for me during 2020. BigHit’s motto of “Music and Artists for healing” was really true today. I feel like BE is a really big HUG from BTS.
If you read this far, thank you. I imagine I can’t be the only one that this album has helped immensely. So, two months after the release, how has BE helped you? Have any songs been especially important to you?
Edit: You guys!!! 💜💜Stop awarding me!!!😊Thank you so much to those that did. I don’t deserve it. I’m shocked that you have liked this post. I was worried I was over-sharing. I’m so glad it has touched some of you and I really like hearing about how BE has helped you too. I’m trying to respond to most of you as I can while trying to spend time with my family. I feel so blessed to have you, yes you ARMY, in my life and discovering BTS has been life changing for me. I know we can all make it through this pandemic. Please be safe. Also I didn’t mention LGO because we listen to that all of the time and my son is very familiar with it. Also Dis-ease was played today and it really resonated with my son but I can’t put it into words. It’s one of my favorites too.

I am here with another year of reflection and prediction. I have done this for 2020, 2019 and 2018 as well: You can see those predictions here:
2020 mid-year: https://www.reddit.com/nintendo/comments/i3i7jm/state_of_nintendo_in_2020_7_month_retrospective/
2020: https://www.reddit.com/nintendo/comments/ee2xav/state_of_nintendo_in_2020/
2019: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/189706-nintendo-switch/77354321
E3 2018: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/189706-nintendo-switch/76268685
2018: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/189706-nintendo-switch/76150741
Keep in mind that this is meant to drive discussion, don’t be a hater. Predicting the future of company plans from a fan perspective is not a precise science and some may be correct and many may be wrong. State what you think will happen in the coming year and why to add to the discussion.

2020 Retrospective

What a year, this is definitely one that will go down in history if only for how the world was shut down economically. Not going into what should have been done, so with the global pandemic hitting many industries, programmers had work from home orders which in turn caused numerous delays to titles that were being prepared for release. Regardless we still saw a steady stream of high-quality titles and the completion of DLC for titles of previous years.
DLC releases
Fire Emblem: Cindered Shadows (February) final DLC with the season pass included new characters and a bonus story playable at any time focused on the catacombs below the school
Super Mario Maker 2: The final update included new snow mechanics and a world maker where you could create a full Mario game (April)
Luigi’s Mansion 3: saw the release of two multiplayer packs (April)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The final expansion “Fantastic 4: Shadow of Doom” (March)
Pokémon Sword/Shield: Two expansion packs in one pass “The Isle of Armor” (July) and “The Crown Tundra” (October) for the first time in a Pokémon game, bringing back many favorite Pokémon
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: finished the first character pass with Byleth (January) and had previously announced a second waiver of character pass with 6 characters. Currently we have seen 3 – Min Min (June), Steve from Minecraft (October), and Sephiroth (December) and 3 more to go.
Major Releases
Super Mario time
Celebrating his 35th anniversary, Nintendo came out with a slew of products starring our favorite Italian Plumber. First was Paper Mario: The Origami King (July) which advanced past the previous two entries but was not quite back to its RPG routes like fans want. Next was Super Mario 3D All-stars (September) which included ports of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy. Adjusting control schemes to account for the lack of analog triggers and pointing controls, the ports were solid but not the best way to play the games. Also missing was Super Mario Galaxy 2 from the package and any extras like documentaries making the games. An MMO-platformer Super Mario 35 (October) was also released free to NSO subscribers where you compete to complete levels in the original Super Mario Bros. Lastly was a Game & Watch version of the original Super Mario Bros.
Pokémon Battle
As stated before, we got the first DLC ever for a Pokémon game and it came in two packages “The Ilse of Armor” and “The Crown Tundra” which added extra Pokémon (both new and old) and new areas to the game. Some criticism on the way the DLC was handled as if you bought the expansion for the wrong version, it would not work despite being the same content. Pokémon Home (February) final arrived on the Switch. The spin off Mystery Dungeon series came in the form of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX (March) which was an updated port of the old Mystery Dungeon games. A free puzzle game Pokémon Café (June) to little fanfare. Also promises of a new Pokémon Snap which was delayed into 2021.
Other notable releases
· Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (January): port of the Wii U game with a few added extras and English voice acting.
· Animal Crossing: New Horizons (March): hit at the start of the pandemic, added features and a promise of evergreen additions made this game Switch’s best-selling game that has not been a pack-in (ie only beat by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe). This game allowed gamers to escape reality and build their own island.
· Streets of Rage 4 (April): Return of the 2D brawler
· Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition (May): a remake of one of Wii’s top RPGs with newer graphics, and a cleaner layout, it also included a bonus mission that connects the ending to the sequel.
· Bioshock Collection (May): A collection of all three critically acclaimed Bioshock games for the first time on an Nintendo console.
· Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (June): A collection of various minigames like Connect Four, various card games, Mahjong and more. Barebone options and quick online play for random or with friends.
· Jump Rope Challenge (June): A free exercise type game that makes use of the joycon to mimic jumping rope
· Burnout Paradise Remastered (June): An open world arcade racer that was critically acclaimed at its original release and updated for modern consoles. Also shows EA putting in more dedication to the Switch console.
· Kirby Fighters 2 (September): A fighting game starring Kirby and his power ups and nobody else.
· Hades (September): Rogue like game that tells the story as you die. Many different gameplay styles depending on which weapons you use.
· Ori and the Will of the Wisps (September): Metroidvania that is visually stunning and developed originally only for Xbox.
· Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (October): Not wanting to give up on the AR experience, Nintendo released toy RC cars that you control with the Switch and a free software download.
· Pikmin 3 Deluxe (October): not done porting all their Wii U games to Switch, this includes all the added DLC at no extra charge
· No More Heroes/No More Heroes 2 (October): Ports of the Wii games with better graphics and framerate and alternate control style to prepare for the upcoming sequel.
· Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (November): Based on the past events of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this musou game changes up its formula but still plays like a musou game.
· Doom Eternal (December): competent port of the PS4/XB1 first person shooter by Bethesda.
· Among Us (December): Shadow dropped indie title that has taken mobile and Twitch by storm.
While not the best year, it was far from empty. Still lacking some key releases such as the sequel to Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Metroid Prime 4, Bayonetta 3 and Super Mario Odyssey 2. There are many Nintendo teams that we have yet to see titles. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic a lot of development has been postponed due to work at home directives set by government.

Current Release List for 2021

· Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game (Jan 14)
· Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy (Jan 26)
· Cyber Shadow (Jan 26)
· Little Nightmares 2 (Feb 11)
· Romance of the Three Kingdoms 14 (Feb 11)
· Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Feb 12)
· Persona 5 Strikers (Feb 22)
· Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection (Feb 25)
· Bravely Default 2 (Feb 26)
· Harvest Moon: One World (Mar 2)
· Balan Wonderworld (Mar 26)
· Monster Hunter Rise (Mar 26)

First Party Software

Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development Tokyo
Kenta Motokura
In charge of the team that was previously under Yoshiaki Koizumi (whom was promoted to Deputy General Manager of the Tokyo office). This team was previously the lead development group of Super Mario Odyssey and developed Super Mario 3D All-stars for September 2020. Due to ports being easier to produce. Now that has wrapped up and they have created an update to allow for inverted camera controls, chances are they have been placed back on developing a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey which will likely be seen in 2022.
Koichi Hayashida
The other team that helped with Super Mario Odyssey also did the port of Captain Toad: Treasure Trackers. They have been busy working on a port of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for Switch due February 2021. They have been focused on implementing numerous changes to that title including: full 3D movement, online gameplay, and amiibo support with Cat Mario and Cat Peach. With all the extras being added, this game probably got pushed out of 2020 and into 2021 due to the pandemic changing the development lifestyle. Also, there is a highly likelihood was that they were working with Motokura’s group originally on Odyssey 2 but plans changed to get out more games for Mario’s 35th Anniversary. I expect them to fold back into Motokura’s group on Odyssey 2 when their port is completed.
Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development Kyoto
Eiji Aonuma
Known as the “Zelda team”, there are two core teams. I believe both are working under Hidemaro Fujibayashi and Hiromasa Shikata to help develop the sequel to Breath of the Wild. Nintendo knows that Zelda sells consoles and what they have shown at e3 (2019) while stating the title is “in full development”. Nintendo know the popularity of the Breath of the Wild game and wants grow on that title. They have done so with the musou game Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity in which this team has assisted Tecmo Koei with development and the overall story. In September 2020 during an online presentation for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Aonuma stated that gamers will have to “wait a bit longer before we can provide more updates” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifm8tpcO4vw). With the 35th Anniversary of the Legend of Zelda series coming in 2021, I do expect this title to be a highlight for the holiday season as long as the game is not pushed back due to unforeseen circumstances in development.
Hideki Konno
This team is the team behind the Mario Kart series. Their latest endeavor was with Augmented Reality (AR) and developing Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit which was released this past October. Not having a full game released since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2017, they have been developing something over the past 3 and a half years. The problem though is MK8D still sells incredibly well and if they develop Mario Kart 9 that will cannibalize any additional sales of their previous title. While chances are they could have altered their development to change it from Mario Kart 9 to another kart racer such as Donkey Kong Racing, I think gamers will probably see something from them when Nintendo showcases a newer model Switch (either the rumored PRO or an actual Switch 2) so I would not expect a full game release until 2022 at the earliest.
Hiroyuki Kimura
Super Mario Maker 2 and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe were developed under Kimura with the help of Takashi Tezuka. In April 2020, Nintendo released the final major update for Super Mario Maker 2 which included a World creator, where you can make your own full fledged Mario game. They also released New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe in January which is an updated port of the Wii U game. There have been rumors of a new Wario platformer being developed which this team has likely been developing. Chances are likely that we will hear about their new title this year.
Kosuke Yubuki
Previously worked on ARMS in 2017 and its DLC. This producer also worked with Konno so it is likely this team was folded back into the Mario Kart team to prepare something for this year or next. It is possible they are working on an ARMS follow up, but with the success of Smash and one of its main characters Min Min being the first of the second waive of Smash DLC, it is unlikely. Most likely working on something brand new which we may see in 2021 or the following year.
Hisashi Nogami
This is the young producer in charge of both Animal Crossing and Splatoon series. He worked with another young producer Aya Kyogoku on Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. With the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons taking an evergreen approach with constant DLC content, especially when it comes to special occasions. A more seamless online experience and a lot more to do, I am sure this group is still working on Animal Crossing. Its next game will be a while away while they focus on Animal Crossing in the current future. Do not expect anything new from this team for a while.

