#customer reward system

[eclipsecrowned]

i. actually enjoyed it? retail is a completely different experience when i'm not chained to a till for 8 hours unable to do anything but question why i'm here.

[pooksbedamned]

I choose to believe

this

what the fuck

[antonyshelton]

Build the Future of Gaming with Crypto Casino Development Solutions

[fogaminghub]

✨ Calling all Tamriel adventurers! The thrilling Elder Scrolls Online Update 44 is here! With awesome new features like revamped Battlegrounds, two amazing new Companions, and an expanded Scribing system, the adventure is just getting started! Are you ready to explore? 🏰⚔️

[whats-in-a-sentence]

He ended his report with a homily on 'reforming our culture':

Looking back in time, we created many of our own problems by showing unproductive behaviour and attributes to become dominant inside the corporation. The result was a decline in customer service, quality control, staff morale and financial performance. All this must change, and change rapidly . . . Changing corporate culture is not easy. It begins at the top . . . You have today a management team that takes seriously its mission of financial stewardship over the affairs is a great institution. We are determined to remake Westpac into a corporation that is disciplined about quality control and customer service; that is innovative, ethical and a rewarding place to work; and that is tightly focused on becoming the best, most efficient bank for our customers. To do so requires that we change people, change the behaviours that are recognised and encouraged, and change the values within the organisation.

"Westpac: The Bank That Broke the Bank" - Edna Carew

[pointsplus]

Introducing POINTS PLUS: Revolutionizing Retail Loyalty Programs

In an era where customer loyalty can make or break a business, innovative approaches to incentivize and reward consumers are paramount. Enter POINTS PLUS, a pioneering loyalty program designed to elevate the retail experience for both retailers and shoppers alike. More than just a points system, POINTS PLUS represents a paradigm shift in how businesses engage with their customers, fostering lasting relationships built on mutual benefit and satisfaction.

At its core, POINTS PLUS is a comprehensive platform that seamlessly integrates into retailers' existing operations, offering a range of features tailored to meet the evolving needs of today's marketplace. Whether it's a brick-and-mortar store or an online e-commerce platform, POINTS PLUS provides retailers with the tools they need to drive customer engagement, increase sales, and cultivate brand loyalty.

For consumers, POINTS PLUS promises a rewarding shopping experience like no other. Gone are the days of fragmented loyalty programs with limited benefits. With POINTS PLUS, shoppers have access to a unified rewards ecosystem that spans across multiple retailers, allowing them to earn and redeem points seamlessly across their favorite brands. From exclusive discounts and promotions to personalized offers based on purchasing behavior, POINTS PLUS empowers consumers to maximize the value of their shopping experience.

One of the key differentiators of POINTS PLUS is its emphasis on customization and flexibility. Unlike traditional loyalty programs that follow a one-size-fits-all approach, POINTS PLUS enables retailers to tailor rewards and incentives to suit the unique preferences and behaviors of their customer base. Whether it's offering bonus points on specific products, organizing member-only events, or providing personalized recommendations, POINTS PLUS empowers retailers to deliver a personalized shopping experience that resonates with their customers on a deeper level.

Moreover, POINTS PLUS leverages cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence and data analytics, to optimize performance and drive results. By harnessing the power of data, retailers can gain valuable insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and trends, allowing them to make informed decisions that drive business growth. From identifying emerging market opportunities to refining marketing strategies, POINTS PLUS provides retailers with the tools they need to stay ahead of the curve in today's competitive landscape.

But perhaps the most compelling aspect of POINTS PLUS is its focus on building genuine relationships between retailers and consumers. In an age where trust and authenticity are paramount, POINTS PLUS fosters a sense of community and belonging, where customers feel valued and appreciated for their loyalty. By rewarding repeat purchases and incentivizing engagement, POINTS PLUS creates a virtuous cycle of loyalty that benefits both retailers and consumers alike.

[1st-skills-academy]

A Guide to Building Trust and Loyalty in Food Service Business

Cultivating trust and loyalty among customers, particularly those with food allergies, is indispensable in food service settings where dietary preferences and restrictions are as diverse as the dishes served. Establishing a bond built on transparency, safety, and exceptional service goes beyond mere transactions; it's all about fostering relationships that can withstand the test of time. This article delves into the pivotal strategies food service establishments can employ to earn their clientele's trust and inspire unwavering loyalty.

Trust is built over time through consistently delivering exceptional service, and loyalty follows when customers feel understood, respected, and safe.

Building Trust with Customers

Building trust with customers, particularly those with food allergies, involves a consistent commitment to safety, transparency, and excellent service. Here are key strategies to cultivate trust:

Be Transparent and Honest: Be upfront about your menu and the potential allergens in your food. Honesty fosters trust and is particularly crucial for customers with food allergies.

Ensure Safety: Implement rigorous food handling and preparation protocols to avoid cross-contact with allergens. Customers will trust your establishment when they feel their health is prioritized.

Maintain Consistency: Deliver consistent service quality, from the food quality to the attentiveness of the staff. Consistency signals reliability, building trust over time.

Acknowledge Mistakes: If a mistake happens, own up to it, apologize sincerely, and rectify the situation promptly. This demonstrates integrity and can strengthen trust.

A Guide to Fostering Loyalty

Loyal customers are invaluable to the long-term success of your establishment. They not only frequent your business but also recommend it to others. Here's how you can foster loyalty:

Provide Exceptional Service: Always aim to exceed customer expectations. A satisfied customer is likely to return and become a loyal patron.

