NEW INFO 5 Results from share redemption are posted. Less than .2% redeemed. Very bullish as investors are showing extreme confidence in the future of PLBY.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/playboy-mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-120000721.html
NEW INFO 4 Definitive Agreement to purchase 100% of Lovers brand stores announced 2/1.
https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Playboy+%28MCAC%29+Confirms+Deal+to+Acquire+Lovers/17892359.html
NEW INFO 3 I bought more on the dip today. 5081 total. Price rose AH to $12.38 (2.15%)
NEW INFO 2 Here is the full webinar.
https://icrinc.zoom.us/rec/play/9GWKdmOYumjWfZuufW3QXpe_FW_g--qeNbg6PnTjTMbnNTgLmCbWjeRFpQga1iPc-elpGap8dnDv8Zww.yD7DjUwuPmapeEdP?continueMode=true&tk=lEYc4F_FkKlgsmCIs6w0gtGHT2kbgVGbUju3cIRBSjk.DQIAAAAV8NK49xZWdldRM2xNSFNQcTBmcE00UzM3bXh3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&uuid=WN_GKWqbHkeSyuWetJmLFkj4g&_x_zm_rtaid=kR45-uuqRE-L65AxLjpbQw.1611967079119.2c054e3d3f8d8e63339273d9175939ed&_x_zm_rhtaid=866
NEW INFO 1 Live merger webinar with PLBY and MCAC on Friday January 29, 2021 at 12:00 NOON EST link below
https://mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/press-release-details/2021/Playboy-Enterprises-Inc.-and-Mountain-Crest-Acquisition-Corp-Participate-in-SPACInsider-ICR-Webinar-on-January-29th-at-12pm-ET/default.aspx
Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis
!!!WARNING READING AHEAD!!! TL;DR at the end. It will take some time to sort through all the links and read/watch everything, but you should.
In the next couple weeks, Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp is taking Playboy public. The existing ticker MCAC will become PLBY. Special purpose acquisition companies have taken private companies public in recent months with great success. I believe this will be no exception. Notably, Playboy is profitable and has skyrocketing revenue going into a transformational growth phase.
Porn - First and foremost, let's talk about porn. I know what you guys are thinking. “Porno mags are dead. Why would I want to invest in something like that? I can get porn for free online.” Guess what? You are absolutely right. And that’s exactly why Playboy doesn’t do that anymore. That’s right, they eliminated their print division. And yet they somehow STILL make money from porn that people (see: boomers) pay for on their website through PlayboyTV, Playboy Plus, and iPlayboy. Here’s the thing: Playboy has international, multi-generational name recognition from porn. They have content available in 180 countries. It will be the only publicly traded adult entertainment (porn) company. But that is not where this company is going. It will help support them along the way. You can see every Playboy magazine through iPlayboy if you’re interested. NSFW links below:
https://www.playboy.com/
https://www.playboytv.com/
https://www.playboyplus.com/
https://www.iplayboy.com/
Gambling - Some of you might recognize the Playboy brand from gambling trips to places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Cancun, London or Macau. They’ve been in the gambling biz for decades through their casinos, clubs, and licensed gaming products. They see the writing on the wall. COVID is accelerating the transition to digital, application based GAMBLING. That’s right. What we are doing on Robinhood with risky options is gambling, and the only reason regulators might give a shit anymore is because we are making too much money. There may be some restrictions put in place, but gambling from your phone on your couch is not going anywhere. More and more states are allowing things like Draftkings, poker, state ‘lottery” apps, hell - even political betting. Michigan and Virginia just ok’d gambling apps. They won’t be the last. This is all from your couch and any 18 year old with a cracked iphone can access it. Wouldn’t it be cool if Playboy was going to do something like that? They’re already working on it. As per CEO Ben Kohn who we will get to later, “...the company’s casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth.” Honestly, I stopped researching Scientific Games' sports betting segment when I saw the word ‘omni-channel’. That told me all I needed to know about it’s success.
“Our SG Sports™ platform is an enhanced, omni-channel solution for online, self-service and retail fixed odds sports betting – from soccer to tennis, basketball, football, baseball, hockey, motor sports, racing and more.”
https://www.scientificgames.com/
https://www.microgaming.co.uk/
“This latter segment has become increasingly enticing for Playboy, and it said last week that it is considering new tie-ups that could include gaming operators like PointsBet and 888Holdings.”
https://calvinayre.com/2020/10/05/business/playboys-gaming-ops-could-get-a-boost-from-spac-purchase/
As per their SEC filing:
“Significant consumer engagement and spend with Playboy-branded gaming properties around the world, including with leading partners such as Microgaming, Scientific Games, and Caesar’s Entertainment, steers our investment in digital gaming, sports betting and other digital offerings to further support our commercial strategy to expand consumer spend with minimal marginal cost, and gain consumer data to inform go-to-market plans across categories.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tMDAA1
They are expanding into more areas of gaming/gambling, working with international players in the digital gaming/gambling arena, and a Playboy sportsbook is on the horizon.
https://www.playboy.com/read/the-pleasure-of-playing-with-yourself-mobile-gaming-in-the-covid-era
Cannabis - If you’ve ever read through a Playboy magazine, you know they’ve had a positive relationship with cannabis for many years. As of September 2020, Playboy has made a major shift into the cannabis space. Too good to be true you say? Check their website. Playboy currently sells a range of CBD products. This is a good sign. Federal hemp products, which these most likely are, can be mailed across state lines and most importantly for a company like Playboy, can operate through a traditional banking institution. CBD products are usually the first step towards the cannabis space for large companies. Playboy didn’t make these products themselves meaning they are working with a processor in the cannabis industry. Another good sign for future expansion. What else do they have for sale? Pipes, grinders, ashtrays, rolling trays, joint holders. Hmm. Ok. So it looks like they want to sell some shit. They probably don’t have an active interest in cannabis right? Think again:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/09/24/playboy-gets-serious-about-cannabis-law-reform-advocacy-with-new-partnership-grants/?sh=62f044a65cea
“Taking yet another step into the cannabis space, Playboy will be announcing later on Thursday (September, 2020) that it is launching a cannabis law reform and advocacy campaign in partnership with National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Last Prisoner Project, Marijuana Policy Project, the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Eaze Momentum Program.”
“According to information procured exclusively, the three-pronged campaign will focus on calling for federal legalization. The program also includes the creation of a mentorship plan, through which the Playboy Foundation will support entrepreneurs from groups that are underrepresented in the industry.” Remember that CEO Kohn from earlier? He wrote this recently:
https://medium.com/naked-open-letters-from-playboy/congress-must-pass-the-more-act-c867c35239ae
Seems like he really wants weed to be legal? Hmm wonder why? The writing's on the wall my friends. Playboy wants into the cannabis industry, they are making steps towards this end, and we have favorable conditions for legislative progress.
Don’t think branding your own cannabis line is profitable or worthwhile? Tell me why these 41 celebrity millionaires and billionaires are dummies. I’ll wait.
https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2019/07/12/top-celebrity-cannabis-brands/
Confirmation: I hear you. “This all seems pretty speculative. It would be wildly profitable if they pull this shift off. But how do we really know?” Watch this whole video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/playboy-ceo-telling-story-female-154907068.html
Man - this interview just gets my juices flowing. And highlights one of my favorite reasons for this play. They have so many different business avenues from which a catalyst could appear. I think paying attention, holding shares, and options on these staggered announcements over the next year is the way I am going to go about it. "There's definitely been a shift to direct-to-consumer," he (Kohn) said. "About 50 percent of our revenue today is direct-to-consumer, and that will continue to grow going forward.” “Kohn touted Playboy's portfolio of both digital and consumer products, with casino-style gaming, in particular, serving a crucial role under the company's new business model. Playboy also has its sights on the emerging cannabis market, from CBD products to marijuana products geared toward sexual health and pleasure.” "If THC does become legal in the United States, we have developed certain strains to enhance your sex life that we will launch," Kohn said. https://cheddar.com/media/playboy-goes-public-health-gaming-lifestyle-focus Oh? The CEO actually said it? Ok then. “We have developed certain strains…” They’re already working with growers on strains and genetics? Ok. There are several legal cannabis markets for those products right now, international and stateside. I expect Playboy licensed hemp and THC pre-rolls by EOY. Something like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/842996758/10-playboy-pre-roll-tubes-limited?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pre+roll+playboy&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1 Maintaining cannabis operations can be costly and a regulatory headache. Playboy’s licensing strategy allows them to pick successful, established partners and sidestep traditional barriers to entry. You know what I like about these new markets? They’re expanding. Worldwide. And they are going to be a bigger deal than they already are with or without Playboy. Who thinks weed and gambling are going away? Too many people like that stuff. These are easy markets. And Playboy is early enough to carve out their spot in each. Fuck it, read this too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimosman/2020/10/20/playboy-could-be-the-king-of-spacs-here-are-three-picks/?sh=2e13dcaa3e05
Numbers: You want numbers? I got numbers. As per the company’s most recent SEC filing:
“For the year ended December 31, 2019, and the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s historical consolidated revenue was $78.1 million and $101.3 million, respectively, historical consolidated net income (loss) was $(23.6) million and $(4.8) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA was $13.1 million and $21.8 million, respectively.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Licensing segment contributed $44.2 million in revenue and $31.1 million in net income.”
“In the ninth months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Direct-to-Consumer segment contributed $40.2 million in revenue and net income of $0.1 million.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Digital Subscriptions and Content segment contributed $15.4 million in revenue and net income of $7.4 million.”
They are profitable across all three of their current business segments.
“Playboy’s return to the public markets presents a transformed, streamlined and high-growth business. The Company has over $400 million in cash flows contracted through 2029, sexual wellness products available for sale online and in over 10,000 major retail stores in the US, and a growing variety of clothing and branded lifestyle and digital gaming products.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
Growth: Playboy has massive growth in China and massive growth potential in India. “In China, where Playboy has spent more than 25 years building its business, our licensees have an enormous footprint of nearly 2,500 brick and mortar stores and 1,000 ecommerce stores selling high quality, Playboy-branded men’s casual wear, shoes/footwear, sleepwear, swimwear, formal suits, leather & non-leather goods, sweaters, active wear, and accessories. We have achieved significant growth in China licensing revenues over the past several years in partnership with strong licensees and high-quality manufacturers, and we are planning for increased growth through updates to our men’s fashion lines and expansion into adjacent categories in men’s skincare and grooming, sexual wellness, and women’s fashion, a category where recent launches have been well received.” The men’s market in China is about the same size as the entire population of the United States and European Union combined. Playboy is a leading brand in this market. They are expanding into the women’s market too. Did you know CBD toothpaste is huge in China? China loves CBD products and has hemp fields that dwarf those in the US. If Playboy expands their CBD line China it will be huge. Did you know the gambling money in Macau absolutely puts Las Vegas to shame? Technically, it's illegal on the mainland, but in reality, there is a lot of gambling going on in China. https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/10/19/magic-johnson-and-uncle-buds-cbd-brand-enter-china-via-tmall-partnership/?sh=271776ca411e “In India, Playboy today has a presence through select apparel licensees and hospitality establishments. Consumer research suggests significant growth opportunities in the territory with Playboy’s brand and categories of focus.” “Playboy Enterprises has announced the expansion of its global consumer products business into India as part of a partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, a leading fashion and lifestyle Company in India.” “The Indian market today is dominated by consumers under the age of 35, who represent more than 65 percent of the country’s total population and are driving India’s significant online shopping growth. The Playboy brand’s core values of playfulness and exploration resonate strongly with the expressed desires of today’s younger millennial consumers. For us, Playboy was the perfect fit.” “The Playboy international portfolio has been flourishing for more than 25 years in several South Asian markets such as China and Japan. In particular, it has strategically targeted the millennial and gen-Z audiences across categories such as apparel, footwear, home textiles, eyewear and watches.” https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/playboy-expands-global-footprint-india It looks like they gave COVID the heisman in terms of net damage sustained: “Although Playboy has not suffered any material adverse consequences to date from the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been impacted both negatively and positively. The remote working and stay-at-home orders resulted in the closure of the London Playboy Club and retail stores of Playboy’s licensees, decreasing licensing revenues in the second quarter, as well as causing supply chain disruption and less efficient product development thereby slowing the launch of new products. However, these negative impacts were offset by an increase in Yandy’s direct-to-consumer sales, which have benefited in part from overall increases in online retail sales so far during the pandemic.” Looks like the positives are long term (Yandy acquisition) and the negatives are temporary (stay-at-home orders).
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921006093/tm213766-1_defa14a.htm
This speaks to their ability to maintain a financially solvent company throughout the transition phase to the aforementioned areas. They’d say some fancy shit like “expanded business model to encompass four key revenue streams: Sexual Wellness, Style & Apparel, Gaming & Lifestyle, and Beauty & Grooming.” I hear “we’re just biding our time with these trinkets until those dollar dollar bill y’all markets are fully up and running.” But the truth is these existing revenue streams are profitable, scalable, and rapidly expanding Playboy’s e-commerce segment around the world.
"Even in the face of COVID this year, we've been able to grow EBITDA over 100 percent and revenue over 68 percent, and I expect that to accelerate going into 2021," he said. “Playboy is accelerating its growth in company-owned and branded consumer products in attractive and expanding markets in which it has a proven history of brand affinity and consumer spend.”
Also in the SEC filing, the Time Frame:
“As we detailed in the definitive proxy statement, the SPAC stockholder meeting to vote on the transaction has been set for February 9th, and, subject to stockholder approval and satisfaction of the other closing conditions, we expect to complete the merger and begin trading on NASDAQ under ticker PLBY shortly thereafter,” concluded Kohn.
The Players: Suhail “The Whale” Rizvi (HMFIC), Ben “The Bridge” Kohn (CEO), “lil” Suying Liu & “Big” Dong Liu (Young-gun China gang). I encourage you to look these folks up. The real OG here is Suhail Rizvi. He’s from India originally and Chairman of the Board for the new PLBY company. He was an early investor in Twitter, Square, Facebook and others. His firm, Rizvi Traverse, currently invests in Instacart, Pinterest, Snapchat, Playboy, and SpaceX. Maybe you’ve heard of them. “Rizvi, who owns a sprawling three-home compound in Greenwich, Connecticut, and a 1.65-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida, near Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, moved to Iowa Falls when he was five. His father was a professor of psychology at Iowa. Along with his older brother Ashraf, a hedge fund manager, Rizvi graduated from Wharton business school.” “Suhail Rizvi: the 47-year-old 'unsocial' social media baron: When Twitter goes public in the coming weeks (2013), one of the biggest winners will be a 47-year-old financier who guards his secrecy so zealously that he employs a person to take down his Wikipedia entry and scrub his photos from the internet. In IPO, Twitter seeks to be 'anti-FB'” “Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia looks like a big Twitter winner. So do the moneyed clients of Jamie Dimon. But as you’ve-got-to-be-joking wealth washed over Twitter on Thursday — a company that didn’t exist eight years ago was worth $31.7 billion after its first day on the stock market — the non-boldface name of the moment is Suhail R. Rizvi. Mr. Rizvi, 47, runs a private investment company that is the largest outside investor in Twitter with a 15.6 percent stake worth $3.8 billion at the end of trading on Thursday (November, 2013). Using a web of connections in the tech industry and in finance, as well as a hearty dose of good timing, he brought many prominent names in at the ground floor, including the Saudi prince and some of JPMorgan’s wealthiest clients.” https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/technology/at-twitter-working-behind-the-scenes-toward-a-billion-dollar-payday.html Y’all like that Arab money? How about a dude that can call up Saudi Princes and convince them to spend? Funniest shit about I read about him: “Rizvi was able to buy only $100 million in Facebook shortly before its IPO, thus limiting his returns, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” Poor guy :(
He should be fine with the 16 million PLBY shares he's going to have though :)
Shuhail also has experience in the entertainment industry. He’s invested in companies like SESAC, ICM, and Summit Entertainment. He’s got Hollywood connections to blast this stuff post-merger. And he’s at least partially responsible for that whole Twilight thing. I’m team Edward btw.
I really like what Suhail has done so far. He’s lurked in the shadows while Kohn is consolidating the company, trimming the fat, making Playboy profitable, and aiming the ship at modern growing markets.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-ipo-rizvi-insight/insight-little-known-hollywood-investor-poised-to-score-with-twitter-ipo-idUSBRE9920VW20131003
Ben “The Bridge” Kohn is an interesting guy. He’s the connection between Rizvi Traverse and Playboy. He’s both CEO of Playboy and was previously Managing Partner at Rizvi Traverse. Ben seems to be the voice of the Playboy-Rizvi partnership, which makes sense with Suhail’s privacy concerns. Kohn said this:
“Today is a very big day for all of us at Playboy and for all our partners globally. I stepped into the CEO role at Playboy in 2017 because I saw the biggest opportunity of my career. Playboy is a brand and platform that could not be replicated today. It has massive global reach, with more than $3B of global consumer spend and products sold in over 180 countries. Our mission – to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure – is rooted in our 67-year history and creates a clear focus for our business and role we play in people’s lives, providing them with the products, services and experiences that create a lifestyle of pleasure. We are taking this step into the public markets because the committed capital will enable us to accelerate our product development and go-to-market strategies and to more rapidly build our direct to consumer capabilities,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy.
“Playboy today is a highly profitable commerce business with a total addressable market projected in the trillions of dollars,” Mr. Kohn continued, “We are actively selling into the Sexual Wellness consumer category, projected to be approximately $400 billion in size by 2024, where our recently launched intimacy products have rolled out to more than 10,000 stores at major US retailers in the United States. Combined with our owned & operated ecommerce Sexual Wellness initiatives, the category will contribute more than 40% of our revenue this year. In our Apparel and Beauty categories, our collaborations with high-end fashion brands including Missguided and PacSun are projected to achieve over $50M in retail sales across the US and UK this year, our leading men’s apparel lines in China expanded to nearly 2500 brick and mortar stores and almost 1000 digital stores, and our new men’s and women’s fragrance line recently launched in Europe. In Gaming, our casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth. Our product strategy is informed by years of consumer data as we actively expand from a purely licensing model into owning and operating key high-growth product lines focused on driving profitability and consumer lifetime value. We are thrilled about the future of Playboy. Our foundation has been set to drive further growth and margin, and with the committed capital from this transaction and our more than $180M in NOLs, we will take advantage of the opportunity in front of us, building to our goal of $100M of adjusted EBITDA in 2025.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
Also, according to their Form 4s, “Big” Dong Liu and “lil” Suying Liu just loaded up with shares last week. These guys are brothers and seem like the Chinese market connection. They are only 32 & 35 years old. I don’t even know what that means, but it's provocative.
https://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/1832415.htm
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-ii-002600994.html
Y’all like that China money?
“Mr. Liu has been the Chief Financial Officer of Dongguan Zhishang Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd., a regional designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED lights serving commercial customers throughout Southern China since November 2016, at which time he led a syndicate of investments into the firm. Mr. Liu has since overseen the financials of Dongguan Zhishang as well as provided strategic guidance to its board of directors, advising on operational efficiency and cash flow performance. From March 2010 to October 2016, Mr. Liu was the Head of Finance at Feidiao Electrical Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese manufacturer of electrical outlets headquartered in Shanghai and with businesses in the greater China region as well as Europe.”
Dr. Suying Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp., commented, “Playboy is a unique and compelling investment opportunity, with one of the world’s largest and most recognized brands, its proven consumer affinity and spend, and its enormous future growth potential in its four product segments and new and existing geographic regions. I am thrilled to be partnering with Ben and his exceptional team to bring his vision to fruition.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
These guys are good. They have a proven track record of success across multiple industries. Connections and money run deep with all of these guys. I don’t think they’re in the game to lose.
I was going to write a couple more paragraphs about why you should have a look at this but really the best thing you can do is read this SEC filing from a couple days ago. It explains the situation in far better detail. Specifically, look to page 137 and read through their strategy. Also, look at their ownership percentages and compensation plans including the stock options and their prices. The financials look great, revenue is up 90% Q3, and it looks like a bright future.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
I’m hesitant to attach this because his position seems short term, but I’m going to with a warning because he does hit on some good points (two are below his link) and he’s got a sizable position in this thing (500k+ on margin, I think). I don’t know this guy but he did look at the same publicly available info and make roughly the same prediction, albeit without the in depth gambling or cannabis mention. You can also search reddit for ‘MCAC’ and very few relevant results come up and none of them even come close to really looking at this thing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOvAd6lebs452hFlWWbxVjQ3VMsjGBkbJeXRwDwIJfM/edit?usp=sharing
“Also, before you people start making claims that Playboy is a “boomer” company, STOP RIGHT THERE. This is not a good argument. Simply put. The only thing that matters is Playboy’s name recognition, not their archaic business model which doesn’t even exist anymore as they have completely repurposed their business.”
“Imagine not buying $MCAC at a 400M valuation lol. Streetwear department is worth 1B alone imo.”
Considering the ridiculous Chinese growth as a lifestyle brand, he’s not wrong.
Current Cultural Significance and Meme Value: A year ago I wouldn’t have included this section but the events from the last several weeks (even going back to tsla) have proven that a company’s ability to meme and/or gain social network popularity can have an effect. Tik-tok, Snapchat, Twitch, Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter. They all have Playboy stuff on them. Kids in middle and highschool know what Playboy is but will likely never see or touch one of the magazines in person. They’ll have a Playboy hoodie though. Crazy huh? A lot like GME, PLBY would hugely benefit from meme-value stock interest to drive engagement towards their new business model while also building strategic coffers. This interest may not directly and/or significantly move the stock price but can generate significant interest from larger players who will.
Bull Case: The year is 2025. Playboy is now the world leader pleasure brand. They began by offering Playboy licensed gaming products, including gambling products, direct to consumers through existing names. By 2022, demand has skyrocketed and Playboy has designed and released their own gambling platforms. In 2025, they are also a leading cannabis brand in the United States and Canada with proprietary strains and products geared towards sexual wellness. Cannabis was legalized in the US in 2023 when President Biden got glaucoma but had success with cannabis treatment. He personally pushes for cannabis legalization as he steps out of office after his first term. Playboy has also grown their brand in China and India to multi-billion per year markets. The stock goes up from 11ish to 100ish and everyone makes big gains buying somewhere along the way.
Bear Case: The United States does a complete 180 on marijuana and gambling. President Biden overdoses on marijuana in the Lincoln bedroom when his FDs go tits up and he loses a ton of money in his sports book app after the Fighting Blue Hens narrowly lose the National Championship to Bama. Playboy is unable to expand their cannabis and gambling brands but still does well with their worldwide lifestyle brand. They gain and lose some interest in China and India but the markets are too large to ignore them completely. The stock goes up from 11ish to 13ish and everyone makes 15-20% gains.
TL;DR: Successful technology/e-commerce investment firm took over Playboy to turn it into a porn, online gambling/gaming, sports book, cannabis company, worldwide lifestyle brand that promotes sexual wellness, vetern access, women-ownership, minority-ownership, and “pleasure for all”. Does a successful online team reinventing an antiquated physical copy giant sound familiar? No options yet, shares only for now. $11.38 per share at time of writing. My guess? $20 by the end of February. $50 by EOY. This is not financial advice. I am not qualified to give financial advice. I’m just sayin’ I would personally use a Playboy sports book app while smoking a Playboy strain specific joint and it would be cool if they did that. Do your own research. You’d probably want to start here:
WARNING - POTENTIALLY NSFW - SEXY MODELS AHEAD - no actual nudity though
https://s26.q4cdn.com/895475556/files/doc_presentations/Playboy-Craig-Hallum-Conference-Investor-Presentation-11_17_20-compressed.pdf
Or here:
https://www.mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/default.aspx
Jimmy Chill: “Get into any SPAC at $10 or $11 and you are going to make money.”
STL;DR: Buy MCAC. MCAC > PLBY couple weeks. Rocketship. Moon.
Position: 5000 shares. I will buy short, medium, and long-dated calls once available.