2nd Party Studios

Camelot Software Planning
Their last title was Mario Tennis Aces (2018) and its respective DLC. Being a smaller studio, it takes some time for development. The team was hit harder due to the pandemic. Now, with all the DLC on Mario Tennis Aces completed early 2019, they have likely been busy in full development on Mario Golf. Most likely will see Mario Golf sometime in 2021. It is likely they were probably aiming for a 2020 title buy delayed the development into 2021 – so expect a release this year.
Game Freak
They just released the 2 DLC packages for Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch this year to mixed review. They typically have something Pokémon related out each year and they also developed their own title Little Town Hero last year meaning they have been hard developing some titles. Current rumors suggest either a Let’s Go remake of Gold/Silver or a full remake of Diamond/Pearl since Ruby/Sapphire were the last full remakes. Personally, I think we will either see Sword/Shield 2 or a whole new Pokémon game due out this year since they have been incredibly busy, are a larger studio that works on many titles at once, and have not had a big release in 2020.
Grezzo
This team just release the port of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening in 2019. Mostly known for their 3DS ports of Zelda titles and TriForce Heroes, chances are they are still working on the Zelda franchise. With 2021 being Zelda’s 35th Anniversary, there have been many rumors of a collection or ports of some of the older Zelda games to be released in 2021. Since 2018, there has also been rumor of a Zelda: Skyward Sword port (which was shot down by Aonuma) (https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-11-26-nintendo-fans-excited-by-zelda-skyward-sword-nintendo-switch-port-reports)
Good Feel
They released Yoshi’s Crafted World in 2019 and has likely they have started on the next Yoshi game as it tends to sell well and it is what they know. It is also possible that Nintendo has given them another 2D IP to work with such as Wario Land, however; I think that series might be in development by the 2D Mario team under Kimura. It is highly likely that we will see something from them in 2021 and depending on how the pandemic hit their development cycle it may have either a 2021 or 2022 release.
HAL Laboratory
Developer of all things Kirby, we have seen some smaller Kirby titles lately. Their last games were Kirby Fighters 2 and Part-time UFO both digital only eShop games. They have teased something for early this year but on the smaller scale (https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/12/kirby_developer_hal_laboratory_teases_new_projects_for_20211) . I think they may also have a full-fledged Kirby game due this year as our last one was early 2018.
Intelligent Systems
This team was hard at work as it finished the DLC on Fire Emblem: 3 Houses and released Paper Mario: The Origami King in July of 2020. They also continue to work on Fire Emblem Heroes on mobile as that is Nintendo’s highest grossing mobile project. Growing the studio in 2019 to be able to handle numerous projects at a time, they likely have a few titles in development. The biggest rumor is that Nintendo is readying another Fire Emblem game but a remake of an older title. Current rumors are remakes of Geneology (next one in line for a remake) or Binding Blade (the game that introduced Roy). If it is a remake, then we will likely see the release in 2021. If it is not a remake, then creating the scenario will take some time so we will likely see the game this year with a release for 2022. Chances are they are likely working on another title as well but that probably won’t be seen until 2022.
Next Level Games
Last responsible for Luigi’s Mansion 3 and its DLC that was released in 2020. They have also worked on Metroid and Punch-out! With actual 3D Mario titles being handled internally by Nintendo’s Tokyo studio, they are likely working on something new. Possibly a sports title, new Punch Out, or even a 2D Metroid (though I doubt this despite rumors of development). We may see what they have developed this year, but I would expect a 2022 release to be more realistic for what they are working on.
NDCube
Responsible for Super Mario Party in 2018 and they did Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics for 2020, which was a barebones release in the form of options. Considering the lack of DLC for Super Mario Party, chances are they are working on a sequel to the game that sold well. The single problem if they are working on Super Mario Party 2 is that the original is still selling incredibly well even 2 years after release with over 12 million units. Even if the game is ready this year, I think Nintendo will hold out on Super Mario Party 2 until 2022.
Monolith Soft
Responsible for help with Breath of the Wild and the Xenoblade franchise. We did not hear much from them in 2019 or 2020 with their only release being a remake of the original Xenoblade Chronicles in May. In 2017 they advertised jobs for a new fantasy action-RPG which likely was transferred to their help with the Zelda franchise. I believe we will see the sequel to Breath of the Wild this year and first glimpse of a new Xenoblade game for 2022.
Retro Studios
This year also marks the 35th Anniversary for the Metroid series. Unfortunately, the series is not as high priority as many other Nintendo franchises. With the sequel of Breath of the Wild likely coming out this year, it will be the focus for Nintendo in 2021; we probably will not see any development from Metroid Prime 4 until 2022. Nintendo knows that they need to make Metroid Prime a quality title so they will give Retro Studios as much time as they need for the title. As for the long-rumored port of the Metroid Prime Trilogy, I still have hopes that we will see some information on it this year, potentially in August to support the anniversary and prepare for Metroid Prime 4 the following year.

