iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

well, yeah, thanks for coming to my TED talk. I'm gonna figure out what I can do to make sure my players have a good time tonight. I have so many kids signed up tonight I need to make sure they have a good time and leave with good memories. Stuff like that saved my life when I was a kid.

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Especially because my goal, is to provide a safe space. The number of marginalized players, and families and kids I have that feel safe at my store tell me I'm doing the right thing, but it gets harder and harder EVERY release. It's like a cut that isn't allowed to heal.

So yeah, any content creators want to talk about this, holla at me and I'll bend your ear about the effect this has on the stores, and community at large. because man I'm feeling it today.

I've issued so many refunds today for people that pre paid for boxes, collectors etc. Do you know how much that hurts? I'm not just losing the money (which we're only selling at MSRP btw) I'm also eating the processing fees.

0 of my prize support showed up, meaning I have to pull from the 1/3rd of booster boxes that showed up for prize support for an event people already paid for. I *think* my distributor will not fuck me, we're his best account, but I'm not 100% sure until product is in hand.

1/2 of my commander decks showed up. 1/3rd of my booster boxes showed up. 0 of my collectors boosters showed up. 0 of my promos showed up. 0 bundles showed up. 0 draft nights showed up My pre-release kits (thankfully) arrived.

about the negative effects of these choices, delays, allocations issues etc have on players, community, and stores. On a personal level, and I'm not the only store having this issue today, I got 1/3 of my allocation for Fractured Reality today. Pre-release is in 4 hours.

Players begin to run out of optoins on where to play and it is just a negative impact overall. I could talk about this in depth for hours. I've been running a store and events for years. I've seen this evolution over a large number of years. I would love to see content creators talk more

having to keep event prices lower to not price out players. (the last one is a choice but good stores will almost always make that choice to benefit the community and aim to make enough to try to break even for the event). When stores close and stop having events, community spaces collapse

harder to keep the lights on, or people employed. When costs rise and sales dip, you know what the first thing to start going is? Organized events. They are not proffit makers for stores. In most cases they are loss leaders because of prize support, overhead cost for employees and often times

more money. Now, the smaller LGS who took pre orders is issuing refunds, players are disappointed, and it paints those stores poorly through no fault of their own. Players not getting product from an LGS will turn to online sales instead, which means less money to LGS which makes it that much

Most account managers will make good on the allocation, but legally per the contract with stores, Hasbro/WotC and the distributor they aren't required to, and often times the less ethical of the distributors will take from smaller stores to give to larger stores because they're more likely to get

But when stuff is delayed that's a cascading effect. A stores "garaunteed alottment" only holds through pre-release weekend. If I don't get my product becuase it's delayed getting to the distributor, my distributor is not obligated to give me my allottment after the pre release weekend.

Stores allowed D&D and Magic to persist, and thrive before the internet marketplace became available. Stores still provide space for play and community. The new cadence hurts both of those things so much. Stores get product to sell on pre-release weekend before online retailers. This is good.

While there's a lot of discourse about the evils and bads Hasbro are doing (there's a lot) this aspect needs to be talked about more. Stores have fueled this hobby for a long time, yes even the bad stores that made players feel like they needed to get tetnus shots.

Hasbro has WotC making so many sets a year that product is being made too quickly, leading to shortages at local game stores, product delays, shipping errors, because of the rush and it negatively affects players and stores alike. I don't see many content creators talking about this (besides me)

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Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 24/09/2026

Controller died (switches under the face buttons were dropping about 30% of inputs) so bought a new one, and printed a new controller holder for it to sit on. Also Cat in a cat trap on my desk for internet tax.

Computer, guitars, transformers, microphone, headset and PS5 controller.

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I hung out with friends tonight, played some cards, laughed. I needed that. It's been a rough few weeks.

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Blizzard Watch @blizzardwatch.com · 23/09/2026

We are now LIVE with the Blizzard Watch Podcast! It's episode 600, so join us for chaos with Joe, Matt, Liz, Liz, Cory, and Mitch! Yes, we're all here!

twitch.tv

BlizzardWatch - Live on Twitch

LIVE with the Blizzard Watch Podcast! | Streaming world of warcraft.

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Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 18/09/2026

I like it, personally. It also helps you secure the name you want because it's all a single realm.

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Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 18/09/2026

We do in Forever. It's a whole legacy system.

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Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 17/09/2026

Also, in case it needs to be said I am NOT upset about this. I expected this. This is also just bringing back some big nostalgia feels because this was a daily occurrence back in the OG days. Also. feels good that there's this many people that went in on it for the beta access.

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Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 17/09/2026

Right? I remember remoting into my computer from work just to get in queue so I could make sure I was online by raid time!

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Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 17/09/2026

They did it. They captured the true Vanilla experience!

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dimplesndice @dimplesndice.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The Sabbat are about to bring the fire. Tonight, bonds may be broken, blood may be spilled, and the Ivory Tower is about to find out it is NOT safe. Are Cal and Crux in danger, or are they the danger themselves? Find out live at 8 pm ET! twitch.tv/dimplesndice #vtm #ttrpg #vampire #actualplay

Promotional image with the downtown Philadelphia skyline in the background.

The text reads:

Philly by Night

SeaPlaysRPG
RadicalZo
dimplesndice
Lamia
Jo

The Monster Within
Tonight @ 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT
twitch.tv/dimplesndice

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Blizzard Watch @blizzardwatch.com · 16/09/2026

Starting right now! The Blizzard Watch Podcast is LIVE talking about all things BlizzCon! Join us!

twitch.tv

BlizzardWatch - Live on Twitch

Blizzard Watch Podcast LIVE! | Streaming world of warcraft.

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Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 15/09/2026

Took Prismari on a maiden voyage today. Absolutely slapped. Storm (5) Delayed Blast Fireball from exile. Storm (6) Mathemagics for 3. Made so many copies of Goldspan Dragon. Felt good.

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Elves are the Eevee of World of Warcraft, change my mind.

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Todays conversation. Elves of every flavor now technically exist. Void Elves, Fel Elves (Demon hunters), Arcane Elves, Sun Elves, Moon Elves, Fire Elves (Firelands/Arathi) Earth Elves (Haranir), Water Elves (I'm counting Naga here) Shadow/Decay Elves (Dark Hunters) And now Air Elves (Skyborne)

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alternate timeline fork from wow classic that isn't beholden to the decisions of retail. It's a lot of stuff that was cut from the OG vanilla before release finally coming to the gameplay.

This is incredible, and I love it!

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I am genuinely am very excited for WoW Forever.

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My appreciation of you grows. Welcome Back. :)

Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 12/09/2026

Is it a Welcome or a Welcome back?

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Concert time. Time to wipe away the awful of this week.

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Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 11/09/2026

Watched the B4 game with @persephiroth.bsky.social @benbrode.bsky.social and @blackneto.bsky.social and I don't think I've laughed that hard at a game in a long time. Tempted to try to get Ben back on the podcast (tavern watch this time) to talk about his unhinged deck building XD

Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 11/09/2026

and also to be fair, like a third of that is my volcanic island.

Joe "Lodur" Perez @themadshaman.com · 11/09/2026

Want to know the best part? I only had to pick up the two Niv's (parun and firemind) I literally owned everything else. :)