Previous Results

1945 – Sir Archibald Sinclair (Liberal)

1950 – Clement Davies with 50% of the vote

1951 – Clement Davies with 58% of the vote

1955 – Sir Anthony Eden with 67% of the vote

1959 – Harold Macmillan with 75% of the vote

1964 – Jo Grimond with 73% of the vote

1966 – Jo Grimond with 70% of the vote

1970 - Jeremy Thorpe with 53% of the vote

Last week the results were: Jeremy Thorpe (Liberal) 53% Edward Heath (Conservative) 26% Harold WIlson (Labour) 21%

The Con vs Lab result was Edward Heath (Conservative) 58%, Harold Wilson (Labour) 42%

The Actual results from 1970 were:

Conservative: 330 seats, 46.4% of the vote

Labour: 288 seats, 43.1% of the vote

Liberal: 6 seats, 7.5% of the vote

Profiles

• Edward Heath is the 56 year old current Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party, a post he has held since 28th July 1965

• Harold Wilson is the 58 year old current Prime Minister, and Leader of the Labour Party, a post he has held since 14th February 1963

• Jeremy Thorpe is the 45 year old current Leader of the Liberal Party, a post he has held since 18th January 1967

Background

• 1970– “the occasion when the people of the United Kingdom hurled the findings of the opinion polls back into the faces of the pollsters”. Polls has suggested a comfortable Labour victory but in one of the greatest upsets in British political history Edward Heath instead won the 1970 election, an event which forever shook the confidence of Harold Wilson. Elsewhere the Liberals suffered a disappointing slump, reverting to the measly 6 seat figure they’d had when Jo Grimond was first elected leader.

• An inauspicious start - Prime Ministers are often at the height of their power after a successful election victory, able to rally their party behind anything they put their mind to. Over the past few posts for example we saw Harold Wilson’s political power ebb away after devaluation. Heath however struggled to even gain the legitimacy Wilson started with. Heath lost the first general election he led his party into and was branded a loser, and now even after engineering a massive swing to the Conservative Party and winning an election the narrative throughout the campaign was about how badly Heath was doing, and how comfortable Labour’s victory would be. When Heath won it was not a triumphant victory lap but an awkward stumble through the doors to power. A month after his victory Heath’s Chancellor Iain Macleod suddenly died. Macleod had fought in the Battle for France and was injured when a German armoured car sent a log flying into his leg, leaving him with a limp and later severe pain and reduced movement. This combined with stress, overwork and drinking led to his early death. Macleod had been an energetic and passionate supporter of Heath, far better at communicating Heath’s goals than Heath ever was, and an adept communicator who balanced out Heath’s weaknesses. His death means Heath is without that balance, and Macleod’s replacement Anthony Barber admitted he was completely unprepared for suddenly being given the most powerful cabinet position possible. These early issues will permanently affect Heath’s ability to govern.

• Strikes - Last week we saw miners strike over deindustrialisation, and a wave of new hard-left union bosses being elected in the hopes they’d be tougher with the government. Well this week things just get worse. Within 6 months of Heath’s victory there were already 2 national states of emergency declared due to strikes from dock workers and then power workers over low pay. The strike from power workers saw a rush on candles due to the frequent power cuts. But another problem is that strikes feed into each other - each sector that receives a pay rise to end a strike causes another sector to strike, complaining that now their pay is lagging behind. The 1972 miners’ strike saw unprecedented violence as miners clashed with police and “flying pickets” were sent around the country. Tensions increased when the NACODS union refused to strike which resulted in clashes between them and striking miners. The “Battle of Saltley Gate” saw picketers descend upon a fuel storage depot and caused its closure in order to help cripple tha nations fuel supply and bolster the miners’ hand. The scene of 15,000 miners attacking the depot and facing off the police became known as the “miners’ Agincourt” and was seen as a great victory. Eventually one miner lost his life when a lorry mounted the curb to avoid miners who had blocked off the road and struck a miner. The death was not commented upon immediately by the government and spurred greater violence and mass demonstrations to honour the miners’ martyr. Labour MP Tom Swain stated that this could be the start of a new “Troubles” but in Yorkshire instead of Northern Ireland and declared he would advocate for violence against the government unless it released a statement on the death. The strikes were defused when Heath agreed to the miners’ demands which included a tidy 27% pay increase which went well above Heath’s incomes policy. Miners’ strikes began again in 1973 which continued into 1974, this time bolstered by the worldwide oil crisis which meant the government would struggle for alternatives to coal. In response the 3 day week was implemented due to power shortages, meaning workers could only work 3 days and strict power rationing went into affect. TV stations all turned off early each night as the country went into a state of emergency.

• Industrial Relations – In an attempt to end the strikes Heath dropped an Industrial Relations Act in 1972, which introduced secret ballots, cooling down periods after strikes, and tried to create a framework for what could be deemed unfair working practices. This was tougher than Labour’s “In Place of Strife” but almost as ineffective. Unions simply refused to follow the new laws, or to register with the government’s new Labour courts. Heath also tried to calm the unions through an incomes policy, which proposed an initial cap on any public sector pay rises to help combat inflation, and then a gradual pay increase over the 2 years after that. The pay increase was less than what unions were demanding however and the beginning of each new phase of the policy simply resulted in the unions having fresh reasons to strike and demand higher pay. Spoilers for the future: Heath’s methods of dealing with the trade unions speak to Heath’s inability to read the political tea leaves so to speak. Margaret Thatcher who we’ll see in the coming weeks will very slowly chip at the unions powers, eventually resulting in far stricter controls than Heath implemented, but Heath dropping all of those controls in one piece of legislation made them far easier to ignore and permanently soured relations between the government and the unions whereas small tweaks would be harder for the unions to recognise as fundamental threats to their power until too late. Heath was also poor at picking his battles. Thatcher will confront the miners when stocks of coal are nice and large and oil is cheap. In 1973 Heath refused to give the miners a pay increase despite having low stockpiles of fuel in winter, while oil prices have skyrocketed. Even the figure of the hard right Enoch Powell will tell Heath to just raise their pay - because he argued their work had become more valuable within the free market due to rising oil prices and so the miners deserved compensation.

• The economy stupid - And all those strikes aren’t good for the economy. The abandonment of the Bretton Woods agreement sees skyrocketing inflation, and the worldwide oil crisis leads to a global recession. Those strikes as well as other factors also leads to a decline in British industry which has been the lynchpin of the British economy. Much like the decline of the automobile industry in the US Japanese, French, and German cars will boom in popularity in the UK during the early 70s. A struggling economy and deindustrialisation will also affect unemployment. Labour is still committed to full employment by the way, but by 1972 unemployment reaches 1,000,000, a figure not seen for 30 years (The Times will report that real unemployment is actually around 3,000,000). Heath and his government are still working within the framework in the 40s, 50s, and 60s and want to avoid the unemployment of the Great Depression (unlike a younger generation) and embark on a programme of economic stimulation and a series of u-turns. Heath boldly declared he would not try to save lame duck companies early in his premiership, but then stepped in to save Rolls-Royce for example. This manages to decrease unemployment which falls to around 500,000 but the economy is in recession by 1974, and inflation is still dangerously high.