Personalize the Experience: Remember regular customers, their preferences, and their allergies. Personal touches like these make customers feel valued and enhance their loyalty.

Encourage Feedback: Ask for feedback and show customers you value their input. Make necessary changes based on their suggestions, which can increase their loyalty.

Reward Loyalty: Implement a loyalty program or offer discounts to regular customers. Rewards give customers a tangible reason to return.

When dealing with allergic customers, their safety is the top priority. Their trust in your ability to cater to their dietary needs and prevent cross-contact with allergens is critical. Their loyalty stems from repeated positive experiences where they feel understood, cared for, and safe.

Maintain clear communication, offer allergen-free options, and train your staff adequately to handle food allergies.

In conclusion, ensuring clear and accessible communication regarding allergens in food packaging and labeling is vital. Factors like label design, multilingual labeling, symbols, packaging materials, and integrity are crucial in keeping us safe, especially those with food allergies.

Every detail matters in creating a safer food environment, from ensuring the labels are easy to read to selecting the right packaging materials to prevent cross-contact. These steps aren't just about meeting regulations but looking for each other's well-being. By prioritizing these aspects, we minimize risks and build trust and confidence in the products we consume.

Overall, it's a reminder of the personal impact of allergen awareness and the importance of taking it seriously in our everyday lives.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

MLMs are the mirror-world version of community organizing

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/05/power-of-positive-thinking/#the-socialism-of-fools

In her unmissable 2023 book Doppelganger, Naomi Klein paints a picture of a "mirror world" of right wing and conspiratorial beliefs that are warped, false reflections of real crises:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/05/not-that-naomi/#if-the-naomi-be-klein-youre-doing-just-fine

For example, Qanon's obsession with "child trafficking" is a mirror-world version of the real crises of child poverty, child labor, border family separations and kids in cages. Anti-vax is the mirror-world version of the true story of the Sacklers and their fellow opioid barons making billions on Oxy and fent, with the collusion of corrupt FDA officials and a pliant bankruptcy court system. Xenophobic panic about "immigrants stealing jobs" is the mirror world version of the well-documented fact that big business shipped jobs to low-waged territories abroad, weakening US labor and smashing US unions. Cryptocurrency talk about "decentralization" is the mirror-world version of the decay of every industry (including tech) into a monopoly or a cartel.

Klein is at pains to point out that other political thinkers have described this phenomenon. Back in the 19th century, leftists called antisemitism "the socialism of fools." Socialism – the idea that working people are preyed upon by capital – is reflected in the warped mirror as "working people are preyed upon by international Jewish bankers."

The mirror world is a critical concept, because it shows that far right and conspiratorial beliefs are often uneasy neighbors with real, serious political movements. The swivel-eyed loons have a point, in other words:

https://locusmag.com/2023/05/commentary-cory-doctorow-the-swivel-eyed-loons-have-a-point/

Once you understand the mirror world, you start to realize that many right wing conspiracists could have been directed into productive movements, if only they'd understood that their problems were with systems, not sinister individuals (this is why Trump has ordered a purge of any federally funded research that contains the word "systemic"):

https://mamot.fr/@Lazarou@mastodon.social/113943287435897828

This also explains why the "tropes" of right wing conspiratorialism sometimes echo left wing, radical thought. I once had a (genuinely unhinged) dialog with a self-described German "progressive" who told me that criticizing the finance industry as parasitic on the real economy was "structurally antisemitic." Nonsense like this is why Klein's "mirror world" is so important: unless you understand the mirror world, you can end up believing that "progressive" just means "defending anything the right hates."

Historian Erik Baker is the author of a new book, Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America, which has some very interesting things to say about the mirror world:

https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674293601

In a recent edition of the always-excellent Know Your Enemy podcast, the hosts interviewed Baker about the book, and the conversation turned to the subject of pyramid schemes, the "multilevel marketing systems" that are woven into so many religious, right-wing movements:

https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/know-your-enemy-the-entrepreneurial-ethic/

MLMs have it all: prosperity gospel ("God rewards virtue with wealth"), atomization ("you are an entrepreneur and everyone in your life is your potential customer"), and rabid anti-Communism ("solidarity is a trick to make you poorer").

The rise of the far right can't be separated from the history of MLMs. The modern MLM starts with Amway, a cultlike national scam that was founded by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos (father-in-law of Betsy DeVos).

Rank-and-file members of the Amway cult lived in dire poverty, convinced that their financial predicament was their own fault for not faithfully following the "sure-fire" Amway method for building a business. Andrea Pitzer's gripping memoir of growing up in an Amway household offers a glimpse of the human cost of the cult:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/amway-america/681479/?gift=j9r7avb6p-KY8zdjhsiSZxYkntna5M_rYEv4707Zqqs

Amway – and MLMs like it – don't just bleed out their members by convincing them to buy mountains of useless crap they're supposed to sell to their families, while enriching the people at the top of the pyramid who sell it to them. The "toxic positivity" of multi-level marketing cults forces members deep into debt to pay for seminars and retreats where they are supposed to learn how to repair the personal defects that keep them from being "successful entrepreneurs." The topline of the cult isn't just getting rich selling stuff – they're making bank by selling false hope, literally, in Hilton ballrooms and convention centers across the country, where hearing an MLM scammer berate you for being a "bad entrepreneur" costs thousands of dollars.

