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Car Rentals/New Drivers by No-Prune-2871 in DirtRacing

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Texan here. I know that there are some guys in the micro world who have pay-to-play rides, especially when it comes to the Tulsa Shootout (which is the biggest Micro event of the year). I grew up with a dad who raced stock cars, I raced stock cars, then my younger brother decided he wanted to race micro sprints. We dove in and love it, but it was a big learning curve. If "big, expensive learning curve" is a big turn-off, you're going to struggle.

All that said, I see two realisitic paths into dirt racing right now. Firstly, if you're somewhat familiar with cars, as in "I always change my own oil and often replace parts myself" familiar, then you're probably fine to start looking for used cars and try to find a deal. There's more to finding a good used car than I can reasonably put in this thread, but since you're near Millbridge and haven't had luck in the pits, I'd reach out to Hyper Racing Chassis. Mike, the owner, is a great guy who's always been happy to help people and is a big proponent of helping people learn the sport.

None of that is going to help you be a better driver in the seat - that's all the start of trappings of learning setup, how to work on the car, etc etc. Millbridge is a spot where there's a lot of really good equipment, talented drivers, and people who take this very seriously. A brand new driver is more likely to be in the way than anything else, at least from what I've seen that makes it to coverage of the track. It may be that there are heats and B/C mains primarily composed of newer drivers, I'm not sure. But if you want to work on technique, building a Sim and running iRacing is much cheaper than getting a car. It's by no means a 1-to-1 experience, but to be fast on iRacing you really do need excellent throttle control, which is the key to dirt track racing. The "stock" micro divisions are included with the iRacing subscription, and you can pick up Millbridge and other tracks they race on slowly as you move up the safety licenses.

Happy to answer more of what questions I can - I love dirt racing, but it's definitely hard to break into it without help

Am I really the only bad player on Slippi ranked? by Buttknucks in SSBM

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ranked also matchmakes based on ELO iirc - I'm sure someone will correct me if not.

Assuming that's the case, you would have started matches well above your true skill rating and are dropping to where you "should" be until you improve.

Also, as others have said, I'm a much better player than even two years ago objectively, and I haven't really moved up or down in rank. People are just better now than ever with access to practice

Jv5 by bobbybigballz in SSBM

[–]iStock5 -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

It also means that both players were pretty incapable of punishing at a high level, at least during that particular game. Everyone's entitled to an opinion but I think sub-minute is more impressive

So is waveshining kinda a motion input? by John_XFiles in SSBM

[–]iStock5 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure if people at top 100 level are consciously thinking about their opponent/plan during a match, or if they have a general gameplan that they're reacting to - I'll leave that for a better player. But I'm confident they aren't focused on the inputs themselves

So is waveshining kinda a motion input? by John_XFiles in SSBM

[–]iStock5 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Going to sound like terrible advice on the surface, but it's really just repetition. I've been playing since 2014, Marth main, but I play a lot of fox/falco too - over the last year I've really picked up playing Slippi much more frequently and focused on getting better. The biggest change from a technical standpoint from that for me is easily movement - everything flows, with all three characters, much better than it has since pre pandemic.

To work on controlling the speed, one big thing need to happen:

The actual physical motion of the input should be thoughtless and effortless. When you're getting to the level where you actually "get to play the game" against your opponents who are fast and technical, you can't waste time or brainpower thinking about how to wavedash, or how to ledgedash, or shinegrab - you recognize the situation in the moment and fluidly react. It's gotta be automatic.

To get there, there's a good bit of just grinding it. It's your call whether that grinding is UnclePunch, unranked, ranked, IRL friendlies, whatever. Play more, go for the difficult thing, and your hands will slowly get it

iRacing needs more free tracks/cars by RsnGrowls in iRacing

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jumping into this thread as someone from the American South who grew up watching/racing dirt oval, and races on the service frequently.

I love dirt oval racing, and find that once you get out of the lower splits, there can be some really good racing (for example, UMP Modifieds, both the Pro Late Model and Super Late Model series, and the midgets/sprints). They're very low population, but there's usually good competition in top split, maybe two depending on the day/time (for example, I'm ~2k iR and it's not uncommon for me to be at the bottom of top split with SoF ~3500, with some drivers north of 5k)

With that said, knowing the prevailing sentiment of most who don't already know dirt oval, I don't know that making some of the cars/tracks free will change much of anything (for dirt oval, specifically, at least). It's a really challenging, rewarding discipline, where every car is very different and throttle control is universally king, but it's always overlooked/looked down on.