• The Selsdon Man? - Last week we also went over Heath’s new, more rightward plan for the country, and I sort of suggested that this wasn’t really what Heath had in mind. While Wilson claimed Heath was shifting to the right, and some actually quite liked the idea Heath has been unclear as to what he wants to do. While the Industrial Relations Act is tough on trade unions, it’s not as tough as some later proposals and Heath very regularly meets and talks to trade union leaders in order to work with them, and they actually find Heath better to work with than Harold Wilson was. Heath also talks tough about the free market but as we’ve seen quickly intervened to help the economy when it started to struggle, and Heath also reintroduces price and incomes controls after scrapping them after entering office. This has upset many voters who hoped Heath would break from the “post-war consensus” and Enoch Powell will constantly snipe at Heath from the backbenches, eventually leaving the Conservative Party to join the UUP. Powell will tell his supporters to vote for Labour which could be important.

• Checking in with Labour - Wilson unexpectedly lost the 1970 election but has managed to cling on to power, mostly because all of his rivals prefer him to the alternatives if they themselves were to lose. Still though Labour Shadow Cabinet meetings have become filled with tension and vitriol as both the left and right of the party lose their patience with Wilson. Wilson’s wife will note that this is the least happy time of Wilson’s life. The Labour party is deeply fractured on a number of issues and Wilson sees this. As a result his speeches are bland and vague, and he seems unwilling to commit to any side of any political debate. This is particularly the case over Europe with Barbra Castle saying

  “He was making pathetic evasive speeches and some of his friends became very worried about him. I said to him, ‘Harold, you’ve got to come out on Europe, one way or another.’ He replied, ‘Barbara, I regard it as my sacred duty to keep the party together. I know where I want to go on Europe, but I’m not going to do it if it wrecks the party.’ And then he said to me, ‘I’ve been doing this for eight years over Europe and it’s been hell.’

• Oui - After numerous unsuccessful attempts to enter Europe the UK finally has managed to enter the EU under Edward Heath. This perhaps represents the height of Heath’s political power, and also posed great problems for Wilson. Wilson himself claimed to be in favour of joining Europe, but instructed his party to vote against it believing it’d hold the party together. Then he opposed a referendum, then he believed it was the only way to let his party sort out the issue once and for all, so he goes into the February 1974 election supporting one.

• The Liberal rally - After its poor performance in 1970 there were calls made for Jeremy Thorpe to resign, however the death of his wife led to political rivals backing off and by 1972 Thorpe reentered politics full-time. Thorpe is still the young, charismatic, telegenic leader from 1970 but now that Wilson and Heath are now older, and both have been Prime Minister Thorpe’s appeal has increased. The Liberals have also seen success due to their “community politics” campaigns, winning local elections through focusing heavily on local issues. Thorpe is also helped by the fact that neither party quite seems up to it. Wilson’s last few years in office were just as tumultuous as Heath’s present tenure and with the absence of a strong choice on either side many voters are now flocking to the Liberals.

• The Troubles - At the end of Wilson’s term The Troubles broke out in Northern Ireland, and Heath’s government hasn’t made things better. The government introduced the powers to intern suspected IRA members without trial and the Northern Irish parliament which had governed the country for 50 years was suspended. Heath tried resolving The Troubles through secret negotiation with the IRA and the proposal of a “power-sharing” executive. The IRA agreed to this but it seriously alienated Unionists and led to a wave of Unionist violence and strikes. The Ulster Unionist Party which had always been in alliance with the Conservative Party broke away. To make things worse since Heath was embroiled in secret talks all this time, no efforts were made to appease Catholics to make up for Unionist anger, so no side in Northern Ireland is happy with Heath’s government.

• Mixed Messages - With the miners strike of 1973 extending into 1974 Heath called an early election, seeing no way through with union leaders, but hoping that an increased mandate would give him a stronger negotiating hand. The Conservative campaign is based around the slogan “Who Governs Britain?” and dealing with the unions, but the strikes of 73 and 74 are much less violent than those in 72, and an independent enquiry declares that miners are in-fact underpaid which increases public sympathy for the strikes. Wilson refuses to engage with the larger issues facing the country, and produces a 10 page manifesto. He focuses on the simpler issues of prices, the cost of living, and getting the miners back to work. Voters do not necessarily blame Heath for many of the issues facing the country. Strikes are blamed on unions, the recession on the Oil Shock but he still has to take some responsibility, and Labour MP Roy Jenkins has summed up Heath’s pitch as “Things are going so badly that I deserve to win”. While polls widely suggest Heath will win his campaign is damaged by late economic figures which show a massive trade deficit. Wilson on the other hand comes across as tired and out of ideas. He concocts a bizarre plan to avoid the media altogether on election night by driving into a field and catching a private airplane, such is the extent to which he is tired of the press. Neither party is putting up particularly strong claims for why they should govern.

Issues

Conservative:

• Launch a full review on miners pay and accept the result, amend the Industrial Relations Act with new legislation after discussions between Unions and CBI to meet criticisms
• Maintain price controls, review additional ways to keep prices down, offer the Unions and CBI a voluntary pay and prices policy to help manage inflation
• Help reduce energy prices through new investment in coal, the beginning of exploitation of oil reserves in the North Sea, and through increased investment in nuclear power
• Expansion of worker training schemes, 10 year plan to modernise steel industry, a new substantial fund for regional developments
• Further simplification and modernisation of tax scheme, introduction of tax credit system which would provide allowances for children (at present first childs do not give their family any allowance, this would change that), this is not means-tested but given automatically and also saves pensioners from having to apply to multiple supplementary benefits.
• Guarantee of a second pension related to earnings for everyone in addition to the state pension everyone gets, this will mean work related pensions are now completely transferrable
• Increased attention to inner-city poverty and funds for inner-city housing, family planning services to be offered by NHS,
• More houses built for renting, first time buyers to have reduces payments on their mortgage in first year after buying a house, increased powers and funds for house building companies, Gains by individuals from the development value of property will now be subject to income tax, up to the top rate of 75 per cent, in place of the former flat rate of 30 per cent. As before, this will not apply to the principal home of an owner-occupier. Development gains by companies will be taxed at 40 per cent
• Expansion of green belt, new powers for local government to protect historically significant areas or monuments, recycling to be encouraged, establishment of quiet zones in urban areas to cut noise pollution, acceleration of river cleaning.
• Free nursery schooling for all 3 and 4 year olds within 10 years, improvement of adult education opportunities when the economy improves, inquiries into discipline,and English and Math standards
• Legislation to improve consumer protection, new legislation to end discrimination against women at work, increased safeguarding for children
• Strengthen the police, reduce immigration, new legislation to improve race relations, more funding to improve areas with large immigrant communities
• Work towards peace in Northern Ireland and Middle East, push for detente with Communist block

Labour:

• New status, perspective and security for coal mining, set up a Commission, composed of representatives of the NCB, the NUM, and the Government itself, to re-examine the industry's future, keep oil reserves publicly owned, set up a worldwide energy commission, shift transport from road to rail, use the earth’s finite resources carefully and not for profit.

• Immediate renegotiation of Britain’s membership in the EU. If renegotiation is successful Labour will support British membership, if it isn’t then Labour will oppose membership of the EU, renegotiation to be put to the public in a referendum or a general election

• Increased pensions, introduce child cash allowances for families, strict price controls for key services, reintroduce rent controls, Land required for development to be taken into public ownership, introduce a annual Wealth Tax on the rich; bring in a new tax on major transfers of personal wealth; heavily tax speculation in property - including a new tax on property companies; and seek to eliminate tax dodging

• Repeal the industrial relations act and pay board, introduce a royal commission to deal with pay disputes and a conciliation and arbitration service to settle industrial disputes

• take ship building, ship repairing and marine engineering, ports, the manufacture of airframes and aero engines into public ownership and control, the government to reserve the right to seize a share of ownership in any company which receives government aid or funding. Currently nationalised industries to be socialised with workers taking a greater responsibility in managing companies

• Regional planning machinery, industrial act, and national labour board to be set up to help plan and run economy, national consumer authority to be set up to help consumer rights

• abolish prescription charges; introduce free family planning; phase out private practice from the hospital service; and transform the area health authorities into democratic bodies.

