Dear Nacon, Please read this.

The following list is a compilation of all the wish lists and features that TDU fans including me have said so far... would be bonkers if they really read this mate!
These features are not in TDU2 but were available in TDU1 ... And we suggest to re-add them in TDU3 .

1. Immersive Dynamic Audio System : In TDU unlike TDU 2 you can hear the ambient audios when driving ... This makes the whole world of TDU bloody immersive !! While in TDU2 the ambient sounds stop playing when you drive your car faster than 45 KM/h or so . Comparing to TDU1 TDU2's audio has never been immersive and its Audio system worsened it. The only good thing in terms of the TDU2's Audio is the sound effects in the safe houses! TDU 1 > TDU2 in terms of Audio !
2. The chillaxing situation : Unlike The Crew game TDU is NOT an Adrenaline-Intense game ... This game should not be about intense jumps nor unrealistic stunts ... it would be pretty alien for TDU atmosphere if you guys add these too arcade stuff . TDU has never been a simulator and it should not be but don't make TDU3 a too childish arcade game IMO ... Getting points for ridiculous jumps and weird stunts doesn't fit TDU !!!!
3. Keyboard H-Gate + Clutch only for the cars that have manual gearbox in real life : TDU1 has "H-Gate and Clutch" option for Keyboard and Joystick users ... You had to use hacking/Key-mapping tools to get the gearing and using the clutch to work in TDU2 ... We don't want that . We want TDU3 to feature a clutch key just like TDU1
4. More detailed Audio Settings : Unlike TDU2 TDU1 had way more detailed audio settings system and I actually use all of them to make the TDU1 world more immersive !
5. MP3 and M3U support : TDU1 lets you add M3U files and playlists to your custom radio station! The custom radio station is useful and easier than playing a music in an external app !!
6. Longer & more populated tyre smoke : Unlike the shambles particle system of TDU2 , TDU1 has a better and kind of brilliant tyre smoke FX ... The tyre smoke last longer in the air and it just looks better in TDU1 !!!!
7. More options in Photography mode : Unlike TDU2 TDU1 has many more controls in the Photography mode ... You can add filters hide driver change date and weather... would be handy to recycle those for TDU3 !
8. Start button : In TDU ( unlike TDU2 ) you can start your car by pressing a key . This made the game a bit more realistic than TDU2 :]
9. The fast camera transition mode : In TDU 1 you can change the transition speed of the camera by holding the C ( Camera ) key I found it super handy :]
10. The additional camera modes : In TDU 1 there is a camera mode that changes its FOV based on the speed of your car. And I found myself using that camera mode a lot and missed it in TDU2. Would be fancy if you also add a Cinematic Camera mode ( just the like GTA's ) as well !
11. Hardcore mode / G-Metre : I am not a big fan of the hardcore mode of TDU but it made that old arcade physics system a bit challenging and refreshes the game after a while . Plus that game-play mode never interfered in Multiplayer ... !
12. Various weather options : TDU1 has more weather settings than TDU2 would be great to include more weather options like rain rainbows overcast semi-cloudy extra sunny stormy windy ... :]
13. Realistic road lines and road signs: You literally could use the road lanes and road signs in TDU1 unlike in TDU2 . not to mention that the road lanes of the roads of TDU1 actually have meanings !!!!
14. Floating leaves, newspaper and other particles : Unlike TDU2 You could see leaves and newspapers and leafs floating around . That feature is pretty fancy enough to add to TDU3 for more immersion :]
15. Ship sounds : In TDU We could hear sounds from ships
16. Radio off by turning the volume to zero : In TDU ( unlike TDU2 ) you could just turn off the radio if you set the radio vol to zero. TDU2 missed this feature !!!!
17. Real dead-end roads : The asphalt road of TDU2 is way unfinished than TDU1 and we don't want that for TDU3. For example in TDU2 you could drive to a deadend road where the asphalt suddenly goes from asphalt to literal nothing . You can add dirt or broken asphalt effect to the roads to make them more realistic !
18. Wind/Sound distortion : In TDU ( unlike TDU2 ) you can hear the wind / Sound distortion . Would be wicked to re-add this feature in TDU3
19. Faster UI : The UI system of TDU2 is too slow while TDU1 has a better UI system in terms of the transition speed !!!!
20. Windows affect audio sound : When closing / opening car windows in TDU1 the sound would change accordingly
21. The electricity lines movement : When it is windy the lines shake quickly in TDU1 !!!!
22. Realistic and way detailed car data sheets : The car data sheet of the car dealers and the garage is more detailed and informative than TDU2 making TDU1 a bit more serious driving game
23. Tachometer : I could easily tell which car is my favourite with that feature ! also I imagined engine oil change timing and stuff like that ... don't judge me lol!
24. Realistic gauges : Each of the cars in TDU1 has their own realistic gauge !!!!
25. Physics system : Last but not least I have to mention the physics system although they're gonna use a much better one anyway . TDU1 physics was ace if you compare it to the one for TDU2 !!!

So these were the quirks and features that were in TDU1 unlike TDU2 . And we think those must be in TDU3 too .

​
These features were later added to TDU2 and we think it is wicked to see them back in TDU3 !

1. On foot : Playing the character on foot for some scenes made the game more immersive!
2. Hairstylists : Going to a barbershop and modifying player's hairstyle I suggest to add more long hairstyle options as well as wigs !!!!
3. Face lifting : TDU1 and TDU2 both let you modify player's face however in TDU2 you can go to a clinic and it is wicked !!!
4. Various clothing items : In TDU2 there are more items to choose like hats and stuff . which is good to be frank !!!!
5. House Modification : There is a feature to customise the house to make'em feel more homie pretty neat . Definitely suggest to re-add this feature in TDU3 !
6. Weather forecast : You can switch on the TV to see the weather forecast was great and had good UI also !
7. Day/Night cycle : Although it is better than only-day cycle I'd say shorten the night cycle and have more daylight :]
8. Detailed house tour : In TDU1 there is a house tour feature but in TDU2 that is more detailed in Real Estate agencies !!!!
9. Casino : How would you be able to pretend you're rich but can't do what rich people do?! Casinos should be in TDU3 . The cut scenes should also be there !!!!
10. Rain : Rain effects in TDU2 are okay at least it is better than nothing!
11. Off Road : SUVs and offroad settings in TDU2 is a good idaea perhaps TDU3 would have it .
12. Timed missions : the one-time missions the ones that you can't retry later if you either miss them or do them are great to once again be in TDU3 . However I'd say add more variety so that they won't look repetitive !!!!
13. Road Exploration Score : The more you drive the more score you get which in return gives you ability to buy more items . That TDU2 idaea forces players to explore and learn the map :]
14. Landscape Exploration Score : There are landmarks that player can take a photo and get more exploration ( or "discovering" iirc ) score . This also makes players to be more familiar with Hawaii or Ibiza . Good stuff for TDU3 also !
15. Abandoned car parts : The "Barn find" feature is a great mini game for TDU2 TDU3 needs this for sure !
16. Ocean and beach with better graphics : The graphics of ocean in TDU2 has sea foam and depth in it the beaches are more detailed too !!!!
17. Sticker and livery shop : The decal / sticker / livery shop in TDU2 is good an updated version would also be good for TDU3 :]
18. Second handed car dealers : You've gotta use those cars to get the fancy Yacht quicker !
19. Retractable car roofs: Not sure why but when it was sunny in the game I had to remove the roof and vise-versa! Gotta love doing it again in TDU3 !
20. Blinkers : Using them did not affect the traffic cars in TDU2 but perhaps in TDU3 this also could be a thing ?!!!
21. Car Details : Gearing animation Wing and spoiler animation etc etc etc !!!!
22. Car damage : TDU1 did not have car damage TDU2 had fake damage, I'd expect TDU3 to have a better damage simulation . something like soft-body would be bloody wicked!!!!!
23. Car wash : car washes with more realistic characters and animation would be nice to have in TDU3 !!!!!
24. Fishes, those cats and the small details : TDU2 sometimes looked more immersive because of the smaller details that weren't in TDU1 . However I'm not sure if there're birbs flying in TDU2 TDU3 better have all these animals and some!!!!!
25. Detailed navy ships and buildings : Hawaii in TDU2 is simply more detailed than TDU1 . We expect the same for the next TDU3 and a TDU game without Honolulu is a like a Fast and Furious movie but without manual gearbox cars ! :]

So these were the quirks and features that were in TDU2 . And we think those have to be in TDU3 too .

Cheers mate ! :]
- From the TDU community all around the world , and me here in the sunny Australia !

