misskale

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Once the "spoiler statute of limitations" passes, I need to remember to do a compilation about why Across the Spider-verse feels heavily influenced by Evangelion (tv version).

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I’ve been thinking about this and, as someone who is in the group of people who is generally OK to buy the premium products I actually have a problem with the price of Double Masters and with how the fetch lands Secret Lair was handled. 

Secret Lair and Collectors Boosters are different in my mind because they've seemed to exist solely as cosmetic upgrades. Secret Lair are slightly cheaper than buying the specific card on the secondary market so it also feels like you’re paying an acceptable amount because you’re getting something unique.  

The Secret Lair fetch lands were done as something to be a premium for a store, which I appreciate. However, making it so that there wasn’t an MSRP AND that it had weird distribution took it to a new level. You couldn’t find it to buy it unless you paid more than twice the price that had been suggested in the reveal. That created a whole new level to “it’s not designed for you” to include your geographic region (I know, USA privilege). 

I think I fill out the surveys fairly regularly, What formats I play, how many events I go to, how much I’ve paid for product in the last year. There have definitely been a lot of questions about whether you are OK paying for, or would want to pay for, “premium graphics” cards. 

Masters sets are designed to be drafted though right? What is the overlap between people who play limited and those who prioritize the high-end cards? Is this supposed to be a way to entice them to play the limited format? The other problem you’re possibly running into is it’s easy to compare with the Mystery Boosters which ALSO had Mana Crypt in it and were ~$100 USD on release (one-third the price) for the same number of packs. Battlebond is also out there with Doubling Season and Land Tax. 

It feels like a good compromise would be to make a “Mystery Booster”-ish companion set. Don’t have the new art, don’t have the box toppers. Just have it be the same, or similar, draft experience. If you’re worried about distinguishing it, maybe make it so that each only has one foil and one rare? I understand that it would take more work to do this but I think it would do a lot in terms of good will. The $300 version would be paying more to have a higher chance for the “desirable cards” in the same way the Collectors Boosters are giving you a better chance to get the premium versions of cards. Maybe they could be on the really high quality paper to further justify the premium price.

I’m not saying that everyone needs to have the most powerful, desirable cards for a really cheap price. But making them ONLY available to the people who are willing to pay the highest price feels really, really, bad.  

Hey Marc, I know that you probably won't answer this, but I really wanted you to pass this along if possible. Double masters while being a cool set (I am assuming), is priced out of my range. While you don't control pricing, I just wanted you to know that 300 dollars a box (before gouging) is going to really spoil a lot of the communities good will towards your company. I know that company line is "it's not for everyone", but Mr. Rosewater it's a bridge to far for this 15 year invested player.

I want to have a honest discussion with all of you. While making Magic the best game it can be is important to us, we are also a business. Part of our job as a business is to recognize all the various audiences and create products to serve them. That’s how we make money - finding player desires and filling them with products.

One of our audiences are invested players with a higher price threshold. That is, there are players who are willing to spend a lot of money for highly desired cards, be it reprints or alternate versions. It’s in our interest to make products for those players (things like Double Masters and collector boosters). Note that we take great care to make those products something that group is happy to buy.

The issue is those desirable cards are also desired by players who that product is not aimed for. Desirable cards are desirable cards. So when we make these products, that group gets upset because the prices seem so high. It feels like an insult. We made something they’d like, but we priced them out of being able to purchase it.

I get the ill will, but I also feel like not making products for that audience is unfair for both that audience and us. So I’m turning to all of you that feel upset. How can we make these products in a way that allows that audience to get what they want without all of you feeling like we’re doing harm to you?

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With Steven Universe ending tonight

I keep thinking about Open Book and these two sequences.

In the same way Renaldo’s stuff has hinted at things I keep wondering if these did too. With magical girl stories it wouldn’t be far out there if he lost his powers as part of the ending, I guess I’ll find out tonight.

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Yes, this 38 year old "young person" does like weird things like this.

I remember learning about Dadaism as a kid and was "I love this" so it is something that has been in the pipe a while. I always figured in the US it was a reaction to conservative politicians and our childhoods generally being shaped by corporations with products that were inherently ridiculous.

See Christmas specials:

So, we developed a response to things we knew were weird that come from the same sort of environment that caused Gen-X to make tv/movies/writing/art with gritty realism.

corn flaek

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Brexit in a nutshell

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As many people have said, the art and the lack of humans are a large part of it.Though that my first deck was Superabundance and my favorite card is Gilder Bairn also factor into it.

Mechanically though I think Lorwyn had some of the most interesting and powerful effects that really stand out from other sets. The way hybrid mana was used (I’m so happy it returned with the new Ravnica releases), counter manipulation, the effects that were conditional on card color identity (building off of the hybrid mana, ex: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=147428), interesting graveyard interactions, persist, evoke, more tutoring, untap effects and tokens. While I like the tribal effects, I think the flexibility and balance of the set are more important. 