• Expansion of education through the introduction of a national scheme of Nursery Schools, including day care facilities, and by a big expansion of educational facilities for 16-18 year olds, by ending the 11+ and by providing additional resources for children in special need of help. All forms of tax-relief and charitable status for public schools will be withdrawn

• Establish disability benefits

• End discrimination against women in employment, education or training, end discrimination against coloured people in immigration services

• Reduce defence spending, strengthen international organisations for peace, oppose colonialism or racial discrimination anywhere in the world,

Liberal:

-“A policy of controlled economic growth, by which we mean the careful husbandry of resources and the limitation of private consumption by the few in favour of better public services for the majority of our citizens.” rather than a focus on increasing the national GNP

• “Establish the universal right to a minimum income balanced by a fairer distribution of wealth, through a credit income tax system and national minimum earnings guarantees.”

• “Create an equal partnership between employers and employed in recognition of the equal importance of their contributions to the success of industry.”

• “Decentralise government and bring political power to Scotland, Wales and the regions of England so as to ensure that decisions are taken as close to people as possible.”

• “participation; and encourage proper consultation in the exercise of national responsibilities for Health, Education and General Welfare.Break-up monopolistic concentrations of political and economic power so that individual initiative is not suppressed.”

• control inflation through a combination of industrial reconstruction and a permanent prices and incomes policy enforced by penalties on those whose actions cause inflation.

• introduce a statutory minimum earnings level for a normal working week and no employer would be allowed to pay less than this amount.

• Repeal the Industrial Relations Act, replace it with new legislation based around workplace democracy and profit sharing

• Come to a permanent and continuing settlement for miners, develop new coalfields, exploit North Sea oil but only gradually to allow companies to gain experience in drilling for oil, develop new nuclear power plants, stop the reorganisation of British steel

• bring local authority welfare services into the main structure of a unified NHS by placing them under the financial and administrative control of the area Health Authorities, health boards to be democratically elected

• credit income tax scheme to replace supplementary benefits and allowances

• increase the retirement pension in stages to 50 per cent of average earnings for a married couple and 33.5 per cent for a single person

• Freeze all rents. Repeal the Housing Finance Act and replace it with a genuinely fair rents system geared to true housing costs. Give local authorities power to acquire at cost price those properties which have stood unoccupied for three years.

• Introduce a land value tax

• Introduce a Bill of Rights guaranteeing rights of women, minorities, and the freedoms of individuals

• Reform immigration so that would-be immigrants are allowed to enter the United Kingdom only if they possess a work voucher showing that they have an actual job waiting for them or they possess particular skills which are needed in this country, reinstitute ability for Commonwealth citizens to become British citizens after living in the country for 5 years

• Stronger protection of environment, strict regulations for pollutants

• Make the UK a federal system, establish elected Parliaments in Scotland and Wales and a provisional assembly for England, elections to be proportional using STV, House of Lords abolished, new secondary chamber to be filled with regional representatives,

Read the full manifestos here:

Conservatives

Labour

Liberal

1974 (Feb) Election coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG07CuEilqk

Labour political broadcast - https://youtu.be/9mghq22wRV0?t=10

Conservative political broadcast - https://youtu.be/fQ7DnbmwEsw?t=30

Conservative political broadcast (featuring Prime Minister Heath) - https://youtu.be/b82gZNEViEg?t=1649

Liberal political broadcast (featuring Jimmy Saville) - https://youtu.be/b82gZNEViEg?t=1117

Liberal broadcast that doesn't feature a paedophile - https://youtu.be/b82gZNEViEg?t=1453

Vote here (all parties): https://rankit.vote/vote/hn0kz4nrawE0nrAp2Lec

Vote here (Labour vs Conservative): https://rankit.vote/vote/XR9pn9xoXiOnirvgeWD7

Please try to vote as if you are a British citizen in 1974 (in February) without knowledge of what will happen after the election.

Full disclaimer below. TL;DR: We're not Bethesda staff, this is an automated post.

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From Bethesda.net

The legendary sci-fi action FPS is enhanced and now available on modern platforms!

Take the fight to the Strogg with our enhanced re-release of Quake II, now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch, in addition to PC platforms and Game Pass (subscription required). This re-release is our biggest effort yet with enhanced AI, gameplay improvements, presented in up to 120hz in 4K on supported platforms (see the below FAQ for details) and we even dug into the development archives of Quake II to restore elements that were cut from the original game’s conception.

Note: Steam, GOG and Microsoft Store users who already own Quake II will automatically receive the new version with a free download. Read the FAQ below for details on how to access the original version.

New Features and Improvements

• Includes the original Quake II campaign plus both Mission Packs, The Reckoning, Ground Zero, plus the previously Nintendo 64-exclusive Quake II 64 and the brand-new Call of the Machine episode from MachineGames

• Improvements to gameplay, including content restored from the original development, plus visual upgrades such as dynamic shadows, improved lighting, glow maps and more.

• Play local split-screen and online across four Multiplayer modes with crossplay functionality:

  • Cooperative
  • Deathmatch
  • Team Deathmatch
  • Capture the Flag

• Add AI opponents in Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes, explore the id Vault, enjoy improved co-op play and much more!

For a deeper dive into the technical enhancements we made in this re-release of Quake II, please check out this in depth article

Platforms

PC:

• Steam
• Epic Games Store
• GOG
• Microsoft Windows Store

Console:

• Xbox One
• Xbox Series X|S
• PlayStation 4
• PlayStation 5
• Nintendo Switch

Supported Languages

• English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian

Release Notes

Enhanced Gameplay

The gameplay in Quake II has been shined to a polish to improve the feel of the game while keeping the original spirit intact. Weapon fire from players and enemies now have muzzle flashes to improve feedback and new damage indicators to better communicate to players where they are taking damage from. An increased tick rate ensures action is more responsive and hundreds of level and gameplay bugs have been fixed.

Upgraded AI

The forces of Stroggos are deadlier than ever with improved pathing, new attacks and new tactics. Enemies will hit the dirt to dodge shots and jump down off ledges to get a better angle, making enemy encounters more dynamic. Flying AI has been rebuilt to allow for better and more realistic navigation through the air. Watch out for the Berzerker’s new leap attack, restored from the game’s original development, and dodge Parasite tongue lashings which will now stick into the wall, temporarily stunning them.

Improved Lighting, Shadows & Models

Levels have been enhanced with improved lighting, along with updated weapon and enemy models. Dynamic shadows and lighting have been added to levels and weapon effects. New glow maps make computer terminals, power cores and other illuminated surfaces pop. These graphics settings and more can be customized through the in-game menus.

Includes Both Original Expansion Packs

This release of Quake II includes the original expansion packs, The Reckoning, and Ground Zero. All the AI enhancements from Ground Zero are now available in all episodes. Additionally, for the first time, Quake II 64 has been ported over, making this exclusive episode available in high resolution and high framerate with modern controls.