So I've been an avid fan of Forza ever since the very first game. Owned and played every game, gotten the expansion packs, dlc, etc. I will always love Forza and always recommend it to my friends and such.
That being said, TDU will always be top dog for me.
First off, I think that Horizon 4 finally took a step in the right direction with the addition of houses. This is a feature I have wanted literally for years and years now. I think the idea of having houses in Forza is amazing, and definitely should be built on.
What I mean by that is, Test Drive Unlimited, Project Gotham Racing, and even Grand Theft Auto all have far more in depth housing in their games. I would absolutely love to see Forza adopt these ideas and have houses more interactive houses..
Forza kills it for their specific audience, they have Horizon for more casual players that want tons of models in a racing game and the ability to free roam, and they have Motorsport for gamers that want a bit more of a track racing sim. Need for Speed (in my opinion) has gone downhill since its golden days (original Most Wanted was my personal fav) but in fairness they have stayed true to their market, a street racing style of car game with extreme customizability and nitrous and police chases, etc. Other racing games have niche audiences they cater well too also, such as the Dirt series or even Ride for motorcycles.
So why does Test Drive stand out to me as my favorite, even though its so old now and definitely had its flaws?
Because it feels so real.
When I boot up Forza, I feel like I'm playing a video game as a racer. When I play NFS, I feel like I'm playing a video game as a street racer. When I play The Crew, I feel like I'm playing a video game as a street racer (this is why I feel like The Crew never lived up to "TDU Successor" expectations, I think it was going after the wrong market completely). When I play Dirt, I feel like I'm playing a video game as a rally driver.
When I play Test Drive, I feel like I'm living out my dreams.
I think that's what Test Drive does so well. I hate to compare it to GTA because obviously they're two totally different games but, I think part of why GTA V did so well especially when it first came out is because it really felt like an escape from reality for players. People would live out the lives they dream of in that game, walking around town buying mansions and penthouses with garages full of supercars and such. This is what Test Drive is all about in my opinion.
We all love cars right? And we love going fast. We love scenic roads, we love cruises, we love all that comes with that extravagant Ibiza lifestyle. Unfortunately, many of us can't live these dreams out in real life, and sadly might not ever be able to. I wish it weren't true but, for many of us that's just how things are. Some of us are more fortunate than others, and some may find themselves one day climbing the ladder of financial wealth and being able to live out these dreams, but for many of us we may never be able to drive a Ferrari or live in a mansion or cruise down the coast of an island with the top down at 100 mph.
Test Drive lets us live out these dreams. It makes it feel so much more real to me than all of the other ca racing games.
The houses are a big part of it. Being able to have your own house where you can:

1. Walk around in
   
2. Customize
   
3. Walk into garage
   
4. Re-organize cars in garage
   

Why do I think something as simple as in depth houses is so necessary for a racing game franchise? Because, in my opinion, its not all just about the racing. Obviously we all play the game for the thrill of adrenaline pumping love of speed that most of us can not replicate in real life.
Having supercar posters on the walls of our bedrooms, to now thanks to technology being able to visualize the exact car of our dreams, customized to our liking, and be able to sit in it then and explore... just so cool to me.
Being able to buy the cars in the game that you dream of in real life and visually see them filling spots within your garage is a very rewarding aspect that I seriously loved about this game. It sounds cheesy but I used to literally organize the cars in the garages how I wanted them and just have my character stand there so I could see them all 😂
Another big thing for me was dealerships. Instead of just going to a magical "autoshow" or something similar, in TDU you had to find the dealerships you wanted to buy a car from, and physically drive there. Then you would walk in and walk around to the cars in there, and could even take them on test drives before deciding to purchase them. Same theme here, feeling like its real life.
The Casino I think was such a cool aspect too, and the way you could do so much in there.
I think those are just a few examples of aspects in Test Drive that really helped it feel like an escape into our dreams, and thats why I personally always loved it the most out of every game. I would absolutely love to see these features return, and I honestly just hope they're not too tampered with.
As far as features I'd want:
Can we please not make this game incredibly easy. Or atleast maybe have a difficulty scale. I'm not saying in like the difficulty of driving but just the overall cash flow of the game. This is something that I personally feel Forza lacks, within the very first day my garage had like 40 cars in it lol. Now I have like 20 million in the bank and own pretty much every car in the game. I personally feel like, if you can get everything you want super early on, it leaves little left to be desired later. It makes it all feel unrealistic. Obviously you should be able to earn millions over time to buy whatever you want, but when you look at your yacht filled with supercars, it should feel rewarding. Like you've put work in and earned it. So please don't just throw millions at me within the first few races 😂 weird thing to ask I know lol.
I always thought gas needs to be more involved in racing games, so I think having gas tanks that can empty and the need to go to a gas station and fill it up is a cool aspect.
Exhaust sounds are key. Obviously the best way to capture realistic sounds is via actual recordings of the cars IRL, and if the mega-money maker Forza is even lacking in this department with tons of shitty sounding inaccurate exhaust noises, I don't have high expectations for Solar Crown. I'm just praying. Also one thing that always bothered me about other racing games is how, when you change your exhaust, the sound barely changes. In forza I don't think it even changes at all. NFS Heat has a cool feature where you can tune the sounds of the exhaust but that was even lacking. If I buy an exhaust, I don't want it to sound exactly like it did before. Either have the stock cars sound a bit quieter and more tame, or have the upgraded exhausts be more dramatic.
Other realistic features such as car reliability and health would be cool but I'm not sure how that could actually be put into practice.
Aesthetic is big in this game, so I'm hoping graphics are up to par but I'm not too worried because that's pretty obvious so I don't think it needs to be mentioned. This "wishlist" is more about the little details that made TDU shine.
In addition to big car dealerships for the brands in the game, I think used car dealerships would be cool too. Pulling up to a used dealer with more "normal" cars and affordable cars that aren't in the best shape but great for starting out is a cool concept. Honestly the old GranTurismo games did this pretty well with cheaper prices and the oil feature where a car would have bad oil which needed an oil change to get back to health. Implementing this concept would be interesting.
Another cool idea would be to make traffic more realistic. I'd say to have more cars in the cities, I think games always miss on this (for practical reasons such as having room to speed around in the city) but I think if there was more traffic it'd feel more realistic and since it's a video game we'd still find ways to maneuver and speed throughout them. Less traffic on backroads of course.
Also what kinds of cars you see in traffic. I mentioned this in a reply to a post the other day but, I think itd be cool if you would see cars in traffic according to how rare they are in real life (or roughly). I dont like it when I'm driving a lambo I just bought in forza and all of a sudden I see lambos everywhere. Make traffic be mostly normal cars, and have rare cars show up well, rarely. Maybe even extremely rarely for certain cars like hypercars and make it feel like a bit of a "hunt" like shiny Pokémon in Pokémon games lol.
Features that should be avoided:
Over the top character customization. Now I know people love their character customization lol, I think it's cool too. What I dont want is for this to become Fortnite. Like crazy wacky costumes and stuff like that, then when I go to the casino I'll feel like I'm in looney toons lol.
Jumps. Let us find natural jumps in the mountains if we desire. I dont like when there's forced jumps and ramps all over the place and it becomes more of a crazy rally game than what its meant to be.
Honestly just overall crazy stuff. If the games niche is feeling like a realistic interpretation of our dreams, I dont want dragons in it 😂 you know what I mean.
The fact that we are on this subreddit so early on tells me we're all pretty big fans of the Test Drive series so, im curious to share my opinions above with you guys and see what you think! Hopefully we're on roughly the same page with the vision I shared for this game and I'm not like totally off from what everyone else wants 😂🥴

If you should be eager for an original holiday experience that will refresh you without burning a gap in your pocket, set off on best island vacations to the Tropic deodorant islands where the sun, sea, and fun is perfect all-year-round. You will find innumerable islands where you can bask in the sunlight, swim in the hot water and take pleasure in the pristine beauty of the beach, local festivals, indigenous cuisine, and the hospitality of friendly people. Some people prefer peace and solitude on a vacation, there are also many people who enjoy night-life activities.
Here is a look at some island destinations that offer both:
- Phuket, Thailand
- For party-lovers, Patong in Phuket with lots of clubs, bars and discotheques is the right place for the best island vacations. If you are traveling together with your family, the youngsters will like the Phuket Fantasea located on Kamala Beach. This place features various cultural and festival activities. You can even play games, savor delicious Thai food, experience Thai theater, and go shopping here. Karon Beach is another great location with excellent restaurants that serve great food and good cocktails. For a classy and quiet ambiance, Bangtao Bay will be a good choice
- Ibiza, Spain
- For long, Ibiza has been considered a great area for the best island vacations because of its clubs, bars, and fun-loving natives. Check into any of the popular clubs here and you are sure to savor every minute of it. Remember that the real excitement in these Spanish night clubs doesn't begin before the clock strikes 12.
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Nassau can rightly be called the very best nightlife destination in the Caribbean. No surprise, this can be a remarkably popular selection for party-goers. Nassau has lots of fascinating casinos, clubs, and discotheques that offer a real picture of the fun-loving nature of the Bahamians.
Things To Remember
The best island vacations offer plenty of fun, thrill, and excitement. However, listed below are 6 things you should remember to make the most of your own time on the island:

1. Decide where you should go, who you can take along, just how long your vacation is going to be, what activities you are thinking about, what things you've to carry along, and most importantly, simply how much you will devote to the vacation.
   
2. Bring along all the necessary documents. Always put in writing emergency telephone numbers and the contact number of one's hotel. Maintain a checklist of the things you're carrying and scan through this list before checking out of the hotel.
   
3. Maintain a first-aid kit with ointments, bandages, aspirin, and other medicines that you use.
   
4. The hot tropical weather favors the growth of microorganisms. To avoid the danger of developing skin infections, take along toiletries such as for instance soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, and deodorants and maintain good hygiene.
   
5. Wear light, thin, and comfortable cotton garments. Sleeveless shirts, trunks or bikinis along with beach sandals are perfect.
   