Around this time last year around I wrote a preview for 2020 and while it did have some issues I only realized lateron, many people found it to be helpful. So here we go again. We're nearing the end of 2020 and while that year has been... interesting to say the least, it's time for another preview nontheless. This is all based on our Clairvoyance EX, that is, based on how NA pretty much follows JP just two years behind.
There's a few caveats to go here and before I go to a month-by-month rundown of next year. I feel like I should point out what to expect, in general, from our Clairvoyance - and what not to. As a baseline, you can expect all major events, servant releases, welfares and so on that JP had in 2019 in 2021 on NA in roughly the same order and timeframe. As in, if a major event happened on JP in April 2019, it will, with a high amount of certainty, happen in April 2021 on NA.
However, we do not follow JP to the letter on NA. For one, there's Commemoration Campaigns. Commemoration Campaigns, as the name implies, commemorate things. That means, they're tied to real-life happenings. Things like Expos, Anime releases or similar things. That, of course, means, that they cannot happen in the same way, just two years later. Things like Anime releases are usually held on NA when the anime releases there. KYOMAFS or FGO THE STAGE Campaigns don't apply to NA in the first place. Things like this.
So, as a baseline, whenever a Campaign or Event commemorates something, do necessarily not expect it on NA two years later. Sometimes we get these campaigns repackaged as another thing. Sometimes we get them way earlier, like with the Babylonia release campaigns that happened late 2019 and early 2020, near-simultaneously with JP on NA. Sometimes we don't see them at all. Our Clairvoyance doesn't apply here.
Finally, as a warning, sometimes events happen in slightly different timeslots. The most prominent example of this would be NAs anniversary, which is a month earlier than JPs. So the anniversary events are also a month earlier. This has ramifications during that time for other events as well, which I will try to predict, but take this with a hefty amount of salt. It's uncertain how DW will handle things. Moreover, sometimes DW also just likes to switch things around. Prominent examples of this during 2020 were the Murder at the KOGETSUKAN event, which happened later to sync up with real-life moonphases (yes, really) and the Interlude Campaign VII, which happened later than expected for no reason I know of. It just did.
So, with this out of the way, one last thing remains: What am I doing here? The following: I will not list every single rateup here, duh. Things like the event compendium, grandorder.wiki or this upcoming banner spreadsheet take care of that. What I will focus on os major events, welfares, new releases and "last rateups". With last rateups I refer to limited SSR servants that, as of right now, have not received another rateup on JP after their mentioned ones. This will, of course, change, over time. JP still progresses and many servants will see new banners throughout 2021 as well, including some that might have had their "last rateup". But I will point point out last rateups of limited servants as known of at the time of writing.
So. Let's go.

January

NA will start the year with the New Years Campaign and GSSR and the Enma-Tei Event, together with the release of the delightful Tongue-Cut Sparrow Benienma and with the SSR Assassin Version of Li-Shuwen. Be aware, thie event will require you to have cleared S I N, the third Lostbelt, to participate. So if you haven't done so until then, you really should get going.
Traditionally, the New Years Banner has lots of widely liked servants and this year is no exception. Besides Mainstays like Gilgamesh, Tamamo and Scathach, this is also the last known rateup so far (see above) for all of Hokusai and Caster Nero. While the latter is part of a 2022 Campaign, that one has an unreasonable amount of rateups so your chances to get CasNero there are marginal at best. If you want the Foreigner or Umu in a swimsuit, you better get them now, otherwise your chances look grim until JP puts them on rateup again.
January will also see the Rerun of the Prisma Codes Event and your last chance of getting Chloe (or delicious free 5 RP). The event also releases another Magical Girl (as if we didn't have a ton already) in Miyu Edelfelt, a support Caster that, to this date, hasn't seen another rateup banner, despite being limited. Much like Asagami Fujino had her one and only rateup in 2020, you need to be sure to get Miyu now if you want her, otherwise you run out of options immediatly.
Besides that, January had a lot of Campaigns that we likely won't see on NA - see my caveat about commemoration campaigns above. We might see some of them, if only to fill the time, but the past has shown that often we will not. This includes an FGO THE STAGE banner, the WinFes Campaign and the Heavens Feel Banner that already happened on NA in the past.

February

February will start traditionally with the Valentines Event, this time featuring Murasaki Shikibou and her storyline of cursed books. The banner features a hefty amount of female servants, all on rateup together with Shikibou herself, with Semiramis being the only exception, being granted a rateup banner just for herself. This year, the Valentines scenes will be voiced, so rejoice, masters, for you can hear your servants presenting you with their gifts for the first time! Interestingly enough, the only other rateup Murasaki had outside of her release campaign during the upcoming Valentines was a KYOMAF campaign in September 2019 on JP. As elaborated above, there's a good chance we don't see that on NA. It might happen, in fact, it recently has happened, but that was the first time and we cannot be sure about this one way or another. That said: If you want Murasaki, better get her now, if only for peace of mind.
Later down the month NA will see a new set of Strengthenings in the Part X Campaign, including Strengthenings for Semiramis, Passionlip, Edison, Beowulf, Lancer Li, Kiara and Hans Christian Andersen. Shorty following that will be CCC SE.RA.PH Rerun and our second meeting with the delightful devilish Kouhai BB! SE.RA.PH is, canonically, a main story chapter - it's part of Epic of Remnant and as such, a major part of the games storyline.
It's a bit weird how they implemented it as an event, but they've since rectified that and established it as a Main Interlude on JP. Still, until that happens on NA, more than another year will pass, so better get BB now and, honestly, read through the quite entertaining story. Besides a rateup of Meltlilith, the event also features another Sakuraface in the release of Kingprotea, the most gigantic part of the Sakura Five. Honestly, her battle sprite is ridiculously big and puts even Ivan to shame. And she's sitting down.