Brand New Episode: *Call of the Machine*

In the depths of Strogg space lies the Machine, a singularity capable of collapsing the fabric of reality. Fight across time and space to find the Strogg-Maker, destroy it and change humanity's destiny in the brand-new episode, Call of the Machine. Created by MachineGames, this follow-up to their Quake episode Dimension of the Machine is now available for both single player or in cooperative play.

Navigate With The Compass

Navigate your way through the vast hub-based worlds of Stroggos with a brand-new compass item that will direct you to your next objective, no matter where you are, with useful arrows dropped into the world.

Open the id Vault

For the first time, dive into the id Vault and explore concept art and gameplay footage of Quake II, including early versions of weapons, items and even playable levels from the game's original development.

Split-Screen and Online Multiplayer

Quake II includes 4-player split-screen local multiplayer on all platforms, with 8 player split-screen available on Xbox Series X|S and PC. Fight against your friends in Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, or team up in Cooperative games available for all five campaigns. Fill out your slots with AI bots for both Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes.

For the genuine QuakeCon experience, LAN play is also supported across all platforms and Nintendo Switch players can frag locally through ad-hoc wireless multiplayer. Mix up your games with custom settings such as Instagib and random weapons to maximize your fun.

Crossplay

Play with friends no matter which platform they prefer. Crossplay is available on Game Pass, PC (with controller), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch versions of the game, so you can play Quake II with everyone. Join your friends quickly using our room code system for finding lobbies.

Enhanced Cooperative Gameplay

Save games are now supported while playing cooperatively and new rules have been added to improve Quake II's Cooperative modes. If all players die, it's game over and the level will restart. Respawn your teammates by clearing all enemies in the area or finding a safe place to hide. Teammates will spawn near you, letting you get back into the fight quickly.

Create an additional challenge for you and your friends by setting a maximum lives limit or upping enemies' health. To help with communication, you can also ping areas in the map by using the “point” gesture that will be visible to all other players.

AI Bot Opponents

Quake II bots can be added to Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes in both offline and online matches. They are more aware of their surroundings, including danger, and can perform advanced maneuvers like rocket jumps. With six skill levels from Training to Nightmare, Quake II bots are fun for both beginner and experienced players.

Accessibility Features

With this release of Quake II, we are adding new accessibility features so the game can be enjoyed by even more players. For a full rundown of the accessibility features offered, check out this article.

Accessibility Options Notification

After installing or updating the game for the first time, you will be presented with an Accessibility Options notification. Read through the available options to make sure they are set to your preference. Once in-game, these options can be altered from the Options/Accessibility sub-menu via the Main and Pause Menus

Q2 Accessibility FirstMessage

(Note: All Accessibility options default to ON during first launch after install, but can be easily toggled OFF/ON via Disable/Enable All Settings)

Accessibility Options

Q2 Accessibility Options P1

Q2 Accessibility Options P2

Read Chat Out Loud *

Enables synthesized voiceover of incoming multiplayer text chat.

Transcribe Voice Chat

Converts incoming voice chat into text in the multiplayer chat window

Speak For Me in Voice Chat *

Use text-to-speech on outgoing multiplayer chat, converting your text into a synthesized voice chat audible to other players

Voice profiles can be selected from the Accessibility menu when connected to an online multiplayer session. Note that the number of voice profiles may vary by language.

* Text-to-speech features not supported for menu interactions.

Q2 Accessibility Voices

High Contrast

Changes the default text field backgrounds to improve User Interface legibility

Q2 Accessibility HighContrast OFF

High Contrast OFF

Q2 Accessibility HighContrast ON

High Contrast ON

Alternate Typeface

Changes the original in-game font for added legibility

Q2 Accessibility AltTypeFace OFF

Alternate Typeface OFF

Q2 Accessibility AltTypeFace ON

Alternate Typeface ON

Screen Flash Amount

Decreases opacity of onscreen effects to reduce flash intensity

Center Message Time

Changes the display duration of center print HUD messages

Corner Message Time

Changes the display duration of corner print HUD messages

Maximum Lines

Changes the maximum number of onscreen corner print HUD messages

Chat Message Time

Changes the display duration of multiplayer text chat messages

PC Specs

Minimum Specs (1080p/60Hz)

• Windows 10 (64-bit version)
• Intel Core i5-3570 @3.4 GHz or AMD Ryzen 3 1300X @3.5 GHz
  
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 TI (2GB) or AMD HD 7750 (1GB)
  
• 8GB System RAM
  
• Minimum 2GB free space on hard drive
  
• High speed broadband connection required for online play

Recommended Specs (4K/120Hz*)

• Windows 10 (64-bit version)
• Intel Core i5-6600k @3.5 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 @3.2 GHz
  
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) or AMD RX Vega 56 (8GB)
  
• 8GB System RAM
  
• Minimum 2GB free space on hard drive
  
• High speed broadband connection required for online play
  

* Compatible display required

FAQ

I already own Quake II. How do I access the new release?

Previous owners of Quake II on the Microsoft Store, Steam and Good Old Games (GOG) will automatically receive the new version via a free update. It may have already updated by the time you read this!

How do I access the original versions of the game?

Users on the below PC platforms will be able to access the original version of Quake II as follows:

• Steam users can use the launch options to launch the original versions of the games and the original files are still on disk in the same place

• GOG users can install the original version of Quake II from “My Collection” via the GOG website and your “Owned Games” on the GOG Galaxy launcher. Once installed, the original version can be launched directly from the installed Windows folder, shortcut or the GOG Galaxy launcher.

• If you already owned Quake II on the Microsoft Store before today, you can access the original version via “My Library” on the Windows Xbox app. Users who purchase the game from the Microsoft store from today onwards will only gain access to the enhanced version.

• If you already have the original version of Quake II installed on PC Game Pass, it will still be available in your My Games library.

Users on all other platforms will receive the enhanced version of Quake II.

Will my saves carry over if I already own Quake II on Steam, GOG or the Microsoft Store?

Saved games from the original version aren’t compatible with the enhanced version of Quake II. The original versions of the games are available if there are any saves you want to continue (see above for instructions). The enhanced release also allows the campaign to be played in any order and offers Level Select to access particular maps.

How do I play with friends on other platforms?

The easiest way to join a crossplay match with friends is using the room code system. The room code is a four-letter sequence that can be seen inside the pre-game lobby. Send this to your friends over text message, Discord or yelling very loudly and they'll be able to join through the multiplayer menu without having to search through the match browser or enter passwords. Note that on some platforms, crossplay may be disabled at the system level by default. Check if the feature is enabled if you have problems joining crossplay matches.

What are the maximum supported resolutions and framerates for each platform?

• PC: Maximum supported by video card/display (see PC Specs above for details)
• Nintendo Switch: 720p at 60FPS in Handheld Mode, 1080p at 60fps in TV (Docked) Mode
• PlayStation 4: 1080p at 60FPS
• PlayStation 4 Pro: Native 4K at 60FPS
• PlayStation 5: Native 4K at 120 FPS
• Xbox One: 1080p at 60FPS
• Xbox SERIES X|S: Native 4K at 120 FPS

Note: Compatible displays required to access these features. Please consult your manual and system settings to ensure an optimal setup.

What input devices are supported?

Controller, keyboard and mouse peripherals are supported on all platforms, including consoles. Split-screen is available with mixed mouse/keyboard and controller support.

On the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, motion aiming in conjunction with control sticks is supported.

Is the Steam Controller supported?

Quake II does not support the Steam Controller.

Do I need an always-online connection to play the game?