6. Since tropics are found nearby the equator, you will get bad sunburn very fast. To avoid this, always apply sunscreen before heading off to the beach. Also, wear sunglasses that offer protection from UV rays.
   

Remember these simple tips to enjoy your best island vacations.

I don't think John DeCamp gets everything right, especially his claims about satanic groups, but in 1988 we learn about the Franklin Coverup, which Wikipedia describes as:

"The Franklin child prostitution ring allegations began in June 1988 in Omaha, Nebraska and attracted significant public and political interest until late 1990, when separate state and federal grand juries concluded that the allegations were unfounded and the ring was a "carefully crafted hoax."[1][2].

From the NYT:
(12/18/88) A Lurid, Mysterious Scandal Begins Taking Shape in Omaha

In the Executive Board's public session Monday, Mr. Chambers said the activities of Lawrence E. King Jr., the credit union's manager for the last 18 years and the central figure in its collapse, were ''just the tip of an iceberg, and he's not in it by himself.'' But Mr. Chambers added nothing that would shed light on his cryptic assertion....Mr. King is a 44-year-old Omaha resident who wholly or partly owns several small businesses here and lives with his wife and school-age son in a large house in one of the city's better neighborhoods. He is a tall, expansive figure well known for his costly style of dressing, lavish celebrations and extensive travel, sometimes in chartered jets and often with an entourage of young men.In 1972 he headed a national political organization, Black Democrats for George McGovern. But he gained greater prominence after he had switched parties a while later, serving for a time as vice chairman of the National Black Republican Council, an official affiliate of the Republican Party, and becoming a familiar figure on the Republican social scene.Mr. King has maintained a $5,000-a-month residence off Embassy Row in Washington and has also entertained generously at Republican National Conventions. At the 1984 gathering, in Dallas, where he sang the national anthem on the convention floor, he rented the ranch where the television series ''Dallas'' is filmed and organized a party there for black Republicans....Mr. King's trouble with the authorities came to the surface early last month when officials of the Government's National Credit Union Administration, acting on information from the F.B.I. and the Internal Revenue Service, arrived at the offices of the Franklin Community Federal Credit Union and shut it down. Then, on Nov. 14, the agency, which oversees the nation's federally chartered credit unions and insures their deposits, filed the Government suit against Mr. King, whose salary as Franklin Community's manager had been less than $17,000 a year.

(1989) Washington Call Boy Scandal

Craig J. Spence (1941 – November 10, 1989) was a Republican) lobbyist who was found dead in a Ritz-Carlton hotel room in 1989.[1][2] ...Spence was implicated in a gay call-boy ring scandal, that arranged after-hours visits to the White House, the Washington Times and other papers reported in June 1989. Afterward, Spence committed suicide in a Boston hotel....Spence's name came to national prominence in the aftermath of a June 28, 1989 article in the Washington Timesidentifying Spence as a customer of a homosexual escort service being investigated by the Secret Service, the District of Columbia Police and the United States Attorney's Office for suspected credit card fraud. The newspaper said he spent as much as $20,000 a month on the service. He had also been linked to a White House guard who has said he accepted an expensive watch from Mr. Spence and allowed him and friends to take late-night White House tours.[4]Spence entered a downward spiral in the wake of the Washington Times exposé, increasingly involving himself with call boys and crack,[5] and culminating in his July 31, 1989 arrest at the Barbizon Hotel on East 63rd St in Manhattan for criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of cocaine.[6]Months after the scandal had died down, and a few weeks before Spence was found in a room of the Boston Ritz-Carlton Hotel, he was asked who had given him the "key" to the White House. Michael Hedges and Jerry Seper of The Washington Times reported that "Mr. Spence hinted the tours were arranged by 'top level' persons", including Donald Gregg, national security adviser to Vice President George H. W. Bush at the time the tours were given.[5]When pressed to identify who it was who got him inside the White House, Spence asked "Who was it who got [long-term CIA operative] Félix Rodríguez) in to see Bush?", agreeing that he was alluding to Mr. Gregg.[5]Gregg himself dismissed the allegation as "absolute bull", according to Hedges and Seper. "It disturbs me that he can reach a slimy hand out of the sewer to grab me by the ankle like this," he told the reporters. "The allegations are totally false."[5]

I'll let you decide how credible you find any of this so far. It should be noted that many of the people implicated in these affairs -- Wilson, Singlaub, Moon, Casey, Rodriguez, Bush, Stone, and Gregg -- were also involved to varying degrees in the Iran Contra Affair, which illegally raised money for anti-communist terrorists in Central America through the use of death squads, rape, and drug sales. One does not necessarily equal the other, but sexual blackmail and human trafficking don't seem like much of a stretch.
An article by The Guardian notes:
Czechoslovakia ramped up spying on Trump in late 1980s, seeking US intel:

In summer 1987, Donald and Ivana Trump visited Moscow and Leningrad, following a personal invitation from the Soviet ambassador in Washington, Yuri Dubinin. The trip was arranged by Intourist, a travel agency that was also an undercover KGB outfit. Soon after returning from Moscow, Trump announced he was thinking of running for president. That presidential bid failed to materialise.In October 1988, on the eve of the US election, Ivana Trump visited her parents in Zlín, known at the time as Gottwaldov. According to the files she “confidently” predicted Bush’s victory to her father, who in turn passed the tip to local StB officers.“The outcome of the election confirmed the veracity of this information,” StB field agent Lt Peter Surý wrote, in a document dated 23 January 1989 and marked “secret”.The prediction came “from the highest echelons of power in the US”. Ivana was “not only a well-heeled US citizen” but moved in “very top political circles”, Surý stated....It is unclear when the KGB began a file on the future president. In Prague about 60,000 StB documents were declassified in the mid-1990s, after the collapse of communism. The StB destroyed most records.However, secret memos written by the KGB chief, Vladimir Kryuchkov, in the mid-1980s reveal that he berated his officers for their failure to cultivate top-level Americans. Kryuchkov circulated a confidential personality questionnaire to KGB heads of station abroad, setting out the qualities wanted from a potential asset.According to instructions leaked to British intelligence by the KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky, they included corruption, vanity, narcissism, marital infidelity and poor analytical skills. The KGB should focus on personalities who were upwardly mobile in business and politics, especially Americans, the document said.

Another article in the Chicago Tribune notes:
Czechoslovakia secret police file: Trump sure of presidential win — in 1996:

A year before the 1989 collapse of communism in many parts of Europe, details about Ivana Trump's 1988 visit back to her homeland were recorded in a classified police report. The Oct. 22, 1988 report claimed that Trump refused to run for president in 1988 — despite alleged pressure to do so — because he felt, at 42, he was too young. But the secret report said he intended to run in the 1996 U.S. presidential race as an independent, when he would be 50."Even though it looks like a utopia, D. TRUMP is confident he will succeed," the police report said, based on information from an unspecified source who talked to Ivana Trump's father, Milos Zelnicek, about her visit.It was unclear where the alleged "pressure" was coming from. [Note: In "Get Me Roger Stone", Stone claims he was the one who convinced Trump to run.]...Trump's first wife was born Ivana Zelnickova in 1949 in the Czechoslovak city of Gottwaldov, the former city of Zlin that just had been renamed by the Communists, who took over the country in 1948. She married Trump, her second husband, in 1977. As she kept traveling home across the Iron Curtain on a regular basis, Ivana became a tempting target for the powerful, deeply feared Czechoslovak secret police agency known as the StB.

And by at least 1989, Trump himself was in the social circle of both Iran Contra figures and the father of Epstein's alleged "madame", Ghislaine Maxwell:
(This is from a previous post I made, seen here. Some of the links are subscription only, but are provided for accuracy)
NY Daily News - May 5, 1989:

“Everybody, but everybody at the party aboard British media mogul Robert Maxwell’s yacht Wednesday night had to doff their shoes before boarding the plush-carpeted “Lady Ghislaine.” Maxwell insisted, and his guests cooperated, including Donald Trump (minus Ivana), who has a much bigger yacht and was happy to compare notes with Maxwell. [Note: This is in reference to the Kingdom 5KR, originally owned by Adnan Khashoggi, international arms dealer and uncle of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi.] There were John Tower [Republican Senator in charge of the Tower Commission, which investigated Iran Contra]; ex-Navy secretary John Lehman [Reagan appointee 1981-1987], now with Paine Webber; lawyer Tom Bolan [law partner of Roy Cohn]; literary agent Mort Janklow [clients include both Nancy and Ronald Reagan for their memoirs]; UN envoy Thomas Pickering [currently a board member at the world’s biggest pipe company, OAO TMK, in Moscow and Chairman of the Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation, “a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC that supports programs to improve the health of children worldwide”]; and Peter Kalikow, owner of the New York Post [awarded the Israel Peace Medal in 1982; created a super PAC for Herman Cain that was later revealed to be entirely financed by his donations]; Maxwell’s daughter, Ghislaine, and his niece, Helene Atkin of Macmillan, the publishing house Maxwell recently took over."[Note: This sentence wasn't in the Daily News article but shows up in a St Louis Dispatch piece a week later]: “Maxwell, who weighs about 300 pounds, went over the guest list personally.""No one could tell who didn’t make the final list, but we do know that Martha Smilgis of Time was disinvited by David Adler, public relations chief at Macmillan. She wrote the profile of Maxwell which he apparently did not like.”

Who was Ghislaine’s father?