Amway destroyed so many lives that Richard Nixon's FTC decided to investigate it. The investigation wasn't going well for Amway, which was facing an existential crisis that they were rescued from by Nixon's resignation. You see, Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, was the former Congressman of Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel, who was also the head of the US Chamber of Commerce, the most powerful business lobbyist in America.

At Ford's direction, the FTC exonerated Amway of all wrongdoing. But it's even worse than that: Ford's FTC actually crafted a rule that differentiated legal pyramid schemes from illegal ones, based on Amway's destructive business practices. Under this new rule, any pyramid scheme that had the same structure as Amway was presumptively legal. Every MLM operating in America today is built on the Amway model, taking advantage of the FTC's Amway rule to operate in the open, without fear of legal repercussions.

MLMs prey on the poor and desperate: women, people of color, people in dying small towns and decaying rustbelt cities. It's not just that these people are desperate – it's that they only survive through networks of mutual aid. Poor women rely on other poor women to help with child care, marginalized people rely on one another for help with home maintenance, small loans, a place to crash after an eviction, or a place to park the RV you're living out of.

In other words, people who lack monetary capital must rely on social capital for survival. That's why MLMs target these people: an MLM is a system for destructively transforming social capital into monetary capital. MLMs exhort their members to mine their social relationships for "leads" and "customers" and to use the language of social solidarity ("women helping women") to wheedle, guilt, and arm-twist people from your mutual aid network into buying things they don't need and can't afford.

But it's worse, because what MLMs really sell is MLMs. The real purpose of an MLM sales call is to convince the "customer" to become an MLM salesperson, who owes you a share of every sale they make and is incentivized to buy stock they don't need (from you) in order to make quotas. And of course, their real job is to sign up other salespeople to work under them, and so on.

An MLM isn't just a pathogen, in other words – it's a contagion. When someone in your social support network gets the MLM disease, they don't just burn all their social ties with you and the people you rely on – they convince more people in your social group to do the same.

Which brings me back to the mirror world, and Erik Baker's conversation with the Know Your Enemy podcast. Baker starts to talk about who gets big into Amway: "people who already effectively lead by the force of their charisma and personality many other people in their lives. Right? Because you're able to sell to those people, and you're able to recruit those people. What are we talking about? Well, they're effectively recruiting organizers, people who have a natural capacity for organizing and then sending them out in the world to organize on behalf of Christian capitalism."

Listening to this, I was thunderstruck: MLM recruiters are the mirror world version of union organizers. In her memoir of growing up in Amway, Andrea Pitzer talks about how her mom would approach strangers and try to lead them through a kind of structured discussion:

Everywhere we went—the mall, state parks, grocery stores—she’d ask people whether they could use a little more money each month. “I’d love to set up a time to talk to you about an exciting business opportunity.” The words should have seemed suspect. Yet people almost always gave her their number. Her confidence and professionalism were reassuring, and her enthusiasm was electric, even, at first, to me. “What would you do with $1 million?” she’d ask, spinning me around the kitchen.

This kind of person, having this kind of dialog, is exactly how union organizers work. In A Collective Bargain, Jane McAlevey's classic book on labor organizing, she describes how she would seek out the charismatic, outgoing workers in a job-site, the natural leaders, and recruit them to help bring the other workers onboard:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/23/a-collective-bargain/

Organizer training focuses on how to have a "structured organizing conversation," which McAlevey described in a 2019 Jacobin article:

“If you had a magic wand and could change three things about life in America [or her town or city or school], what would you change?” The rest of your conversation needs to be anchored to her answers to that question.

https://jacobin.com/2019/11/thanksgiving-organizing-activism-friends-family-conversation-presidential-election

The MLM conversation and the union conversation have eerily similar structures, but the former is designed to commodify and destroy solidarity, and the latter is designed to reinforce and mobilize solidarity. Seen in this light, an MLM is a mirror world union, one that converts solidarity into misery and powerlessness instead of joy and strength.

The MLM movement doesn't just make men like Rich De Vos and Jay Van Andel into billionaires. MLM bosses are heavy funders of the right, a blank check for the Heritage Foundation. Trump is the MLM president, a grifter who grew up on the gospel of Norman Vincent Peale – a key figure in MLM cult dynamics – who tells his followers that wealth is a sign of virtue. Trump boasts about all the people he's ripped off, boasting about how getting away with cheating "makes me smart":

https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/04/its-not-a-lie/#its-a-premature-truth

The corollary is that being cheated means you're stupid. Caveat emptor, the motto of the cryptocurrency industry ("not your wallet, not your coins") that spent hundreds of millions to get Trump elected.

Tech has its own mirror world. The people who used tech to find fellow weirdos and make delightful and wonderful things are mirrored by the people who used tech to find fellow weirdos and call for fascism, ethnic cleansing, and concentration camps.

In Picks and Shovels, my next novel (Feb 17), I introduce readers to a fictitious 1980s religious computer sales cult called Fidelity Computing, run by an orthodox rabbi, a Catholic priest and a Mormon rabbi:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865908/picksandshovels

Fidelity is a faith scam, a pyramid scheme that is parasitic upon the bonds of faith and fellowship. Martin Hench, the hero of the story – a hard-fighting high tech forensic accountant – goes to work for a competing business, Computing Freedom, run by three Fidelity ex-employees who have left their faiths and their employers to pursue a vision of computers that is about liberation, rather than control.

The women of Computing Freedom – a queer orthodox woman who's been kicked out of her family, a Mormon woman who's renounced the LDS over its opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, and a nun who's left her order to throw in with the Liberation Theology movement – are all charismatic, energetic, inspirational organizers.