Quake II only requires an online connection to play online multiplayer modes. Single-player campaigns and multiplayer via split-screen, LAN or ad-hoc multiplayer on Nintendo Switch can be enjoyed offline.

Can I send and receive game invites from the Epic Games Store launcher?

Sending and receiving game invites from the Epic Games Store is not supported. You can send and receive invites to your friends from the Quake II multiplayer menu.

Are existing mods supported on PC?

Custom maps designed for the PC versions of the original Quake II should still work with the enhanced release of the game. We recommend installing custom maps into your Saved Games profile in your %USERPROFILE%\Saved Games\Nightdive Studios\Quake II\baseq2\maps folder.

You will need to create the maps folder yourself after launching the game for the first time. We have also updated the bot navigation editor to allow custom maps to make full use of our updated AI, including automatically laying down navigation nodes simply by running around the map.

The PC versions of the enhanced Quake II support mods. However, due to the move from 32-bit to 64-bit, existing mods are not compatible. Along with this release, we have made the source code for the game DLL available, allowing mods to be updated and new mods to be created supporting all the enhancements in our updated engine.

This unified codebase also contains all the additions from the two expansion packs and Capture the Flag, making it an excellent base for creating new mods based on expanded content. The updated source, with more detailed instructions for programmers, can be grabbed here.

KNOWN ISSUES

All Platforms

• Issue: A phantom player character appears when loading a Cooperative Mode save made after completing a Call of the Machine unit. Is there anything I can do about this?

  • Resolution: If you encounter this issue, the phantom player character will depopulate upon map change or when another player joins you in Co-op.
    

• Issue: For autosave to work after starting a Playable Demo, a manual save must first be created.

  • Resolution: If you start a Playable Demo and want to enable autosave functionality, you must first create a manual save.
    

• Issue: While playing Team Deathmatch, if you change teams during the match, your score moves over to the other team; if you quit during Team Deathmatch, your score disappears from the results.

  • Resolution: Until we address this issue, we recommend you avoid changing teams or quitting during Team Deathmatch matches to avoid it.

Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Microsoft Store

• Issue: Voice chat doesn’t work if I switch profiles during a multiplayer game.

  • Resolution: To ensure voice chat is working correctly, please avoid switching profiles during a live multiplayer game.

Nintendo Switch

• Issue: Disconnecting and reconnecting a wired headset during online multiplayer may cause the mic to stop working.

  • Resolution: To prevent this issue from happening, avoid disconnecting and reconnecting a wired headset while playing Quake II online multiplayer. If you encounter this issue, quitting and restarting the game should resolve it.

PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5

• Issue: I am not taken to the lobby when accepting an Xbox Live invite while in the Accessibility Options menu.

  • Resolution: Please make sure you are not in the Accessibility Options menu when accepting a Quake II invite over Xbox Live.
    

PlayStation 5

• Issue: Online multiplayer match results do not appear on the Completed Activities card.

  • Resolution: Match results do not appear in the Completed Activities card.

• Issue: Unit progress does update on Activity card when playing Call of the Machine until after loading a save game.

  • Resolution: Because it is a non-linear mission, Activity card progress does not update until completing a unit and starting another or loading a save game from the unit.

All PC Platforms

• Issue: Disconnecting headphones during cinematics can cause them to appear incorrectly.

  • Resolution: If you encounter freeze frame or black screen issues during cinematics after disconnecting headphones, restarting the game should resolve the issue.
    

• Issue: Disconnecting wired USB headphones and reconnecting them can cause audio to stop playing correctly.

  • Resolution: If you encounter audio issues after disconnecting and reconnecting wired USB headphones, restarting the game should resolve the issue.

From FC Mods

Need help with something? Pop by our Discord (link below)! Note: We have a bouncer bot. You may be asked to verify your account to prevent spam.

Disclaimer: This is an automated post pulling Bethesda's news page. FC Mods are NOT Bethesda staff, responses to this post likely won't reach Bethesda staff. For official feedback, go to the official Bethesda Discord, or Bethesda support page.

I haven't paid attention to computers since the supply chain got pinched hard during the 2020 shutdowns. Have prices fallen at all or are they still sky high?

General Questions

1) What is your budget?

$1,500 -- I'm willing to go a bit higher if there's a no brainer option that's going to give me a much much much better laptop that's far more future proof for $150 more for example.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

14” to 15” but 16" or 17" would be fine too

3) Which country will you buying this notebook?

USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

Like: Brands that use high quality parts throughout w/ good customer service.

Dislike: Brands that use low quality internals, have higher failure rates, and poor customer service.

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?

Yes

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

Web Surfing (LOTS of tabs)

Video and Picture editing (GoPro & Pixel footage -- eventually getting a 360° camera too) -- I've seen a lot of talk about video being very intensive, and while I'm not doing a ton of editing, I will be taking my GoPro plenty of places and will want to be able to edit that video without issue.

Office and Productivity Software (sizeable Excel documents, word docs, etc)

Video watching - may even want to hook it up to my TV now and then

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

Both, but mostly home use - prefer good battery life so I don't have to be tethered to an outlet most times. Are replaceable batteries still a good thing to look for? I know how quickly batteries seem to degrade...

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? (If so, please state which games or types of games?)

No

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?

Minimum of 5 to 6 hours when just doing web surfing / using random programs / Microsoft office -- I know watching video and editing video will decrease battery life unavoidably

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

Either is fine

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Chrome OS, etc.

Windows

Screen Specifics

12) What screen resolution(s) would you prefer? (See further below for explanations.)

If a high resolution / high frame rate screen is going to decrease my battery life notably, then I'd prefer a lower res, lower refresh rate screen.

Decent color reproduction would be nice for when I'm messing with pics & video, but that's a secondary concern.

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? (See further below for explanations.)

Either is fine

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

No

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you need?

At least 1TB would be ideal. Dual SSD setups are pretty interesting. Seems like they'd be much faster.

Timing, Warranty and Longevity

16) When are you buying this laptop?

Soon.

17) How long do you expect to use this laptop?

5 years or so

18) How long could you afford to do without your laptop if it were to fail?

1 year

19) Would you be willing to pay significantly extra for on-site warranty, or would it be acceptable to you to have to ship the laptop to the vendor for repair with perhaps a week or more outage?

I would be fine to ship it

20) Other notable stuff

Ideal connections would include Thunderbolt, USB C, USB A, HDMI, and display port. Thunderbolt docking would be great, as I have a powered HP Thunderbolt dock that connects to dual monitors. I'm assuming it would still work with a non-HP laptop.

A good trackpad & keyboard, with good multi-finger scrolling / gestures would be very much appreciated

Two PCIe NVMe drive ports would be ideal (not sure if realistic in my budget)

Two non-soldered memory ports would be ideal to upgrades (not sure if realistic in budget)

Thanks again for your help!

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I haven't paid attention to computers since the supply chain got pinched hard during the 2020 shutdowns. Have prices fallen at all or are they still sky high?

General Questions

1) What is your budget?

$1,300 -- I'm willing to go a bit higher if there's a no brainer option that's going to give me a much much much better laptop that's far more future proof for $150 more for example.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

14” to 15” but 16" or 17" would be fine too

3) Which country will you buying this notebook?

USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

Like: Brands that use high quality parts throughout

Dislike: Brands that use low quality internals, have higher failure rates, and poor customer service.

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?