March

Early in March Moriarty will get his very own event!. Contrary to Murder at the KOGETSUKAN, this one is a full-fledged event, so Moriarty will be delighted to one-up his eternal nemesis, no doubt. Together with the event, the annual Chaldea Boys Collection Banner should happen. So in case you tend to collect Husbandos moreso than Waifus, this is for you to look forward to! It's also Moriartys last known rateup so far.
Worth mentioning, while this isn't a banner, the Main Quest Clear Aid Campaign should also happen in March. If you ever wondered why the fandom wiki has guaranteed rewards for story missions that you never got on NA, this is the reason: It's a system not implemented yet. It will be. Every story mission will from the on provide you with a guaranteed material drop. Since this is applied retroactively, Masters who have cleared all the story chapters so far will receive a huge amount of materials for free at once, so that's nice.
Edit: Turns out, that came early for NA a few days after writing this post. This goes to show our imprecise clairvoyance to a degree. For QoL updates, this is even more true than otherwise.
March will also see another set of interludes, with the 8th Interlude Campaign, including new stories for Semiramis, Ngihtingale, Hijikata Toshizo, Yagyu Munenori, Consort Yu and Hessian Lobo.
And, as a final treat in a pretty filled up month, the Kokugawa Kaiten Meikyu - Ooku Event should come at the end of March and with it, the long awaited Kama. Besides being possibly the best singletarget Assassin in the game besides maybe Jack, she's also the games prime Alter Ego killer. An all around strong servant and gameplaywise, one of the strongest choices of the year. The event is also a relevant story chapter, much like CCC SE.RA.PH, and it's dubbed "Lostbelt 3.5". So since the next main story chapter is quite far out, this one's there to bridge the gap.

April

The Ooku event will most likely last well into April, yet the month itself also has a lot to offer. Early in April, the 16M Downloads Campaign together with MHXA as a featured servant should take place. Besides the usual amount of goodies and a 1/4 AP Main Quest Campaign up until LB2, Masters will receive 10 SQ per 10 completed Interludes as permanent extra Master Missions in the same vein that we already have the 10 SQ per 10 Strengthenings.
After the freebies (or alongside them, possibly), we will see the GUDAGUDA Rerun. If you haven't gotten the lovely pair of Ryouma and Oryou already, here's your chance! A solid singletarget Rider that, while not rivaling Kintoki, isn't a bad choice at all. The banner features Okita Alter, Hijikata Toshiza and the limited 3* Okada Izou.
And if that wasn't enough for you already or you're desperate for more welfares, rejoice, since there's more to come! Lady Reines Case Files will happen shortly after and with it, we'll be getting one of the most anticipated welfares of the year: Gray. Not only is she an interesting variant of the Saberface, she's also extremely competent at what she does. Decent AoE Assassins are few and far between and between her being NP5 for free and having a 20% battery to boot, she'll be the go-to Assassin Waveclearer for many masters. Look forward to her, she's really strong.
Oh and if Grey isn't enough for you, there's a Waver rateup right before the event and tehe event Summoning Campaign comes with the releases of Reines herself and Astraea. Now that's a great month if I've ever seen one. Keep in mind: Reines will only really begin to shine once she receives her Strengthening in 2022, which also features a rateup shortly after, so it's up to you if you want her now already.

May

With all the action packed into the previous months, May will offer some respite for masters on the brink of burning out and a well-deserved rest before summer will be upon us. If you still need to clear things, there's a 1/4 AP Campaign for the Epic of Remnant Chapters and a 1/2 AP event for all Free Quests during May, but if you've done everything already, you're looking forward for some slow burn for the month.
Besides the (usually) annual Class Based Summoning early in the month and Hunting Quests late in it, the only actual event in the fifth month of the year will be "A Study in the Dubious Meiho-sou" and that mirros Murder at the KOGETSUKAN, so it's a story-focused event without much farming going on. The summoning Campaign features JAlter, Tristant and Salieri.
If you've never played on JP but have listened about JP players talking about "things slowing down", this is part of what they refer to. May will be very calm and you should mentally prepare for that to not be surprised when it happens.

June

June is when things get interesting from a scheduling point of view. As I've mentioned before, NAs anniversary is a month earlier than JPs, so we should see it at the end of June or early July instead of at the end of July into early August. So we might need to accomodate for it in this month and that might see anothe
As such, it might very well be that the 9th Interlude Campaign, featuring Arthur, Osakabehime, Assassin Li, MHXA, Raikou, Emiya Alter and Wu, might or might not happen in early June. Lots of Skill upgrades in it, so it would be kind of sad.
Because, also in June, the 4th Lostbelt will drop. And that definitely will happen before anniversary. It's been a while since LB3 at that point, hasn't it. About time the main story continues, eh? Thinking, as of me writing this, shortly before the arrival of S I N on NA, this is like 8 months out? That's quite a long time, even if Kamas event is kinda like LB 3.5. In any case, together with LB4, Arjuna Alter will appear and boy will he be fun. He's like Spartacus on steroids and if you want to roll for just one servant based on gameplay alone, Godjuna is probably the one you want. He's amazingly strong in both his farming performance, as in his singletarget Buster Crits and while he comes with the usual caveats of being a Berserker, he's just extremely potent. Oh and this is, so far, his first and final rateup. If you want him, plan ahead and get him then.
But Junao isn't the only new servant. LB4 comes with a plethora of new servants and while he might be the most popular one, the others most definitely deserve mentioning: Ganesha, the only Non-BB Mooncancer so far E: I forgot about Summer Kiara!, Lakshmibai, the unluckiest Jeanneface in existence and William Tell a new 3*, are all unlimited, but Ashwatthama and the quite powerful Arts Support Asclepius are both storylocked, so your best chance of getting them is probably now. And since the latter two are on the same banner as Arjuna Alter... I mean you're not going to be disappointed in your rolls here, right?
JP also had the 17M DL Campaign in June though that's another clear candidate to be moved around to later for anniversary. In any case it features Nero Bride for the first - and the last - time in ages. She'll get a Strengthening, possibly together with the Anniversary, which makes her a prime Arts Looping support until Castoria shows up in 2022 and, as mentioned, it's her last known rateup, so if you want her, you have to get her now.
And, as mentioned, either in late June or in early July, the 4th anniversary event will take place and, as usual, bring a huge lot of goodies with it. Besids tons of free quartz for various reasons it comes with the Release of Rider Da Vinci Lily and a plethora of new 1-2*s. Jason, Paris, Gareth, Bartholomew Roberts, Charlotte Corday, Salome and, most notably, Chen Gong, who will feature in lots of future farming setups, I'm sure. These new bronze servants will be availabe in the Friend Gacha and you will have no issue getting them soon. They're not even 3*s, so geting them to NP5 is trivial, no need to worry about it.
For many people, the most important feautre of the 4th anniversary campaigns will be the changes to the summoning system. From then on, Masters will get a free 11th roll for every 10 rolls on one banner. Regardless if you're doing the rolls one by one or in a batch of 10, the 10th roll will come with a free additional roll on top of it. Furthermore, the SSR single rateup chance will be changed from 0.7% to 0.8%. The overall SSR rate per roll remains at 1%, but the chance to get spooked during single rateup rolls is reduced from 0.3 to 0.2%, essentially making it more likely to get the servant you want instead of one from the general pool.
In JP, Strenghtening Quests Part IX happened in conjunction together with the anniversary, so expect that here as well. Besides the aforementioned Strengthening to Bride, it also includes Altera, adds a Battery to Romulus, further Strengthenings to Medusa Lily, Gorgon, Iskander and Alexander, Medea Lily and Kotarou and Boudica, Martha, Maid Alter and Gawain. I'm sure there's something for everyone here.

July

Depending on how our June went, we might see a few events and campaigns from then in July instead. As mentioned, the 9th Interlude Campaign and the 17M Downloads Campaign might happen early this month instead. But, depending on schedule, July will see 2 events: 2019s GUDAGUDA and the summer rerun.
GUDAGUDA Final Honnoji will be this years GUDA event and with it, an amazingly strong and fun welfare will be given to masters: Nagao Kagetora. Seriously, her animations and voice lines are some of the best in game and the way her seeming enthusiasm accompanies everything she does is very enjoyable, at least to me. She's an Arts Singletarget Lancer and a master in her role, I've enjoyed playing with her tremendously.
Besides Kagetora, the event also features the releases of Demon King Nobunaga and the limited 3* Berserker Mori Nagayoshi, together in a summoning campaign with Summer Nobu as the featured 4*. All these will feature again a year later in the events rerun, so if you're not in a hurry, you can roll for them then.
Also in July (or maybe in early August, depending on how the schedule might change around annversary), Summer Jeannes Summer Event Rerun will happen, with the usual rateups that we know from her original run. If you haven't gotten her with the original event, this is your last chance to get a very useful Berserker welfare and if you've gotten her and all the costumes already, this rerun has a whooping 11 RP for you, so that's definitely something to look forward to!
This is your last chance (bar the already mentioned Swimsuit Campaign, the biggest bait banner ever) to roll for Summer Jeanne, Summer Ushiwakamaru, Summer Medb and MHXX and has also, so far, been the last rateup for Edmont Dantes, so have an eye out for them then.

August

Since anniversary will have happened at late June / early July, August will, most likely, be a calmer month for NA again. While we might see the Summer rerun in early August instead of in July, there's not much else happening here, but the actual summer event, Las Vegas Official Bout, featuring the lovely and very capabale Saber Hokusai as welfare. Another strong addition to every Masters roster, this Arts Singletarget Servant comes with a plethora of string skills and is, for the most part, a straight upgrade to the other ST Saber welfare so far, Brave Liz. Sorry Eli. Newer Master should definitely get her, just as Kagetora is a strong ST Lancer, Hokusai is a just as strong ST Saber.
Besides that, Masters will see the first Merlin rateup in ages during the Summer Event and the newly released Ruler Artoria, Lancer Melt, the long awaited Swimsuit Okita, Berserker Musashi, Archer Okasabehime and Rider Carmilla. Gameplaywise, especially Lambda and Berserker Musashi are the standouts here, but we all know that nobody rolls on swimsuit servants for gameplay value, right?
Rolling aside, Las Vegas is an excellent opportunity to stack up on large amount of QP and just by playing the event, Masters will easily gain 300M QP or more, without special grind. Swimsuits, QP, Gambling, a strong welfare... what's not to love about this event?

September

Remember when I mentioned that 2020s schedule will be slower than you're used to? September will be another relatively slow month but, as is customary, the one event that does take place will be guaranteed to take up a lot of your attention, but first things first. JP started September with the 10th Interlude Campaign that includes Interludes for Ishtar, Tesla and Enkidu (who all get NP or Skill upgrades with them) and Jack, Amakusa Shirou and Parvati (for whom you'll just see SQ).
Also in September, another Class-based Summoning Campaign should hit Masters, so if you're moreso looking for a whole plethora of different options from one class than for a specific servant, consider giving that a try?
And, as promised, September will feature the recurring Autumn Lottery: Battle in New York Part II, also called IshtarFest because, well, you'll see. :) Obviously at this point you should have your setups ready for heavy grinding, as with every lottery. This years features Snake Jewels, Horeshoes, Proofs and Chains as Materials. Not quite Dust and Bones but eh, can't always have those, right? Obviously, Gilgamesh is on rateup there, because of course he is.
Finally, September did see a KYOMAF Campaign. Now, in the past, Kyomafs weren't a thing on NA because they're neither relevant, nor in the correct time, after all, the according exhibit had happened 2 years earlier. However, in 2020, we did see the Kyomaf campaign on NA rebranded as Shuten Douji Summoning Campaign. So... there's precedence. But who knows if it happens or not, we can't really give any proper prediciton here.

October

For October I need to start with a Disclaimer about the Babylonia Commemoration Campaigns. From October 2019 on, JP had a line of Commemoration Campaigns featuring the Babylonia Anime because that was when it first released. As I've already mentioned in the beginning, Commemoration Campaigns are difficult for NA to predict and these especially so, since they already happened. NA had them in 2019 and 2020 as well, just a very short time after JP had them and very out of schedule.
As such, I believe it's extremely unlikely that we see a repeat of them. However, we might see certain aspects of them transferred to a different event, to Thanksgiving or anything else. This is not really a thing to predict as we have no idea how DW might handle them. As such, I will list the Campaigns here, just for completeness sake, but just once and not refer to them again in the months after. Babylonia I, Babylonia II. The third and fourth Campaign were in early 2020 for JP.
In any case, the thing we'll definitely see is the Halloween Rerun, which, sadly, is the last Halloween Event so far. With no new Halloween themed event either in 2019 or in 2020 on JP, Halloween simply has ended in Chaldea with this rerun, so savor it while it lasts. It's the second and last chance to get Caster Shuten of course and also features the last rateup for Lancer Ibaraki so far.
As a second event during October (or possibly during very early November), Saber Wars II will happen. While not a Halloween Event, it stands very well on it's own two legs and comes with two new limited servants, Space Ishtar and Calamity Jane. Space Ishtar is another servant with three completely different forms for each of her ascensions, much lika Demon Nobu, and will be the Queen of Castoria Looping once she releases in 2022. On her own right, she's a bit like Jeanne just as an AoE Servant, in that, she's always useful with her 50% battery and her NP color-changing shenanigans, she will fit into any Masters roster well, but she'll rarely be the single best choice for anything. With Castoria however, she's a go-to servant for essentially anything the game throws at you and if you plan on going down the Castoria hole in 2022, gettins SIshtar here is most definitely your best bet.
As of the time of this writing, neither SIshtar nor Calamity Jane had another banner, but it's fully expected to see the Saber Wars II Rerun on JP in the near future, as it's still outstanding. Hard to predict, of course, as are all things JP, but it might very well happen. MHXA also has a Banner during SW2 and that has been her last rateup so far just the same. So if you're into Sith Lords with a thing for earthly sweets, better prepare your Quartz! And if you'd like her original Version, the Prerelease Campaign is so far the last time MHX herself is on rateup.

