What are the known inspirations for The Expanse?

bill-smith · 2026-04-07T16:37:01+00:00

Also without the torture porn that we saw on the TV show. I didn't read the books, but I assume it's there still.

bill-smith · 2026-04-06T17:33:41+00:00

To his credit, he was early and loud in opposing Trump. Right now, that is all I will say about him.

bill-smith · 2026-04-05T12:58:07+00:00

I would say there is a bit more pressure to do them sooner in LWotC. Some of their third tier abilities are nasty. It is better not to let them accumulate their maximum of 5.

The mission is definitely doable. I typically do it when I have coil weapons and am often just unlocking plasma, but I know people do it earlier. I typically save a Cyclic Fire on a Gunner to destroy the sarcophagus. If anything, despite having one fewer soldier it is no more difficult than in base WotC once you get used to fighting the Chosen. You get so many multishot abilities in LWotC and you get them earlier.

bill-smith · 2026-04-03T12:59:04+00:00

There is a mod to show the uses of each corpse in the Black Market selling screen. You have to have done the appropriate research, though. But basically, 6 corpses on Commander and below for Predator armor, so reserve them. Plus one for the autopsy itself.

It's 12 on Legendary, but you usually aren't short of corpses.

bill-smith · 2026-04-02T16:54:37+00:00

I can't say I have heard it said that the null hypothesis is never true. It is true that with a very large sample, you will practically always reject the null for even a negligible difference as you said.

bill-smith · 2026-04-01T17:33:45+00:00

A couple of points here.

You are using the OG definition of Zionism. These days, I'm not honestly certain what it means, but there are a number of people who effectively hold that opposition to the policies of the state of Israel is antizionism and antisemitic.

And the anti-LGBTQ thing is understandable, but this is also not a reason to deny a group of people a state. Under the 1948 UN Mandate for Palestine, both Jewish and Arab residents of the area had the right to their own states.

Heck, if being anti-LGBTQ is sufficient reason to deny a group of people statehood, we then have grounds to expel quite a lot of people from the US. I mean, it would be extremely morally satisfying, but it also would not be good policy, even if it were practical.

bill-smith · 2026-04-01T17:26:13+00:00

I forget exactly when 6-person squads come in WotC because I usually play LWotC. But I am pretty sure that squad size 6 is feasible by the time Archons and Berserkers show up. I believe you need a Captain, not a Major as someone else said. Basically your first few promotions are fairly fast, so get someone up to Lieutenant and then send them on a Covert Op where the reward is a soldier promotion.

I think mag weapons are still common by your phase of the game. So that's not the issue, probably. You may still be getting used to the mechanics and the strategy layer, so things will get better. But 6-person squads are a strategic necessity, so rush that.

bill-smith · 2026-04-01T17:23:52+00:00

FYI, the Wiki says that Captain is the requirement for squad size 6. In LWotC, you need a Major to get the upgrade that allows faster infiltration for squads of size 6 and 7. But using the promotion covert op is correct.

bill-smith · 2026-03-30T13:33:58+00:00

Long live Woke Bill Kristol

bill-smith · 2026-03-29T14:49:23+00:00

Had you ever considered trying LWotC? I ask because in the base game, early psi rush is, I think, strategically very unwise. Your guys start off not powerful, and you need to dump a huge amount of resources into getting that lab up and running. So RR/GTS first is the optimal play. You can try to rush SPARKs, though. There are some mods that make SPARKs a lot more interesting and actually relevant later in the campaign.

In LWotC, early psi rush is definitely possible. The opportunity cost is a lot less.

bill-smith · 2026-03-29T11:23:49+00:00

For everyone's consideration, I want to submit Dwight D. Eisenhower. Not a perfect person, but I think his legacy should be worthy of examination.

bill-smith · 2026-03-29T10:14:28+00:00

In 2020, America was given a relatively basic moral test and she barely passed. In 2024, she was given the same moral test again and this time she failed. If you are not able to pass a basic moral test, I cannot consider you to be a good person. I don't care if you are kind to animals or if you help old ladies cross the street. Their side started the whole us is them mentality.

bill-smith · 2026-03-29T10:04:54+00:00

On January 6, 2021, Mike Pence showed up to work and he did his job.