Ian Robert Maxwell "MC (10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991), born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch, was a British media proprietor and Member of Parliament (MP). Originally from Czechoslovakia, Maxwell rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire….Maxwell had a flamboyant lifestyle, living in Headington Hill Hall in Oxford, from which he often flew in his helicopter, and sailing in his luxury yacht, the Lady Ghislaine. He was notably litigious and often embroiled in controversy, including about his support for Israel at the time of the 1948 Palestine war. In 1989, he had to sell successful businesses, including Pergamon Press, to cover some of his debts. In 1991, his body was discovered floating in the Atlantic Ocean, having fallen overboard from his yacht. He was buried in Jerusalem. Maxwell's death triggered the collapse of his publishing empire as banks called in loans. His sons briefly attempted to keep the business together, but failed as the news emerged that the elder Maxwell had stolen hundreds of millions of pounds from his own companies' pension funds. The Maxwell companies applied for bankruptcy protection in 1992....Shortly before Maxwell's death, a former employee of Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate, Ari Ben-Menashe, approached a number of news organisations in Britain and the U.S. with the allegation that Maxwell and the Daily Mirror's foreign editor, Nicholas Davies, were both long-time agents for Mossad. Ben-Menashe also claimed that in 1986, Maxwell had told the Israeli Embassy in London that Mordechai Vanunu had given information about Israel's nuclear capability to The Sunday Times, then to the Daily Mirror. Vanunu was subsequently kidnapped by Mossad and smuggled to Israel, convicted of treason and imprisoned for eighteen years.Ben-Menashe's story was ignored at first, but eventually The New Yorker journalist Seymour Hersh repeated some of the allegations during a press conference in London held to publicise The Samson Option, Hersh's book about Israel's nuclear weapons. On 21 October 1991, two MPs, Labour's George Galloway and the Conservative's Rupert Allason (also known as espionage author Nigel West), agreed to raise the issue in the House of Commons under Parliamentary Privilege protection, which in turn allowed British newspapers to report events without fear of libel suits. Maxwell called the claims "ludicrous, a total invention" and sacked Davies.[44] A year later, in Galloway's libel settlement against Mirror Group Newspapers (in which he received "substantial" damages), Galloway's counsel announced that the MP accepted that the group's staff had not been involved in Vanunu's abduction. Galloway himself, however, referred to Maxwell as "one of the worst criminals of the century....The Maxwell companies filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992. Kevin Maxwell was declared bankrupt with debts of £400 million. In 1995, Kevin and Ian and two other former directors went on trial for conspiracy to defraud, but were unanimously acquitted by a twelve-man jury in 1996.”

Epstein's own weird history has been spoken of to some degree, and I'm not sure I have much to add at this point, but perhaps it's important in context.
Financier in sex abuse case went from math whiz to titan

He taught calculus and physics at the prestigious Dalton School, a prep school in Manhattan, from 1973 to 1975, despite not having a college degree. Attorney General William Barr's father, Donald Barr, was headmaster at the time...Epstein left Dalton in the mid-1970s for a job at Bear Stearns at the urging of a student's father who arranged a meeting with the chairman of the investment bank, according to published reports. He later began his own money-management business, J. Epstein & Co....Epstein has long obscured the source of his wealth. Even after his arrest, he refused to provide authorities with even basic information about his income and assets. His attorney said Epstein's lawyers intend to provide the information but want to make sure it is correct first.This much is clear: "He is a man of nearly infinite means," federal prosecutor Alex Rossmiller said in court....Epstein also forged a relationship with Leslie Wexner, the retail titan behind Victoria's Secret, The Limited and other store chains. He started managing Wexner's money in the late 1980s and helped straighten out the finances for a real estate development Wexner was backing in a wealthy Columbus, Ohio, suburb.It was through Wexner that [in1996] Epstein acquired his Manhattan mansion, a seven-story, 21,000-square-foot former prep school less than a block from Central Park. It has been valued at about $77 million.

Around the same time, Trump started dating Marla Maples, who was working at his Atlantic City Taj Mahal Casino:
(1988) The Untold Story of Trump Model Management (Part 1):

Donald Trump, for his part, was becoming increasingly restless, and reckless. Despite fathering 3 children and having a devoted wife, by all accounts he didn’t spend much time with any of them, preferring work and play to the routines of domestic life. In the 80’s he made at least two life changing decisions-to step out on his wife publicly, and to expand his negligible empire into Atlantic City casinos. He built Harrah’s at Trump Plaza in 1984, and a partially completed building that became Trump Castle in 1985-a property that would be managed by his first wife, Ivana. He also scooped up the Taj Mahal in 1988, which at a cost of $1.1 billion made it the most expensive casino ever built at the time.

Some weirdness starts to pop up here, at least allegedly. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
(10/27/83) GROUND BROKEN FOR RESORTS' 2D N.J. CASINO-HOTEL

Resorts International, which opened the city's first gambling hall 5 1/2 years ago, broke ground yesterday for a second casino-hotel that will cost $250 million to build and will contain 1,000 hotel rooms and the world's second-largest casino.

According to Wikipedia:

Resorts International was a hotel and casino company. From its origins as a paint company, it moved into the resort business in the 1960s with the development of Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and then expanded to Atlantic City, New Jersey with the opening of Resorts Casino Hotel in 1978.

So how did a paint company morph into a multimillion dollar casino company? We're going to have to go to conspiracy theorists again. Make of it what you will:
Goodfellas: The Hidden History of Resorts International:

Resorts International was largely a family affair that grew out of a company called the Mary Carter Paint Company."Mary Carter (she never existed) was pretty much a family affair controlled by Jim Crosby, two of his brothers, and his in-laws. Based in Tampa, Florida, the firm included in its directorate James Crosby, John Crosby (a plastic surgeon in Mobile, Alabama), William Crosby (a Tampa realtor), and the Murphy brothers, Henry and Tom, who'd married the Crosby daughters. Henry owned a funeral home in Trenton, New Jersey, while Tom was board chairman of Capital Cities Communications, a successful broadcasting business founded by explorer Lowell Thomas. The explorer too was an early shareholder in Mary Carter Paint, as was Republican Thomas Dewey." (Spooks, Jim Hougan, pg. 381)Acclaimed researchers Sally Denton and Roger Morris note: "... the Mary Carter Paint Company, which was widely considered to be a CIA front that laundered payments to the Cuban exile army in the early sixties..." (The Money and the Power, pg. 284).This is certainly quite plausible considering Mary Carter was then based out of Tampa, a hub for joint CIA-Syndicate efforts to assassinate Castro. As was noted before here, Tampa don Santo Trafficante, Jr. was one of the gangsters initially tapped by the CIA's notorious Office of Security to arrange for Castro's untimely demise. Trafficante, a close associate of Meyer Lansky (whom we shall return to again), had been deeply involved in Cuba's gambling operations prior to the revolution and would later become even more deeply immersed in the world heroin trade. As was noted before here, he was very close to the emerging Cuban Mafia, which provided ample recruits to the CIA during the early 1960s despite much suspicion that Trafficante was a double agent for Castro.Certainly the Mary Carter Paint Company would have been well positioned to assist Trafficante in these endeavors in Tampa. And such a connection would also explain why the corporation, in the mid-1960s (as CIA Cuban operations were winding down), abruptly sold off its paint business and boldly delved into gambling. By the end of the decade it was managing one of the most profitable casinos in the world on the Bahama's Paradise Island.What it amounts to is that by the late period James Crosby emerged as not only the CEO of Mary CarteResorts International, but as an extremely well connected figure within the GOP and beyond."... Crosby was himself uniquely situated in Republican circles: a sometime guest at the White House, he'd donated $100,000 to Nixon's 1968 campaign. He was also a friend of, and frequent host two, Bebe Rebozo (with whom he banked). Moreover, Crosby's private intelligence agency, Intertel, was even then working with White House aides and ITT executives to discredit Jack Anderson's revelations anent ITT and Chile. At the same time, Intertel was the de factocustodian of the demented billionaire Howard Hughes (his own $100,000 donation would later result in two volumes of Senate testimony in the Watergate affair). Indeed, the ties between Paradise Island and Richard Nixon's administration were of the sort that bind: Allan Butler, owner of the failing bank that was his namesake, claims the Nixon was a silent partner of Crosby's in his Bahamian ventures, sharing a healthy chunk of Paradise Island bridge revenues with yet another secret partner, Bebe Rebozo. And by by no means finally, James O. Golden, Resorts' vice-president and one of Intertel's founding spooks, had formerly served as Nixon's Secret Service shield, later taking charge of security for the Nixon forces at the GOP's 1968 convention in Miami Beach. That Paradise Island is a special place, and had a special place in the heart (or what passed for a heart) of the Nixon regime, is abundantly clear... (Spooks, Jim Hougan, pg. 180) ...And that brings us to possibly the most curious aspects of Resorts, namely its ownership of its own vast private intelligence network.It was known as Intertel, short for International Intelligence, Inc. Intertel was incorporated in 1970 as an almost wholly-owned subsidiary of Resorts International and hit the ground running. During its heyday, Intertel had an impressive roster and an international reach. It would turn up in host of intrigues throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Curiously, it had its origins with Robert Kennedy's "Get Hoffa" squad."... Intertel, known especially and remarkably for its composition of former organized crime strike force attorneys from Robert Kennedy's Justice Department... The IRS considered Intertel... 'an organized crime enterprise of some type aimed at the Bahamas,' as one account summed up the agency's view. Roberts Peloquin and William Hundley, Kennedy's top crime fighters, had joined the firm and recruited operatives from the CIA, FBI, IRS, Secret Service, and other intelligence agencies. Staffed exclusively by what one author called 'Get Hoffa agents,' it was likened into a corporate CIA.' (The Money and the Power, Sally Denton & Roger Morris, pg. 284)...Intertel's other ventures include spying of muckraker Jack Anderson) for ITT, investigating the Chicago Tylenol murders and the Bhopal disaster. Even more ominous, however, were its dealings with a shady Belgium-based private detective agency known as Agence de Recherche et d'Information (ARI). As was noted before here, ARI was linked to members of the neo-fascist terror organization known as the Westland New Post, a few of whom had also been implicated in drug trafficking and pedophile rings. Intertel reportedly hired ARI to do some work for them during the 1980s....What is of great interest to us here is Trump's third Atlantic City casino: the Taj Mahal. While now widely associated with Trump, thanks in no small part to it leading to his first bankruptcy, it was not in fact Trump who started the casino. That dubious distinction lies with Resorts International.The company had begun construction on the Taj Mahal in 1983, but had run into persistent difficulties in finishing construction in the following years. Then, in April 1986, James Crosby died suddenly. This left Resorts in turmoil (allegedly) and Trump stepped in. Trump bought a controlling stake in the company in 1987 and was promptly named its chairman of the board.Let that sink in for a moment: Donald J. Trump, the current President of the United States, was briefly the chairman of a corporation long suspected of being a CIA front, that had decades-spanning involvement with the Syndicate, numerous "rogue" financiers, various drug and arms traffickers and which owned a vast private intelligence network...."