Because of course they are – that's why they were so good at selling computers for the Reverend Sirs who sit at the top of Fidelity Computing's pyramid scheme.

Hearing Baker's interview and reading Pitzer's memoir last week made it all click together for me. Not just that MLMs destroy social bonds, but that within every person who gets sucked into an MLM, there's a community organizer who could be building the bonds that MLMs destroy.

[galedekarios]

Dragon Age: Veilguard | The Ultimate Preview Summary

shinobi602 on twitter shared this amazing in-depth summary of all new information about the game that we have so far:

Coming to PS5, Xbox Series X and PC in Fall 2024

Consoles: Quality and Performance modes (60FPS)

Photo mode is confirmed

Fully offline single player, no EA account linking, no micro-transactions'

Play as a human, elf, dwarf, or Qunari

Choose your backstory, 6 factions to choose from when you create your character, all with "deep roots in Thedas": Antivan Crows, Grey Wardens, Shadow Dragons, Veil Jumpers, Lords of Fortune, The Mourne Watch

Each faction offers 3 distinct buffs each, like being able to hold an extra potion or do extra damage against certain enemies, and the odd reference in dialogue

You can customize your Inquisitor from Dragon Age: Inquisition in the character creator and "make a few key decisions that will impact how The Veilguard begins"

There are some "killer cameos" from past games that show up

Warrior Class: Use a sword and shield or two handed weapon to send enemies flying

Rogue Class: Utilizes quick movement and reflexes. You can wield a bow or dual swords with "powerful, precise strikes for lethal damage"

Mage Class: Use magic to incinerate, freeze, electrocute and crush. Some cast from afar, while others prefer close quarters combat

Each class also has 3 sub-specializations, such as duelist, saboteur, or veil ranger for the Rogue

Classes also have unique 'resource system's, for example, the Rogue has "momentum", which builds up as you land consecutive hits, and each will always have a ranged option

One Rogue momentum attack is a "hip fire" option we saw for the Rogue's bow, letting you pop off arrows from the waist

Another momentum attack for the Warrior lets you lob your shield at enemies

Quests are more handcrafted and mission based, curated with alternate paths, secrets to discover and optional content

There are also open ended explorable areas

Party size of 3 during combat, ala Mass Effect

Combat is focused on real-time action, dodge, parry, counter, "sophisticated animation canceling and branching", using risk-reward charge attacks designed to break enemy armor layers

Enemies have elemental weaknesses and resistances, and you can chain together elemental combos for extra damage

One example is a squadmate using a gravity well attack to suck enemies in, another slowing them down, and the player then unleashing a big AOE attack

You don't take direct control of companions like past Dragon Age games, but you can still pause and issues ability commands for you and your allies

There is a hub area for the player like Skyhold and the Normandy, called The Lighthouse

Companions can eventually start romancing other characters if you opt not to romance them

Each companion also has unique missions tied to them that play into the larger story

Nudity confirmed - romance scenes can get "a little spicy"

"Incredibly deep" character creator: 5 categories including: Lineage, Appearance, Class, Faction, Playstyle

Players can also choose different body sizes and shapes

Dozens of hairstyles to choose from, with "individual strands of hair rendered separately and reacting quite remarkably to in-game physics", pulled from EA Sports

Character creator lets you adjust the lighting so you can be sure your character looks good

The team wanted to balance the look of the game with both light and darkness. "When everything is dark, nothing really feels dark. For this one, we really wanted to build that contrast again."

Skill tree is "vast", you can also set up specific companions with certain kits, from tackling specific enemy types to being more of a supporting healer or flexible all-rounders

There are tarot cards you go through during the character creation process that will let you choose decisions from past games to implement into Veilguard

The team teases you may lose some characters during the story

[theplotmage]

How to Get Started with Worldbuilding for Fantasy Writers

Hey fellow writers!

Worldbuilding can feel like a Herculean task, but it’s one of the most rewarding parts of creating a fantasy novel. If you're getting stuck, Here are some tips that have helped me, and I hope they’ll help you too!

Start with the Basics

Geography

- Map out the physical layout of your world. Think about continents, countries, cities, and natural features like mountains, rivers, and forests.

Climate and Ecosystems

- What are the climate zones and ecosystems like? How do they shape the lives of your inhabitants?

Create a History

Origins

- Dive into how your world came into existence. Are there creation myths or ancient civilizations that set the stage?

Major Events

- Outline key historical events. Wars, alliances, discoveries, and disasters can add so much depth.

Develop Cultures and Societies

Cultures

- Craft diverse cultures with unique customs, traditions, and values. What do they wear? What do they eat? How do they express themselves through art?

Social Structure

- Define the social hierarchy. Who holds power? What are the roles of different classes or groups?

Establish Magic and Technology

Magic System

- Set the rules and limitations of magic. Who can use it? How does it work? What are its costs and consequences?

Technology

- Decide on the level of technological advancement. Is your world medieval with swords and castles, or does it have steampunk elements?

Design Political and Economic Systems

Governments

- Create various forms of government. Are there kingdoms, republics, or empires? How do they interact?

Economy

- Define the economic systems. What are the main industries and trade routes? How do people earn a living?

Build Religions and Beliefs

Religions

- Develop religions and belief systems. Who are the gods or deities? What are the rituals and holy sites?

Myths and Legends

- Craft myths and legends that influence the culture and behavior of your characters.

Craft Unique Flora and Fauna

Creatures

- Invent unique creatures that inhabit your world. Consider their habitats, behaviors, and interactions with humans.