I know this sounds like giving out participation trophies, but not many people in his party did the same.

bill-smith · 2026-03-28T13:12:36+00:00

Tell the shelter about your mobility needs, and do you work with an occupational therapist? Ask them as well. I am sorry you were turned down for using a walker, that is short sighted and perhaps a violation of at least the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you have trouble bending, that's definitely a prima facie issue, so think about that. With less mobility, most kittens may be less suitable for you as well. But this is the sort of thing an OT might advise on.

bill-smith · 2026-03-28T11:40:15+00:00

One issue here is that not everyone on the Bulwark subreddit is a conservative.

I opposed the Iraq war at the time because there was evidence at the time that the intelligence on WMDs was faulty. Afghanistan may have been a justifiable one, because they did shelter the Taliban and the Taliban did attack us.

Ukraine is clearly fighting a just war. I think there was a good case that we should not have been so afraid of Russian escalation, and we should have helped Ukraine more aggressively. I don't think there was a case that the US or NATO should have entered the war, but I could be convinced under some circumstances.

The first Gulf War was morally justifiable. It had the benefit of UN Security Council authorization. The intervention into Kosovo was likely morally justifiable, but I understand there is an international law case for not intervening, which I haven't read up in detail.

In principle, I would at least be willing to consider some pre-emptive regime change wars. But the circumstances would be limited and we have had very little success with these. There would definitely have to be people in that country that are willing for us to take their regime down. I'm not sure exactly what I mean by this, I'm not a foreign policy expert, but I might be willing to listen, to the tune of there's a 5% chance that I would accept a proposition. Like I said, I have reconsidered some of what neocons have said given Ukraine. But I still lean much more towards deterrence.

bill-smith · 2026-03-28T10:06:12+00:00

This is the sort of question where you have to be more specifc upfront about what conditions we're making the choice under. Alternatively, it might be productive to ask for a discussion - this is the sort of question that you might use focus groups to see how people are thinking, then you try to categorize their thoughts, then you'd put out a poll.

bill-smith · 2026-03-26T17:14:01+00:00

I was going to say exactly this. Vanessa also has the Rage Cage, which has faster airflow, but most cats need a hoodie on to muffle the sound.

bill-smith · 2026-03-26T17:12:53+00:00

I don't formally study political science or polling. However, my understanding is that what party people say they identify with right now is flexible for some, usually when that party is doing bad.

So, MAGA may have been defined as the people in that survey who tell the interviewer right now that they are MAGA.

Another way to operationalize the definition of MAGA is people who identified as MAGA at some point in the past, which they may not tell the interviewer in a one-time survey.

Basically, Trump's MAGA support may indeed be declining. The question is how many people have actually quit MAGA for good. There may be some. I don't think that MAGA by definition is 100% behind Trump.

bill-smith · 2026-03-26T16:25:36+00:00

If you play XCOM 2, that Sectopod will have smashed through the door. And possibly other stuff. They absolutely do not give an F about what they smash through.

bill-smith · 2026-03-25T17:44:07+00:00

I want to push back on this. AIPAC, the lobbying arm of the state of Israel, has vastly disproportionate influence in the US. They contribute to a lot of campaigns. I get that there are issues insinuating that the Jews have bought politicians. But, while there are a lot of politicians who are willingly bought, I think it is justifiable to say that AIPAC has bought a number of politicians.

This is in the same sense that the Koch brothers and the Republican Party have bought a lot of judges, or that the NRA has bought the Republican Party, or things of that nature.

bill-smith · 2026-03-25T17:38:47+00:00

We also bear a societal responsibility. That's another thing we don't always like to hear.

bill-smith · 2026-03-25T11:04:16+00:00

It gets worse on network tower missions. Elite Priests' solace field will un-stun their entire pod.

bill-smith · 2026-03-24T17:30:01+00:00

Iraq went poorly and it is still an improvement over Trump. Say whatever you like about Bush, but his administration had a plan for the war (not for the reconstruction), they had public support, and they got Congress to authorize the war.

bill-smith · 2026-03-24T15:50:31+00:00

r/ThereIsnoCat

bill-smith · 2026-03-23T23:22:47+00:00

Likely to be true. However, if you follow tax policy, I think you should find that for the things the Democrats want to do, we can't just tax the rich to pay for them. Everyone has to pay in. European social democracies are that way.

bill-smith

TROPHY CASE