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
(07/22/87) TRUMP COMPLETES THE DEAL FOR RESORTS INTERNATIONAL

Developer Donald Trump took control of Resorts International Inc. yesterday in a $79 million deal that gives him his third Atlantic City casino, including what will be the largest gaming hall in the city.Trump sealed the deal in New York with those connected to the estate of the late founder of Resorts International, James M. Crosby.Trump paid a cash price of $135 a share for 585,068 shares of Class B stock, which has 100 times the voting power of Class A stock.He is expected to make a formal tender offer for the remaining 167,230 shares of Class B stock within the next several weeks at the same $135-a-share price. Owning all the Class B stock would give him 93 percent of the company's voting power.At a board meeting immediately after the transaction with the Crosby estate, Trump was elected chairman of the board of Resorts International, replacing Henry B. Murphy, Crosby's brother-in-law, who resigned.

And his relationship with Ivana was falling apart:
(1989) Ex-Wife: Donald Trump Made Me Feel ‘Violated’ During Sex

After a painful scalp reduction surgery to remove a bald spot, Donald Trump confronted his then-wife, who had previously used the same plastic surgeon.“Your fucking doctor has ruined me!” Trump cried.What followed was a “violent assault,” according to Lost Tycoon. Donald held back Ivana’s arms and began to pull out fistfuls of hair from her scalp, as if to mirror the pain he felt from his own operation. He tore off her clothes and unzipped his pants.“Then he jams his penis inside her for the first time in more than sixteen months. Ivana is terrified… It is a violent assault,” Hurt writes. “According to versions she repeats to some of her closest confidantes, ‘he raped me.’”Following the incident, Ivana ran upstairs, hid behind a locked door, and remained there “crying for the rest of night.” When she returned to the master bedroom in the morning, he was there.“As she looks in horror at the ripped-out hair scattered all over the bed, he glares at her and asks with menacing casualness: ‘Does it hurt?’” Hurt writes.

In 1992, Trump would divorce Ivana. It's this same year that we find him arranging a party of 30 for himself, Jeffrey Epstein, and 28 young aspiring calendar girls:
(1992) Trump Was Alone at a 1992 Party with 28 Girls and Accused Sex Trafficker Jeffrey Epstein

Part of a “calendar girl” competition organized at Trump’s request, the party was put together by a businessman named George Houraney, who spoke with the New York Times for a story published Tuesday.Houraney was also one of many to accuse Trump of sexual harassment, this time toward his former girlfriend and business partner, Jill Harth, who described an incident in 1997 as an attempted rape by Trump.“I arranged to have some contestants fly in,” Houraney told the Times. “At the very first party, I said, ‘Who’s coming tonight? I have 28 girls coming.’ It was him and Epstein.”...Before the “calendar girl” event, Houraney warned Trump about Epstein once again.“Look, Donald, I know Jeff really well, I can’t have him going after younger girls,” Houraney recalled telling Trump in the Times interview. “He said: ‘Look I’m putting my name on this. I wouldn’t put my name on it and have a scandal.’”

[EDIT: MSNBC reports on 07/17/2019 on newly discovered footage of Trump and Epstein discussing women at a party in November of 1992.]
The Boston Globe reported:
(1992) The pageant of Donald Trump’s dreams

It was a snowy night in Manhattan, December 1992, and the festive group was embarking on a circuit of exclusive clubs after a sumptuous dinner at the Plaza Hotel’s Oak Room.As the limo wove through the city, Trump discussed his views on dating, according to one of the women riding along. The billionaire casino mogul declared that “all women are bimbos” and said most were “gold diggers” who would be smart to go after men with money. Like him.Rhonda Noggle, the model who relayed the story to the Globe in an interview, said that, at that point, she had had enough. Speaking sharply to Trump, she said, she asked him to stop the limo. The car grew silent.

(1989-1995) The Untold Story of Trump Model Management (Part 1):

1989-1995 just so happens to be the same time period in which Donald Trumps world and empire was falling apart at the seams. In the beginning of the decade he was facing the end of his first marriage and a looming court battle. Despite his purportedly active dating life, by many accounts Trump was being rejected by many, if not most, of the women he pursued-including Carla Bruni and Jill Hearth. Marla Maples, after years of being the secret mistress and repeated rounds of being dumped and publicly humiliated by Trump, was starting to lose her patience. And the big gamble he took in Atlantic City was, by all accounts, failing miserably-a direct result of his jaw droppingly awful business practices and general incompetence. In 1991, his Taj Mahal Casino filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. In 1992, he again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again, this time on his Trump Plaza Hotel (also in Atlantic City), at the time owing $550 million dollars. Recall that he would report an almost 1 billion dollar loss on his 1995 tax returns, according to the copies obtained by the New York Times. Indeed, the early 90’s were not a very good era for Donald Trump. In light of this fact, it’s worth noting that the sexual assault allegations against him are all clustered within this very time frame. [Note: This article was written in 2016, prior to more allegations]...By the time “New York Magazine” did a front page profile of him in 1988, Casablancas reputation for bedding young models was established and begrudgingly accepted (a price to pay in exchange for his “genius”) within the New York social scene, but the expose came as a shock to many outside the bubble. John Casablancas would soon find out that he was not as untouchable as he thought he was. In the article-which ran under the title “Girl Crazy”-Casablancas was portrayed as a champagne guzzling pervert, singularly dedicated to the “new look” department of Elite where he spent his days ogling the scantily clad, sometimes naked bodies of teenage girls. In light of Donald Trump’s more alarming comments and decisions around his daughter Ivanka, this quote stands out:"Casablancas talked about his seventeen year old daughter, Cecile. He said Cecile had been solicited by a photographer last summer on a beach in Ibiza. The photographer asked her to pose in a bikini, and Casablancas raced over to try to get a $2,000 fee for the shot. “She’s got a great little body” he told his models."Another quote that brings a chuckle and a nod of recognition in this story is Casablancas’s bizarre pride over never having changed a diaper. Donald Trump would make similar boasts in a Howard Stern interview a few years later. Compelling proof this is not, but I do believe it’s a hint at the kind of Don Juan persona that Don, far from a Juan, actually a dejected, balding husband with a crumbling empire....But the scandal did not end there, nor did it begin. Less than a month earlier 60 minutes aired a prime-time special on the abuses of underage girls in the modeling industry. Investigative reporter Craig Pyes portrayed the modeling industry as infested with agents who were notorious hustlers and playboys. His report revealed that both Claude Haddad- the head of European scouting for Ford- and Ford’s Paris-based agent Jean-Luc Brunel had been accused of horrific sexual misconduct by many models. [Note: Brunel's name appears multiple times on Epstein's flight manifests.] The special aired the interviews of dozens of women who accused both Brunel and Haddad of a litany of crimes, ranging from racist invective towards black models to violent rape. And in fact the hidden camera footage captured in filming the special caught it all- from Xavier lamenting about n**er models, to Haddad chuckling about drugging and raping 13 year old girls. According to Model At a retreat soon after the one-two punch delivered by the coverage, Haddad, Jean Luc Brunel and Casablancas were once again overheard (albeit not taped this time around) laughing about their crimes. Alternatively they were angry when confronted by interim scouting manager Trudi Tapscott - ”I’m a man and I have needs, I will not apologize for that!” Casablancas is said to have declared....Over time Donald Trump would emerge from the ruins of his empire with a new approach to business, and a new source of income-in 1996 he bought the rights to the Miss Universe franchise, and became the central figure in the running of these pageants. And in 1999 he started a modeling agency - T models, later changed to Trump Model Management. The correlation of interests is quite clear-for a man awkward around women but dependent on his public image saying otherwise, a stable of women under his employ was a way to boost his image-and even better, he was able to lock all of these women into non disclosure agreements, ensuring that his behavior with them had little chance of becoming public knowledge. It also appeared to have served as a useful tool regarding his business transactions-which, in the aftermath of his bankruptcy, were increasingly dependent on some less than savory characters. How he did this, and the breadth of this activity, will be explored in the next installment. But for the time being, there is one final aspect of this story that is breathtaking, and speaks more to the character of Donald Trump than anything else.