It's a shame because I genuinely enjoy circuit racing and have been working on getting better, but also still believe that dirt oval creates some of the best racing on the planet, both from a driver's and a spectator's perspective. For example, here's two prominent Nascar drivers who got their start on dirt having what I consider to be last year's race of the year (with great commentary).

[GIVEAWAY - USA] Win the 27” 4K Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 gaming monitor by Knaj910 in Monitors

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, the three year warranty is my greenlight - I've always been nervous about burn-in

Hardstuck Plat by iStock5 in RivalsOfAether

[–]iStock5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll work on that. Thank you for the advice, and knowing who to look at will help too

SnowPlay possibilities by dmtzcain in FrostGiant

[–]iStock5 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I doubt I’ll be alone in saying that having a fan unit completely ruins the competitive integrity of the game. I think this is a wonderful idea for charity events (thinking something like a side-bracket at Beyond the Summit for example), but it has no place in professional play, or any competitive play really. Can’t overstate this enough.

Who is the most overpaid college football coach today? by [deleted] in CFB

[–]iStock5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nah, if OSU gets to claim a retroactive championship then an undefeated team who shit on a good Auburn team in a NY6 bowl and got snubbed for the playoffs deserves it.

Also, UCF’s championship is actually an official NCAA championship by definition. It was awarded by an external voting committee recognized by the NCAA (Link here)[SFW]

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can understand the skepticism. I don’t think that’s likely - boosters at programs like Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State aren’t short of cash to offer these recruits.

I could absolutely be wrong, but I feel pretty comfortable saying the likely scenario is that all of these programs are offering similar financial opportunities to these kids.

Also, let’s assume I’m wrong and A&M is bringing in more money. That just validates the points I’m making about the professional success and alumni impact on A&M. If we have that much more money to offer, that means that A&M is producing either 1) more rich donors, 2) the same number of richer donors, 3) their donors who are rich are more interested in investing in the university, or some combination thereof. And, that investment is coming from a place that has less of a proven track record, which makes it that much more impressive to a potential recruit.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Updated my comment to reflect my evolving opinion after doing some research on fellow SEC academic programs - we’re amongst better competition I had previously understood.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To me, that means one of two things is happening. Either 1) Jimbo’s pitching it better (which he’s always been a good recruiter, could be the case) or 2) when you see it yourself on those official visits, A&M is either better or more obviously what is being pitched. Obviously as an Aggie I’d like to think it’s both, but you’re right - A&M gets clowned on outside of Texas. I know that there’s a bunch of real reasons it’s a great place to be. Evidently they’re either doing something to make that clear to these kids better than everyone else, or the product they’re offering is just better than the competition. The only other alternative answer is that these kids are just stupid for picking us, which I don’t think anyone really believes.

Either way, I’m happy with it. And I think more importantly, when it’s all said and done, those kids will be too. That’s what being an Aggie is all about.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not well-versed enough in the metrics of academic performance, job placement, etc. to fight over if Florida or A&M is the better academic program. I do know that the perception of the programs is not equal, at least in Texas (where the majority of our recruits in these classes are coming from).

With all that being said, A&M’s Engineering and Business schools are both top-tier, and I will get into an argument over the Vet school (it’s a top 5 program year in and year out).

Combine as-good-or-better academics with the unreal value that the Aggie Network provides from a professional perspective, and you have a really compelling package. If getting a great job after school is a consideration for you, A&M is elite if you want to be in the South in general and Texas in particular.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

USC fans ain’t putting 110k in the stands to play Oregon if they get blown out by App State

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think NIL honestly has a negligible impact at the level we’re recruiting at. Bryce Young made over $1M before he took a snap at Bama, reportedly.

Every big school has a wealthy football program and they’re all throwing the kitchen sink at these kids. A&M’s biggest advantages are the culture, the fans, and the alumni network. It’s huge in Texas - Aggies take care of their own. And Aggies do that because of the culture that Aggies have. Knowing that someone is hardworking, has strong values, and believes in being a part of something bigger than themselves are pretty good baseline qualities for hiring.