3rd Party collaborations

Bandai Namco
Collaborating with Nintendo on the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and its DLC, there are still 3 character-packages to go before they are finished with that game. Additionally, they are the development team behind New Pokémon Snap, which was originally due 2020 but delayed into an unknown time 2021 – so expect that title. The Tales team is busy on Tales of Arise which is not bound for Switch, so outside the DLC and Pokémon game do not expect much.
Bethesda
The parent company Zenimax was recently purchased by Microsoft. The sale included Bethesda and all its partnering companies. The last release was Doom Eternal released in December 2020 and was a digital only release. The move from physical to digital only was due to the fact it came 9 months after the main PS4/XB1 release. With no Switch games scheduled on the horizon and its recent acquisition and focus on next generation, I think we have seen the last Switch game from Bethesda
Capcom
They have ported many of their older titles (REmake, RE0, RE4, RE5, RE6, Rev1, Rev2 DMC 1,2,3) to Switch and have brand new games: Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter Stories due in 2021. With the Capcom leak, there is a game due Q4 of 2021 called Biohazard Outrage which is rumored to be Resident Evil Revelations 3 and featuring Rebecca Chambers. There was also a leak of a new Dragon’s Dogma and Ace Attorney 7 which are rumored to come to Switch.
Electronic Arts
They have pledged 14 games from April 2020 to March 2021 fiscal year. EA has kept the games closely guarded and it is unsure if the global pandemic has postponed any of the planned games. Still waiting on Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 and some Plants vs Zombie games.
Koei Tecmo
Since Nintendo has invested heavily in this studio, they have worked increasing hard for Nintendo hardware. They finished the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 DLC, assisted with Breath of the Wild in 2017, assisted with Fire Emblem: 3 Houses and released Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity in 2020. They co-own the Fatal Frame franchise with Nintendo and it has a game that is rumored to be in development. There is also a possibility of a port of the Wii U game to come to Switch. It is likely they are helping with the sequel to Breath of the Wild as well. Lastly there has been a year long rumor on the return of Ninja Gaiden and it seems that Switch would be likely candidate for that game considering how well their games are selling on Switch
Platinum Games
They are working on Bayonetta 3 and have a good relationship with Nintendo. Being in development the over the past 3 years, I do expect to at least hear something about the title in 2021 if not a release but I have been wrong before.
Ubisoft
I went out on a limb last year and said Assassin Creed ports and they are working with Nintendo on a new Star Fox game. We have seen ports for Assassins Creed 3, Liberty, 4: Black Flag and Rebel. New Assassins Creed games are a bit too much for Ubisoft, but I still think we will see another Nintendo collaboration and I am positive it will be a new Star Fox game. Ubisoft will also continue to support Nintendo with Just Dance and look forward to a lot of their smaller titles to also come to the Switch.
Sega
Their biggest releases were games along the Sega Ages line (which they recently discontinued https://nintendoeverything.com/sega-confirms-the-end-of-sega-ages-but-teases-more-plans-for-switch-and-past-titles/), Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, and Football Manager 2021. They also released Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo Olympics late 2019. They are likely working on a new Sonic game for Switch and while the Sega Ages line is gone, they are still open to port older titles on the system.
Square Enix
Bravely Default 2 has a release date of February 2021 after being pushed out of 2020. They have also released in 2020 a few collections of older games, Trials of Mana, and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory which is a music game spin off for the Kingdom Hearts series. Rumored to have The World Ends with You 2 in development for Switch. I would also expect some more collections to come out (or at least ports) and a rumored new entry in the SaGa or Mana series.
Take Two Games
Released 3 collections for Switch in May of 2020 with their 2K Games development studio. I think they likely will have some more games in development, especially with the way EA has provided lackluster support in the sports games field. There has also been a long rumor of Rockstar developing Grand Theft Auto V for Switch but that seems to be more of a dream than an actual rumor as Rockstar is working on development of GTAV for PS5 and XSX. Ports and complication packages being quick and easy turnover, I am certain they will delve into their back catalogue and find a release for the Switch in 2021.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5: Subject D
Some people have messaged me to ask if every case at the sleep laboratory was scary or strange in some way. I think I need to provide a little more background info, just so you can understand the logistics of the place and how it fit into my college at the time.
Our sleep lab was one of the best in the state when I was in college in the early aughts. It was federally funded, and entirely state of the art. There were three doctors of renown working there, of whom Dr. Sinclair was one. The other two ran the "normal" sleep labs. These were your standard, every day sleep studies. The only cases they dealt with were things like run of the mill insomnia. They had a grant to study sleep apnea, and some of the treatments people use today came about because of studies done by these doctors at my school. We were known for our sleep laboratory, but only for the work done by those other two doctors and their students. The studies done by Julie Sinclair were never made public. There were some stories put out by magazines and online news outlets after the lab closed down, but they were clearly skewed to make the whole thing look like an occult horror show after what happened.
Dr. Sinclair was allowed to use the lab one or two weekends every month. From what little I learned about her in my almost three years working there, I gathered that back in the late '60s she had been a psychology professor specializing in dream analysis and interpretation. She was later fired because of her unusual ideas and interests. She did not accept dreams at the Freud-level and instead prescribed to a more Jungian philosophy, that dreams were a collective unconscious network that could be interacted with as a kind of astral playground. She began doing studies on subjects with unusual dreaming abilities and eventually earned back some of the credit she had lost amongst her peers. Sometime in the mid '70s, she worked with a group of five people who were able to enter each others' dreams. Through observation and analysis, her paper on this rocketed her to a brief-lived semi-stardom in the burgeoning fringe science community. Despite the relative obscurity surrounding her name, she once had quite a paper trail. This seemed to dry up around 2007, when I graduated college and when the sleep lab was shut down.
The events from that year rocked my community greatly. I now live a few towns over from where I went to college, and it is still talked about. It's one of those town legends, like the homecoming queen who is murdered while in her tiara and gown and still haunts the gymnasium, or the sightings of a winged creature that everyone's grandparents swear was real. They recount the memories over iced tea, and newcomers press for details, hoping for a scare.
I was there when it happened. I don't walk around advertising it. I was investigated briefly, held in a jail cell for a night, still crying and in a deep state of shock. It's not a novelty act to me, something to pull out around a campfire.
Kids still talk about it. Current students tell the tale as a rite of initiation to all freshmen. They've since converted the laboratory into studios for music majors to practice or record. Some of them refuse to go down there. They swear it's haunted. A tuba player once ran out and told his professor he'd take the failing grade rather than go back to that place.
But no, not every night was like that one.
In fact, some were almost nice.
Here's one of those.
"Subject D: Tim Harriman" Name: Tim Harriman Age: 20 Occupation: College basketball player
(Present day note: I have changed Tim's name, as he was drafted to the NBA shortly after this study. He got injured in the mid '10s and has since switched over to commentary, but you might know who he is and I don't feel I have the right to out this secret of his. He did not want it getting out to anyone.)
Tim Harriman is tall. Standing at 6'7", he towers over Dr. Sinclair and Rajiv even when seated. He has to tilt back in his chair to keep his knees from bumping against the table. His eyes are kind and he speaks with a softer voice than I would have imagined him to have.
I am informed upon beginning my notes that we will not be observing Tim sleep tonight. We are just taking down his story. I ask Becky if this is common, and she tells me no.
Dr. Sinclair: Hello Tim. Thanks for coming in tonight. You didn't have a game?
Tim: No, ma'am. There's one tomorrow afternoon.
Dr. Sinclair: Do you know why we asked you to come in?
Tim: I think so. How'd you find out? (He laughs, a little bashfully)
Rajiv: I have some classes with the point guard, Nick. He told me about your dreams.
Tim: Man, Nick really has a big mouth. (His tone is light and playful, and he laughs again). Yeah, it's cool.
Dr. Sinclair: Tell us about these dreams.
Tim: Well, yeah, she shows up to tell me that maybe someday... she's just-
Dr. Sinclair: Could you start at the beginning? Pretend we know nothing about the dreams.
Tim: Yeah... yeah. So, I have these dreams about a girl named Delilah. I've known her since we were kids. She was a kid then too. But as I've grown up, so has she.
Dr. Sinclair: Tell us about the first time you can remember seeing Delilah.
Tim: I was... oh, wow, I was really young. Maybe five? She had pigtails. Anyway I'd dream about her once a week or so. It started to happen more when I got to be like twelve or thirteen.
Dr. Sinclair: Does she speak to you?
Tim: Delilah? Oh, yeah. She loves to talk. She's just like a real person. Do I sound crazy?
Rajiv: No. You're fine.
Tim: She... uh, it's weird but she's my best friend. When we were kids, we'd play and hang out. Go to the park, go sledding, whatever. It was so real, man. It's even clearer than my real memories.
Dr. Sinclair: When you'd wake up, would it be clear it was a dream? For instance, did the dreams seem to make linear, logical sense?
Tim: What do you mean?
Dr. Sinclair: Well, let's say we wake up from a dream about a pig holding a balloon. In the dream this could feel very real and normal, but when we wake up we realize it is actually an absurd concept. Could any of your experiences of Delilah be described this way?
Tim: Uh... probably not. It's never like a dream, I guess. It's normal. I'd meet her at her school and she'd come out and we'd go play. I mean, I'd get hungry and stuff. We'd go to her parents' house and her mom would make me PB&Js, and man, they tasted real! I even had to go to the bathroom sometimes.
Dr. Sinclair: Are all your dreams this lucid and vivid?
Tim: Nah, I have regular dreams too. Pig holding a balloon kinda dreams. (He laughs again) But never with Delilah. Any time she's there, it's real.
Rajiv: So, as you got older...
Tim: Yeah. (He gets really quiet and seems shy all of a sudden. He looks down at his brightly colored sneakers.)
Rajiv: Nick told me you were in love with her.
Tim: Hey, man... I'm not in love... (He trails off and seems slightly agitated) Look, I...
Rajiv: It's okay. We're not judging you at all. We want to hear your story.
Tim: You going to tell anyone I said any of this?
Rajiv: No.
Tim: Okay. Yeah, yeah, I love Delilah. Or something like it. She's beautiful. She's funny, and she calls me out on things. She's direct. Says whatever's on her mind. And she loves me too. I tell her about stuff that happens here, like with the team, and she helps me with my problems. I take her advice when I'm awake and everything works out. I swear if it weren't for Delilah, I would have never gotten that scholarship. She helped me through every part of it.
Dr. Sinclair: How often do you see her?
Tim: I'd see her every night if I could, but there's no way to force it. Usually two or three times a week. Maybe four.
Dr. Sinclair: There's no way to predict when she'll show up?
Tim: Not really. Only way is if it's been a few days. She never leaves me for longer than that.
Dr. Sinclair: Tell me, Tim, does Delilah know you have another life?
Tim: Well, yeah. She does too.
(I drop my pencil, surprised, and Becky stares at me.)
Dr. Sinclair: Please, go on.
Tim: So, I mentioned her mom made me a PB&J sandwich, that Delilah goes to school or whatever. But that's not her actual mom. That's not her actual school. Delilah's like me. She has another life, when she's awake. We meet up in these dreams. (He stops but the doctor and Rajiv are still looking at him expectantly, so he goes on.) Can I sign something that will say all of this is confidential?
Dr. Sinclair: The information is not confidential as this is a scientific research forum, but we will keep your identity private.
Tim: Alright. Well, let me try to explain. I'm still Tim in these dreams, but I'm like the best version of Tim. I'm a little taller (I made a note with some question marks here, and Rajiv later explained to me that 6'7" is not that tall for a basketball player), I'm a little better looking. My dad's still alive there. I went to a different high school, one I liked more. I played basketball as one of my classes. And Delilah's the same. She tells me she's better looking there, more athletic, she can sing better. Her mom is nicer, and even looks totally different. Her name's Kathy there, instead of Ruth, which I guess is what it is in real life. But Delilah kind of gets along better with her mom Kathy, than her real mom. So there are differences, but we're still kind of the same. So yeah, we talk about our other lives. I tell her about the basketball team, about school. I even told her I was coming here.
Dr. Sinclair: Do you believe Delilah is a real person?
Tim: (bites his lip, hesitates for maybe fifteen seconds) Look, I'm not crazy. I know I sound crazy but you gotta understand... this is just my life.
Rajiv: It's our lives too. We are not going to judge you as crazy.
Tim: I could lose my scholarship if people knew about this.
Rajiv: No one will find out.
Tim: Yeah. I know she is, man. I got a letter in the mail.
(I drop my pencil. The next piece of Tim speaking is taken from Becky's notes)
Tim: We have different last names there. I told her my real name, where I go to school, but she won't tell me stuff like that. She says I'm a big time basketball player, and in real life I would never take a second look at her. She didn't want to give me her info 'cause she knew I'd try to find her, and she thought I was gonna be disappointed. She won't even tell me what state she lives in. I do know she's in the US somewhere and once she mentioned the ocean, but man... she won't tell me. But one day her family went on vacation to the Bahamas and she sent me a postcard. You know, send me a postcard when she's on vacation, so I wouldn't know where she actually lives.
Dr. Sinclair: What did the postcard say?
Tim: She told me she hoped I would get it but she wasn't sure, and then she mentioned "lime soda". It's kind of an inside joke. She signed it "Love, D".
Rajiv: This is huge. (Rajiv looks visibly excited for the first time since I've met him. He is practically jumping in his seat.) We need to find her. (He turns to Dr. Sinclair) If we can track her down, then this would be further proof of your theory-
Dr. Sinclair: One moment please, Tim. (She gets up and moves to the far corner of the lab with Rajiv. Their voices are audible through our speakers in the observation room, but Tim cannot hear them.) I have conducted numerous studies that for all intents and purposes prove this theory. Even if we did manage to track down Delilah, there is no adequate way to convince the majority of skeptics that it is not some elaborate hoax.
Rajiv: But why give up now?
Dr. Sinclair: I am not giving up. I'm merely stating that proving this theory is not possible in the manner you're suggesting.
Rajiv: Two people who have never met. You interview them separately and see how their stories intersect.
Dr. Sinclair: That might have worked... twenty years ago. It's 2004, and the internet renders such things impossible. Skeptics would argue that Tim and Delilah had been chatting online for years and had come up with this fantasy life over instant message or email.
Rajiv: But a simple search would show that wasn't true.
Dr. Sinclair: It's so easy to remove all record of any correspondence. Anyone with more than a passing interest in computers could pull it off.
Rajiv: Okay, but putting the skeptics aside... don't YOU want to meet Delilah? Aren't YOU curious?
Dr. Sinclair: I'm curious, but not enough to interfere. If Delilah is real, she doesn't want to be found. It's not up to me or any of us to reveal her to Tim without her consent.
Rajiv: Well, what if we can convince him?
Dr. Sinclair: That's not part of our job. Don't you remember what I told you about influencing reality? (I wrote down several question marks here but no one ever filled me in on this part.)
Rajiv: Right. I just thought it might be nice. They really seem to be in love.
(They move back over to the table. Tim was texting while they were gone.)
Tim: Just telling Nick I'm gonna kill him. (He laughs again and puts his phone in his pocket)
Rajiv: Did you tell Nick you were in love with Delilah?
Tim: Hell no. I never told Nick or any of the guys that. They just kinda... figured it out.
Dr. Sinclair: How so?
Tim: I... don't really date. I've tried. Believe me, I've really tried. A lot of girls like basketball players, so it's not that there's a shortage of options, ya know? I've been with a couple, but the guilt eats me up. I'd tell Delilah and she'd be fine with it, but she also told me she's never really dated anyone in real life because she doesn't like anyone the way she's liked me. And I feel the same way. I do the bare minimum to not draw attention to myself. Dance with girls, maybe uh... a little more... but no love there. I've never loved another girl.
Rajiv: Do you want to find Delilah?
(Dr. Sinclair gives him a pointed, intense look)
Tim: Yeah. I really do. I ask her over and over to tell me how, but she refuses. I reassure her that I don't care what she looks like there, or how messed up her life is. I can help her, the way she helps me. But she never lets me. Lately she told me maybe someday, but not until she gets her life together. I say I'll help her with that, but she won't let me.
Rajiv: What if we could-
Dr. Sinclair: (Clears her throat) Thank you for coming in, Tim. We'll be in touch if we have any more questions.
Tim: Oh, yeah... uh, sure.
Rajiv: Good luck tomorrow, buddy.
Tim: Thanks, man. Gonna go all the way this year.
(There is some more banter about our school and the team which I will cut out so as not to expose Tim's identity.)
I kept thinking about Charlie. I had gone to see his band play the week before, and couldn't help but fixate on our possible shared dream. My mind went to all the places of the skeptics', just like Dr. Sinclair's persistent retorts to Rajiv's optimism about Tim and Delilah: I must have seen him before, the whole thing was bits and pieces from my day, this whole sleep laboratory job was just getting to me. All seemed like perfectly logical explanations, the kind you could comfortably slip into and spend a lifetime inside.
Charlie's band was pretty good. He played bass guitar. The music was so catchy and well-played that I even forgot about the strangeness of our meeting during some songs. But then the lights would come down in a certain way and I would remember being in the room, sitting on the fuzzy white chair, seeing Charlie for the first time.
I understood what Tim was saying. It really does make you feel crazy.
We never heard from Tim again, but I went on his wikipedia page a while back and saw that in 2011 he married a woman named Delilah Marin. (I changed her real name, which is very unique, to Delilah in order to protect both her and her husband's identities). They are still together to this day.