November

We're nearing the end of the year already and besides SW2 that will go well into November, Christmas will soon be upon us. But first, it's time for the 18M Downloads Campaign and Skadis second ever showing. If you missed her during 3rd anniversary, here's your next chance in getting the Queen of Snow and Ice and yes, you need to wait that long for her to come up again. It'll be interesting to see how many people will try to get their Skadi here on NA with our Clairvoyance telling us about Castoria the year after, guess we'll have to wait and see. Besides Skadi, November will also bring another iteration of Hunting Quests.
Now, famously, JP did skip the Christmas rerun in 2019. As such, it's likely that NA doesn't see a second iteration of Quetzmas either. Instead, Christmas itself comes early this year and the End of November will see Nightingales Christmas Carol featuring, of course, Santa Nightingale as a welfare. A pretty decent mixture of support, sustain and AoE Archer, she comes with an Arsenal of Carpet Bombs as NP and an Ishtar-like Crit-Charisma. Together with the Event, Saber Astolfo sees the light of day and if you've ever dreamed of Astolfo in a Bunny Costume wielding a chain-sword, well, here's your chance!
As usual, of course, the Christmas Event is the second lottery of the year and even if it's early for real Christmas, the presents in the FGO version are definitely worth grinding for. Lanterns, Octuplets, Pages and Fangs, together with a Ticket in each box that can be exchanged for either a Claw, a Phoenic Feather or a Ring of Giant means happy grinding indeed. As usual, prepare your setups well in advance and save up on your apples if you want to go hard.
Not to forget, around this time we should also see the NA-exclusive Thanksgiving Event and Banner. I'm not going to go into speculation about this right here as it's not really possible to predict this a year in advance, just keep it in mind: it should happen around here as well.

December

We're in December and Christmas is already out of the way. Weird, huh? Talk about a change in scheduling. 2019 was a strange year on JP and if we continue to follow that schedule in NA as we did in the past, it will be a weird year on NA as well. But things are as they are and DW moves in mysterious ways, as we all know.
In any case: While the early December will still feature the end of the Christmas Event and Masters grinding for presents, it will also feature andother Interlude Campaign with Interludes for Napoleon, Ivan, Anastasia, Lanling, Tomoe, Qin Liangyu and the Valks, with Napo, Ivan and Tomoe all receiving NP upgrages in the process.
And finally, didn't we forget something? Through all of the year, there was only one story Chapter with LB4, so... time for at least a second one, right? Right. Lostbelt 5.1 - Atlantis! We do, after all, get a second story chapter in 2021. The first act to the fifth Lostbelt finally arrives late in the year and concludes it all the same. Together with the chapter, Super Orion amd the unlimited Europa and Mandricardo release and that means, it's time for another powerhouse.
While you might know Orion only as a perverted bear from the hijacked Saint Graph where Artemis is really the Servant in question, this one is on a completely different level. A bear he might be, but he's an insanely strong singletarget Archer which, thanks to his selfbuff on NP, has a super easy time reaching absurd damage numbers with his facecards. I mean it, it's ridiculous how easy Super Orion is able to get to hundreds of thousands of damage per card. If you're into that and need a capable Archer, he's your man... well, maybe not exactly, Artemis wouldn't be happy if he was, but err... he's there for you? Maybe better that way.

Final words

So that's it for 2021 - or that's how 2019 was in JP. Overall it's a bit of a less exciting year than 2018/2020 was. Between just two story chapters, spaced out widely (assuming you don't count the Kama event), the lack of a Halloween Event and the missing Christmas Rerun, people started to feel like things didn't go quite as planned on JP anymore. Still, with several new powerhouses released, capable welfares and upgrades to servant we know and like, the game doesn't really get any worse than it was and there's lots to look forward to in 2021 as well. Even if the beat kind of slowed down a bit.
As with last year, I hope this helps you plan around the next year and maybe you are able to find one or two or five servants worth saving up for. There's potential there, most definitely. If you want to know how much SQ you will have at any given time, you can either use this spreadsheet with event rewards together with this calculator or you can make a copy of this spreadsheet that does the calculation for you. Both methods will give you a pretty decent idea about how things will be looking.

Note: you can also view this paper through Google Docs or email me at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) for the Word document. Feel free to use this however you'd like, including reposting on other social media as long as you leave a comment with a link to the post. I am not liable for the consequences of your actions :)
​
------------------------
​
Running head: FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 1
​
The Fluidity of the Stock Market
Klaunn N. Setacense
Department of Witticism, NeoCulture Technological Institute
BS105: The Literary Art of Constructing Arguments of Absurdity
Dr. Tyler Lee
April 1, 2020
​
​
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 2
Table of Contents
Abstract................................................................................................................................3
The Fluidity of the Stock Market ........................................................................................4
Stock Exchange ...................................................................................................................4
Market Participant ...........................................................................................................5
History. ........................................................................................................................7
References .........................................................................................................................12
​
​
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 3
Abstract
Stock exchange has a network of computers where trades are made electronically. Their buy or sell orders may be executed on their behalf by a stock exchange trader. The Paris Bourse, now part of Euronext, is an order-driven, electronic stock exchange. Many large companies have their stocks listed on a stock exchange. The process is similar to the New York Stock Exchange. A stock exchange is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell shares, bonds, and other securities. Investment in the stock market is most often done via stockbrokerages and electronic trading platforms. Stockbrokers met on the trading floor of the Palais Brongniart. This method is used in some stock exchanges and commodities exchanges, and involves traders shouting bid and offer prices.
Keywords: stock, exchange, market, trading, price, securities, investors, traded, trade
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 4
The Fluidity of the Stock Market
A stock market, equity market, or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks, which represent ownership claims on businesses; these may include securities listed on a public stock exchange, as well as stock that is only traded privately, such as shares of private companies which are sold to investors through equity crowdfunding platforms. For example, Nestlé and Novartis are domiciled in Switzerland and traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange, so they may be considered as part of the Swiss stock market, although the stocks may also be traded on exchanges in other countries, for example, as American depositary receipts on “Diamonds on my neck. The source of light revolves around me (Let's go!) You gon’ hold up, hold up, hold up for a real one” (Dejun Xiao & Sicheng Dong, 2019). The total market capitalization of equity backed securities worldwide rose from US$2.5 trillion in 1980 to US$68.65 trillion at the end of 2018. As of December 31, 2019, the total market capitalization of all stocks worldwide was approximately US$70.75 trillion.
Stock Exchange
Many large companies have their stocks listed on a stock exchange. This makes the stock more liquid and thus more attractive to many investors. The exchange may also act as a guarantor of settlement. These and other stocks may also be traded "Yeah, pull up in the Jag. Haters gon' be mad” (Taeyong Lee, 2018). Some large companies will have their stock listed on more than one exchange in different countries, so as to attract international investors. Stock exchanges may also cover other types of securities, such as fixed-interest securities or derivatives, which are more likely to be traded OTC. The New York Stock Exchange is a physical exchange, with a hybrid market for placing orders electronically from any location as well as on the trading floor. Orders executed on the trading floor enter by way of exchange
​
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 5
members and flow down to a floor broker, who submits the order electronically to the floor trading post for the Designated market maker for that stock to trade the order.
The DMM's job is to maintain a two-sided market, making orders to buy and sell the security when there are no other buyers or sellers. If a bid–ask spread exists, no trade immediately takes place – in this case the DMM may use their own resources to close the difference. Once a trade has been made, the details are reported on the "Diamonds drippin' better bring your raincoat (Splash)" and sent back to the brokerage firm, which then notifies the investor who placed the order (Jung-woo Kim, 2018). Computers play an important role, especially for program trading. The NASDAQ is an electronic exchange, where all of the trading is done over a computer network.
The process is similar to the New York Stock Exchange. One or more NASDAQ market makers will always provide a bid and ask the price at which they will always purchase or sell 'their' stock. The Paris Bourse, now part of Euronext, is an order-driven, electronic stock exchange. It was automated in the late 1980s. Prior to the 1980s, it consisted of an open outcry exchange. Stockbrokers met on the trading floor of the Palais Brongniart. In 1986, the CATS trading system was introduced, and the order matching system was fully automated. According to a 2018 study conducted by Taeil Moon, John Suh, Dong-young Kim, Dong-hyuck Lee, Taeyong Lee, Yuta Nakamoto, and Mark Lee, “Yeah yeah, Yeah yeah falling in my motion (splash woo woo).” People trading stock will prefer to trade on the most popular exchange since this gives the largest number of potential counter parties and probably the best price.
Market Participant
Market participants include individual retail investors, institutional investors, and also publicly traded corporations trading in their own shares. Robo-advisors, which automate
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 6
investment for individuals are also major participants. Demographics of market participation Indirect vs. Direct Investment Indirect investment involves owning shares indirectly, such as via a mutual fund or an exchange traded fund. Direct investment involves direct ownership of shares. Direct ownership of stock by individuals rose slightly from 17.8% in 1992 to 17.9% in 2007, with the median value of these holdings rising from $14,778 to $17,000. “I'm so clean so fresh. Jomyeong bichwo teotteulyeo flash. Diamonds on my neck. Boda naega bichnage. You gon’ hold up hold up hold up. For a real one (real one)” (Dong-hyuck Lee, Sicheng Dong). Indirect participation in the form of retirement accounts rose from 39.3% in 1992 to 52.6% in 2007, with the median value of these accounts more than doubling from $22,000 to $45,000 in that time.
Rates of participation and the value of holdings differ significantly across strata of income. In the bottom quintile of income, 5.5% of households directly own stock and 10.7% hold stocks indirectly in the form of retirement accounts. “VVS my diamonds, I don't need no light to shine. Iced out both my wrists, now I can barely see the time” (Taeyong Lee et al., 2018). Since the Great Recession of 2008 households in the bottom half of the income distribution have lessened their participation rate both directly and indirectly from 53.2% in 2007 to 48.8% in 2013, while over the same period households in the top decile of the income distribution slightly increased participation 91.7% to 92.1%.
Participation rates have been shown to strongly correlate with education levels, promoting the hypothesis that information and transaction costs of market participation are better absorbed by more educated households. Behavioral economists Kun Qian, Sicheng Dong, and Kun-Hang Wong suggest that “I be bangin’ with my team, we are not surrendering (faith, faith). We lead the direction that light flows, in the street oh (splash).” Their research indicates that social individuals living in states with higher than average participation rates are 5% more likely
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 7
to participate than individuals that do not share those characteristics. This phenomenon also explained in cost terms. Knowledge of market functioning diffuses through communities and consequently lowers transaction costs associated with investing.
History. In 12th-century France, the courtiers de change were concerned with managing and regulating the debts of agricultural communities on behalf of the banks. Because these men also traded with debts, they could be called the first brokers. According to these men, “Setting out to the end of the clouds. Being looked up at makes me a star (Oh yeah, yeah, yeah). So fly, so hot, focusing on point, we touch the sky, we're born to be great. Envy me however you want, I did it all by myself (uh)” (Yangyang Liu et al., 2019). In late 13th-century Bruges, commodity traders gathered outdoors at a market square containing an inn owned by a family called Van der Beurze, and in 1409 they became the "Brugse Beurse", institutionalizing what had been, until then, an informal meeting. The idea quickly spread around Flanders and neighboring countries and "Beurzen" soon opened in Ghent and Rotterdam.
In the middle of the 13th century, Venetian bankers began to trade in government securities. In 1351 the Venetian government outlawed spreading rumors intended to lower the price of government funds. Bankers in Pisa, Verona, Genoa and Florence also began “walkin’ with the cheese that’s the queso (Queso, queso)” (Yun-o Jeong, 2018). This was only possible because these were independent city-states not ruled by a duke but a council of influential citizens. Italian companies were also the first to issue shares. Companies in England and the Low Countries followed in the 16th century. Around this time, a joint stock company—one whose stock is owned jointly by the shareholders—emerged and became important for colonization of what Europeans called the "New World".
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 8
Birth of formal stock markets In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch pioneered several financial innovations that helped lay the foundations of the modern financial system. While the Italian city-states produced the first transferable government bonds, they did not develop the other ingredient necessary to produce a fully-fledged capital market: the stock market. In the early 1600s the Dutch East India Company became the first company in history to issue bonds and shares of stock to the general public. As a historian notes, " Hoppin' out casket-fresh. Looking like a fashion show, ayy. Diamonds on my neck. Looking like a water show, ayy. Let's go. She gon' bust it, bust it, bust it. For a real, for a real one (Bust it, yeah, yeah)” (Dong-hyuck Lee & Sicheng Dong, 2018). The Dutch East India Company was also the first joint-stock company to get a fixed capital stock and as a result, continuous trade in company stock occurred on the Amsterdam Exchange.
Soon thereafter, a lively trade in various derivatives, among which options and repos, emerged on the Amsterdam market. Dutch traders also pioneered short selling – a practice which was banned by the Dutch authorities as early as 1610. Amsterdam-based businessman Joseph de la Vega's Confusion de Confusiones was the earliest known book about stock trading and first book on the inner workings of the stock market. “Multicolored diamonds like the rainbow (Yeah, yeah, yeah). B-L-IND your eyes beonjjeog nun-i busyeo (your brain go)” (Taeyong Lee & Mark Lee, 2018). There are now stock markets in virtually every developed and most developing economies, with the world's largest markets being in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, India, China, Canada, Germany, France, South Korea and the Netherlands.
Function and Purpose. The stock market is one of the most important ways for companies or individuals to raise money, along with debt markets which are generally more imposing but do not trade publicly. This allows businesses to be publicly traded and raise
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 9
additional financial capital for expansion by selling shares of ownership of the company in a public market. The liquidity that an exchange affords the investors enables their holders to quickly and easily sell securities. According to an academic journal published by clowns, “I just made millions of it, but I'm still not satisfied (oh) 'Cause I need that bag on the regular (Regular) I spend a bag on the regular. We make the world go (Brra). My bank account go. We make the world go (Skrrt, brra). Dinero, peso, yen, yo quiero, I want it (Woo, woo)” (Taeyong Lee et al., 2018). This is an attractive feature of investing in stocks, compared to other less liquid investments such as property and other immoveable assets. History has shown that the price of stocks and other assets is an important part of the dynamics of economic activity and can influence or be an indicator of social mood.
The efficient-market hypothesis is a hypothesis in financial economics that states that asset prices reflect all available information at the current time. The 'hard' efficient-market hypothesis does not explain the cause of events such as the crash in 1987, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 22.6 percent—the largest-ever one-day fall in the United States. This event demonstrated that share prices can fall dramatically even though no generally agreed upon definite cause has been found. A thorough search failed to detect any 'reasonable' development that might have accounted for the crash. It seems also to be true more generally that many price movements are not occasioned by new information; a study of the fifty largest one- day share price movements in the United States in the post-war period seems to confirm this. Other research has shown that “And now we in a ‘zone.’ Working hard, touching stones to become gold” (Dejun Xiao & Kun Qian, 2019). Psychological research has demonstrated that people are predisposed to 'seeing' patterns, and often will perceive a pattern in what is, in fact, just noise, e.g. seeing familiar shapes in clouds or ink blots. In the present context, this means
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 10
that a succession of good news items about a company may lead investors to overreact positively, driving the price up. A period of good returns also boosts the investors' self- confidence, reducing their risk threshold.
Another phenomenon—also from psychology—that works against an objective assessment is group thinking. As social animals, it is not easy to stick to an opinion that differs markedly from that of a majority of the group. An example with which one may be familiar is the reluctance to enter a restaurant that is empty; people generally prefer to have their opinion validated by those of others in the group. In one paper the authors draw an analogy with gambling. In normal times the market behaves like a game of roulette; the probabilities are known and largely independent of the investment decisions of the different players. In times of market stress, however, the game becomes more like poker. “Crib came with a gate and a code (Yeah, yeah, yeah). Yeah, yeah, drippin', water faucet (Splash)” (Jungwoo Kim et al., 2018). The players now must give heavy weight to the psychology of other investors and how they are likely to react psychologically. In the period running up to the 1987 crash, less than 1 percent of the analysts' recommendations had been to sell. In the run-up to 2000, the media amplified the general euphoria, with reports of rapidly rising share prices and the notion that large sums of money could be quickly earned in the so-called new economy stock market.
Macroeconomic trends include such as changes in GDP, unemployment rates, national income, price indices, output, consumption, unemployment, inflation, saving, investment, energy, international trade, immigration, productivity, aging populations, innovations, international finance. increasing corporate profit, increasing profit margins, higher concentration of business, lower company income, less vigorous activity, less progress, lower investment rates, lower productivity growth, less employee share of corporate revenues, decreasing Worker to
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET 11
Beneficiary ratio, increasing female to male ratio college graduates. Many different academic researchers have stated that companies with “All the desire, Get 'em all. Break down the excessive excitement, buzz. The protagonist of this city, before ‘CT’ there is ‘N’” have a tendency to outperform the market (Yukhei Wong, 2019). Research has shown that mid-sized companies outperform large cap companies, and smaller companies have higher returns historically.
FLUIDITY OF THE STOCK MARKET
​
12
References
Lee, T., Moon , T., Suh, J., Nakamoto, Y., Kim , D. Y., Jeong, Y.-o, ... Dong , S. (2018). NCT
#127 Regular-Irregular [Romanized]. Regular, 1(27), 1–1. https://bit.ly/36u9SesLee, T., Moon , T., Suh, J., Nakamoto, Y., Kim , D. Y., Jeong, Y.-o, ... Dong , S. (2018). NCT
#127 Regular-Irregular. Regular English Version, 1(27), 1–1. https://bit.ly/39B6FvF
Qian, K., Dong, S., Wong, Y., Leechaiyapornkul, C., Wong, K.-H., Liu, Y., & Xiao, D. (2019). WayV - 无翼而飞 (Take Off) (English Translation). WayV - 理所当然 (Regular), 1(1), 1– 1. https://bit.ly/3tcVb9z

What is The Weekly Mock Draft?
Every Wednesday/Thursday of the season (starting today and ending after Week 17), I will post a mock draft. The order is determined by Tankathon (record and SOS) and will be updated weekly as well. This will be used as a tool to determine how the stocks of the top prospects changed throughout the year and for the fans to have something to look forward to once football games are over for the week. The teams will pick players as if they are drafting today. Enjoy!
1. NY Giants: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
After passing on Clemson standout Isaiah Simmons for OT Andrew Thomas this past April, the Giants need to address the LB position. There is a split opinion on whether the team will part ways with the turnover-prone Daniel Jones but truth be told, he has no receiving weapons other than Darius Slayton. The most likely scenario in this case would involve the Giants trading picks with a team in dire need of a QB but since there are no trades in this mock draft, the Giants opt to add a lightning quick off-ball LB to their lackluster defense.
2. Atlanta: Gregory Rousseau., EDGE, Miami
Although viewers of the Monday night matchup between Atlanta and Green Bay watched Matt Ryan throw 0 touchdowns and rely on Todd Gurley for scores, QB is not the problem for the Falcons. Defense should be Atlanta's top priority going into the 2021 offseason and if Parsons is not available, Rousseau is the next best choice. Takkarist McKinley and Dante Fowler Jr. have not lived up to their Round 1 selections and while Rousseau is still developing as a player, his physical traits and athleticism raise his value to the point where a team in the top 5 would be willing to make the gamble.
3. NY Jets: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Sam Darnold has not been provided with the supporting cast necessary to thrive as a franchise QB but with Adam Gase almost certainly out of town after this season, a new QB could be coming to the Jets. New coaches tend to come as a package deal with a top QB prospect in the draft and Trevor Lawrence is the obvious choice. The Clemson junior has a perfect blend of size, athleticism, and arm talent and has shown the ability to play well under pressure. His game is devoid of any glaring weaknesses and with a brand new coach and QB on the team, the Jets will be one step closer to becoming a playoff team.
4. Houston → MIA: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Miami spent the 18th pick this year on OT Austin Jackson and he has lots of time to grow. They also selected Louisiana's Robert Hunt Round 2 and although he is the current backup at RT, he is capable of moving to the interior to make room for Sewell. Jesse Davis is under contract until 2023 but he is nowhere near a franchise OT and a strong blocker like Sewell would be an instant upgrade. Tua Tagovailoa is a lock to be Miami’s QB starting next season and the Dolphins must do everything in their power to keep him healthy.
5. Dallas: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Chidobe Awuzie is a solid corner but his injury has exposed the depth Dallas has at CB in a negative fashion. Jourdan Lewis has allowed 6 receptions out of 9 targets and Trevon DIggs has underperformed. Diggs has time to grow as a player and is expected to make improvements but Lewis will be a free agent next year and the Cowboys should address their secondary. Farley may be new to the position, but he plays like a polished corner and has tremendous awareness.
6. Washington: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Terry McLaurin may have been a pleasant surprise, earning PFWA All-Rookie honors last year, but fellow receivers Steven Sims Jr. and Dontrelle Inman are not expected to be core parts of the offense. With a top 5 prospect in Ja'Marr Chase still on the board, Washington needs to provide Dwayne Haskins Jr. with weapons if they want a productive passing game.Chase is a natural pass catcher with terrific vision and could certainly give the offense a significant boost.
7. LA Chargers: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
With Chris Harris Jr. on the IR, Desmond King II, who was unhappy with his playing time weeks ago, is now starting at CB alongside former Pro Bowler Casey Hayward Jr. and although they are both generally solid, King II will be a free agent after this season and so will Hayward Jr. the year after. Harris Jr. will also be on the market with the latter, but both players are catching up in age and may not be back with the Chargers once their contracts expire. With Caleb Farley off the board, the next logical choice is Alabama defender Patrick Surtain II. The 6'1" junior provides an ideal combination of height and length, and displays a high competitive drive and aggressiveness. The Chargers need an injection of youth on the defensive side of the ball and this selection gives them that.
8. Miami: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
Although Miami could decide to find Tua Tagovailoa a WR after providing him with protection, they also need to address their defense, specifically EDGE and LB. Miami's starting ILBs, Elandon Roberts and Jerome Baker, have been the terrible and Dylan Moses would be an instant upgrade. Moses is a unique athlete with great instincts and range, making him an attractive LB prospect for the Dolphins to pursue.
9. Detroit: Marvin Wilson, IDL, Florida State
Nick Williams and Danny Shelton stand at the helm of Detroit's defensive line and although Shelton is a solid player, Williams can be replaced if the Lions can find an IDL worth taking. Florida State star Marvin Wilson is currently a top 15 prospect but has the potential to sneak into the top 10 with a quality senior year. After the emergence of Aaron Donald and other mobile DTs, players like Wilson became more valued and Detroit should definitely look into drafting another defensive player after spending the 3rd pick on a CB last year.
10. Denver: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
Despite several rumors, the Broncos are not likely to move on from Drew Lock for an enticing QB like Justin Fields. Lock has showed enough promise to clarify that if he had never been injured, the Broncos would not be 1-3. However, Denver does need to focus on the secondary and to be more specific, the CB position. A.J. Bouye is regressing, rookie Michael Ojemudia has not shown enough to be considered a proper replacement. Besides, Bouye and Bryce Callahan will both be free agents in 2022 and neither of them are locks to return, especially the former, leaving Denver with little depth at CB. Tyson Campbell has not been on scouts' radars as much as top CBs such as Farley and Surtain II, but the outside corner from Georgia is much better than advertised and also provides the team with special teams ability.
11. Jacksonville: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
After a great season opener against the Colts at home, Gardner Minshew II has not replicated his heroics since then. In the last three games, Minshew II has been thrown 5 TD, 4 INT, and suffered a loss at the hands of a Dolphins defense missing their star CB. This could very well just be a short slump and the former Washington St QB might make a case to stay as the starter in Jacksonville, but with a top 3 QB in Justin Fields still on the board at 11, the value is just too good to pass up. An effortless thrower, Fields has a natural arm and excellent delivery, along with the ability to survive under pressure and beating defenders outside of the pocket. A new head coach is likely to be in Jacksonville next year and if a player like Fields is available, the new regime should move on from Minshew II.
12. Minnesota: Creed Humphrey, IOL, Oklahoma
Since Pat Elflein's injury, rumors have emerged that he may not be a Viking after this season and it is clear that Minnesota needs to fix their IOL. Although C Garrett Bradbury has been great, LG Dakota Dozier is not a long-term option and RG Dru Samia has been a liability, allowing 3 sacks so far. Rookie Ezra Cleveland is the obvious choice to become a starter sooner rather than later and adding Creed Humphrey to the offensive line would pay off tremendously. The Oklahoma blocker has been praised for his leadership, responsibility, and strength, and the Vikings need to keep Kirk Cousins healthy if they want to go back to the playoffs next year.
13. Cincinnati: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Cincinnati's most glaring need so far this season has been OT and they will not hesitate to pick Sewell if he is available. However, the next best OT, Alex Leatherwood, would be a reach at 13 and since there are no trades in this scenario, the Bengals provide their QB of the future, Joe Burrow, with a reliable WR to throw to in DeVonta Smith. A.J. Green is seemingly not the star WR he used to be and Cincinnati needs to find a replacement for him. Smith may not be explosive, but he displays quickness and fearlessness, perfect for a Bengals team hoping to contend in the near future.
14. Carolina: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Teddy Bridgewater has been good enough to potentially stay as Carolina's starting QB throughout his entire contract but that should not deter the Panthers from searching for their true franchise QB. It was clear when Bridgewater was signed that he would serve as a bridge QB for the team's next passer and if Trey Lance falls outside of the top 10, Carolina has to choose him. A player like Pat Freiermuth or Wyatt Davis might be on their board but since QB is the biggest need in Carolina, Lance is the pick.
15. Arizona: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
The acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins gave Arizona's offense an astronomical boost but with Larry Fitzgerald headed for retirement soon and Christian Kirk not living up to his expectations as the WR2, the Cardinals could be looking for a receiver to pair with Hopkins. Although Arizona does need help on the offensive and defensive lines, Humphrey and Wilson are off the board, and Rondale Moore beats out Wyatt Davis as the best player available. Moore has been compared to a human joystick and showcases amazing RAC skills.
16. Las Vegas: Wyatt Davis, IOL, Ohio State
Rodney Hudson can hold his own as the leader of Las Vegas's offensive line but OGs John Simpson and Gabe Jackson have not impressed so far. A new IOL is not a top priority for the Raiders but Davis does fit the size profile of an OT, providing versatility, and the team could shift certain players around to fit Davis in and help protect Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs. The aggressive Ohio State blocker offers power and fluidity, and would upgrade an offensive line that needs help.
17. New England: Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama
DTs Lawrence Guy and Byron Cowart form a middling defensive duo and although Guy is the better of the two, he will be a free agent in 2021 and there is no clear answer to whether he will return to the Patriots. However, Cowart is mediocre and can be replaced if a tempting prospect like Barmore is available. Barmore is not fully developed and has room to grow as an interior defender, but he possesses immense power and an array of moves that make him a great defensive player with star potential.
18. San Francisco: Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Emmanuel Moseley will all be free agents next year and the 49ers need to prepare for the future at the CB position. Sherman is likely to only sign one more contract with the team before retiring, Witherspoon has not looked great but the sample size is too small, and Moseley should return if all goes as planned. This leaves the 49ers with only one CB they can depend on for years to come, proving CB is a priority for San Francisco. Shaun Wade is the perfect pick here and his stock can only soar from here on out with the spotlight on him.
19. Philadelphia: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
Darius Slay is undoubtedly a core member of Philadelphia's defense and could be labeled as a cornerstone if he stays in town for the entirety of his contract. Avonte Maddox, on the other hand, is replaceable and not worth re-signing in 2022 if the Eagles can find better options in the draft. Stanford corner Paulson Adebo would be a welcome addition to Philadelphia's secondary with his dynamic skills and instincts, and would be an upgrade over Maddox.
20. New Orleans: Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
Jared Cook might retire next offseason or leave for a new team and although the Saints traded up to select him, Adam Trautman has not been a focal point of the offense, only amassing 3 receptions for 34 receiving yards. New Orleans could either be in the mix for another TE or they could be completely fine with their current players at the position, but there is no denying that Freiermuth would drastically improve the offense. The Penn State TE is a borderline top 15 prospect and has garnered comparisons to Rob Gronkowski. He can function as a blocker or a pass catcher and would be a dependable target for whoever the Saints play at QB in the future.
21. Tampa Bay: Quincy Roche, EDGE, Miami
Ndamukong Suh is nearing retirement and will be a free agent next year, and Jason Pierre-Paul and William Gholston will both be on the market in 2022, with the former also close to the end of his career. Shaquil Barrett is expected to return to the Buccaneers on a new contract next year but the team still needs to improve their defense. Quincy Roche is quite underrated due to Gregory Rousseau receiving most of the attention for Miami's defensive efforts, but he still brings explosiveness and fluidity to the table. The 235 lb defender has excellent vision, strength, and length, and functions as a great run defender, which will be useful in a division housing many great rushing attacks.
22. Cleveland: Josh Myers, IOL, Ohio State
All three of Cleveland's starters on the IOL are incredible, but their contracts also expire within the next three years. The team's cap space will be spent on securing Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward, and potentially even Baker Mayfield to long-term contracts and there may not be enough money to keep all three interior linemen on the roster. In that case, the Browns will have to think long-term and find a player to fill in a future need at IOL, and Josh Myers is capable of doing so. Although he would be a reach at 22, the Browns have zero need for players like Alex Leatherwood and Kyle Pitts, making Myers a possible choice.
23. Indianapolis: Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, Florida State
With Malik Hooker on the IR, the Colts have turned to rookie Julian Blackmon to replace him and he has been solid. Khari Willis has also played at an average level, but overall, the team needs more explosiveness in the secondary and Nasirildeen would add much needed depth.
24. Baltimore: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
Besides Marquise Brown, who is somewhat inconsistent, the Ravens have no reliable WRs in the passing game and with Willie Snead IV headed for free agency next year, Baltimore could be in search of the yang to Brown’s yin. Bateman has an exciting set of receiving skills and can deliver on big plays, which should make Baltimore’s offense even more dangerous than it already is.
25. Chicago: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Allen Robinson II should be Chicago’s priority in free agency and although the emergence of Darnell Mooney has been nice, the sample size is too small and he needs to prove that he can be the long-term WR2. As of now, QB and WR are two of Chicago’s biggest needs and with the top 3 passers off the board, Jaylen Waddle is the pick. Whether Chicago sticks with Foles/Trubisky or moves on to a new QB, the team’s passer will have a legitimate receiving duo in Robinson and Waddle.
26. LA Rams → JAX: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
After drafting their new franchise QB in Justin Fields, the Jaguars decide to protect him with 310 lb Alabama OT Alex Leatherwood. Cam Robinson is not Jacksonville’s LT of the future and the smart move would be to let him go in free agency and find a promising prospect like Leatherwood through the draft. Florida TE Kyle Pitts is also a possible choice but protecting Justin Fields should be the first priority.
27. Pittsburgh: Jay Tufele, IDL, USC
According to PFF, NT Tyson Alualu has been phenomenal for the Steelers and DT Cameron Heyward has been also amazing. Heyward is under contract until 2025 and Alualu will be a free agent next year, and if all goes as planned, both players will be on the roster for next season. However, Alualu is 33 years old and nearing the end of his career, which means the Steelers should not hesitate to draft a replacement if the value is there. Tufele is a quick and balanced athlete that can sufficiently generate pressure in the passing game and use his power to get past interior linemen and rush the passer.
28. Tennessee: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jonnu Smith has been the starting TE in Tennessee since 2017 and in that timeframe, he has gathered 1035 yds. In 2019 alone, rising star Darren Waller of the Oakland Raiders had 1145 yds. Waller is also a perfect comparison for Florida’s Kyle Pitts. It is clear that Smith is not as important to Tennessee’s offense as Waller is for the Raiders, but an outstanding player like Pitts would be crucial in helping a team win. The 6’5” junior is a TE on paper but acts as an extra WR, which is a need considering the fact that Corey Davis and Kalif Raymond will be free agents after this season.
29. Kansas City: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
The Chiefs selected TCU’s Lucas Niang in Round 3 of the 2020 draft to succeed current RT Mitchell Schwartz once he starts declining. However, the plan at LT is unfinished. Eric Fisher will be a free agent in 2021 and backup Mike Remmers is not starting material. This could be seen as a luxury pick but drafting an agile 301 lb OT in Dillon Radunz should pay off in the long run.
30. Seattle → NYJ: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
After securing Trevor Lawrence with the 3rd pick, the Jets need to choose between addressing EDGE or WR. The best WR available would be Chris Olave from Ohio State but he would be a reach at 30 and the real decision will be between EDGEs Aidan Hutchinson and Hamilcar Rashed Jr. While the latter is a good athlete and effective block shedder, he is still raw as a pass rusher. On the other hand, Hutchinson seems to be more ready to thrive as a power rusher and would be the smarter pick.
31. Green Bay: Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
Christian Kirksey, Green Bay’s often injured ILB, is once again on the IR and his replacement is Ty Summers, a Round 7 pick who has not proved that he can be a long-term starter for the Packers. Cameron McGrone is certainly a reach and the Packers could draft an interior lineman such as Trey Smith to bolster the offensive line, but the team has to draft for need at this stage and McGrone makes sense for the future.
32. Buffalo: Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
Starting OTs Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams have played an important part in Josh Allen’s success, keeping him safe and allowing the franchise QB to lead the team to victory. Williams will be a free agent next year and it would be wise for the team to re-sign him, but the logical move would be to also move him to RG and draft Faalele to play RT. RG Cody Ford is a pedestrian player and the offensive line would be much more successful with a starting lineup featuring Dion Dawkins, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, Daryl Williams and Daniel Faalele. Keeping Josh Allen healthy is a priority for Buffalo and this pick would make the future brighter for the Bills.