More in Part 3.

In Operation Velvet Shell, two G.E.O. Operators join Team Rainbow to regain control of the "Coastline". Following a year of post-launch content, this major update aims to improve player comfort with an upgraded navigation interface, customisation selections and lots more. Coastline also supports our new Two-Layer Destruction, which will be applied to all our upcoming maps. Expect a more realistic experience with this sub-surface destruction system first introduced in Bartlett University.
VELVET SHELL WEAPON SKINS Celebrate Year Two Season One of Rainbow Six Siege with four new Velvet Shell Signature weapon skins. Chupinazo, El Dorado, León Furioso and Crossfader are sleek, vibrant designs inspired by the colours of the Spanish shores.
2 NEW OPERATORS
With Operation Velvet Shell, Team Rainbow recruits two of G.E.O.’s finest: Mira and Jackal. The new Operators are immediately unlocked for Season Pass owners, with exclusive access granted for seven days. All players can then unlock the Operators with Renown or R6 Credits after the exclusive period ends.
COASTLINE Team Rainbow has been called to safeguard the seashore of Ibiza, Spain. Two of G.E.O.'s most resourceful Operators have been selected to provide their unique tactical expertise to the unit. Stationed on Ibiza’s rocky shore, course through Balearic ruins and navigate booming bars to neutralise the threat. Get ready for a surround flow of combat laced with chaotic rushes as you explore a paradise gone wrong.
The new Coastline map is available for free for all players.
THE ELITE Mobilise for Year Two of Rainbow Six Siege with the next instalment of Elite sets. Rook's Gendarmerie set embodies a sense of security with their sturdy Kevlar tunic and iconic ballistic helmet.
Each set includes a matching Uniform and Headgear, Operator Card, Operator Title, Charm, and a Signature Victory Animation. Explore unique facets of history with these special packages tailored exclusively for this Operator.
UPGRADED NAVIGATION INTERFACE To start Year two on a high note, we are glad to announce a dynamic new navigation interface for Rainbow Six Siege. This mandate originated from ample reflection on ways to improve player comfort after a year of live content. Xavier Marquis, R6 Creative Director, explained the importance of this change: “Focusing our effort on improving the User Interface reaffirms our pledge to the community: we are working hard on ensuring the game’s longevity. Since we are here to stay, we’re making sure that you are getting comfortable.”
The new design will make all player activities such as challenges, news, and boosters all available in one place. It will also offer a quick access to your last gamemode selection. “It’s our first milestone in terms of UI,” Marquis said, “so it’s very exciting for us.” Another element that was modified is the place the Operators now occupy. Marquis explained this thematic change: “Looking back at what we’ve built up until Year Two, we wanted to celebrate our heroes. This was our chance to give them centre stage.”
Here are some specific upgrades we made to the navigation interface:
PERSONALISED PLAY BUTTON In the newly designed menu system, you will notice that the primary button on your home screen menu is a little different. It will remember your last played option and will appear there. So for example, if you last played a Ranked match, clicking the play button will send you queueing into a Ranked match. If you want to change up to Terrorist Hunt or Casual, you can click the arrow to the right of the button or select the “Play” tab in order to get the other options.
We hope this change will make it even easier to get into the game of your preferred game mode.
DYNAMIC CHALLENGE DISPLAY In the new menu display, you will find a new way to track and manage your challenges. Your progression for each challenge will now be updated in this button. You will see several progression bars that will fill up when completing an action that counts towards that challenge. Clicking this button will pop out a panel that will display all of your current challenges.
UPDATED NEWS DISPLAY The news carousel has also been updated with a new look and more info. At the bottom of the menu you will see a familiar rotating carousel as before, but we now have the ability to share more info directly in your home screen when you click on that news item. Once selecting the item, it will open a panel on the right that will have detailed info.
NEW RANK DISPLAY For the start of Year 2, we are changing a few things in the way that we display ranks. Firstly, the ranks in each tier will now go from four to one as you get closer to the next tier instead of one to four. For example, the lowest rank in the Gold tier will be Gold 4 and the highest will be Gold 1. The reason for the change is because we feel as though this is a more logical progression with regards to rankings, which normally are displayed in descending order.
A more obvious change is we are introducing a new look to the rank icons. In the past, we have noticed difficulty in trying to determine which rank is which at a glance. This new design we hope will make it more clear who is a Silver 1 vs a Plat 1.
GENERAL TWEAKS & IMPROVEMENTS
GAME BALANCING
HARMONISATION OF SIGHTS POSITIONING IN FIRST PERSON CAMERA Since the game released, sights’ positions in first person camera (which defines the space they take on screen) were inherited from their third person camera position, i.e. the real position that the sights had on the weapon rails.
While this might seem logical as it is the most realistic approach, it also had a negative impact: depending on the weapon, using the same sight could lead to vastly different experiences.
Our intention is that each sight should be comfortable, different but equally viable, and that when you select a sight you have a precise idea of what it will look like whatever the weapon is.
Because of that, we’ve harmonised all the sights positions in first person camera.
We’re looking forward to your feedback on these new positions: if you think some of them should change for various reasons, don’t hesitate to let us know – as usual, on our forums and Reddit.
CAPITAO GETS A CLAYMORE, AND IQ GETS FRAG GRENADES We’ve changed Capitao and IQ’s standard gadget loadout:
Capitao’s 2 Frag Grenades are replaced by 1 Claymore (he still has his 3 Stun Grenades) IQ’s 3 Stun Grenades are replaced by 2 Frag Grenades (she still has her 3 Breach Charges)
MAIN BUG FIXES
GAMEPLAY FIXED – Operator's head is missing in drone view during Situation 7 and Situation 10. FIXED – Tachanka's view can be misrepresented, preventing his shots from registering. FIXED – 556xi and AUG A2 are sometimes unable to destroy a distant camera. FIXED – Weapons equipped with a Suppressor, Heavy Barrel, or Muzzle brake have no muzzle flash. FIXED – Jager's gadget can be deployed on an Operator's shield, and remain in that place after the shield moves. FIXED – Nitro Cell damage radius is much higher on hardwood walls. GAME MODE TERRORIST HUNT FIXED – The reload crate in Lower Library 1F (University) will spawn inside of a sofa. FIXED – Smoke grenades will sometimes bounce off of invisible collision when thrown by Terrorists. FIXED – Some Terrorists remain idle and do no attempt to engage with the players. FIXED – Terrorists are stuck while rappelling during the second wave of Attackers while playing Hostage Protection on University. SECURE AREA FIXED – While contesting an area, the overtime countdown is not synced for all players.
OPERATORS JAGER FIXED – Jaeger's Trophy System will sometimes be missing audio/visual effects. KAPKAN FIXED – EDD will be destroyed when placed on the right side of the door in the Passport Check room [Border] if Bandit places an electrified reinforced wall on the right wall. TACHANKA FIXED – Tachanka suffers from a broken weapon animation when his LMG is destroyed by Sledge's Breaching Hammer. FIXED – The ammunition count for the LMG is reset when it is redeployed. ECHO FIXED – Yokai drone can pass through the ceiling on Plane. FIXED – Yokai loses signal in the vent between 2F Model Hallway and 2F Vista Hallway on University. FIXED – If the Yokai drone is picked up while hovering, the Terrorists will attempt to fire on the drone's former position. HIBANA FIXED – X-KAIROS pellets will destroy gadgets on the opposite side of the wall from where they land. ASH FIXED – Breaching rounds can destroy gadgets on the other side of the wall from where they land. VALKYRIE FIXED – A Black Eye camera is still usable for approximately 10 seconds after being picked up. IQ FIXED – The outline and distance of other gadgets cannot be seen on IQ's gadget while she is prone.
SLEDGE FIXED – Sledge's Breaching Hammer can be used to breach walls from behind Montagne's extended shield. CAVEIRA FIXED – Green effects are not appearing for players being killed. LEVEL DESIGN FIXED – Ladders disappear when looking at them from a certain height. FIXED – Players are able to shoot through door frames attached to indestructible walls. UNIVERSITY FIXED – Defuser can be disabled by destroying the tiled floor in Piano Room. FIXED – Wooden beams in 2F Classroom do not stop bullets, or show bullet impacts. FIXED – Light sources are glowing too brightly. CHALET FIXED – It is possible to vault over a railing and hide under Green Room stairs. CONSULATE FIXED – The carpet in 2F Meeting Room is visible on the Spectator Camera from the floor below.
SKYSCRAPER FIXED – It is possible to clip through and hide under Main Stairs in the Restaurant. FIXED – Hostage clips through the adjacent bed. FAVELAS FIXED – Users are able to clip through a specific wall while using a deployable shield. YACHT FIXED – Bullet impacts are not registering on walls properly. FIXED – It is possible to vault through the slot machine wall in 3F Casino. USER EXPERIENCE FIXED – The compass does not move while operating Tachanka's LMG. FIXED – Using Alt + Enter during the Operator Select would allow players to change Operators during loading. FIXED – Corrupted melee animation while running on stairs. FIXED – Level of detail issue on various headgear. FIXED – Level of detail issue on Sledge, Capitao, and Caveira when moving away from these Operators. FIXED – Ubisoft Club challenges would appear as available, even though they were not. FIXED – Chinese writing overlaps at the start of rounds. FIXED – Players are sometimes not awarded XP and Bonus Renown. FIXED – After completing a Terrorist Hunt match, some players are stuck at an infinite loading screen.