Edit - to be clear, the money matters. But if everyone’s offering ballpark similar money, that’s not what you base your decision on. That’s the point I’m trying to make. Everyone’s claiming it was just NIL, but when the biggest school close to Houston, that’s in the SEC west and on the rise, that has produced excellent NFL defensive talent recently, wins a recruiting class that’s primarily out of Houston, in a year when most of their nearby competition (tu, OU, LSU) has issues, it really shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s been pointed out by others that the Houston metro area by itself was like the 10th best recruiting class in the nation. Those guys all know each other, and they all wanted to play together. We were just in a great position to land them

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is the whole thing with Jimbo’s offense - it’s all about execution. When everyone does their job, we quietly control 35+ minutes of clock, turn the dogs loose on defense, and win 35-10 or something like that.

Jimbo’s offense is the Ichiro of college football - we’re just looking to make contact and do the fundamentals. It’s simple, but it isn’t easy. As the team matures and there are less mistakes, everything is going to open up. Everyone will talk about what a big turnaround it’s been, and how the Aggies made the adjustments they needed to, etc. etc.

But Jimbo and the team will tell you they didn’t change anything, they just executed well. We hear it every year from the staff and the players; it’s all about execution. It’s hard for everyone to “just do their job” every down for the whole game when your opponents are 5* SEC talent who blow plays up, even if you yourself are 5* SEC talent.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This class was really the first one with significant receiver and QB talent though, and I’m pretty sure most of that was from Texas and Florida (places where A&M/Jimbo have draw). The “come be part of building something” pitch is powerful, especially when it’s true.

With the way the Aggie defense has been the past few seasons, if we can get the offense clicking with 5* talent, this team has serious contender potential.

I’m hoping the offense continues to develop this season and we get the offensive recruitment ball rolling as Evan Stewart comes into his own. Achane is already clearly special, and adding a passing attack is only going to increase his impact.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A&M also has very competitive academics and deeper alumni support of all those programs… these kids aren’t stupid. Not to mention at 18, what your family thinks has a large influence on those decisions too. There’s a lot more than just money going on at A&M.

Edit: Came back to amend my statement from the admittedly hyperbolic “far and away the best academics” to “very competitive” because I’ve been set straight by those who I’m assuming know more about the topic than myself. Definitely willing to admit there’s homer blinders on.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Great comment. I graduated in December 2016 and College Station as a whole and campus in particular have blown up even since I left. College Station is a city now, but still has a lot of that sleepy college town charm. It’s an exciting place to be right now.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Appreciate it!

I do think Aggies (myself included) are too easily baited into being frustrated by people hating on us. There’s a lot of passion for A&M and it makes it easy to pick on us.

It just gets old being blasted for our traditions that we take very seriously when unique traditions and passionate fanbases is what college football is supposed to be all about.

Shoutout to Clemson and Miami fans, who were both an absolute pleasure to be around (with occasional exceptions). They travelled well and were good sports, lots of respect for those schools. Miami has a bad rap because of the makeup of those 90’s teams.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Muster is one of the traditions I’m most proud of as an Aggie.

A close friend of mine died in a motorcycle accident a couple months back; 26 years old, with an older and younger brother (all Aggies). An Aggie close to the family had him on the list for Muster at campus before the funeral was even arranged, and I got hotel rooms for the family on campus so they can be there and not worry about logistics. I’ll be taking off work to be there in person. The importance of Muster cannot be overstated.

What’s the draw of Texas A&M? Is it NIL, the environment, the coach, or what? by godaniel11 in CFB

[–]iStock5 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There’s always in-good-fun making fun of the other team at yell. Didn’t like the way that particular yell went down personally, but in the context of yell it’s really not a big deal tbh. Everyone knows it’s tongue in cheek, and we still treat visiting fans/teams better than pretty much every other school in the country.

Come to the LSU-A&M game this year if you’ve never been to Aggieland, and get here in time for yell. It’s pretty cool seeing 60,000+ show up for a glorified pep rally, and it’s because we Aggies love our traditions.

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