Having been witness to the DC riots I felt it might be worth sharing my experience with a Q believer, at the time I just ignored the guy as eccentric, but now I am actually quite worried for him, especially having seen these peoples crazy ideas brought out into the real world in acts of political violence.
I work in the Merchant Navy and was stuck on a ship with a Q believer for 6 weeks. Its a small environment and you get to know each other quite well. I have always been open to new ideas and conspiracies to a degree, but am no fool, to put it lightly. During the 6 weeks we talked a lot and became what I would consider friends, I'm a pretty open guy and always willing to listen (and play along) so I suppose he felt he could reveal his inner beliefs to me. What I found out during this 6 week period literally astounded me, I do happen to have a pretty good memory for what at the time I considered to be funny things so can recall most of it:
- Hilary Clintons compound was surrounded by US Special Forces who were going to show evidence I would not believe, then Court Martial and execute her on live TV.
- The Pope had been arrested by US Seal Team and would be charged for sex crimes against children on live TV.
- That there was a secret agreement between the Queen of England, the Pope and the Jews about who would own the souls on earth, and that we were given to the Queen by the Pope when they printed our birth certificates.
- There was a media black out as the Vatican had been surrounded by US forces, that this had been planned for years and the Pope 'was going down'.
- That one of the Kennedys (can't remember which) was not actually dead, but was secretly working with Donald Trump, and 'all would be revealed soon' and that this had been planned for over 30 years. That all this had to happen in secret since the CIA and NSA wanted to assassinate the Kennedy guy like they did his brother. Ironically he found about this 30 year secret on Twitter (!!)
- That the Kennedy guy, who was secretly alive, had made 100'000 secret indictments against people in America and that Martial law would be declared before these people were tried by patriots in Military courts.
- That actor Tom Hanks from Castaway was under arrest in Australia for sex crimes against children and that 'arrests were secretly being made' around the planet.
- That a secret shipment of 'Arenocrome' which is harvested from babies underground had been intercepted by what he called 'White Hats' and that the elite 'wanted it back' or they would die without it. This then turned the next day into a theory that the 'Arenocrome' had been secretly poisoned by Trump and his 'special operatives' in order to secretly poison the secret cabal who needed it to stay in touch and communicate with Satan, and that Tom Hanks did not in fact have Coronavirus, but had been poisoned by this and it was all a media cover-up.
- That the Hollywood elite had red shoes made from dead childrens skin and that if you watch the Wizard of Oz this horrible truth is secretly revealed.
- That the song 'put on your red shoes and dance' is an ode to human sacrifice.
- That David Bowie was in fact a member of the cabal and had sex with dead people.
- That this 'Q' person (he/she?) had access to the most secret information and was secretly working with Donald Trump, and that when this information was revealed I would not believe it. I tried to find out what this was but he refused to tell me, but assured me it would soon be broadcast to the world by the US military satellites.
- That something 'big was going down' on a certain day (this happened numerous times over and over with different days and times). Obviously nothing ever happened.
- That the Queen of England actually drank childrens blood on a daily basis.
- That the Titanic never actually sank, but was switched out, so JP Morgans son could actually become Stalin (fucking hell I cant help laughing about this one..........I work on ships for a living.........sorry its just so fucking ridiculous)
- That Trump had removed The Great Seal of the United States from his podium as a sign that he was going to end the Corporation that is 'America', which is secretly owned by the City of London, which is secretly owned by The Queen of England, who is actually a secret Jew, and then reinstate the 'Republic of America'.
- That the guy out of Linkin Park was actually the son of John Podesta, and that through his music he was trying to 'reveal the truth' about global sex trafficking.
- That the elite maintained secret underground 'breeding facilities' where they impregnated women so they could abuse their children. These are normally beneath Army bases apparently.
- That Coronavirus was not real, and was actually a ploy to electronically mark us all.
- Tom Hanks is actually codeword for 'Thanks', as in thanks for the sex trafficking??? (seriously!?)
- Tom Hanks is in fact the son of Rockerfeller, who is really a Jew , and that they used to sacrifice people in their swimming pool (really struggle to understand the obsession with Tom Hanks in all this to be honest????)
- That the Jews wanted to stop Yoga and 'the global meditation day' designated by the UN as it interfered with the negative energy they need to use when controlling the planet (!).
- There is a secret island somewhere on earth which is 'not on any maps' that the elites meet up on and perform sacrifices.
- That all Generals and Officers in the US Command structure would be replaced by 'patriotic sergeants' during what he called 'the grand awakening' during which earth would enter into a new enlightened age. He could tell this ages was coming closer by the fact that more younger people now believed in aliens than they used to (!?).
- That the CERN experiment in Switzerland is in fact a Satanic ploy by the secret elite to communicate with the 'other side' and send themselves there.
- That the Jews actually were behind almost everything in history, and that the 'kikes' owned everything, including the Queen of England and all banks everywhere.
- That basically anyone in power on planet earth is actually a Jew that has hidden their past.
- That Hitler was in fact a 'secret Jew'.
- That Angela Merkell is not really female, and is in fact the son of Adolf Hitler.
- That President Obama is actually a crack head who was found on the street and turned into a puppet president by a secret collective of communist traitors. The secret elite cunningly use his crack addiction to control him. He is also gay apparently.
- That Tony Blair, whos real name is actually Lydon something and is secretly gay being caught in a London toilet by the police, who then used this infomation to create a puppet leader, and is in fact a heroin addict controlled by the secret government via his drug addiction problem. Similar story for Bill Clinton.
- That when Hilary Clinton met Julia Gillard they wore specially coloured clothing to in fact signify they had engaged in human child sacrifice on Jeffery Epsteins island in a secret underground facility.
- That on 9/11 the US Military deployed two armed F-16 fighter jets which were ordered to attack the CIA building to stop a 'deep state coup' from taking place.
- Something about the Queen of Belgium 'being the worst of them all' and 'eating children each day'.
- That the United States was in fact the only country in the world capable of defeating the 'Jewish World Order' since it was the only remaining 'White Christain Nation' on earth. That if America fell then the world was doomed since America itself was the only country that could not be defeated by the US military.
- That if you meditate next to a laser pointed into the sky you can in fact communicate with extraterrestrial life.
- That the Queen of England had a secret sister (can't remember her name, it was Lady something) who lived in a castle in Wales where she had secret cannibalistic parties with elites. I did actually look up this castle online (as I like castles architecture) and it is in fact abandoned. I pointed this out to him and he got angry and said that the internet was being controlled to make me believe this and that I was ignorant about the royals and that they were all sick in the head, and that by refusing to confirm his beliefs I may also be a pedo.
- That President Donald Trumps birthday had some 'biblical' meanings, and that he was basically the 'Second Coming of Christ' here to right the world. That Trumps initials (DJT) were actually a secret code for something (can't remember what). That Trumps mother and Melania had biblical meanings?!
There was more but I simply cant remember it all now, at the time I didn't take the thing very seriously. He was really offended when I asked if 'Q' was a reference to the guy out of Star Trek TNG.
I mean, fuck me, just typing all this makes me want to laugh and also cry, its so god damn sad that somebody can actually believe all this. However looking back on this time I feel an incredible guilt for not being more confrontational and challenging his views as he was my junior. I pretty much decided to go along with it just to find out what he actually thought as I am quite open to new ideas generally. How the fuck can someone have all this shit going on in their mind during a 6 week period? I remember he used to be tired out at work as he would spend HOURS doing of what he called 'research', which was basically just trawling social media sites reading this shit.
I'm considering reaching out to him to see how he is doing. Is it even worth it?