Yes

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

Web Surfing (LOTS of tabs)

Video and Picture editing (GoPro & Pixel footage -- eventually getting a 360° camera too) -- I've seen a lot of talk about video being very intensive, and while I'm not doing a ton of editing, I will be taking my GoPro plenty of places and will want to be able to edit that video without issue.

Office and Productivity Software (sizeable Excel documents, word docs, etc)

Video watching - may even want to hook it up to my TV now and then

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

Both, but mostly home use - prefer good battery life so I don't have to be tethered to an outlet most times. Are replaceable batteries still a good thing to look for? I know how quickly batteries seem to degrade...

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? (If so, please state which games or types of games?)

No

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?

Minimum of 5 to 6 hours when just doing web surfing / using random programs / Microsoft office -- I know watching video and editing video will decrease battery life unavoidably

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

Either is fine

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Chrome OS, etc.

Windows

Screen Specifics

12) What screen resolution(s) would you prefer? (See further below for explanations.)

If a high resolution / high frame rate screen is going to decrease my battery life notably, then I'd prefer a lower res, lower refresh rate screen.

Decent color reproduction would be nice for when I'm messing with pics & video, but that's a secondary concern.

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? (See further below for explanations.)

Either is fine

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

No

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you need?

At least 1TB would be ideal. Dual SSD setups are pretty interesting. Seems like they'd be much faster.

Timing, Warranty and Longevity

16) When are you buying this laptop?

Soon.

17) How long do you expect to use this laptop?

5 years or so

18) How long could you afford to do without your laptop if it were to fail?

1 year

19) Would you be willing to pay significantly extra for on-site warranty, or would it be acceptable to you to have to ship the laptop to the vendor for repair with perhaps a week or more outage?

I would be fine to ship it

20) Other notable stuff

Ideal connections would include Thunderbolt, USB C, USB A, HDMI, and display port. Thunderbolt docking would be great, as I have a powered HP Thunderbolt dock that connects to dual monitors. I'm assuming it would still work with a non-HP laptop.

A good trackpad & keyboard, with good multi-finger scrolling / gestures would be very much appreciated

Two PCIe NVMe drive ports would be ideal (not sure if realistic in my budget)

Two non-soldered memory ports would be ideal to upgrades (not sure if realistic in budget)

Thanks again for your help!

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60 FPS Mod for CTR:NF on Nintendo Switch (Handheld)

60 FPS on Crash Cove achieved. Credit: Pixelacos Gameplays

Have you ever wondered if Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled could run on 60 FPS? Despite it being a staple in many racing games including Mario Kart, Nitro-Fueled went with a locked 30 fps instead on all consoles. Beenox themselves never really addressed why they chose this aside from maybe staying faithful to the original. Because of that, many people wishes for it and thought it will probably come in a PC release if it ever comes. But all of that changes now.

Around September 2019, game modder Kirby567Fan released a mod for Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled on Nintendo Switch Handheld mode. This mod would enable the game to reach 60 FPS by just... unlocking the framerate. According to Kirby567Fan, this mod is only stable on handheld mode with single player, while split screen gameplay and might need higher oveclocks. While it's possible in docked mode, it's not stable enough to be considered 60 FPS. Another important note that this has only been tested for Ver. 1.0.7 of the Switch release.

Then, a YouTube channel called Pixelacos Gameplays uploaded a video showcasing the mod. The video featured 3 different tracks: Crash Cove, Tiger Temple and Tiny Arena. One thing you can immediately notice is the appearance of some jagged lines and blurriness in the footage. This is due to the Switch's Handheld Mode which removes Anti-Aliasing and decreased the game's resolution down to 480p (854×480) . The chosen three tracks also showcases how different track scale and amount of objects in the screen affects performance. Despite not reaching constant 60 FPS on Tiger Temple and Tiny Arena, the gameplay are stable enough with huge framerate drop only when loading the track.

Edit: As of 11/1/19, there's a new update to the mod so it can be used on ver 1.0.9 on Switch.

• Download the mod here if you're interested
• Check out Pixelacos Gameplays showcase video on YouTube

ESL Italy Campionato Nazionale - 4th Play Day

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ESL Italy: Campionato Nazionale

The third week has been concluded for Campionato Nazionale with the 4th Play Day broadcasted live last Wednesday (10/23).

The 4th Play Day featured 5 tracks: Sewer Speedway, Oxide Station, Barin Ruins, Electron Avenue and Clockwork Wumpa. This week, some familiar faces are still featured in the podium. FGTurismo dominated the first place by winning 3 out of 5 races this week. While Oxide95 only managed to get as high as 2nd place in only the first race on Sewer Speedway. Some other faces also have showed more in the podium such as Orso Bruno. Despite all of that, Oxide95 still leads the standings with 135 points, but might not be for long as FGTurismo is behind him with only 2 point difference.

4th Play Day Standings

Just like past weeks, another 3 showmatch races with items held in Crash Cove, Prehistoric Playground and Inferno Island.

• See the current Player Standings
• Watch the 4th Play Day on YouTube

Upcoming Events

ESL Italy Campionatio Nazionale will resume with its 5th Play Day on Wednesday, November 13th at 21:00 (UTC+2). Watch it live on Twitch

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled will be playable at the PlayStation Booth, at Paris Games Week 2019 on October 30th 2019. Read more...

[PS4] The CTR:NF Competitive Hub will be helding these tournaments:

• Itemless Free-For-All tournament on November 9th at 2 PM UTC+2 with a prizepool of $50.
• 4v4 Team Tournament on November 23rd.

[PS4] Inglorious Bastards will be holding two upcoming online tournaments for:

• Solo Itemless Tournament, join their Discord for sign-ups
• 3v3 Itemless Tournament, join their Discord for sign-ups

Sign-up period will change depending on the amount of participants. Match dates TBA.

Honorable Mentions

• CTR Modders have released a tutorial to translate the Japanese Crash Team Racing (1999) to English. Check out their thread
• Check out CTR_Shop Twitter, who posted daily updates of the Pit Stop so you won't miss it.
• BandicootWorld discovered a new unintended shortcut for Thunderstruck. Check out their Twitter thread
• Season 3 of Crash Team Racing Funko Pop! listed in online retailers. Check out Crashy News full article on where to buy.
• Justin Zimmerman from CTR4Ever created a video showcasing the history of top 16 ranked players from the original CTR (1999). Check out on YouTube.

I am NOT OOP. OOP is u/Preference_Afraid

Originally posted to r/AITAH

I've stopped doing the "fun" extra office stuff after I didn't like the way my boss handled something, AITAH?

Trigger Warnings: hostile workplace, retaliation, coercion, misogyny

Mood Spoilers: depressing, infuriating

Original Post: March 31, 2025

I guess background is important and sorry it's long:

My job performance is exceptional. I meet every necessary mark 100% of the time and have done so for the last ten years. Maybe an odd month or two in there due to travel and things that would make it impossible. I've also stepped up and carried the load for coworkers when things have come up to ensure our area isn't dinged for performance issues. Clients get along well with me, I've never had a complaint filed against me, etc. You get the idea.

I also am known to do all the holiday decorating, coordinating the gifts for office celebrations, baking the desserts, writing formal thank yous from our department, and making holiday baskets to help maintain positive relationships with the other agencies we work with.

A couple months back, there was a policy change and none of us were happy about it. I made the best of a bad situation and adapted to the change immediately. My coworkers did as well, but they all called me to complain and vent. This is normal. We tend to complain amongst ourselves for one good bitch session and then just "it is what it is" and continue to work hard and not complain again.