Plants

- Design plants with special properties. Are there magical herbs or dangerous plants?

Incorporate Conflict and Tension

Internal Conflicts

- Think about internal conflicts within societies, such as class struggles, political intrigue, or religious disputes.

External Conflicts

- Consider external threats like invading armies, natural disasters, or magical catastrophes.

Use Maps and Visual Aids

Maps

- Create maps to visualize your world. This helps you keep track of locations and distances.

Visual References

- Use images or sketches to inspire and flesh out your world.

Stay Consistent

Consistency

- Keep track of the details to maintain consistency. Use a worldbuilding bible or document to record important information.

Feedback

- Share your world with others and get feedback. Sometimes fresh eyes can spot inconsistencies or offer new ideas.

Let Your Characters Explore

Character Perspective

- Develop your world through the eyes of your characters. How do they interact with their environment? What do they know or believe about their world?

Be Flexible

Adapt and Evolve

- Be open to changing aspects of your world as your story develops. Sometimes the best ideas come during the writing process.

[cordatumcape]

Fire Emblem Romhack Recommendations

Disappointed with no new Fire Emblem in today's direct? Just looking for a new Fire Emblem game to try? If that's the case, allow this post to serve as an introduction to some amazing romhacks to check out!

Dream of Five

👑🐰 DREAM OF FIVE weaves a tale of intrigue and identity, feat. an ornate and deliberate sense of style, custom story CGs, and downright gorgeous prose to boot! This hack also has a several chapter long route split, with each path having its own distinct gameplay and recruitable characters.

The Morrow's Golden Country

⛅️🌼 THE MORROW'S GOLDEN COUNTRY has an abundance in quality-of-life improvements, including a reworked support system and durability-based combat skills. A split-army story structure allows the player to get to know a large, loveable cast as its three lords fight for a brighter dawn—where none are left behind.

Cerulean Crescent

🏝️🌙 CERULEAN CRESCENT provides incredible turn economy management tools, with each playable unit boasting unique skills and self-repairing personal weapons. The setting lends itself towards a distinct, bold story structure as Ellerie fights to claim victory and vengeance, both.

Shackled Power

👊💥 SHACKLED POWER is perfect for those who want a classic Fire Emblem story that trends its style towards 90s-esque action, with all the explosions to go along with it. This hack also boasts numerous custom-drawn animations and portraits to truly make the player feel like a powerhouse!

Curse of Lagdou

🍈👿 CURSE OF LAGDOU expands the continent of Magvel's tale through its fast-paced maps and unique non-RNG crit system! Follow this poignant tale of two girls finding their purpose in life—featuring characters both new and old, along with custom-drawn animations and story CG art!

Four Kings

4️⃣👑 FOUR KINGS tells the story of family: of two brothers, and their respective journeys to become better people. It boasts tight gameplay and full deployment throughout its route split to let the player experiment with a wide variety of units, all with their own personal weapons!

Myrm Emblem

⚔️🔥 MYRM EMBLEM is a gameplay-focused hack, feat. skills and many quality-of-life improvements with a silly, brief story. Join Shigen, Lyn, and your favorite myrmidons and swordmasters from the FE series—as well as the Kaga Saga games—in an epic adventure to test your skill and fire emblem knowledge.

Drums of War

🥁🛡️ DRUMS OF WAR tasks its players with conquering tight and challenging enemy formations—and after the dust has settled: the choice on whether to recruit or ransom enemy leaders. Augment your ragtag band with your strongest enemies as you struggle and fight for a place deserving of you.

Dark Lord and the Maiden of Light

⚔️🌓 DARK LORD & THE MAIDEN OF LIGHT follows a classic FE plot, twisting familiar tropes in fresh ways. Its narrative rewards attention to detail: one must delve deep to uncover and understand the world's true nature. Fans of 3H's Rhea will enjoy Freesia's crusade against the sinister Ahribaal cult.

Embers Entwined

🪓 🧙‍♂️ EMBERS ENTWINED follows Petra, a princess in exile, and Diego, a mercenary from a mysterious bloodline, as they fight dark forces attempting to reach godhood. Necromancy takes center stage in this explosive tale, as sorcerers race against each other to perfect the art of raising the dead.

[ranchstoryblog]

PRESS RELEASE: STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar Revealed on Nintendo Direct, Opening for Business on Nintendo Switch™ and PC Aug. 27, 2025

Marvelous USA Showcases Advancements to the Cozy Farming/Life Sim Series Including Gorgeous Graphics, Richly Voiced Story, and Expanded Gameplay; Physical Pre-order Available Soon for Nintendo Switch

TORRANCE, Calif. — March 27, 2025 — Revealed during today’s Nintendo Direct, Marvelous USA formally announced STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar, the next installment in the beloved farming/life sim series, is in development and will release for the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam on Aug. 27, 2025. Originally teased on Marvelous Game Showcase broadcasts, STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar takes inspiration from the original handheld release in North America in 2010. This new interpretation expands on the content and feature set of the original, while modernizing the visuals and design, leaning into the title’s focus on the theme of “renewal” as players set out to revitalize Zephyr Town’s bazaar and return it to its world-famous glory. The title will be available soon for physical pre-order on Nintendo Switch™ through participating retailers and on the Marvelous USA Online Store.