*NO SPOILERS* I will not discuss Trainers/Gym Leaders/Evil Teams or Storyline
https://imgur.com/a/tl50sB9
Having just completed Pokemon Radical Red blind (and playing Pokemon FireRed for the first time lol) I wish to give the community some insight on completing the game and having the most fun while going through the Gen 1-8 Pokemon pool, upgrades, quality of life changes and craziness.

• I had no knowledge of other trainers’ teams until I reached them. (Yes I did and you will too lose battles and be forced to restart)
• If you’re doing a blind Nuzlocke you will not be having fun, there are many strategies and team building that trainers would use that you won’t be prepared for.
• What is FUN is you strategizing back at them when you have all the information! You can figure it out mid battle on the fly or on the next attempt. Sometimes you have to sack a mon in order to give someone else a better hit. Do a regular run first if going in blind, then on your 2nd run you could Nuzlocke it.
• There is a google doc full of information, I personally used it to look up "Pokemon Locations" "Raid Battles" "Items" and "All Pokemon Changes" to know where to get certain things for my playthrough.

As you may know this game is meant to be a difficulty hack, where your team becomes stronger as you progress along with your opponents. Things that you will NOT be doing in this game:

• Overleveling in order to win
• Using items during battle like potions, x items, etc.
• Using Switch Mode to know what your opponent sends out. Mandatory Set Mode.

Your Pokemon needs to be optimized in terms of team building, held items, moveset, natures, evs, and ivs. If you have Competitive Pokemon experience whether it’s Smogon 6v6, VGC, etc. this is nothing new. However, to the casual community this can be daunting at first but the game is made to handle these issues easily. Some Pokemon got buffs making them more viable so I would Ctrl+F in the "All Pokemon Changes" doc to potentially find a new party member.
There is no correct way to team build, you can have a build such as Balance/Hyper Offense/Bulky Offense etc or a theme such as WeatheTerrain/Trick Room/Screens etc. What you catch in game may not always be the best fit or make the final team. When team building this is what I would follow:

• Smogon is full of sample sets with in-depth explanations that bring the best out of a Pokemon and it will even tell you quality partners to pair with it. You can look at past generation sets such as Sun Moon and XY and modify them to what your team needs.
• If needed I would use this team builder from Marriland to help with weaknesses and balancing. You can change typing here as well to adjust to new typing.
• Pkmn.help moveset coverage on offense and defense

Here is how I built my Balance Team:

• Start with 1-2 Pokemon that you want to build around (I started with Floatzel because the buffs were cool and I wanted to start with a unique pick.)
• If you don’t know what team you’re building yet your second pick might not complement immediately (I choose Luxray for it’s new typing. At this point I just have 2 mons I like, both strong offensive Physical Attackers access to priority moves)
• Some ideas to keep in mind for team options:
  • Setup Sweepers are those that can clean up games or clear space for someone else using setup moves Dragon Dance or Nasty Plot etc. such as Salamence or Alakazam
  • Wall Breakers are usually slower with some bulk but have naturally high attacking stats that can punch holes through sturdier Pokemon whether through Choice Items/Abilities/High Base Power Moves without setup such as Melmetal or Charizard-Y
  • Revenge Killers are those that are exceptionally fast and/or have Priority moves and can come in after one of your Pokemon faints to get a kill such as Greninja or Choice Scarf Pokemon like Darmanitan
  • Physically Defensive Wall/Tank such as Corviknight or Slowbro
  • Special Defensive Wall/Tank such as Blissey or Tyranitar
  • Mixed Defensive Wall/Tank such as Clefable or Aegislash
  • Utility in Hazard Setters such as Stealth Rock/Spikes/Sticky Web, WeatheTerrain setters, Status such as Will-o-Wisp and/or Toxic, momentum moves such as U-Turn/Volt Switch/Flip Turn + much more.
  • Other Utility options include Defog/Screens/Status Healing/Status Absorbers/Wish/Protect/Taunt/RoaHaze etc.
  • You DO NOT need everything mentioned above, some things may overlap or run differently than someone else. Alakazam can setup Nasty Plot or it can revenge kill with its natural high speed. Your Aegislash can take hits and Swords Dance. And your tankier mons will share the utility roles.
• For your 3rd pick it should definitely complement your team, ask yourself how can I make 1-2 work together (I choose Gliscor for it’s bulk that the others didn’t have. Typing gives a Ground/Electric immunity and Fighting/Bug resist that my offensive Pokemon are weak to.) It doesn’t have to be perfect, I still need a Grass and Fairy resist.
• 4-5 is a bit of trial and error period to round out the team because you don’t want repeating roles unless otherwise. (I was shopping around for a Fire type that can help hit Grass types for the team. In my play through I used Magby for Magmortar but realized that I needed something faster, something that can setup since my other 2 offensive hitters can’t, also should be a Special Attacker. Quiver Dance Volcarona fit the criteria perfectly.)
• Remember to reassess when you add something and start thinking of move sets and what you need covered. (Looking at the team I wanted Stealth Rocks and needed a Fairy/Dragon/Ice/Water check. In game Rockruff into lead Lycanroc was a starting option, but I’m beginning to round out my team and looking for a Steel type. Bronzong fills out these holes besides a Water resist but a bonus Levitate ability.)
• #6 is going to be the glue of the team. You probably went a different order than me and your 6th’s purpose will be different, maybe you need more speed or struggle with a specific type. To some the most obscure mon will glue the team together. (In my play through I was catching Pokemon that might help not knowing what my team would look like past Floatzel and Luxray. Now from 1-5 my Water resist is a frail Floatzel for a Volcarona and Gliscor, and only Luxray on offense. Bronzong is already pressured as the main Dragon and Fairy check. A Grass type would solve this issue. However things to note, ideally this Grass type is neutral to Fire, Ghost and Dark along with being a Special Attacker for more variety on the team full of Physical Attackers. I didn’t know it’d be on the final team but Venusaur-M solved a lot of things. With Thick Fat and it’s bulk, also using Special moves, it’s weaknesses in Flying and Psychic are covered by Bronzong defensively with Luxray and Volcarona on offense. And it relieves 1 stress in Fairy from Bronzong by being a Poison type.)
• No team is perfect and you'll have your weaknesses and Pokemon will have different specific roles every battle.
• Now to add Items, Movesets, Natures and EVs

What are Natures, IVs and EVs?