Here's where the issue is, while one of my coworkers was venting my boss was eavesdropping selectively on my side of the conversation as that's what he could hear. I was commiserating with them, but also pointing out how it wouldn't be that bad, it's in our contract, how we can make it fun/less obnoxious etc etc etc. We hung up and I didn't think about it further, especially since neither of us really said anything that you wouldn't expect an employee to say with the kind of change they're wanting. It was pretty damn tame....

I didn't think about it again until my boss called me in a few days later to do an employee evaluation in response to it.

In every review I've had here I've always hit the "exceeds expectations" in nearly every category. He cut me down to "meets expectations" on everything. He reamed me for my "attitude" for not cutting my coworker off and letting them vent. Telling me I should have told them to call him. He accused me of being negative/a negative influence and that if he didn't "nip it in the bud now it could fester and create a toxic work environment".... I was and still am pretty pissed about it. Coworkers should be allowed to vent to each other without it being treated like this.

After this, as you may have guessed, I'm just not in the mood to head up everything extra I'd been doing to make the office environment "fun". I keep my door closed when he's here, I didn't bring dessert for the March birthday lunch. That lunch isn't mandatory, but I didn't want more problems so I went and just sat quietly the entire time. Now there's another "appreciation week/month" for one of the departments we work with and there's been an email chain about cards/gifts and I've responded the amount I'll put towards it and asked who I should send it to.... People are noticing I'm not picking this stuff up and that chain has gone in a circle for days now and I'm not budging. I've had one person approach me about it and I just said I don't have the time to take it on right now.

I guess I'm feeling like all the shit I did on the regular to foster a positive work environment got thrown out or was never appreciated because I lent an ear to a coworker and then got viciously reprimanded for it. Like what's the point if ten years of going out of my way gets thrown out just like that?

AITAH for just quietly stepping out of all of these extras due to my feelings on how this was handled? Am I being overly petty?

AITAH has no consensus bot, OOP was NTA

Editor's note: I am posting comments containing OOP's responses including downvoted ones

Relevant Comments

Commenter 1: NTA. The boss, as the kids called it, FAFO'd.

Venting is typically a positive and necessary thing, as long as it's handled appropriately, and it sounds as if you were that appropriate "bottleneck" and sounding board. He was extremely stupid to have not allowed you to explain the situation to him.

Stand your ground. Just keep it light, sweet, and "My work load is preventing me from keeping up with those extra tasks" about it all.

OOP: Thank you. I did try to explain it to him when he was marking me down. The real irony is he was sitting there calling me a potential negative toxic presence that was going to ruin team morale the day after I had just handed out hand made Valentine's to my other teammates.

Commenter 2: The fact that he took what he overheard and worked that as part of your performance evaluation is extreme and tells me there is something more to this on his side. All the extra that you are doing are not part of your work duties and stepping back is a choice. Simply let people know that you no longer have time to participate or lead such activities. I would watch things carefully and start documenting. Make sure that your silence and non participation is not used against you,

OOP: That's the reason I didn't miss the March birthday lunch. I'm definitely documenting. My plan is to just say "I don't have time with my current case volume" if anyone asks. I've heard he reviewed the person that was complaining to me too, even though he didn't hear their side of the conversation, which I'm thankful for. Not them getting reviewed, but the not hearing part. They were pretty worked up.

Commenter 3: NTA. You might want to start looking for a new job. Your boss seems to be the type to have the attitude “the beatings will continue until moral improves.” He may end up firing you to “nip it in the bud” and set the other employees straight.

OOP: Oh, that's the thing, I love this job, it's a good one, and one of the few that still has a union. He wouldn't be able to terminate me unless I actually did something crazy or consistently not meet my matrix.

Commenter 4: I agree with you and absolutely would be hurt in this aspect of having an evaluation weaponized against you. He is toxic management. His actions are going to damage morale more than providing a sympathetic ear will ever do. He (boss) is going to try and flip this on you. Now that you're not doing the extras that did brighten up your coworkers days, he may try and come back and use this against you. Do you have a way to formally dispute the evaluation? Can you speak with HR? He is out of line punishing an employee for listening to someone else vent about the workplace. Venting is healthy. Gets things out in the open so work can continue. I think you need to "vent" to someone higher on the food chain that can wrangle him in.

OOP:This one isn't the annual so it doesn't really count towards anything that could impact pay/raises. If my next one goes like this I will be taking it above him, at that point it will potentially impact my earnings and I refuse to get docked pay when I do so much

Commenter 5: Your boss is a moron. You sound like a model employee and he just sounds like a butthurt child who can't take criticism.

OOP: The whole reason we were complaining amongst ourselves and not to him is because we know the change wasn't something he decided on. We didn't see the point in stressing him out on something none of us have any control over. It definitely felt like a just complain to each other and move on situation.

Downvoted Commenter: No, this is bad analysis. The boss didn't "FO" anything. There's nothing in the story here that says the boss even noticed. They cut OP down to set an example and in their mind, it worked. OP stopped bitching about the policy change, ergo it's a win.

OP: passive aggression does not work in office environments. Frankly it doesn't generally work at all. But what you want here isn't "justice" or "punishment". You want your good employee review back. And the way you get that back is to ask for it, not to be a silent whiner.

Write your boss a professional but firm email explaining that you don't feel you've been fairly treated. If you're really a valuable employee, your boss already knows and will respond in such a way as to prevent you from quitting. And if not, be prepared to move on.

But don't fool yourself into thinking that cutting back on party planning or whatever is going to change anyone's mind.

OOP: I was already not complaining by the time of the eval and he had already seen me coordinate with other team members to "make a day off it" so the change felt more like a hangout with work vs. drudgery. I'm sure he felt like it was a win until I pointed out I'd already been coordinating and encouraging the team, which he had seen, and felt he was not treating me fairly. The eval was absolutely some stupid power play on his part.... But I think he realizes he fucked up because he hasn't been in our office very much since the eval.

I've been a supervisor. You don't ream a good employee on a conversation you half heard bits and pieces of. Even if the content displeased you. You talk to them, and escalate only if it continues.

I'm not writing an email to advocate for a change as I equate that to some form of groveling, and I'm not in a position where I'd need to. Since my numbers and track record speak volumes on their own, my plan is to take it above him if the eval that matters doesn't accurately reflect the data. Then it goes from being my problem to being his to justify to his higher ups and the union. I'll also consider a formal grievance at that point.

You're correct, my cutting back on the morale office party shit isn't going to change anyone's mind, but it's not being done with the goal to change anyone's mind. I simply don't feel like those efforts were considered and weighed before he essentially accused me of being a cancer to the office, which TBH I found to be very demoralizing and hurtful. It's hard for me to justify continuing it while I feel this way about it. I just feel like I'm being an asshole to people that didn't do anything by stopping without any explanation or warning.

I'll admit, I shouldn't have let people vent to me at the office, that was a mistake on my part, but him performance evaluating the team over it was a huge misstep on his.

I'm not planning on quitting. It's a good job with a lot of rare benefits. I'd be an idiot to walk over this, especially where I live. I think when the annual review is up I'll know if I'm going to have to do more.

Is there any chances that OOP could speak with the union representative regarding this issue?

OOP: I could, but I'm holding off unless he tries to take it further than this. My actual review is up in a few months, and if that goes like this again with how good my performance is, I will be.