Zephyr Town’s bazaar was once one of the grandest in the world, drawing customers and peddlers from all four corners of the globe. These days, though, the bazaar has more tumbleweeds than customers. It’s up to Zephyr Town’s newest resident to turn its fortunes around! Players will raise animals, harvest crops, craft rare delicacies, then sell wares at their very own stall in the bazaar. As the bazaar business grows, new goods and services will arrive, which players can use to improve their farm. Help return prosperity to the bazaar, settle down for a cozy life and start a family, and Zephyr Town is sure to thrive once again!

Inspired by the classic handheld title, the new STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar builds up and improves on the original in every conceivable way. The world is bigger and more alive than ever thanks to incredible new visuals, new characters, an expanded story, and full character voice work in story events—a series first. Take advantage of Zephyr Town’s unique weather, using the wind to make travel and farm tasks a breeze! The winds of change are coming to deliver a new life in STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar.

Key Features

Cozy Living Reaches New Heights: The magnificent beauty of Zephyr Town shines with gorgeous graphics while a richly voiced story carries the player on a rewarding journey of farming, friendship, and renewal.

Ring the Bell and Sell, Sell, Sell: Farm produce and goods take on additional importance as the heart of players’ business at the lively weekly bazaar. Players can customize their stall and take charge of their sales to build up buzz and power up profits.

Take the Leap and Ride the Winds: Harness the power of the wind! Use windmills to create new products to sell, and effortlessly travel across the town on the brand-new glider. Players can use the new jumping skills on their farm or when exploring the town to access new locations. Who knows what they might find!

A Beautifully Cozy Life: Enjoy a rich life amongst a colorful community of characters, from friendly townsfolk to magical Nature Sprites. Build yourself a home, grow relationships, and even find love and start a family.

Marvelous USA also revealed physical editions coming to Nintendo Switch™ with pre-orders to be available soon through participating retailers and via the Marvelous USA Online Store. The title is available in a standard physical edition for an MSRP of $49.99, and a physical Premium Edition including a copy of STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar, an adorable plush Suffolk sheep, a cloth poster, a physical art book with over 115 pages of cozy art, and an original soundtrack CD, for an MSRP of $69.99. Details on digital availability will be announced at a later date.

Developed by Marvelous and published in the Americas by Marvelous USA, STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar will launch for the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam on Aug. 27, 2025. The title will be published in Asia by Marvelous Inc., and in Europe by Marvelous Europe. This title is rated “E for Everyone” by the ESRB.

For more information about STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar, visit the official site at https://www.storyofseasons.com/grandbazaar/, and follow the series on X and Bluesky.

Information about Marvelous USA’s products can be found at www.marvelous-usa.com. Fans can also check out the latest videos from the Marvelous family of titles on YouTube and get updates by following on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Bluesky.

[oshinsimblr]

hey friends! i was unable to post all of my early access content bc i'm sick. but i was able to post this video, which in my honest opinion are the major features in this 'romance' pack.

IS IT WORTH $40?

DEPENDS ON HOW BADLY YOU NEED THESE FEATURES TBH.

this review is brought to you by the ea creator network. all of my opinions are my own. i must disclose this per FTC guidelines #ad.

*i do not cover everything in the pack, only the things that stood out for me lol. i'm sorry i'm not used to doing full reviews up here

the attraction system is helpful and expands dating (which is great, but we've had mods that could do this for some time: pick your poison). the romantic satisfaction is the star here. i love being able to create one sided relationships and actually take care of our romantic relationships with sims. this is a valuable feature for me!

cupid's corner is a nice "hey i don't need this mod" anymore type of feature. prior to this i was using lumpinou's meet & mingle which allowed me to meet with sims (platonic and romantic). i dislike that you can not write custom bio's for your sims. i love the way the app functions, i love saving sims and adding them to our rel. panel - and getting to know them through the phone first. i wish we could've defined our sims favorite music/foods/color etc.

i'll admit it, i'm a sucker for dynamics. family dynamics from the sims 4 growing together are so good (minus the fact that everyone wants to be f*cking jokesters after one joke lol). but i love them! they really do impact my sims relationships. the different romance dynamics are interesting. for example: a strained romance dynamic makes it VERY hard for your sims to communicate. it's like your sims will randomly hug each other, but then 5 secs later they're upset. they want to love each other so badly but they can't lol.

now onto random things that excited me. you can go to cupid's couples counseling. i did not know we'd actually be able to answer questions. these sims had a strained romance dynamic and it was so bad - the therapist suggested we come back. but when i tried to schedule it again, they were booked and i had to wait to schedule another appt. which is great, because in the meantime your sims are going downhill fast and you have to keep the peace until then (if you choose).

there are new pop ups and invites. there's even one for a reality dating show lol. you can turn these off in game settings. (if you're wondering, mr. landgrabb never showed up at the motel he wanted to meet at. he stood my sim up. don't judge me, i thought there was simoleons involved).

new crafted dates are cool. you can choose whatever you want to do on them. there's new social interactions based on the activities you choose. you can also invite other sims to these (double dates woohoo!) you can also create crafted hangouts. i like these, i got this cute picture as a reward after a succesful crafted hangout. if you're familiar with mws weddings, it's the same idea. except this works well and isn't as glitchy lol..

another random feature i never needed, but now i find it useful. you can create your own relationship label that will appear in the rel. panel

it's unfair how gorgeous this world is... because there's nothing to do. this is all set dressing.

you can declare your love here.. at the wall of love.

you can buy flowers or edible sweet treats at this shop in the background.