• Natures give a 10% increase to 1 stat while giving a 10% decrease to another (besides HP). You would normally deduct the attacking stat you’re not using to boost 1 of the other 4 stats. Your Machamp won’t be using Special Attacks so you’d go for a -SpAtk Nature such as Adamant which gives +Atk for that 10% boost.
• IVs are the DNA for Pokemon. You may notice that 1 Pidgey is faster than the other, in the wild IVs are a random number from 0-31 for each 6 stats. In this game you can max out IVs to 31 for some money and there is no downside to this, you want to be as strong as possible. Your opponents will have max IVs too.
• EVs are a way of buffing your Pokemon’s stats that work similar to skill points in any other video game received from battle. You have 508 usable points to invest in where for every 4 EVs it’ll be = 1 regular stat point. If you want to make your Gengar the strongest and fastest you would invest 252 (max for 1 stat) EVs in SpAtk and Speed. Your EV spreads can be simple like maxing HP and Def on your bulky mon to make it more tankier or there are specific spreads that can make you outspeed certain benchmarks. There are specific spots you’ll run into that give specific EVs upon defeating a corresponding Pokemon making the grind for these points easier (Golduck on Route 24 would give SpAtk EVs.)
  • *Remember to turn OFF your Exp Share or everyone in the Party will get those EVs.\*
• You can check your IVs and EVs with the Stat Checker key item.
• There are more in depth guides online non specific to Radical Red as this is in every Pokemon Game. Try googling or Youtube.

Here is how I broke down my team:

• Floatzel used to run Mystic Water but I realized it’s HP was never needed that Life Orb made sense. Surging Strikes is incredibly strong that other coverage isn’t necessary, Flip Turn for momentum vs resists is fine, and Fake Out + Aqua Jet Priority is amazing.
• Luxray Volt Tackle/Sucker Punch/Facade are needed. For my last spot it was a toss up from Crunch and Zing Zap both STAB 120 bp. Dark is more spamable than Electric because of Ground having immunity. Dark also hits Ghosts which Facade can’t. Facade is 140 bp no STAB making a strong neutral hit to many and the few that resist both Electric and Dark like Kommo-o
• Gliscor Earthquake/Roost/Toxic I knew I wanted. Last spot was a tossup of Taunt/Defog/Protect but I found Ice Fang fit the team in the end where it provided Ice coverage that was non existent on someone that will be checking the likes of Flying types and the 4x weak ones like Dragonite/Landorus etc where some are immune to EQ. I found the chip damage valuable in later having someone else defeating these threats.
• Volcarona Quiver Dance/FlamethroweBug Buzz is self explanatory. This could have been a more bulky EV spread with Roost but I opted for Max Max SpAtk and Speed. Alternated with Giga Drain and Psychic for coverage didn’t know what I needed.
• Bronzong definitely had Gyro Ball for Fairies and fast threats. Stealth Rock and Toxic for utility and it was to go Max SpDef. I ran Psychic but found Earthquake to hit things I’d be checking like Rock, Steel, Poison, and Electric types.
• Venusaur has dual STAB in Sludge Bomb and Giga Drain being important for the mentioned Water users. Last 2 moves could have included Sleep Powder but I felt I had status already and good speed control to not run it. Went with Leech Seed and Synthesis for longevity. In hindsight Sleep Powder could have been over Leech Seed.
• Without knowing what I would be facing every checkpoint I tried to cover as many things as possible.
  • Floatzel can revenge kill with high speed and priority albeit frail
  • Luxray can wallbreak with high Atk and Guts while slow at 70 base Speed
  • Volcarona can setup and sweep it’s role may not always be to sweep
  • GliscoBronzong/Venusaur-M rounds the defense for this Balance Team

Level Caps as of Version v2.1:

• 15/27/34/44/47/56/57/59/68/73/76/79/80/81/82/85

Places of Interest as of Version v2.1:

• Nature Swapper in all Pokemon Centers ($7,500)
• Raids give Pokemon and useful items, also sellables like Nuggets
• Cerulean City Move Relearner (Mushrooms)
• Lavender Town Name Rater
• Celadon Department Store and Game Corner
• Celadon City Max your IVs ($350,000)
• Saffron City EVs Reducer (Free)
• Saffron City Hidden Ability (Bottle Cap)
• Saffron City IV reducer to 0 useful for Trick Room (Free)
• Saffron City Change Captured Ball cosmetic (Free changes ball animation)
• Mega Ring is given as reward
• Fuchsia Egg Moves Tutor (Heart Scales)
• Fuchsia Double Wild Battle option
• Post Surf TM you get Power Items for fast EV training (must find in overworld)
• Various Move Tutor locations
• Collecting TMs

You won’t have your team at 100% till the Elite 4. Order of how my upgrades came along:

• Starting off, IVs will separate a Pidgey from another Pidgey. C rating and higher is good won’t be noticeable early game.
• Cheapest thing early on is switching Natures found in all Pokemon Centers. Definitely do it especially on Pokemon that will make the final team.
• Next getting the right ability, switching from ability 1-2 is just a matter of catching the right one or using Ability Pills. Hidden Abilities are harder and might come later depending what method you use like the Bottle Cap one. Dream Balls also give Hidden Abilities.
• You might have enough for 1x full IV upgrade in Celadon City choose wisely. Your other Pokemon will get the buff eventually.
• After you get Surf HM you have access to fast EV training spots. I would take this time to reset all your EVs in Saffron City and get the correct spread before moving on. The google doc can help you find the now accessible Power Items.
• Upgrade your Pokemon’s IVs as you get money and sell stuff. Battle everyone and do Raids.

DexNav:

• As you may be familiar DexNav is a feature that allows you to locate Pokemon on a Route.
• Click Start for the Main Menu and click right to access it. Left to go back.
• Pokemon caught through DexNav can have high IVs, Hidden Abilities and Egg Moves if you have a high Search Level along with higher chance for Shinies.
• "The odds of finding Hidden Ability is 5% at Search Level 10, 15% at Search Level 25, 20% at Search Level 50, 23% at Search Level 100." -v2.1

Shinies:

• "The shiny rate in this game is the same as Gen 8, which is 1/4096 and 3/4096 with Shiny Charm." -v2.1

Would recommend catching a Noibat with Frisk as you can teach it Theif to get items you need for services. One example towards the end of the game you may need more money for the IV upgrade and Peliper’s Lucky Egg sells for 5,000 which are easily farmable in Vermillion City. Something with Pickup can be useful that doesn’t lose it on evolution like Pumpkaboo, personally didn’t really find it necessary.
We went from 2 mons I like to a full team that complements each other. You can do it too. You also have the ability of using TMs or even having other Pokemon in your box to swap attacks and party members for each battle if you realize something doesn’t work. In my Elite 4 run I didn’t know what I was facing but I already prepped a well rounded team that I didn’t change anything besides leads and game plan once I’ve learned the strategy, or get a battle on the first attempt I got 1 in the Elite 4 blind.
You don’t have to be a tournament player to have fun, there’s entertaining and informative competitive content out there on YouTube here is an in depth team buidling guide by Joey Pokeaim along with individual movesets. You can play with your friends on Pokemon Showdown battle simulator.
Radical Red was a lot of fun with a change of pace of other fan games and I hope I helped those struggling and maybe taught you something about Competitive Pokemon. Yes this game is hard and you will be thrown curveballs but the enjoyment is winning. It's well delivered on a ROM that everyone is familiar with in FireRed and bringing it up to speed. Official Radical Red Discord. Good Luck!