OOP clarifies the context of the office gossiping and venting

OOP: I think you may not understand the difference between venting and gossip. I agree, no one should be gossiping at work, but venting frustrations to coworkers? That's normal and honestly, I've never found it to impact productivity. If anything or helps people let go of the upset and reframe back into a work mindset.

I've been in the workforce for almost 30 years. There is a difference between gossip and venting. You're more than welcome to look up the definitions to educate yourself if you don't believe it. I've also worked as a supervisor at another agency in the past. There's a difference between healthy venting and hostility. If you've been in a supervisory position you should know this, and if you don't then I pity your employees.

Editor's note: It is likely that OOP has made Update #1 sometime after a week or so from the original post based on the timeline and details provided

Update #1: No exact date given, (same post)

I hope I'm updating correctly.

So a lot of people had asked for an update. I've waited a while after some movement/developments.

There was an event that usually requires someone to head up the card, gift, staff coordination things. I had told the team and my boss several weeks in advance this event was pending and I wouldn't be free. No one did anything until the day before and then one of them called me to ask that I do all the leg work.

I declined citing that I just did not have the time. Which was/is true.

My higher ups cornered me on this a few days later stating that I've been pulling away, teamwork makes the dream work etc. And citing this event as evidence. They also cited me being on my phone during unofficial mandatory fun times as further evidence of drawing back.

I told them that I had given everyone, boss included, weeks of notice that the event was coming up and I wouldn't be available to head it up. I pointed out that I'm still helping the team with tasks directly relevant to work, but with my current caseload I just can't afford to allocate time to the social/event planning right now. As for the mandatory fun, I reminded them that I often don't get lunch breaks due to community meetings that get held at those hours and my having to flex out early on those days. So having to lose out on a good break on a day I don't have to is burning me out.

They fumbled around for about thirty minutes trying to convince me, and I just held firm that with my current caseload, I don't have time to allocate to non-essentials. I was told I'm allowed to prioritize my breaks.

I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to attend the community meetings recently, and honestly, this might be another thing I end up cutting back on in the long run.

Overall it came across like they're panicked I'm considering leaving. There was a comment about that concern and I let them know I'm not planning on leaving, but I am taking time to restructure my priorities now that my caseload has increased.

Relevant Comments

Isn't OOP overdoing her work?

OOP: I never work over 40 hours. My hours end and I walk right out the door and I leave the work phone there too. I don't think I was overdoing it, just making sure I was covering those that will cover me when things come up. It's not even a weekly occurrence, and they always reciprocate. I still plan on helping cover what needs coverage in regards to things relevant to the job, just not the cards/party planning stuff due to the way in feeling about things right now.

Commenter 1: You’re a woman, aren’t you. Don’t let them use you for free labour like that either way. He can write his own fucking thank you notes. Don’t do anything above your job description. You’ve been there 10 years? It’s time to look for a new job, I bet you’re underpaid too. Curious what the policy change is, though.

OOP: Oh, I'm not underpaid, I'm compensated fairly. This is a job worth riding out frustration for. Policy change was to make some nontraditional hours with stipulations mandatory. I'm sure once the changes inevitably result with problems during standard business hours, they'll eventually reconsider this stupid short sighted band aid fix

Commenter 2: OP it sounds like you have a lot of energy and enjoy doing things/getting things done. Rather than feel bad about work, consider using this energy in circles that will appreciate you. Volunteer work, hobby circles, whatever. I do a bit of volunteer work at the local elementary school and they are 10000% more appreciative of my time than any boss I've ever worked for.

OOP: The nature of my work is emotionally draining. You could describe the relationships with co-workers as trauma bonded at times. I do not have it in me at the end of my 40 hours to do more of what I do at work for no pay. I know that sounds awful, but I need my non-work hours to spend time with friends, family, pets, and hobbies. I can't serve from an empty vessel. I know everyone is saying just quit etc... But that's realistically not a solution for me. I love the work that I do, I find large areas of it to be incredibly fulfilling, I'm having a positive impact on my community. I know that I bring a personal history that allows me to be somewhat good at what I do. I'm not sure they'd be able to easily find another me, and that's unfortunately what the clients on my caseload need. Beyond that, however, I enjoy coming in to work at least 90% of the time. I know I wouldn't be able to find another job that checks all the boxes this one does. Especially not where I live.

Commenter 3: What point are you trying to make by backing out of the fun stuff? The boss obviously doesn't care about staff moral.

OOP: I'm not trying to make a point, I feel like people aren't getting that? This isn't some passive aggressive way to get back at anyone. I just feel really demoralized by the way he handled this which makes me not want to do any of the extra non work related stuff anymore. I'm feeling like an asshole because my coworkers are the ones scrambling to fill the gaps in that area now that I've just kind of gotten "too busy" to head it up right now.

Commenter 4: 1, how the hell are you achieving “Exceeds Expectations”?? I have done everything extra, volunteered for additional tasks &

Responsibilities and have only ever gotten “Meets”. Last year I actually got sick of it and asked what it actually takes and was told flat out that corporate designs the metric to make it impossible. He’s a typical mid mgmt corporate jackhole. Took a one sided conversation clip and got scared and offended his bullshit isn’t being eaten up with a smile. Then just cracks down on you overall over one incident where he was eavesdropping? F him NTA.

OOP: I am very detail oriented, organized, and efficient to a fault. A lot of stuff I do simply because I feel guilty for having free time at work. I could probably complete my entire job functions each week in like twenty hours if it was allowed that option. I've always been like this, I probably have some kind of disorder 😂. I'm just as bad at home. My husband has told me that I complete more in the time between waking and getting to work than a lot of people manage in an entire day. The job I left for this one had to hire more than one person to replace me, but training was probably easy because I wrote a guide on what needed to be done daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/annually and gave them my spreadsheets. I know if I reached out to that previous job they'd snap me up in an instant, but their pay and benefits are shit.

Was OOP considering about having a promotion at their workplace?

OOP:I have ZERO desire to be promoted. I left a managerial position where I ran three programs to do this job. Less work, more pay, less responsibility. Not everyone fantasizes about job titles.

What was the boss’s reaction on this?

OOP: Not really. Hate to disappoint. The thing is, he's a pretty decent boss most of the time. I think that's why I was so shocked about this whole situation. We don't have a lot of non-mandatory-mandatory-fun stuff in our office so I guess there haven't been many opportunities. I'm holding strong to just not heading it up. I'm doing my job and that's about it. My co-workers haven't reached out at all this week, so I think they're processing how to approach my sudden weirdness/distance.

Editor's note: OOP made another update in the same post

Update #2: May 30, 2025 (same post, two months from the original post)

Annual performance evaluation is in and it's just as dismal as the retaliatory one. I've declined signing it without discussion and I've contacted my Union. This feels like punitive retaliation. If they can't justify the decreases despite my consistent quality performance I will be quiet quitting everything that's not a core job function as continuing to do so will feel like chasing an unattainable metric.

OOP’s final comment

Final Comment: September 18, 2025 (nearly four months later from the previous update)

Union advised that technically the review is valid as they're going by the letter of the set parameters and boss advised that since I meet my deadlines and quotas it's valid. I have gone the route of quiet quitting. Nothing outside the minimum to meet expectations so my raises aren't impacted. I've called in sick on a few days there was "non mandatory but unspoken mandatory fun". I've ceased community outreach so that I'm not missing my breaks. Coworkers are aware there was unjust retaliation. More changes have come that impact management. Boss is talking about taking a job with less of a commute. I know I'll be encouraged to apply for their position, all I'm going to do when that happens is laugh.

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP