ESA is very similar to GDQ and does two large week-long charity speedrunning marathons each year. Unlike GDQ, they pull a MUCH smaller viewership and, IMO, deserve way more attention than they...
ESA is very similar to GDQ and does two large week-long charity speedrunning marathons each year. Unlike GDQ, they pull a MUCH smaller viewership and, IMO, deserve way more attention than they get.
If you like the idea of GDQ but don't love the crowds or high energy, ESA is for you, as it's a much more chill, cozy stream.
Friday/Saturday (depending on your location) there's a Vampire Survivors Crowd Control run that's sure to be great. Crowd Control runs aren't really speedruns so much as they are donation incentives. People can donate money to cause certain effects to happen in the game, which can help or hinder the player.
There are also three IRL runs I'm looking forward to:
Sunday: PC Building run (All Screws category, lol)
I should have expected this and don't know why I didn't, but the PC Building run was a sponsored bit. It was still a fun watch though -- especially some of the late-stage debugging. When I built...
I should have expected this and don't know why I didn't, but the PC Building run was a sponsored bit. It was still a fun watch though -- especially some of the late-stage debugging.
When I built my own computer, it took me an entire Saturday, and I spent hours searching information online and trying to find different videos because the actual computer I had in front of me wasn't nearly as simple as the online guide I was trying to follow. This guy beat my PB by HOURS!
Also, I really think they should have had a donation war for which operating system to install. I feel like all the fans of the different Linux varieties would have put up a lot of money trying to get their favorite spin on the system. I myself would have thrown some money towards Pop!_OS.
The IKEA Kallax Assembly race was great fun. I didn't realize it when I first looked at the schedule, but it was a "$25% run". This is an ESA-specific run type in which you can donate $25 to...
The IKEA Billy Kallax Assembly race was great fun. I didn't realize it when I first looked at the schedule, but it was a "$25% run". This is an ESA-specific run type in which you can donate $25 to institute a rule for the runners, the announcers, or the crowd (e.g. runners can use only one hand for the next two minutes).
There isn't a set list of rules to choose from, so donators can come up with anything they want. Not every single one necessarily plays out well, but overall it creates chaotic fun and raises a lot of money for charity. These are some of my favorite events at ESA, and the Bookshelf race doesn't disappoint.
One of my favorite $25% run moments comes from a Grand Theft Auto: Vice City run. A donator makes a rule that the audience has to lean with the motorcycle onscreen, and they follow that rule with gusto.
ESA is very similar to GDQ and does two large week-long charity speedrunning marathons each year. Unlike GDQ, they pull a MUCH smaller viewership and, IMO, deserve way more attention than they get.
If you like the idea of GDQ but don't love the crowds or high energy, ESA is for you, as it's a much more chill, cozy stream.
Friday/Saturday (depending on your location) there's a Vampire Survivors Crowd Control run that's sure to be great. Crowd Control runs aren't really speedruns so much as they are donation incentives. People can donate money to cause certain effects to happen in the game, which can help or hinder the player.
There are also three IRL runs I'm looking forward to:
I should have expected this and don't know why I didn't, but the PC Building run was a sponsored bit. It was still a fun watch though -- especially some of the late-stage debugging.
When I built my own computer, it took me an entire Saturday, and I spent hours searching information online and trying to find different videos because the actual computer I had in front of me wasn't nearly as simple as the online guide I was trying to follow. This guy beat my PB by HOURS!
Also, I really think they should have had a donation war for which operating system to install. I feel like all the fans of the different Linux varieties would have put up a lot of money trying to get their favorite spin on the system. I myself would have thrown some money towards Pop!_OS.
And if you missed a run you wanted to watch, /r/speedrun has a VOD thread for ESA events too.
[ESA] VoD Thread Winter 2023
The IKEA
BillyKallax Assembly race was great fun. I didn't realize it when I first looked at the schedule, but it was a "$25% run". This is an ESA-specific run type in which you can donate $25 to institute a rule for the runners, the announcers, or the crowd (e.g. runners can use only one hand for the next two minutes).There isn't a set list of rules to choose from, so donators can come up with anything they want. Not every single one necessarily plays out well, but overall it creates chaotic fun and raises a lot of money for charity. These are some of my favorite events at ESA, and the Bookshelf race doesn't disappoint.
One of my favorite $25% run moments comes from a Grand Theft Auto: Vice City run. A donator makes a rule that the audience has to lean with the motorcycle onscreen, and they follow that rule with gusto.