These are some tips and tricks to help people who love Final Fantasy, but hate MMOs, to enjoy the game. Throughout my time with XIV I have discovered a number of quality of life changes that make the game feel much smoother and like a single-player game, without being antisocial or shunning the value inherent in online play. I’m sure some may find these suggestions problematic, but I think at least a few of these ideas will be valuable to people struggling.
HUD:
Remember that basically everything in XIV is customizable in some way; do yourself a favor and cut the fat. You can also have multiple HUD layouts saved. I recommend two:
1) the “all the time unless I’m fighting” layout. Go into your HUD Layout and “hide” literally everything. If you feel you need a mini map there, or some other small thing, go for it, but remember your single-player RPGs: they usually have little or nothing by way of HUDs when engaging in story elements or walking around. You can also make things smaller, move them around to be less intrusive, etc. XIV is a beautiful game; soak it in.
2) The “okay I’m fighting now” layout. This is highly subjective, but I’d recommend moving everything as low on the screen as you can, making UI elements smaller, and turning off things that aren’t really helpful for fighting (looking at you, massive scenario guide). Server info can go, honestly the minimap can go if you’re cool with that, no need to see your gil, etc. Play around with it but my point is: the enemies, bosses, dungeons, and battle animations are so cool that you should really try to focus on what’s actually happening, instead of SNES-level 2d icons. Do keep the important stuff of course, like party and enemy lists, raid lists, etc. Play around with it until you get the best balance for you.
•Set the above layouts to a hotbar for easy switching. You can use the macro system (e.g., “/hudlayout 1” and “/hudlayout 2”)
•Turn off everyone’s names (character configuration -> display name settings)
•Make the excruciatingly small text box bigger. When a text box comes up, right-click (PS4 players use touchpad for virtual mouse), which will allow you to make it bigger. Thine game’s verbosity doth inculcate a vexation most dire when the given text layeth so small beneath the eye! People talk like that a lot in the game, so do your squinting eyes a favor and make it bigger.
•TEXT AUTO-ADVANCE. Why press through every single text box for every single cutscene, when you can just kick back and watch at your own pace? During a cutscene, press spacebar (or triangle) and set it to on, and set your speed. Possibly the smallest yet most influential QoL if you’re looking to fully engage in the story.
•MORE KINO. MORE! For the Ultimate Experience: turn on text auto advance and set to the fastest speed, and during any voiced cutscene use the screenshot mode to get rid of all UI (Scroll Lock button, or L1 + touchpad). Congratulations: now it’s a movie. Sit back and watch the fantasy unfold.
•Adjust the camera speed to be slightly slower (character configuration -> control settings). Perhaps it’s just me, but a faster moving camera decreases the cinematic quality and single-player RPG feeling. There’s a balance of course: too slow and you can’t move the camera fast enough, so you’ll get killed by something in a dungeon you didn’t notice and then your party’s mad at you :(
DONT’S
Here are my suggestions for things you’d be better off avoiding.
•Side quests (with caveat). I know, I know. They can be worthwhile, but we’re playing an MMO; it’s designed to burn away your time. If you’re concerned about wasting time or losing interest, pass on them. The main story will level you accordingly, and you rarely get valuable gear from side quests. If you’re looking to engage in the world, I found much more interesting information and world building by just talking to NPCs. Side quests are usually fetch quests or trite battles to justify throwing some experience or bad gear your way. Blue icon side quests, however, lead to something of value, whether that’s a new job, a new dungeon, or what have you. So if it’s blue and looks interesting, check online to see what it gives you. Definitely don’t skip the raid side quests though, as they are world building, flesh out the main story, and are also super cool. And again, if you want to do side quests then go ahead; I just never found them to provide much value.
•Free Company (again, with caveat). FCs are awesome, but we’re talking about people like yourself who dislike MMOs. So why bother? You can get plenty of interaction in parties and towns, and until max level you really don’t need help with anything. XIV is no XI.
DO’S
Now, to be more positive. What should you spend your time on?
•Talking to NPCs. A favorite of the RPGer, and it works here too. Even with the many involved side quests I’ve done, I still feel like I learned most about the world the good old fashioned way of talking to a town’s inhabitants. They talk about their lives, their worries, give lore, all that.
•Interact with people! Even if you don’t want the obligation of a Free Company or static party, you can still say hello, chat, use emotes, and the like. Talk in dungeons, too; most people are silent but need just a nudge, and then everyone’s talking and becoming friends. It pays to say hello, to be happy you’re enjoying such a cool game together, and to help rather than criticize. Nothing like an impromptu emote dance-fest to lift your spirits.
•Go nuts with glamours and gearsets. You can’t really do a ton sub-50, but it’s fun to have different outfits for different things. Think of it this way: this is basically the only Final Fantasy that has any real customization. Have a gearset for adventuring, for lounging, for cutscenes, for whatever. But beware: the glamour game is so addictive, it may become a game within a game for you (glamour is the true endgame). You can also set these to macros as well if you like.
•Sell everything you can in the market boards, and if you can't, turn it in to your Grand Company for seals to spend on stuff.
There you have it. I could go on, but I think even with these basic recommendations, the game transforms into a much, much smoother experience for people wanting to play for the story.

Artist: Magdalena Bay
Album: A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling
Released: March 13, 2020
Label: Luminelle Recordings
Stream: Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Tidal / Amazon Music / SoundCloud
Discussion: [FRESH]
​
Artist Background:
Magdalena Bay is a Los Angeles-based duo composed of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin that makes (in their own words) “synthpop straight from the simulation”. The two began making music in a prog rock band called Tabula Rasa, where they made things like this awesome Daft Punk cover. However, two main factors convinced them to switch over to the pop genre we all know and love: the difficulties of collaborating on rock music over long distances and the iconic 2015 album Art Angels.

brief Art Angels aside: Art Angels was the pop debut of singer and producer Grimes (following several electronic albums). It challenged many ideas in the music industry (like the idea that serious producers are male) and its genre-bending fusion of bubblegum and harsh sounds inspired many music trends that we hear today (esp hyperpop). It’s one of the few albums that I would label a “must-listen”.

Tenenbaum and Lewin began their project in earnest in 2016, honing their sound over the next few years with a loose collection of EPs and singles. Their debut single “Neon” was an underground hit, amassing nearly 3 million plays on Spotify. They followed it up with three 2019 EPs: day/pop, night/pop, and Mini Mix, Vol. 1. That aforementioned Grimes influence is all over their work, from their ethereal vocals to their otherworldly synths.
But the dreamy pop of Grimes isn’t the only aesthetic that Magdalena Bay taps into. Their music lies at an interesting intersection of subcultures. Magdalena Bay loves their hooks, and they’ve covered more mainstream songs like the ridiculously catchy “Redbone” by Childish Gambino. Their influences also include more bubblegum artists, like Gwen Stefani and the Spice Girls (creators of the catchiest song ever made for all the Zoomers in the audience). So while Mag Bay’s music is dreamy, it is also infused with catchy hooks and is just generally danceable.
When it comes to their visuals, one word comes to mind: vaporwave. You know that part of YouTube, where you can find synthwave covers or “Plastic Love” mashups of just about anything? Mag Bay credits their friend Matt Lewis with introducing them to that world during the creation of their first music video, and since then they’ve taken that aesthetic and run with it. Just look at their Discord profile picture (with that purple sun and the neon grid), or this sequence in the video for their recent release “live 4ever”. And is that a hint of hyperpop? Magdalena Bay lists A.G. Cook as one of their influences, and “live 4ever” is the furthest they’ve gone in that direction yet. The realms I mentioned are not very similar, but Mag Bay bridges these sounds with ease. You could picture them feeling natural on a chilled-out radio station (listen to the radio-like intro of Mini-Mix, Vol. 1), in the depths of Extremely Online YouTube, or inside a PC Music volume without questioning the cohesiveness of their sound.
And that’s what makes Magdalena Bay unique. Their music is high quality, but it also has uniquely broad appeal. It’s the reason why Mag Bay is my go-to for “do you have any pop recommendations?”. Sure, they could have a “meh” reaction to it, but could you really imagine someone hating “Only If You Want It”? Mag Bay themselves wrote that “the best compliments we’ve gotten have been like “oh I didn’t like pop until I listened to Magdalena Bay”.”. If you’ve ever wanted to induct your friend into the popheads cult, consider using A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling as a starting point.
I was actually able to interview Magdalena Bay before starting this project. You can read the interview here!
Album Analysis:
A lot of AOTY picks in 2020 were big, loud productions... albums that provided escapism in the form of everything we’ve been missing (see: Future Nostalgia, Chromatica). A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling provides a different brand of escapism-- small productions that nevertheless convey space. The album may be filled with unique sounds,but ALRWF also spends a lot of time chilling. Take the track “Venice”. There’s a whole 8 seconds from 1:05 where there are no vocals, which is sort of a long time for a pop song considering that no bridge or build is there to fill it. Sometimes we need that kind of open space. It’s certainly been in short supply in quarantine.
ALRFW was written before quarantine, but it fits quarantine surprisingly well. I’ll be exploring the tracks in both their original and quarantine contexts.
“How to Get Physical”
The title calls to mind this iconic video, but “How to Get Physical” is a decidedly different beast. While the former projects aggressive confidence, “How to Get Physical” follows a (probably more relatable) speaker who is unsure what to do in an intimate situation. The singer of “Physical” commands its listener to bend to their will, but the singer of “How to Get Physical” simply concedes “Oh, oh / I’ll really let you take control”. However, even though “How to Get Physical” doesn’t have that same high-octane energy, the song doesn’t lack for catchiness or danceability. Its irresistible hook makes it the undisputed “earworm” of this album, and it’s no easy thing to get out of your head.
Like a great PC Music song, this song is filled to the brim with all kinds of ear candy. However, these sounds aren’t really competing for your attention in the same way. The smooth mixing on the track allows even the most unique sounds to blend into the background, so it takes some concentration to notice things like the pouring wine or the chime-like arpeggios at the end of the bridge. It’s the kind of stuff that will make you go “was that really there the whole time?”. Mag Bay did a stream where they showed the DAW file for the song, and it’s hard not to get anxious looking at all those audio tracks. I like how the first prechorus pulls back and hangs there for a while, keeping you on your toes. The ticking clock sound in the background is just audible enough to remind you that “hey, the song is still building!”. It’s like when you get to the top of a rollercoaster, and it stops just long enough to give you a false sense of security. Then… BAM, chorus. But when you’re ready for it the second time, the prechorus is just a brief “Hey!” and the chorus comes right in. It gives the song just the right amount of unpredictability.
“Story”
“Story” is perhaps the song that I connect with the most on a personal level. It’s a song about moderating your ambitions while still keeping your dreams big. The song balances lines about big ambitions (“Dreaming of flying first class”) with lines about the need to stay grounded and not get carried away (“Gotta keep my mind on track”). This song reminds me a lot of Allie X’s criminally underrated song “Too Much to Dream”. But while “Story” says “We’ve been dreaming we’ve been feeling alright”, “Too Much to Dream” talks about “dancing ‘til I’m bleeding” and to “ keep your eyes shut, cause you don’t wanna wake up”. While “Too Much to Dream” is a descent into chaos, “Story” is the more well-adjusted cousin.
This song is a nice breather after the energy of “HtGF”, as the sonic complexity and BPM are both dialed back a bit. The instrumental rocks back and forth between snares and soft synths while the pads wrap around your ears like a warm blanket. The self-harmonizing vocals at 1:54 do a good job of adding excitement without breaking up the relaxing atmosphere. Mag Bay told me that they had an expensive music video concept for this song in which they travel through various adventure universes slaying monsters. Using a chaotic video like that for a chill song like this feels very on-brand for them.
“Good Intentions”
Is there any feeling more connected to quarantine than regret? If only I had gone back in time, I would have done X differently. “Good Intentions” is all about those kinds of feelings. “Reflections etched in blame” is as good a phrase as any to describe 2020. The song was presumably written for a couple who had an ugly breakup (“So good, good how’d it go bad”), but in 2020 you could also think about loved ones who are just out of reach for quarantine reasons. But hey, it’s not like you could have known. As the song says, you had good intentions.
“Good Intentions” has an interesting start-- it combines these crisp snapping sounds with synths that sound like the beginning of a wild SOPHIE fill but don’t quite end up there. The breakdown at the end of the song is ALRWF at its most escapist-- it feels like flying. If you’ll forgive me for making yet another unnecessary hyperpop comparison, it sounds like one of the breakdowns at the end of a Pop 2 song (“Tears” comes to mind). Ghostly autotuned vocals sometimes peek through a beautiful wave of noise.
“Airplane”
“Airplane” is a song about trying to keep up with a particularly ambitious loved one. The singer expresses mild frustration with their companion’s life (“Your frantic life, it gets me / It gets under my skin”), but at the same time expresses how they’ve been inspired to take more control of their own life (“You know I’m taking off on my own, oh / I guess I’ve never been an optimist before”). Mica has called this song the most personal to her on the album, and I’m sure many of us can relate to having someone with that kind of spirit in our lives. The song also reassures the addressee that everything will work out in the end. You’ll eventually “catch your airplane”, whatever that airplane may be. In a time when everyone is worrying about their future plans getting thrown out of the window, it’s comforting to hear a message like that.
The bridge of “Airplane” benefits a ton from headphones-- you’d miss the whispery call and response that goes on. I also really like the drum pattern in this song. It kind of sneaks up on you in the first prechorus, and there’s just enough there to keep your interest without losing you. The end of this song is also a bit Pop 2-y, but it’s less that crazy new sounds are introduced and more that there’s just… more. Don’t we all love a good noisy instrumental?
“Venice”
There’s a moment in “Venice” when the real world peeks in. Tenenbaum sings “‘cause the ocean could turn over / Come on / And the Russians could take over”. Global warming? Geopolitics? If there was any doubt about whether this was explicitly political, the music video shows a news article featuring Vladimir Putin himself. It’s a little bit unexpected and disconcerting. But Mag Bay immediately dissolves the tension with a reassuring “Let’s just float in the moment”. Quarantine was filled with moments like this-- abrupt transitions between shocking news and mundane life. It’s interesting how well this pre-quarantine song embodies those moments. Like this album in general, “Venice” helps me forget about worldly concerns for a while, no matter how bad they are. And it’s impossible not to enjoy this song’s video… just look at that smile!
“Venice” is one of the “punchier” songs on the album-- the synths remind me just a bit of SOPHIE’s “Immaterial”. Another of my favorite little pop music things is when the backing instrumental kicks in a beat or two after you expect. I know Cirkut is far from the first person to do this, but I strongly associate the technique with his work. (Example: compare 0:15 with 1:03 in his and Ava Max’s “Kings and Queens”). This same technique is on full display in “Venice”, only here it’s done in the verse AND in the chorus (0:16 v. 1:18) AND (1:48 v. 2:40). There are also some faint backing vocals from Lewin present throughout-- can you hear them?
“Killshot”
At this point, the album becomes a bit darker. The feelings that were so wholesome in the first five tracks are now on shakier ground. “Killshot” describes an infatuation so powerful that it’s all-consuming. It includes calmly delivered lyrics that are nevertheless disturbing, like “If I wanna stay alive / You should never cross my mind” and “Love me til my lips turn blue”. There are quite a few lines that invoke horror movie imagery (“I been on the late shift”), sort of like the later song “Oh Hell”. And “I mean it so serious” is one of my favorite redundant song lyrics.
“Killshot” is the most popular song on the album, and while it’s not my favorite, I can definitely see why. The crescendos and vocal layering in this song are haunting and it has this pacing, restless energy that sets it apart. But as much as this song can conjure up images of dark places, it can also be a song to relax to. The pulsing synths are hypnotizing, especially after you’ve already been lulled into a false sense of security by the rest of the album. It’s sneaky that way.
“Stop & Go”
Also great for quarantine listening, “Stop & Go” is a song about taking your time. During quarantine, there’s been this weird phenomenon where we simultaneously have oceans of time and no time at all. It’s a lot easier to disassociate and just float through the day when nothing is happening. So while you may have a lot of time, real time is in short supply. “Stop & Go” is here to remind us to be present, with lyrics like “Let’s just rewind, pause, and linger in the moment”. I think everyone sometimes needs to be reminded that not only is being present good for productivity, but also that productivity isn’t everything. You can just exist, and that’s okay too! It also has this really reassuring metronome-like beat that continues throughout the entire song, keeping you grounded. The drum fills here aren’t too crazy, but the way that they blend with the melody here is a highlight.
Then again, the actual context of “Stop & Go” is a lot less wholesome than simple mindfulness. The line “that moment in between your love / Sometimes it’s not enough” almost certainly refers to an affair, and “I love it how you’re keeping me on my toes” could be referring to either romantic play or the addressee’s failure to establish clear boundaries. Does the singer really enjoy it when her partner keeps her wanting more, or is she just trying to cope with an unhealthy relationship?
“Oh Hell”
“Oh Hell” is yet another song about an all-consuming relationship, and this time toxicity is explored through a horror lens. “Oh Hell” is the only song on the album where Lewin has a major independent singing part, which might be meant to enhance the weird stalker vibe of the song. The echo makes it sound like Lewin is singing from far away or inside of something, watching the subject without their knowledge. When I talked to them, Mag Bay said that they had a music video concept involving “a gothic farm moment with like aesthetic sheep and some horror axe murder sequences”. If you’ve ever seen the video for “In Your Eyes” (the Weeknd), I imagine “Oh Hell” as a sort of lyrical manifestation of that. Stalker vibes? Check. Weird blend of good vibes and horrible vibes? Check. Now that I think about it, this song could be fun to play over that video. You can start “Oh Hell” at 1:05 in the video to get the “axe-chop” to line up with the climax.
But, like “Killshot”, you can absorb this song without getting creeped out at all. When Tenenbaum sings “the way you kill, I cannot complain” so peacefully, it’s easy to overlook everything that’s being said. The song tries to ease your concerns with some pleasant shimmering sounds in the background, and it has a generally tropical energy about it. Being consumed by a night terror has never been such a good vibe. While the song does have a climax, it doesn’t have a big instrumental breakdown like some of the other songs. This feels a lot more natural than a big finish would be, as it allows you to relax (or get anxious, depending) as the album fades off into the distance.
BONUS CONTENT:

• Magdalena Bay was one of the first artists to join the popheads community Discord, which was one of the first places they promoted their work.
• Mica Tenenbaum is Argentinian, and a few of the songs on Mini-Mix Volume 1 are sung in Spanish!
• Mag Bay did a great covemashup of two popheads favorites: “Oblivion” by Grimes and “forever” by Charli XCX. I would encourage you to check it out!
• I made a chart of the popheads album universe (shown below) that places A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling near the “sonic center”. Left to right is the energy axis (left = chaotic / noisy, right = chill / ethereal) and top to bottom is the mainstream-o-meter (top = fringe / PC Music, bottom = best-selling / mainstream sound).

https://preview.redd.it/0p7slhylywe61.png?width=1067&format=png&auto=webp&s=a32b4ed5b5558ef46add54fbefb566e16dcef8fa
Discussion Points:

• Magdalena Bay said that they sort of consider their music to be “gateway pop”-- music that will convince pop skeptics to give the genre a try. What are your go-to “gateway pop” recommendations for fans of various non-pop genres?
• Most of the songs on A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling were pre-release singles, and this is an approach that Magdalena Bay has taken with most of their work. Release songs when they’re hot and fresh! This has become more common in the streaming age; Clarity by Kim Petras is another recent album with more than four pre-release singles. Do you prefer traditional album releases, or do you like the “one song at a time” approach? Why?
• While the death of SOPHIE this week was devastating for countless big artists, smaller artists like Magdalena Bay were undoubtedly impacted as well. Feel free to share some other up-and-coming artists with clear SOPHIE influence in their music in the comments.