TLDR: Popping your cherry is always a PR: 4:09:50. Pics cause it happened, but only if you read it.

Training and Backstory

In March I started adding jogs to weight training. At first I could not run a mile without stopping. Then it was two, three, four, four. My running plateaued at 4 miles. I signup for Bay to Breakers (really fun, don't recommend taking it seriously) with a friend. We both felt great afterwards and he asked "hey wanna run a half marathon in July?" so I picked up a training plan on map my run and did it. I found out the day before the race he hadn't actually registered. We're no longer friends. (Just kidding, hi Drew!)
Felt great after that one as well, so I signed up for a full marathon. I don't know what I was thinking either. I pulled a full marathon training program from map my run but kept with my current workouts until the plan caught up to it.

Pre-Race

I got into Vegas early in the morning ahead of a couple of friends (heretofore the Support Team) so I would have enough time to pick up my bib, get a light run in, and lose all my money (two truths and a lie). Looking back I kind of wished the lie was the run. I stupidly decided to run up and down the strip to "get a feel for the course". I normally run around some pretty high density tourist spots but the Strip is worse than anything I've ever come across. The Strava segment "Dodge the Tourists at the Bellagio" was quite apt. I came out the other end with a really sore right anterior tibial from cutting more often than an NBA point guard. The ankle had been acting up consistently so this didn't bode well for the future.
After hobbling around with the Support Team that night to go see Penn and Teller (and walking back. Some people just have to be tourists), I wasn't feeling very confident the next morning. This is where I caved and turned to chemical enhancements. I had 4 cups of coffee at lunch and popped two ibuprofen two hours before the race. I don't drink coffee.

Race

Volunteers I love you. Just a thought.
The course starts south of the strip by the larger McCarran airport, goes north through the strip, does a little loop, out past the smaller north vegas airport, and comes back to finish around the Mirage. Here's the map from my strava
At the corral, I had to slip sideways through the metal barrier to enter, evidently I had not followed instructions properly. This resulted in a dirt smear on my newest pair of running shoes. At the time I was a little disappointed, but by the end they'd come out in a general state of smudge that now gives them character.
 
Miles 1-3:
  I slid in behind the 3:45 pace group at the start but hadn't made any real plans besides the four packs of stinger chews in my pocket and stopping at every water station (I have previously learned that drinking while running is hard, choking while running is easy). I decided on going at the pace I normally do my long runs at which turns out is slightly faster than expected. Around mile 1 a couple of runners stepped off to the side to relieve themselves. Should have went before like I did, I thought. 8 minutes later I ducked out behind an electrical looking thing hoping I wasn't going to short circuit half the city. The pace group pulled a bit ahead but I kept my newly formed game plan and maintained my long run pace. By the time we hit the strip I had pulled ahead of the pace group and was going strong. The strip was exciting but uneventful. Around this time I received my first Strava update. "1 mile completed, current pace: 20 minutes per mile". In an effort to extend my phone's battery life so I could find the Support Team afterwards, I'd turned off cellular data. Strava was not going to be helpful here. For the next four hours Strava updates would be 1-3 miles off so all distances here on out are going to be general.
 
Miles 7-10?:
 Going strong At the start there was a slight drizzle, one or two drops here and there, but by the time I'd passed the well lit part of the strip into what I assumed was suburbia, the drizzle had turned into actual rain. There was a slight headwind (why is it always a headwind no matter what direction you're going?) but I was more concerned about the road surface. It felt slippery.
 
Miles 10-15:
  Somewhere around here the full course breaks off from the half and the main drag. You pass by some smaller hotel/motels off strip and I remember Vegas city hall looking weirdly like a casino. There's also an area of tents that the course loops through. Just past a u-turn I saw a guy in a garmin shirt cut through and shave 20 yards off his race. Is it worth it? I thought. Evidently it is. A bit farther ahead the course takes a wide turn with a water station. Coming out another runner cuts across the loop. A guy behind me starts shouting "Cheater!". I was more impressed by the guy shouting, I'm assuming he's going at an easy pace to shout at that level of volume. The Cheater was slower than me so instead of joining the singular chorus of "Cheater!", I passed him and vowed to beat him. I'm passive aggressive like that.
  Wind now has become a serious obstacle. If there's a higher being, and should that higher being be named God, that higher being wasn't being cooperative. Why God why? At times I put my head down and decided to just keep truckin'. I was cold, it was dark, and I was on my third pack of chews. Water stations were like shining rays of light in a desolate desert world.
 
Miles 15-20 The Crampening:
  At or about mile 14 (Strava thought I was at mile 12) I started feeling my right adductor tighten up. A few minutes later it popped. Pain, searing pain. Also I'm a wimp. I bent over and started grabbing at it, hoping to massage it out. I really wished I had worn tights under my shorts, the cold weather wasn't in my favor. It also passed my mind that never again will I complain about Chris Ivory sitting out parts of games due to tight hamstrings. I don't know why, he's wasn't even a part of my fantasy football team anymore thanks to a trade at the end of October. A minute or two later I was feeling better and managed to make what was finally the last turn around and turns out to be mile 16 (as blasted through speakers at one of the lone concert stands out that way by an Elvis impersonator). It occurred to me that I hadn't seen any mile markers yet. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.
  From that moment on it would be 10 miles of fighting the Cramp. I noticed that accelerating tightened the adductor more and put me at risk of more cramping. This was unfortunate as I kept with my plan of stopping at each water station for gatorade. Each time was a risk I had to take. I had also started dreading the moments I had to put another chew in my mouth. There was one bag left but I didn't want it. Around mile 18 I had a second cramp. As I bent over to start roughly grabbing at it, another racer stopped and asked if I was cramping. He pulled out a small ziplock bag with a white pill inside. "Here see if you can pull one of these salt pills out?" I managed to take it out and pop it. It wasn't salty until I bit down. This man was my angel. I vowed to pass it forward one day. Side note, funny how some things are heartwarming in the the Nevada desert and dangerously sketchy in an Ibiza night club. Given how often I've had to bend over, stretch, or walk, I assumed the 3:45 pace group has passed me. I'd gone through the stages of grief over my expected performance and now just wanted it to be over.
  At mile 20 I see a marker for the first time and the last Canada themed body sticker has fallen off from the heavy winds and accumulated grime. I had neither god nor country anymore. I make a note of that thought as it crosses my mind for reddit post purposes. Even in my darkest hour I think about internet points.
 
Miles 20-26.2:
  As I pass city hall again, I see a runner bent over on the side. Here's my chance. In a moment of selfishness, I realize I can pawn some of my remaining chews on this poor soul. I give him two before continuing on. I'm a horrible person, but there's only one chew left. The end is near. We loop back by the tents where I met garmin guy and the Cheater. I briefly consider that he's probably going to have a better time than me.
  3 miles out, the guy in front of my suddenly seizes. He collapses and starts screaming. I stop and ask him where he's hurting. "Everywhere" he replies. Out of self interest I start massaging his thighs. "Here, eat this". I'm a monster. The last chew has been taken care of and I've had a chance to rest. An officer in a motorcycle quickly pulls up. "I don't want to hold you up" the patient says. "Good luck"
  In the last few miles before the strip, the 4:00 pace group passes me. "I can do this", I think to myself, and I pick up the pace. I quickly pass them and it's like I've hit my second wind. I feel my right thigh tense up again. Should be fine as long as I don't stop. We join up with the half marathoners again. I can see the Stratosphere, spectators start to appear again. I cramp, again. There goes the 4 hour goal. Thankfully the pain distracts me from my disappointment. As I'm bent over, this time a spectator walks up and asks if I'm ok. "Yeah just a cramp". I massage it out and start walking a bit before running again. Thank god that happened before I hit the actual Strip. That'd be embarrassing. The last two miles are uneventful. I'm carefully trying to not go too fast and risk another cramp. I've accepted how I've done and I start enjoying the race as much as I can. I pose for the camera guys (looking back waist down my gait seems the same as when I started), I high five a little girl.
  Also, longest two miles in my life. It felt faster the day before while dodging tourists and waiting at lights. I see the finish line, I'd sprint it if I wasn't worried about another cramp. I hear my name, the Support Team waves and points their phones at me. I high five the support team. They've had it rough. It's cold out at night and they've been on a marathon drinking session since I left them early in the afternoon. Also they came here with me, so you know. Awesome guys.
 
I cross the finish - "23 miles, completed, time..." F*ck you Strava.