"Some Simple tips for CD devs to make CP2077 feel more alive in upcoming DLCs (Please read)
First off, this game was an aesthetic treat and compared to GTAV, it is indeed much more "dense" with the core areas so much more beautiful in that regard... But no game is perfect, nor is it realistic in this decade to expect a full "city simulator" for any dev or in any game, so that's not what I'm expecting out of Night City not even under the most ideal of circumstances... That said, there are plenty of room for improvement, bug fixes sure, but also beyond that I'd like to see more in the upcoming DLC's that make NightCity more alive, not even necessarily newer and larger maps, but just practical added-elements and additional functional components that would go a long way towards making the city appear more 'alive', and immersive and dynamic and all that was illuded to but never fully manifested...
So in terms of most bang for buck and the low-hanging fruit (80/20 principle):

TRANSPORTATION

1) Bring back (or rather develope for the first time) the promised subway system... this shouldn't be that hard to do... it would add an element of connectivity of the different parts of the city... Leave fast travel as an option, for those that want to ride the train shouldn't be forced to use loading screens
2) Air taxi(s) -- in the age of Telsa self driving cars, hyperloops, drone taxis we should have plenty of automated air taxi options in the world of CP2077, basically like the taxi hailing component in GTAIV (Liberty City) except the player can hail an air taxi that lands close to where he is standing, he gets in, and then chooses any destination and it automatically flys him to the location, while allowing him to look out the windows and enjoy the night city from above / higher perspective... this is simplier than simply giving the player ability to fly hovercars/etc since an air taxi is just from point to point and its trivial to code a system that flys the player from any point in the city to any other point without crashing into any buildings... we've seen NightCity from the ground, now lets see it from the sky!
3) Rented transporation -- user pays to be able to rent jet packs, hoverboards, scooters at different locations in the city so he can use a public transportation but on a personal level... for the jet packs cap a max height so that its still basically hovering at or around slightly above ground level, giving the user the discretion of travel but not allowing him to fly or scale above buildings etc... this requires money to rent and if the equipment is damaged, lost, stolen or not returned properly the users bank account will be deducted for the amount ( see #ECONOMY)

INTERIORS

1) Skyscrapers with observation deck -- in every major city there is a theme like this, take Seattle for example you can visit the tallest building in Seattle downtown and go up on the obs deck and see the city view from high above, I would say incorporate some options like this where user can enter some of the taller buildings in NightCity, ride up the elevator to the higher decks and see the city from that view... maybe even add a floor with fine dinning where user can take a friend/date/group to the restuarant and eat while enjoying watching the scenery of the nightcity below etc...
2) All major buildings enter-able (is that a word? lol) with at least a ground lobby.... right now most of the buildings are just fake exteriors, nice to look at from the outside but completely fake and empty with no insides... Due to system restrains its not practical to simulate every room of every floor of every building in nightcity with furnished interiors and real windows and all that... but at least make the first floor /lobby area of every large and major building enter-able so that the character can walk in and out of them... for certain buildings you may want to make a working/functional lobby elevator that leads to an underground garage and/or allows the user to ride the elevator to above ground higher floors of the building... or have the elevator only allow certain floors to be accessed and furnish these floors with realistic settings/environment and this can tie in nicely with the job/work/career paths discussed in #ECONOMY section with gives you the office space to put a number of companies in which the user can find and switch jobs and work in corporate paths etc... for example allow the user to customize and decorate his own "office/desk", and if he has a window office, then that would provide another unique view/scenery of nightcity from above ground perspective, one that can only be gotten from working at that particular company/job, and gives him an incentive to work late to see the city from nighttime while burning the midnight oil
3) Multiple apartments, the user should be able to pick and choose from a vast selection and array of living arrangements and this necessities a lot of hotel/condo/apartment options which means these buildings need to have interiors and furnished and environments fully built out...

ECONOMY

1) Ability to find and work a job, with multiple career paths and with ability to move up in the corporate world... this provides the user with a stead stream of income for which he can use to buy fancier cars, to move into newer and better apartments /condos etc.. and to buy fancier items like designer cloths and the suches... not to mention to spend on fine dinning in high end restuarants which can tie in nicely with going on datings, impressing women with luxury cars and expensive meals and "date nights out" at elaborate events.... basically there has to be a purpose and meaning to making more money, and the process of making more money has to be derived from a job or work or career of some sort as the main component...
Have a real economy with unemployment, inflation, commodity prices, and all of that impact and influence and affect the user in his everyday life... for example if a major terror event or pandemic causes the Nightcity to suffer an economic depression for a few months then its possible the company that the user is working at has to lay off people and he gets canned and has to downsize to a smaller apartment, loses his girlfriend/wife, and then has to find another lower paying job and stuck in the downward cycle for a few years until he is able to win the lottery (#GAMBLING/SPECUTLATION/BETTING) or his luck somehow changes...
Everything should cost money, it costs money to rent an apartement and it should also cost money to eat and drink... basically he user has to spend money to eat otherwise he will starve to death... and the user has to keep paying rent every month for whatever apartment he resides otherwise he gets evicted and could even become homeless and have to live in one of those nasty tents in tenty city or under a highway bridge etc etc
Grocery stores, restuarants, movie theaters, hotels, and shopping malls... There should be at least a few convinennce stores, shopping malls, restuarants and other retail places spread throughout nightcity, this is a component and element of the economy as well as a means for the user to spend all the hard earned money he worked towards... for example if you give a homeless a few bucks he should be able to use it to spend at a store on the corner to get something to eat and then that makes him happy because he is no longer so hungry... there should be a tie in for economy, money, and the ability to exchange that for goods and services (barber, tatto artists cough cough) and associate these goods and services to emotional feelings of happiness and satisfication for both the user /player and the NPCs...

SEASONS

There should be a distinction between autumn/fall, spring, summer, winter etc... This gives a big cycle sense of passage of time that cannot be simulated with the current day/night cycles along... in the winter the sun should rise and set at different times/angles than the summer...
In addition, I'd like to see an accurate night sky map/ stars. NightCity takes place in SoCal, its trivial to map the nightsky for the year 2077 in the SoCal area... even in the latest Flight Simulator 2020 the stars are now accurate at night...
Ability to choose LIVE weather based on current user location (see Flight Simulator) so say its raining in Dallas Texas where a user is playing, then in NightCity it will match that and we raining in the game as well... also ability to customize weather on-the-fly in real-time (see Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020) and have that instantly change in the game without reloading...
Along with seasons I'd like to be able to see holiday celebrations for example Christmas time espeically... I want to hear holiday music and see buildings decorated with Christmas lights and the jolly spirits of it all... Think the ambiance and environment of say Polar Express, bring that alive to Night City for Xmas...

MINI GAMES and other Microcosm

There is a "Go" board in Chinatown... but its fake... and the players aren't even attempting to play Go... See what Google Deepmind did with AlphaGo, Facebook made an OpenGo that they open sourced... there is also LeelaZero and KataGo free AI engines that have already been trained using deeplearning/machineAI to be far better than the Go masters... the same applies to Chess by the way... but I didn't see a Chess board in Night City yet... in any case all these board games the computer AI can now master... make these games playable in NightCity, so the user can watch two NPC's play a round of Go/Chess/etc (Ai vs Ai) or can join and sit down and take a seat and play against an NPC a real game of Go/Chess, (or in the future if CP gets a multiplayer than humans can play against one another etc) basically a microcosms and games-within-a-game....
Spotify/Netflix/youTube integrations... I'd like to see the user have a portable/personal mp3 player or app on his virtual smartphone that allows him to link to his personal -reallife- spotify account to listen to music while in the game... also on the TV screens at home to be able to watch netflix movies while in this virtual apartment chilling with his date/friends... and things like YouTube integration would be nice... maybe even pornhub integration....
Other simple games like darts, bowling and even toys like RC cars or DJI drones... give the use the ability to fly drones (check out DJI Simulator) or operate rc model cars etc... basically toys that he can buy at electronic stores or corner outlets that he can then use these toys in real life for any variety of enjoyments... this also ties into #ECONOMY and why its important to have a good job /career that pays good money!

GAMBLING/SPECUTLATION/INVESTMENTS/BETTING

Have some form of virtual casinos in the game, NightCity reminds me of Vegas, yet not one slot machine and not one means to gamble or bet? How about the ability to play the stockmarket, bitcoins, and make bets and well as go gambling, cards, poker, etc this not only provides a form of entertainment but also gives the user a way to quickly win / lose a lot of money and for the risk takers they may wish to invest their money in high risk high reward speculative stocks in the stock market instead of immediately spending it on a new apartment, new car, new tech gadget etc etc... this would also tie back to #ECONOMY since the more the user earns the more income he has to spend on gambling/stocks and the better the economy does the higher his stocks return on investment...

ROMANCE/RELATIONSHIPS

Should be able to court any pretty woman on the streets, to walk up to her and say hi and have a path/chance to a dialogue that leads to setting up a first date... and following that if it goes well can progress to more dates and evetnually her moving in with the user and eventually even having a kid, getting married, and the works... each female NPC should have a male preference and a threshold of compatiblity... so that for example if on the first date the guy is cheap and takes her to low end resturant, doesn't have a nice car to pick her up with, and otherwise seems like a low life then she wouldn't process/continue with him... whereas if he is already established with a multimillion apartment, supercar, takes her to most expensive restuarant in NightCity, then I could see her going back to his place on the first date and maybe even getting pregnant right then and there that night etc..."