you can get local food here. there are 3 new dishes and spicy hot chocolate. now, i'm not mexican (the world is inspired by mexico) BUT 3 new foods isn't cutting it for me. technically only 2, because one is a vegan option. no pozole, enchiladas, guacamole, tamales?? i'm a foodie, so i take full offense to that.

you can woohoo or sleep at the motel.

you can travel.

go fishing or enjoy a swim.

sit here and chat.

view this for a moodlet.

travel again.

check in a penthouse.

there's a nightclub, gym and lounge. but you get the idea.. there's nothing culturally unique about this world which makes me sad. no festivals? i'd love seeing a mariachi band play at the lounge. something. otherwise, keep the world and add more features right? i would've loved table proposals (sims 2 anyone?). or frisky couch makeouts. so many missed opportunities here.

there's more i could say but i feel like this post should be a little helpful in deciding wether this is a pack you need right now, or wait for a sale! i personally love having a complete colection, so i've always wanted every expansion. though i recieve the pack for free, i owe you my honesty and i want to start doing blog/written content because it's easier to process my thoughts through the excitment. i will enjoy this pack, i do like it, and only time will tell as i integrate it with my current gameplay. i hope this was helpful!

* if you remember, use my code OSHINSIMS at checkout if you decide to purchase this pack. that way, at least i get a % of your purchase and EA doesn't get all your coins 😉

thank you! just keeping simming, always stay wavy, peace x

[somesecretpie]

Fans and Creators of Webtoons!

I want to talk about Line Webtoon’s new “Super Like” program and why it sucks for literally everyone.

What is a “Super Like?”

According to their website, super likes are a new way for webtoon creators to monetize their work. Readers can pay real money to buy a super like for their favorite webtoon, and the creator gets a fraction of that money.

Wait, a fraction? Not all of it?

Yep! Webtoon skims quite a chunk off the top.

30% goes to Webtoon, and then another 30% of that amount goes to the payment processor.

So what do creators get? 49 cents for every dollar their fans try to give them. Literally half.

That’s pretty ludicrous, right?

Interestingly enough, they announced that they had a “tipping system” in the works in the same email they ended the CANVAS creator rewards program (and many comic creators livelihoods)

They said tipping system in their social media posts too

Obviously this tipping system is referring to super likes right? They say they’re going to do a tipping system, and then this rolls out.

But “tips” are not something that buisinesses can just take a cut of, at least not in the United States. According to the Department of Labor, it is illegal for any amount of tips from customers to go to an employer.

Webtoon is trying to walk back this language, of course. You won’t find the word “tip” anywhere on their website page explaining how it works. But those old social media posts are still up.

This is all pretty scummy

But wait, it gets worse!

They removed the Patreon button at the end of episodes and replaced it with this:

Yep! That’s right. Webtoon really said “what if we replace the tipping system that already existed with a shittier one where you only get half of it 🥺”

Unsurprisingly, they faced a ton of backlash.

Webtoon was quick to point out that the Patreon button was only removed from the end of episodes and there was still a button on the creator’s homepage. But of course, the end of episodes is where that button matters the most.

Creators know this. Webtoon knows this.

Eventually, after days of continued complaints from creators on social media, Webtoon went on damage control mode and announced that they would be putting the Patreon button back at the end of episodes—

As of right now (May 11th, 2024) the Patreon button is still not back.

***

So…Super likes are “super totally not a tip.”

But if they aren’t tips…what are they?

Well there’s a bit more to the story of what a super like actually is. After announceing the program, the app updated to reveal a new ranking category on the front page

When you click on this ranking tab, you can see that there is now both a daily and weekly ranking

If you’re a CANVAS creator, you know how difficult and seemingly random it can be to get your comic on the front page of the app—so my immediate worry was that comic creators were going to buy superlikes on their own series to get in this ranking and…

Yep, that’s already happening.

But why would webtoon even allow creators to buy superlikes for themselves? How does that make sense?

Surely goading desperate creators into buying superlikes can’t be that lucrative, can it?

No. I think there’s another, possibly even worse reason.

Fandom wars

If you’re into music, you probably are aware of how common it is for super fans to make concerted efforts to get their favorite musician to the top of the billboard charts. They coordinate over social media, stream music on loop as soon as an album drops to inflate the numbers, buy albums in bulk to increase sales, all so that they can say their fav is number one. It’s especially common among K-pop fans and swifties

This phenomena is well documented

Fans of Webtoons can be just as ravenous as K-pop, so I think Webtoon is trying to capitalize on this. They want to encourage fandom war and make money. That’s why they have this ranking. Not only can super fans brag about their favorite series topping the charts but they can wear their super like proudly on their reader profile that webtoon will be rolling out soon.

They’re just testing this super like stuff out on CANVAS right now, but once this starts up with originals? Oh. It will be a very profitable, very terrible mess.

(Oh and I mean profitable for webtoon, not creators, in case that wasn’t clear.)

***

Anyway, if you’re a creator, do yourself a favor and don’t enable super likes.

If you’re a fan of a webcomic, just donate to that creators patreon or Ko-Fi to show your support. Don’t give a red cent to webtoon because they did not do any of the work to make the series you love, alright?

Also check out my webtoon haha.

[jinogasux-fr]

PSA: This petsite is too good and it needs more attention (4dopt)

Subtitle: no seriously the customization and how artist-friendly it is is KILLING ME

I'm sorry I have immense brainrot I NEED to talk about this okay SO let me tell you guys about this petsite I discovered a few weeks ago called 4dopt.com.

For the love of god please try this game out (check out the read more for... more info!)