Time for the monthly recap of all that's been going on in /geoguessr. Just like last year, we've had a slight decrease in activity, maybe because it's July after all but also because the website had some woes. In most competitions the stellar duo MrBeardedBread/Nightey has been above everyone else but many other users have really stepped up their game making for some very balanced results.
Strangelands by FixxxerTV
No place for surprises this month as the three most successful users in this series sweeped all the titles with some impressive scores (especially considering it's a 2 minutes time limit challenge)

Date	Winner	Score
July 6	Polskaaaaaaa	23743
July 13	Nightey	24587
July 20	MrBeardedBread	24458
July 27	Nightey	24991

Statelands by MrBeardedBread
Results until July 13 were deleted as the website experienced some troubles in the early part of the month, due to a traffic increase caused by spike in popularity, which itself happened because of a French YouTuber. This means that OP's scores for the first two challenges weren't available. Challenge #41 also got deleted by accident and the results got lost.

Nr	Winner	Score
38	demfrecklestho, KillerMapper	25000
39	humcalc216	23651
40	MrBeardedBread	25000
42	Polskaaaaaaa	24999

Roads less travelled by JosefAndMichael
Now a regular feature of the subreddit, this series features unusual and rare locations, usually tied together by a common theme. Needless to say, this makes for harder-than-usual challenges... which often means waaay lower scores! This month, we've had easier and harder seeds. As always KillerMapper proved very strong in this kind of challenge, while Nightey brought home the more “traditional” rounds.

Nr	Red thread	Winner	Score
11		Nightey	25000
12		KillerMapper	19757
13		Nightey	25000
14		KillerMapper	20017
15	no theme	Nightey	20002

Community challenges by lchen2014
After three months, this series has evolved into a very different challenge from what it used to be: there are different time limits and restrictions, with different maps thrown into the mix at times. You'd think this means that different skills are rewarded in challenges like these... yet Nightey has been dominating this month, even bringing home six wins in a row! PizzaGuy86 also put together some great games to bring home seven titles.

User	# of wins	Issues won
Nightey	17	53, 54, 55, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 71, 72, 73, 75, 80, 82
PizzaGuy86	7	56, 59, 66, 67, 76, 79, 81
JosefAndMichael	2	69, 70
MrBeardedBread	2	77, 78
Astronautovic25	1	74
Polskaaaaaaa	1	57

Russia Saturday Special by lchen2014
Another series by lchen2014 featuring probably the most challenging country in GeoGuessr. Updates every Saturday. Game no. 7 was a tricky photosphere-only game, which also featured imagery from countries other than Russia. Nightey was unrivalled in this competition as well...

Nr	Winner	Score
7	Nightey	13516
8	Nightey	23625
9	Polskaaaaaaa	24323
10	Nightey	25000
11	Nightey	24341

European Union Sunday Special by lchen2014
After the dreadful Russian Saturday, things get much easier on Sunday with the European Union-themed challenges. These maps feature urban locations and the somewhat flawed algorhythm makes for common repeats... this means that it often comes down to a very close battle, as the scores below suggest!

Nr	Winner	Score
9	Nightey, Polskaaaaaaa	25000
10	Nightey	24999
11	PizzaGuy86	25000
12	Nightey	25000
13	PizzaGuy86	25000

EuroVista by PurpleFrogPlays
Similarly to the Sunday Specials, EuroVista is a weekly series which uses EU maps. PurpleFrogPlays also posts his performances on his YouTube channel, Strangelands-style!

Nr	Winner	Score
8	Nightey	25000
9	Polskaaaaaaa	24989
10	MrBeardedBread, Nightey	25000
11	MrBeardedBread, Nightey	25000
12	Nightey	24994

American Interiors by MrBeardedBread
A series of custom challenges with no time limit. Five indoor locations, ranging from hotel lobbies to casinos and family restaurants, all under the stars-and-stripes banner. One simple rule: do not hop onto public streets! Both July issues were won by Stephen1986UK, who has shown great feeling with this series so far.

Nr	Winner	Score
5	Stephen1986UK	29396
6	Stephen1986UK	32286

Euro 2016 by Stephen1986UK
A series of challenges with no time restrictions, dedicated to the countries competing in the Euro 2016, the big soccer tournament held in France between June and July. Every game featured rounds from the countries that played on any matchday.

Issue	Winner	Score
Quarter Finals 2	demfrecklestho	32391
Quarter Finals 3	demfrecklestho	32388
Quarter Finals 4	demfrecklestho	32387
Semifinal 1	demfrecklestho	32373
Semifinal 2	demfrecklestho	28585
Final	demfrecklestho	32391

Weekly Challenges by sah_din
The latest series featured on our sub, this is as simple as it gets: weekly World map games. What's different about this series is the time limit- three minutes, so a hybrid between the Daily Challenges and Strangelands.

Issue	Winner	Score
July 1	demfrecklestho	20995
July 8	Nightey	24945
July 15	PizzaGuy86	24758
July 22	PizzaGuy86	23877
July 31	Nightey	24880

Daily Challenges
(please note that I only count the scores that get submitted to the subreddit for the following rankings. It's mostly for a privacy reason- you're free to play the challenge without having to share your score- but also because I can't know whether people used external assistance- something you are free to do, if you wish. If you post here, it's like claiming you played by the ruleset)
Despite a slightly lower number of entries than usual, the level of competition in the Daily Challenges reached an all-time high. Several perfect scores were achieved, and many games ended with extremely close results, with several shared podium placements. While we have no newcomers on the podium for this month, huge congratulations go to humcalc216 and PizzaGuy86 who both wrote their name in the hall of fame for the first time.

User	1st	2nd	3rd	Days won	Total wins
Nightey	10	7	2	6 (shared), 7, 17 (shared), 19, 20, 21, 23, 24 (shared), 27, 30 (shared)	20
MrBeardedBread	9	5	2	1, 5, 15, 17 (shared), 24 (shared), 25, 26, 29, 30 (shared)	98
Polskaaaaaaa	8	5	7	3, 6 (shared), 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 18	22
demfrecklestho	3	6	2	2, 12, 16	66
PizzaGuy86	3	2	4	17 (shared), 30 (shared), 31	3
KillerMapper	2	4	5	13, 28	3
humcalc216	1	2	4	22	1
JosefAndMichael	1	1	5	4	11
Stephen1986uk	0	1	0		21

Rounds ranking
This is a special ranking. It counts one point for every best score obtained in a single Daily Challenges round (so five points are available every game) and is meant to reward the best pinpointers- a slightly different ability than the one needed to win a game overall. Still Nightey won this ranking as well! Of course only the scores after July 13 have been counted, as the others were deleted and I couldn't retrieve all of them.

User	Score
Nightey	23
demfrecklestho	15
KillerMapper	13
Polskaaaaaaa	12
MrBeardedBread	8
PizzaGuy86	8
humcalc216	6
JosefAndMichael	4
hmc55	3
espenfana	2
no-fun-at-parties	1

Commentary corner

• humcalc216 on learning things the painful way: I spend my time looking for a place called Rodovia; I now know that just means highway in Portuguese.
• KillerMapper on the merits of Philipsburg, NJ: If we do a contest for the blurriest pictures, this one would have a good ranking.
• KillerMapper on naughty, naughty rivers: We start of Brazos river (and not Brazzers).
• humcalc216 on those mildly annoying conflicting informations: E20, which passes through Denmark, Sweden, and Estonia. This language does not look Danish, Swedish, or Estonian.
• MrBeardedBread on summer hits: see a billboard with Ibiza [...] Found the highway, the exit, and the hospital, and did pretty well. Can't say the same for Michael Posner, who is probably still in that hospital recovering from taking a pill.
• Polskaaaaaaa on dead giveaways: Mix of yellow and white-blue plates, along with 'Town Speed Limit' signs. More New York than a driver with a Borough accent cutting you off on the LIE.
• Polskaaaaaaa on probably the most hated portion of America, at least by GeoGuessr players: Looked like eastern Washington state, except it had a good camera, which ruled out that possibility.
• Polskaaaaaaa on not the best-looking seaside resort: Beach town which needs to hire better people for its tourism board because they really need to improve the infrastructure here.
• humcalc216 on when the photosphere don't leave much space for reasoning: China Photosphere. Field surrounded by mountains. Let's guess in a field surrounded by mountains.
• Polskaaaaaaa on when Borussia Dortmund saves your score: photographer's name was somewhat similar to Mkhitaryan, so guessed in Armenia. Good decision
• humcalc216 on those mildly annoying conflicting informations, part two: American roads, French on a sign, so Quebec. On second thought, that probably wasn't French, since this is definitely Brazil.
• humcalc216 wants to play a game: Anyone up for a game of guess which road doesn't dead end in Russia?
• humcalc216 on salmon-related deception: there's a sign mentioning Atlantic Salmon. That's odd, since this REALLY looks like Western Canada; I'm not convinced they didn't just import Atlantic salmon into rivers in BC just to troll GeoGuessr players.
• Astronautovic25 regrets forgetting the unspoken rule: How could i forget that photospheres are ALWAYS IN INDIA!?
• JosefAndMichael on the questionable taste in buildings in oil-rich Russian regions: Started next to an apartment building that feels like Lego.
• KillerMapper on getting some glitched imagery: Blurry US then suddenly WE ENTER THE FOURTH DIMENSION.
• no-fun-at-parties tries to turn a bad day for him into a good day for others: I'm setting the bar low for y'all!
• humcalc216 on handling remote Australian rounds: When in Australia, go south. Except this time. Don't to that this time. Not sure north would have been any better, though.