All across the NBA landscape, there's only one thing on people's mind: What are the Charlotte Hornets going to do this offseason??
Kidding, of course. However, the boycott/strike left us with no games today, and perhaps the chance to sneak in the second edition of the OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series.
Here's a rundown and list of recommendations for the team this offseason.
step one: don't let your (semi) success get to your head
Coming into this season, expectations for the Charlotte Hornets were lower than a limbo bar. Kemba Walker had exited for greener pastures, and the team became a punchline when they ponied up $19M a year for Terry Rozier to replace him. Vegas set their oveunder at 23.5 wins, the lowest in the entire league.
Based on those expectations, coach James Borrego and the team massively overachieved early on in the year. They jumped out of the gates at 13-17, fueled by hot shooting from breakout Devonte' Graham. Eventually, Graham cooled off and the team did as well. Still, they'd end the year at a semi-respectable 23-42, nearly beating that preseason "over" despite a 65-game schedule.
If you're an optimist, you could say that this team isn't too far away from the playoffs. After all, Orlando grabbed the # 8 seed with a 33-40 record. Perhaps if the Hornets made a few tweaks here and there, they could get up to that 35-win range next year and contend for the 8th seed themselves.
Alas, I am no optimist. At least, not when it comes to these Charlotte Hornets. The team got off to a solid start, but all other metrics indicate a team that is B-A-D. Their point differential of -6.7 indicates a team that's even worse than their 23-42 record. In fact, that -6.7 is the 4th worst in the league. Their offense came in at 29th overall (out of 30). Even feel-good stories like Devonte' Graham didn't last forever. His shooting slowed down to the point where he finished the year with a below-average 53.7% true shooting percentage.
By any reasonable assessment, this team is a loooonggg way away from making the playoffs, and even further away from contending in a R1 series. Going into this offseason, the front office and ownership needs to realize that, and adjust their strategy accordingly.
step two: ignore your stars, and shoot for the moon instead
Let's ignore the astronomical problems with that statement and consider the subtext instead.
Perhaps more than any team in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets need a marquee player. That goes for this roster, but also this franchise's player in history. Charlotte first got an expansion team in 1988 (as the "Hornets") and then again in 2004 (as the "Bobcats" to start.) If we include ALL of that history, dating back 30 seasons, the players with the most total win shares for the franchise are 1) Kemba Walker, 2) Gerald Wallace, and 3) Muggsy Bogues. Those are all good players, but not the type of superstar that'd inspire you to build a statue outside the stadium.
Fortunately, the basketball gods finally smiled upon them and landed them the # 3 pick this year. It's going to be a weak draft, but this will still be the team's best chance to land a superstar since they selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (over Bradley Beal) at # 2 back in 2012. Given this opportunity, and given their needs, the Hornets need to aim high here. Shoot for the moon. And in the process, they have to ignore their current roster completely. Top scorers Devonte' Graham and Terry Rozier are OK, but they're not the caliber of player that should force you to adjust your big board at all. The mandate should be simple: best. available. player. Guard, forward, center, it shouldn't matter. We need Michael Jordan to hit a home run here, although we know it's not his specialty.
I don't anticipate that Georgia SG Anthony Edwards will be available, but if he is, then the team should be excited to nab him. Edwards didn't shoot well as a freshman (40% from the field, 29% from three), but he's got the tools to be a potential All-Star. He's long (6'9" wingspan), strong, and hard to guard when he's attacking. I also like the idea of MJ mentoring Edwards and pushing him to get the most out of his talent. If he taps into his potential, we're talking about a Donovan Mitchell-esque player here.
A more polarizing selection that I'd still endorse would be Memphis C James Wiseman. I can understand the criticism against him. He can be passive at times. Perhaps he'll never be an elite scorer or even an All-Star. Still, I like Wiseman for a few reasons. He's 7'1" with a 7'5" wingspan, which should help make him an anchor on defense. He's also a smart kid (based on media interviews). Coach James Borrego came from the Spurs organization, which built around bigs like David Robinson and Tim Duncan originally. Perhaps he'd be more inclined to invest in a big man than other young coaches would. And while I cautioned against factoring in "fit," Wiseman and P.J. Washington would make for great complementary building blocks at the 4 and 5.
Personally, I'm mixed on the 3rd spot (which is where they land, unfortunately.) Draft Express lists PG LaMelo Ball as their # 1 prospect, while The Ringer has French PG Killian Hayes at the top of their board. Both have good size for the position, good passing instincts, and good experience overseas. I don't love the shooting of either one myself and worry about some possible inefficiency, but the Hornets would judge for themselves and select one if they're totally on board. Having two scoring guards like Graham and Rozier shouldn't factor into the equation.
Other names they should consider include PF/C Onyeka Okongwu (USC) and SF/PF Deni Avdija (Israel). I like a few other prospects in the class, but none of them would merit top 3 status. If I ran Charlotte, I wouldn't try to get cute about trade-ups or trade-downs either. The lottery was generous to you, so let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.
step three: don't be a waste of space
The Charlotte Hornets already have $79M committed in salary for next season, which sounds like "a lot" until you consider it's the third least in the NBA (behind Atlanta and Detroit.) Most teams are already booked up, with twenty different teams already having $100M on the docket.
With a little wiggle room (say $20M or so), the Hornets could potentially be players in free agency. This is not a strong free agency class, and the top names (like Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram) probably won't come calling.
Still, there are a few young veterans that may be worth pursuing. Sacramento SF Bogdan Bogdanovic is coming off a season where he averaged 18-4-4 per 36 minutes, and may have even more in the tank if he became more of a featured option. At 28 years old, he's probably in his prime already, but his skill set should age fairly well and he should maintain his value over the next 2-3 years. I also like Spurs' C Jakob Poeltl, a 24-year-old big man who's shown well in his limited playing time. He could potentially become a long-term starter on the right team. Sacramento C Harry Giles could also be a good flier.
Outside of a few select picks, the Hornets shouldn't force the issue and throw their money around willy-nilly (like they may have with Terry Rozier.) Someone needs to block DeMar DeRozan's number on Michael Jordan's phone.
That said, they can still use that cap space effectively. If we presume the Hornets aren't making the playoffs anyway, they may as well take a "toxic asset" off another team's hands, a la Sean Marks' Brooklyn Nets. Options could include Gorgui Dieng ($17M), James Johnson ($16M), Thaddeus Young ($13M + $14M), or Al-Farouq Aminu ($9M + $10M). If a team is willing to throw you a bone in terms of draft picks to take them off your hands, you may as well put the cap space to good use.
step four: hold your breath, and prepare to drown
Clearly, we haven't painted a rosy picture here. The team is unlikely to add top talent through free agency or trade, and even that top 3 lottery pick won't be a great player out of the gate. All in all, this is a bottom 10 team that will likely stay in the bottom 10 next year no matter how hard they try and fight it.
So if you're already sinking... why not drown completely? Yes, friends, we're talking about a full blown tank.
If the Hornets see the writing on the wall early next year, they need to commit fully and aggressively to a tank in 2020-21. I wouldn't normally recommend that tactic in today's day and age given the new flattened lottery odds, but this may be a "perfect storm" of events. The top 3 is ripe for the picking. Golden State won't be 15-50 next year. Minnesota (19-45) and Atlanta (20-47) should be better as well. The biggest threats would be Detroit (20-46) and the N.Y. Knicks (21-45), but both have older coaches that may not be keen on throwing a year of their coaching lives out the window.
Tanking makes logical sense for Charlotte, but they need some buy-in from the organization first. We'd have to convince Michael Jordan and the ownership group that it's in the team's long-term interest. They seem committed to "compete," but squeaking out a bunch of 30-win seasons over the next few years may be a great way to lose the entire franchise to relocation. Taking a short-term fall could land a star, and lead to a brighter future down the road.
We'd also need the ownership to give the greenlight to the front office and coaching staff as well. James Borrego will be entering Year 3 with the team, and will be nervous about his job security. Mitch Kupchak will be as well in the front office. For them to embrace a tank, they'd need some assurance that they're in this for the long haul. Personally, I like Borrego as a coach, so I'd try my best to commit to him and this long-term plan.
If the team can get on the same page and follow through, then there may be gold at the end of the rainbow. Next year's class appears (at the moment, anyway) to be a strong group, highlighted by playmaking wing Cade Cunningham (heading to Oklahoma State) and scoring guard Jalen Green (heading to the G-League.) PF Evan Mobley (USC), SF Jalen Johnson (Duke), and SF Ziaire Williaims (Stanford) also have the potential to join the # 1 pick conversation in time. And while those flattened odds make it difficult to ensure the # 1 pick, grabbing the # 1 spot means that you can only drop as low as # 5. That 5th pick next year may be even better than the # 3 this season.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

First off, this game was an aesthetic treat and compared to GTAV, it is indeed much more "dense" with the core areas so much more beautiful in that regard... But no game is perfect, nor is it realistic in this decade to expect a full "city simulator" for any dev or in any game, so that's not what I'm expecting out of Night City not even under the most ideal of circumstances... That said, there are plenty of room for improvement, bug fixes sure, but also beyond that I'd like to see more in the upcoming DLC's that make NightCity more alive, not even necessarily newer and larger maps, but just practical added-elements and additional functional components that would go a long way towards making the city appear more 'alive', and immersive and dynamic and all that was illuded to but never fully manifested...
​
So in terms of most bang for buck and the low-hanging fruit (80/20 principle):
​
In real life there is a sense of interconnecitivity and permanance... NightCity doesn't have this and is just a disconnected Hodgepodge of static elements that have no effect on one another... for example I should be able to balance the transportation cost of getting to work versus the career path that I want and the amount of money I'm making and taking into account my net worth... it wouldn't make sense for me to accept an entry level position that requires hours of commute every morning when I'm living on the other end of town... and on the otherhand if I'm processed to a VP making bigly bucks I can afford to take the automated air taxi every morning to work in central business district and still live outside by the beautiful beachfront property etc... likewise a downturn in the economy will affect my company and I could get laid off or no bonus for the year, or if I'm working a gig job that is seasonal then come spring I wouldn't need to find a second side gig to make up for the loss of income... and all of that ties into what kind of loft I can afford, what kind of car I can buy/lease/rent and the food I can eat (tv dinner vs fine dining) and the cloths that I can put in my back which affects the sort of women on the street that I can radnomdly hit on and get intro interested into d going on a date with me etc etc etc... its all interconnected and has a continuation that affecst so much more than just mindless NPCs spawning and despawning right in front on my eyes...
​
#TRANSPORTATION
1) Bring back (or rather develope for the first time) the promised subway system... this shouldn't be that hard to do... it would add an element of connectivity of the different parts of the city... Leave fast travel as an option, for those that want to ride the train shouldn't be forced to use loading screens
2) Air taxi(s) -- in the age of Telsa self driving cars, hyperloops, drone taxis we should have plenty of automated air taxi options in the world of CP2077, basically like the taxi hailing component in GTAIV (Liberty City) except the player can hail an air taxi that lands close to where he is standing, he gets in, and then chooses any destination and it automatically flys him to the location, while allowing him to look out the windows and enjoy the night city from above / higher perspective... this is simplier than simply giving the player ability to fly hovercars/etc since an air taxi is just from point to point and its trivial to code a system that flys the player from any point in the city to any other point without crashing into any buildings... we've seen NightCity from the ground, now lets see it from the sky!
3) Rented transporation -- user pays to be able to rent jet packs, hoverboards, scooters at different locations in the city so he can use a public transportation but on a personal level... for the jet packs cap a max height so that its still basically hovering at or around slightly above ground level, giving the user the discretion of travel but not allowing him to fly or scale above buildings etc... this requires money to rent and if the equipment is damaged, lost, stolen or not returned properly the users bank account will be deducted for the amount ( see #ECONOMY)
​
​
#JOBS/CAREERS/WORK/EDUCATION/GIGs
Ability to work a day job to earn steady money and climb a career ladder by taking courses or going to school at night... ability to go on the nightcity job boards or online to hunt and interview for other jobs... to change industries and do other jobs... to participate in the Gig economy... like drive around in some version of ubereats delivering food or packages to people... or a corporate desk job thats basically on the computer all day... for corporate day jobs the game should give the user the ability to fastforward just like he can go to bed and fast forward for eight hours etc....
​
#INTERIORS
1) Skyscrapers with observation deck -- in every major city there is a theme like this, take Seattle for example you can visit the tallest building in Seattle downtown and go up on the obs deck and see the city view from high above, I would say incorporate some options like this where user can enter some of the taller buildings in NightCity, ride up the elevator to the higher decks and see the city from that view... maybe even add a floor with fine dinning where user can take a friend/date/group to the restuarant and eat while enjoying watching the scenery of the nightcity below etc...
2) All major buildings enter-able (is that a word? lol) with at least a ground lobby.... right now most of the buildings are just fake exteriors, nice to look at from the outside but completely fake and empty with no insides... Due to system restrains its not practical to simulate every room of every floor of every building in nightcity with furnished interiors and real windows and all that... but at least make the first floor /lobby area of every large and major building enter-able so that the character can walk in and out of them... for certain buildings you may want to make a working/functional lobby elevator that leads to an underground garage and/or allows the user to ride the elevator to above ground higher floors of the building... or have the elevator only allow certain floors to be accessed and furnish these floors with realistic settings/environment and this can tie in nicely with the job/work/career paths discussed in #ECONOMY section with gives you the office space to put a number of companies in which the user can find and switch jobs and work in corporate paths etc... for example allow the user to customize and decorate his own "office/desk", and if he has a window office, then that would provide another unique view/scenery of nightcity from above ground perspective, one that can only be gotten from working at that particular company/job, and gives him an incentive to work late to see the city from nighttime while burning the midnight oil:)
3) Multiple apartments, the user should be able to pick and choose from a vast selection and array of living arrangements and this necessities a lot of hotel/condo/apartment options which means these buildings need to have interiors and furnished and environments fully built out...
​
​
#ECONOMY
1) Ability to find and work a job, with multiple career paths and with ability to move up in the corporate world... this provides the user with a steady stream of income for which he can use to buy fancier cars, to move into newer and better apartments /condos etc.. and to buy fancier items like designer cloths and the suches... not to mention to spend on fine dinning in high end restuarants which can tie in nicely with going on datings, impressing women with luxury cars and expensive meals and "date nights out" at elaborate events.... basically there has to be a purpose and meaning to making more money, and the process of making more money has to be derived from a job or work or career of some sort as the main component...
2) Have a real economy with unemployment, inflation, commodity prices, and all of that impact and influence and affect the user in his everyday life... for example if a major terror event or pandemic causes the Nightcity to suffer an economic depression for a few months then its possible the company that the user is working at has to lay off people and he gets canned and has to downsize to a smaller apartment, loses his girlfriend/wife, and then has to find another lower paying job and stuck in the downward cycle for a few years until he is able to win the lottery (#GAMBLING/SPECUTLATION/BETTING) or his luck somehow changes...
3) Everything should cost money, it costs money to rent an apartement and it should also cost money to eat and drink... basically he user has to spend money to eat otherwise he will starve to death... and the user has to keep paying rent every month for whatever apartment he resides otherwise he gets evicted and could even become homeless and have to live in one of those nasty tents in tenty city or under a highway bridge etc etc
4) Grocery stores, restuarants, movie theaters, hotels, and shopping malls... There should be at least a few convinennce stores, shopping malls, restuarants and other retail places spread throughout nightcity, this is a component and element of the economy as well as a means for the user to spend all the hard earned money he worked towards... for example if you give a homeless a few bucks he should be able to use it to spend at a store on the corner to get something to eat and then that makes him happy because he is no longer so hungry... there should be a tie in for economy, money, and the ability to exchange that for goods and services (barber, tatto artists cough cough) and associate these goods and services to emotional feelings of happiness and satisfication for both the user /player and the NPCs...
​
​
#SEASONS
​
There should be a distinction between autumn/fall, spring, summer, winter etc... This gives a big cycle sense of passage of time that cannot be simulated with the current day/night cycles along... in the winter the sun should rise and set at different times/angles than the summer...
​
In addition, I'd like to see an accurate night sky map/ stars. NightCity takes place in SoCal, its trivial to map the nightsky for the year 2077 in the SoCal area... even in the latest Flight Simulator 2020 the stars are now accurate at night...
​
Ability to choose LIVE weather based on current user location (see Flight Simulator) so say its raining in Dallas Texas where a user is playing, then in NightCity it will match that and we raining in the game as well... also ability to customize weather on-the-fly in real-time (see Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020) and have that instantly change in the game without reloading...
Along with seasons I'd like to be able to see holiday celebrations for example Christmas time espeically... I want to hear holiday music and see buildings decorated with Christmas lights and the jolly spirits of it all... Think the ambiance and environment of say Polar Express, bring that alive to Night City for Xmas...
​
​
#MINI GAMES and other Microcosm
​
There is a "Go" board in Chinatown... but its fake... and the players aren't even attempting to play Go... See what Google Deepmind did with AlphaGo, Facebook made an OpenGo that they open sourced... there is also LeelaZero and KataGo free AI engines that have already been trained using deeplearning/machineAI to be far better than the Go masters... the same applies to Chess by the way... but I didn't see a Chess board in Night City yet... in any case all these board games the computer AI can now master... make these games playable in NightCity, so the user can watch two NPC's play a round of Go/Chess/etc (Ai vs Ai) or can join and sit down and take a seat and play against an NPC a real game of Go/Chess, (or in the future if CP gets a multiplayer than humans can play against one another etc) basically a microcosms and games-within-a-game....
Spotify/Netflix/youTube integrations... I'd like to see the user have a portable/personal mp3 player or app on his virtual smartphone that allows him to link to his personal -reallife- spotify account to listen to music while in the game... also on the TV screens at home to be able to watch netflix movies while in this virtual apartment chilling with his date/friends... and things like YouTube integration would be nice... maybe even pornhub integration....
Other simple games like darts, bowling and even toys like RC cars or DJI drones... give the use the ability to fly drones (check out DJI Simulator) or operate rc model cars etc... basically toys that he can buy at electronic stores or corner outlets that he can then use these toys in real life for any variety of enjoyments... this also ties into #ECONOMY and why its important to have a good job /career that pays good money!
​
#GAMBLING/SPECUTLATION/INVESTMENTS/BETTING
Have some form of virtual casinos in the game, NightCity reminds me of Vegas, yet not one slot machine and not one means to gamble or bet? How about the ability to play the stockmarket, bitcoins, and make bets and well as go gambling, cards, poker, etc this not only provides a form of entertainment but also gives the user a way to quickly win / lose a lot of money and for the risk takers they may wish to invest their money in high risk high reward speculative stocks in the stock market instead of immediately spending it on a new apartment, new car, new tech gadget etc etc... this would also tie back to #ECONOMY since the more the user earns the more income he has to spend on gambling/stocks and the better the economy does the higher his stocks return on investment...
​
#ROMANCE/RELATIONSHIPS
Should be able to court any pretty woman on the streets, to walk up to her and say hi and have a path/chance to a dialogue that leads to setting up a first date... and following that if it goes well can progress to more dates and evetnually her moving in with the user and eventually even having a kid, getting married, and the works... each female NPC should have a male preference and a threshold of compatiblity... so that for example if on the first date the guy is cheap and takes her to low end resturant, doesn't have a nice car to pick her up with, and otherwise seems like a low life then she wouldn't process/continue with him... whereas if he is already established with a multimillion apartment, supercar, takes her to most expensive restuarant in NightCity, then I could see her going back to his place on the first date and maybe even getting pregnant right then and there that night etc...