TLDR; You can draw your own species and it'll be added to the game. Players can obtain that species and recolor them to make customs of them if you so choose. You can draw your own items too which can be used for species obtainment and raising stats.

In 4dopt, you can obtain adopts (or pets) through various means, such as using items, getting them from the shelter (which have been discarded by other players), or through the adventure/exploration system as a random encounter.

The fun part? The adopts and items are player-created. Like, I'm talking entire species and items that can increase an adopt's stats or generate a new adopt entirely from them. They're drawn, created, and controlled by the players. Another thing is that these adopts can be completely customizable. You can recolor them, give it different patterns (if available), change the lineart or shading, but only so long as the creator allows it. That's another thing - there is SO much control the creator has over their creations. It's all up to the creator to design different patterns and layers to the adopt, as well as give permissions as to what a player can and can't customize.

There's over 1,000 adopts to collect (and possibly customize) by the way, and more are coming! (It's been a BLAST watching the Discord and seeing all the future adopt WIPs people have been doing ;w;)

I can't describe in proper words how extensive the customization is. Getting the full scope of what I mean is a little difficult unless you've seen it for yourself, so here's a screenshot of me going through some recoloring!

Aaand because I can't help myself, here's a mini showcase of the adopts I've recolored!

the species of each adopt, in order are: caprine, oldwood witch, and paint bird

In addition, creators can control the adopt's gender ratio, what items it comes from (if any), which exploration areas it comes from (if any) (as well as their rarities), and more. You want an adopt to be a seasonal-only thing? Go for it and put it in one of the rotating exploration areas or shops! You want to make a specific pattern of an adopt only available by using a certain item? Do it! I'd hunt one down for that!

A creator can make evolutions of their adopt, which can have different requirements, as well as a stats system which can be renamed to be more thematic to an adopt. (For example, I have an adopt whose Health stat is renamed to Size, due to it requiring to get a big size for it to evolve. These stats can also be used as requirements to put certain patterns or anatomical changes or etc to an adopt when customizing it.)

You may be thinking - oh, but being able to create an adopt/item is probably difficult, right? Nope! All you need to do is have your account be level 10, which, with some exploration, takes no time at all. I did it in under an hour! And then submit a small portfolio of your previous work to gain access to an artist panel, linked here (if you're logged in).

4dopt welcomes all artists, whether you're a beginner or you've been drawing for years, so there's no worries on if you're "good enough" or not. (YOU ALWAYS ARE!!!) If you have an idea, just make it, and chances are, us players will eat it up.

Anyways lightning round of more features:

A tagging system where, if you block a tag (like gore or body horror), all adopt species that fall under that tag will not be shown to you.

A weekly contest where you can show off your adopts as well as vote for others' adopts, and at the end of the week, the top votes get some nice rewards!

A breeding system where the offspring will have a combination of the markings/layers of the parents

Collaboration friendly (wanna create an adopt with a friend? fully supported!)

Read funny and weird blurbs that players have submitted (oh yeah you can submit little blurbs too) to exploration.

The game JUST shifted from registration windows to open registration, so I hope more people give this game a try. It's super underrated and deserves more attention!

Here's the site link again, and if you want to use a referral ID, mine is #3761, though you don't have to. I really don't care I just want more people to JOIN!!!!

Anyways I'm gunna end this post with a couple of guides:

Unofficial FAQ

Species Making Tutorial

Oh, and if you join, let me know your user id and I'll send you some goodies to help jumpstart things!!

anyways thanks for reading my yapping and uhhh if you do join i hope you enjoy!!

[thehaberdasheress]

Great news! After a ton of work, I've got my business's 2024 Kickstarter up and running! It's live now until Sunday, November 17.

I have a lot of projects underway that this project will help me see to fruition, including:

Embroidery/historical costume kits with good materials and accessible instructions

A digital sewing pattern for what can be a partlet, if you're feeling nerdy, or a way to bring damn cool sleeves to whatever outfit you want if we're being modern about it

A system of patterns and stencils that bring intricate freehand Elizabethan embroidery down from (imo) terrifying complexity to an accessible art project

And/yet/also, I know myself. I am a bit of an ADHD chaos goblin with chronic pain. So I've learned from Kickstarters past, and made sure to center the campaign around rewards that I can be certain of delivering. That is, this campaign absolutely will include vouchers for free or discounted copies of those projects if they're funded and they happen! But I know they will take time and definitely not arrive by Christmas 2024.

Therefore: I've been designing a bunch of new items that I can be sure of! I wanted to be able to show off my embroidery patterns in new and interesting ways, and find different methods of fulfillment that are ready to roll out the moment the campaign ends and I get your shipping information.

If you've ever wanted to get all the unique patterns I design for my Etsy shop in a charted PDF format? Backing my Kickstarter is the way you get that.

Some of my most popular designs will be available as decorative stickers, paper bullet journal-style productivity stickers, and a mug!

There are a lot of others, and I'll probably detail more about them over the next week and a half, but it's past 4am so I'll keep this relatively short. The outlines are up on the Kickstarter. Here's the one I'm the most excited about:

Motherfucking CUSTOM-WOVEN throw blankets!

I made the design myself, as the intersection of my obsessions with medieval celestial ceilings, sacred geometry, marine navigation, Tolkienian Elvish heraldry, and quilting. It's called "Mariner's Star", and I'm incredibly excited about it. If you don't know about jacquard looms and how they were 19th century punch card proto-computers, I think you're missing out.

Kickstarter link here!

It ends Sunday, Nov 17!