What Do You Like About Lorwyn?

Last week, I asked you all about what planes you want to see us visit in future Standard-legal sets. The weighted winner was Lorwyn. Lorwyn was also the winner of the Head-to-Head about planes to return to. So, I’m interested to hear from all the Lorwyn fans, why do you want to return there and what would you want to see in a return?

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Oscar approves.

lesbianing it up in cartoons like

swords and jackets swords and jackets, *loud screech* NOT DYING, swords and jackets

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I want to point out that the original poster and at least one of the other deactivated accounts (lagonegirl) were on the list of Russian associated activity Tumblr sent out. Edward Crawford did die though.

I'm bringing this up not because I am trying to discredit the story but to highlight the sort of activity and posting employed.

Wonder how fast we could crowdfund it.

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i wonder how many historic trans men we’ve lost to “this WOMAN went by a man’s name, wore men’s clothes, took the job of a man, lived as a man… GIRL POWER!”

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@accusativeofexclamation @dapperpaladin

Hey Tumblr, if you are still mad about the Library of Alexandria, Stop! You can SAVE one ancient library right now. The Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, Some nearly 2000 carbonized scrolls were discovered along with the villa in the 1700s. Over the past couple centuries the scrolls have been a major source of study and today we are finally reaching ways of reading their contents without destroying the scrolls in the process. Here’s the big news, just over a week ago a whole lost work of Seneca the elder, became unlost! Article here: http://www.romeandart.eu/en/art-news-historia-seneca.html  The villa itself is largely underground and was explored via tunneling and as such it’s full extent still hasn’t been made clear, and it has long been suspected that additional libraries could exist within the site, not to mention other as of yet undiscovered villas. However, Italy as with many European countries simply has so many archaeological sites and new things being found all the time and not enough money to go around. Additionally the Villa of the Papyri is threatened with constant flooding issues. Library aside Sites like Herculaneum and Pompeii and all Archaeological sites around the world tell us so much about ancient peoples and cultures where we don’t have their literature to call on.  So how can you save the last ancient library? Donate to various archaeological and conservation/preservation groups, or even volunteer! Here a just a couple links to get started:

World Monuments Fund: https://www.wmf.org/get-involved

Archaeological Institute of America: https://www.archaeological.org/giving

Friends of Herculaneum Society: http://www.herculaneum.ox.ac.uk/

Pompeii Sustainable Preservation Project: http://www.pompeii-sustainable-preservation-project.org/  

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My favorite random Far Side thing are still the times its text got mixed up with Dennis the Menace.

http://twentytwowords.com/newspaper-accidentally-swaps-captions-for-the-far-side-and-dennis-the-menace-twice/

a verbal description of a far side comic is indistinguishable from a fine shitpost

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I looked up mad max: fieri road and I was not disappointed

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For anybody who loves DnD play podcasts Loading Ready Run has started up a new series.

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Ursula K Le Guin

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Words that have been spoiled by Sci-fi

Specifically ones that I always misread EVERY time I see them.

Davos

Kardashian

Darek

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“Fake news” - fandom edition

In 2k17, a lot of us have pledged to be more cautious about ‘fake news’ posts on Facebook

I propose we extend that concern to fandom

There’s a very low bar on this site (or any site) for people to post whatever tf they want, and a very high incentive to post fake receipts to win arguments

(Or at the least, misleading “receipts” such as “Artist XYZ is a bad person” because they drew a picture of bad things happening to completely fictional characters)

So this year, if you see a callout post:

Look for signs of bias. I have the sneaking suspicion that “XYZ-is-bad.tumblr.com” is not an objective source.

Be wary of unsourced accusations. “Person A is a homophobe!” is a statement, not evidence. Look for original sources. Did Person A post “I hate gay people” on their blog?  Or did they draw fanart of an unpopular het pairing?

Look for context. Check out Person A’s blog to see if you have the whole picture. Did Person A pick a fight out of nowhere, or was that viral post made in response to an anon harassing them?

Ask “what real person was hurt”. Writing a fanfic is not the same as committing a crime in real life. If Person B claims that Person A is a real-life “abuser” because they shipped two (100% fictional!) characters, Person B is out of line. 

Consider ulterior motives. Did Person A recently open a Patreon and receive a slew of hateful messages about ‘selling out’?  Did Person B have an argument about characterization with their co-author and then suddenly “reveal” a list of unsourced accusations?  Who stands to gain if someone else is driven out of fandom by angry anons?

Long story short, I don’t believe everyone in fandom is evil – nor that every accusation is unfounded. I do believe that unfortunately, in this modern ‘post-truth’ world, we are all going to have to get much better at fact checking and source validity…both in fandom and in real life.