A common trait Assassin’s Creed groups have is the constant theorizing about future settings, because historical tourism is one of the best parts of the series. This series of posts will act as a counter to my Mildly Obscure setting discussions, but rather than looking at a single point, I will be taking a broad setting that is popular and looking at several potential settings to explore within it. Today’s setting is the 20th century. References and spoilers for recent comics including Bloodstone are below.
​
World Wars
I want to start with the obvious setting of World War 1 and 2. Both could contain interesting lore for sure, but I don’t feel either would fit AC very well for a full title. Both wars took place all around Europe, Asia, and Africa, meaning we’d likely only experience a single theatre (Europe most likely), which has first of all been done a lot by other games like Call of Duty; and second of all the two big cities of Paris and London were shown just before the 20th century (and both games featured part of the 20th century). World War 1 is honestly inaccessible for the most part due to trench warfare. I don’t deny sneaking through the trenches to assassinate a German Templar leading the other side could be fun, but I think the best way to handle the game would be to just focus on a single city like Berlin. If we see Berlin, it’d obviously be during World War 2, and Nazi Architecture would be incredible to parkour on, but the city was almost completely destroyed by the Russians, and the brutality of both wars is on a scale that I don’t feel Ubisoft can truly represent. That’s also ignoring the bigger elephant of the holocaust, in which the Nazi party had ghettoized millions of Jews, transported them out of the country, and put them in death camps with all other undesirables including Slavs, gypsies, and gays. On the low end they killed 6 million people, and on the high end may have killed up to 17 million. Making a game in World War 2 Berlin cannot ignore this, but I honestly would fear seeing a modern open-world AC game in Germany and the lack of respect or tact for the holocaust. Like I’d half expect that we’re Kilroy, and all the concentration camps are PoI for us to clear and free the prisoners from. This setting should just be left to the expanded universe and the few rifts we already have had.
​
Russian Revolution
In the Russian Empire, Templars had been attempting to use the royal family for years. Notably, Rasputin was a Templar agent who stole a staff of Eden from Tsar Nicholas II which was mostly destroyed in the Tunguska Event at the hands of Nikolai Orlev and his accomplices. A single shard remained which Rasputin held onto, likely allowing him to survive several more assassination attempts until 1916 when he was finally killed by Felix Yusupov. In March of 1917 amidst the revolution calling for the Tsar to abdicate, Nikolai Orlev was searching for the staff, breaking into the Tsar’s home in Petrograd, confronting the Tsar, and leaving after breaking the staff despite a request from Vladimir Lenin to assassinate him. Nikolai eventually found Rasputin’s grave and the staff shard still on his body. Tsar Nicholas would abdicate a few days later.
Despite Lenin’s affiliations to the Assassins, Templars infiltrated his ranks and in November of 1917, he began the October Revolution with the intention of ending the provisional government and creating the Congress of Soviets for the Bolshevik Party. The armed insurrection began in Petrograd which split the assassins, and further split them as Templars executed Tsar Nicholas and his entire family save for Anastasia who was rescued by Nikolai Orlev who then fled to America. This was a major point that began the armed conflict between the Red Army of the Bolsheviks and the White Army of Supporters for the Russian Empire known as the Russian Civil War. During this, it appears the Assassins largely collapsed under the weight of the Templars that controlled both the Red and White army. In 1924, after Vladimir Lenin died of a sickness, Joseph Stalin rose to become the first Premier of the newly formed Soviet Union which during the course of the war conquered central Asia and Siberia. Personally, I’d rather see Imperial Russia like Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, or Catherine the Great, or Napoleon’s Invasion with a focus on Moscow(1)(7).jpg) and Petrograd (St Petersburg).
​
Prohibition US
Personally, this is my favored setting for an AC game in the 20th century. Women gained the right to vote in 1920 just after the prohibition of alcohol due to pressure from Feminist and Christian groups sparking the creation of Organized Crime throughout major cities and rumrunners smuggling alcohol. By 1925 New York City had over 10,000 speakeasies to illegal buy alcohol. The Creation of the mafias led to the US federal government responding with a 3000 man task force and later creation of the FBI. In this, we have the rise of notorious gangsters like Al Capone who orchestrated the St Valentine’s Day Massacre, Dutch Schultz, and Chester La Mare in Chicago, New York, and Detroit respectively. Las Vegas was just getting off its feet due to new laws relaxing the restrictions on Gambling creating new Crime bosses there. The Ohio Gang in Congress was at the heart of corruption in the Harding administration. The Pinkerton Detective Agency also continued and expanded to other countries in this time, being sent to investigate union disputes, during which Gangsters began taking control of unions for their racketeering schemes. I can’t deny that it’d be fun to be able to explore the Boroughs of New York/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63839281/GettyImages_3089399.0.jpg), Chicago, Detroit, and Vegas at the heart of prohibition (though we’d need the rope launcher again), and maybe take contracts for the crime lords, or fight against them maybe as a detective part of the Pinkertons. It’d certainly be interesting to assassinate the most notorious crime lords in American history. It would likely take more of a 3rd person shooter vibe with Tommy Guns, Shotguns, Rifles, and pistols, but I can see cane swords and Hidden Blades being useful for combat too. I feel this game would be Syndicate-Esque with maybe Film-Noir vibes, and the occasional car chase. This setting was really popularized due to the “Jazz Age Junkies” in Unity in which a character in this setting was also in contact with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Stein (famous American Writers).
​
The Summer of Love
In 1967 over 100,000 people entered the city of San Francisco to smoke pot, do psychedelic drugs, promote free love, and music as a form of protest against the Vietnam War and consumerism. I admit the era is fantastic in terms of lore potential. In 1963 JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald a Templar sleeper agent, during which JFK's driver was under the influence of a PoE which also caused the illusion of a man on the hill creating the multiple shooter conspiracy theory. The Space Race was really a contest between Assassins and Templars to get to the apple on the moon first, as Assassins largely backed US presidents (Save for a few who were tied to Templars like FDR and Truman), while the USSR was largely controlled by Templars. The CIA began experimenting massively in attempts to defeat Russia, including looking at the effects of a LSD sex house in San Francisco during the Summer of Love, and even used LSD to attempt to facilitate psychic powers including the ability to kill someone by staring at them, which was tested on Goats in the Stargate Project which attempted to “Unlock the human potential for military applications”.
At this time during the cold war, conspiracies and alien sightings were pretty common leading to sightings of bigfoot and Mothman for example, the latter of which allegedly caused Men in Black to harass locals in West Virginia. Perhaps a lore explanation of these phenomena and mass hysteria was Templar or Assassin experimentation with PoE and psychedelics which they would then make disappear with the alleged Men in Black. The US did experiment with the potential for weather changing technology and biological warfare via dropping bacteria and chemicals from high altitude, which gave way to conspiracies about chemtrails. While chemtrails as the modern conspiracy isn't true, the US experimented A LOT with honestly really fucked up things like incendiary bats which destroyed a military base in New Mexico; or in 1967 they scrapped the Acoustic Kitty Project where the US government implanted listening devices in cats and tried to train them to follow people and listen to conversations. Spoiler Alert, the cats refused to be trained. Though this could be an interesting skill in an AC game in this era. It wasn’t just animals that were experimented on, as there were unethical human experimentations done on soldiers, criminally insane, and orphaned children across the US including testing radiation effects, injecting diseases, poor health standards, drug treatments, and of course rumors with no actual reports on attempts to create child soldiers. While this is thus far an unproven conspiracy theory, FOIA requests of FBI reports do show a potential CIA Human/ Sex Trafficking ring called the Finders from the late 80s and early 90s operating throughout the US which many conspiracy theorists were quick to point similarities to conspiracies about the current Government’s and Elites’ relation to pedophile rings including one at least partially operated by Jeffrey Epstein. Pair this with other real projects including MKUltra, Artichoke, and Bluebird which attempted to brainwash - sometimes with drugs and drug addiction to morphine - people to attempt assassinations and act as sleeper cells.
This era in the 60s and 70s was the birth of Abstergo and the Animus program which Vidic began testing on subjects in 1980. In 2000 Abstergo’s creation of a Sleeper Cell ala Daniel Cross, succeeded by having him assassinate the mentor and starting the Great Purge. Sleeper cells, spies, espionage, and subterfuge are nothing new in media and video games. Even the most recent Call of Duty game has been marketed with Yuri Bezmenov’s speeches on Russian Subversion tactics in relation to a sleeper cell in America.
This is to say nothing of the countless US interventions during the Cold War and later including a coup in Argentina and Chile the latter of which the US-supported Pinochet who subsequently executed thousands of political dissidents; firebombed Laos and Cambodia, supported Papa Doc who used death squads of the Tonton Macoutes in Haiti to enforce his rule, invaded the Bay of Pigs and had several attempts at assassinating Castro, and the US’s support for terrorists and dictators in the middle east including Afghanistan and Iraq leading the rise and creation of cells like Al Qaeda and ISIS.
I know the majority of this has been looking away from the Summer of Love, but I’m using all the conspiracies and actual projects mentioned here that actually happened during the cold war as a potential basis for what can be explored in a game in San Francisco or New York in 1967. While the game idea was only popularized due to a joke from the Simpsons later posted in AC4, the lore potential is very real.
​
21st Century and beyond
People have been asking for a modern-day Assassin’s Creed for years now, due in part to the original plan for AC3 being modern-day only or not having to use an animus to go to the past due to the bleeding effect. This luckily never came to fruition, which is good. Assassin’s Creed is meant to be a primarily historical game, and a large part of the draw is historical tourism. That said, I do like the modern-day in the series, and think we should see a time jump forward to like 2030 and have the series slowly work towards that date so we can have successive games like Desmond had, rather than the disjointed nature Layla’s Saga has had.