The Queue: Answering Emails

Whenever I write the Queue, rest assured that it’s coming straight from a laptop in my cozy bedroom with my very cute pet which happens to be a bunny. Or something like that.

This is The Queue, our daily column where you ask us questions and we give you the answers, just as soon as we finish redecorating. Again.

Yes.

Yes, this is going to be an issue for people who really want to be cutting edge, or AH barons, or even just people who want a fast shot at whatever quirky new easter eggy mount or pet may be farmed to the gills later. I’ve found over the years that, though this can feel really important, and honestly it can be a little in the short term, by the time the raids open, it’s truly not going to matter. The people who are going to truly apply themselves to playing the AH will wind up on top, the mythic raiders will have RNGed their way toward equality, and everything else.

I promise that if you don’t want to purchase early access, you will not be behind forever. Maybe a week or two, but not forever.

No, but yes. But sort of. But not really. Patreon did a really good job of laying out the changes in a blog post.

Basically, Apple takes a cut of any revenue earned via its store, and any app you get via Apple counts as being through their store. Over time, this has broadened considerably. Whether you’re renewing your FitBit subscription, buying PokemonGo coins or Diablo Immortal Crests, or, now, kicking your favorite creator a few bucks on Patreon. I’d bet that eventually this also starts to chip into things like Uber or Grubhub, or even services that also happen to have apps, like AirB&B. In the case of Patreon, it’s going to be 30% for all new subs. The “new” is crucial, and the “via iOS” part is also crucial.

So, the workaround  is to ensure that you don’t subscribe via Apple. Instead, make sure you’re renewing or purchasing via desktop if at all and ever possible. Patreon is also adding a setting where creators can tack on a fee on a sliding scale based on the originating OS.

Also, this doesn’t apply to us, but other creators have options like a per-work payout and they have to swap to a regular subscription scheme in order to get subs via the Apple store at all.

It’s funny, because my kids had a blast at every turn. They were signed up for a number of activities which made sense for them, and were diverse in scope and activity level and variety — swimming, day camps, music camps, art classes. We had a nice trip to Niagara Falls, we went hiking, we had a ton of ice cream.

And yet, even though theirs was near perfection, the amount of driving around and organization I had to do to get them to these places, I felt incredibly frazzled all summer. It’s been a ton of hurry up and wait, so I ended up purchasing a new crossbody that’s big enough to fit my Kindle, and a huge new insulated water bottle to have a cold drink when it’s 90 degrees at 10 am, so at least I have that going for me. I’m both ready for the school year and dreading the amount of work I have in front of me when they do.

Plus, my backlog. Despite being excited as heck about all kinds of new titles, I’m pretty sure the only gaming I’ve done in the past 2 months is Spirit City and an occasional HSBGs match. I don’t think I’ve even played a single game of Overwatch with Juno.

It kinda depends on what exactly about ELO resonated with you (music pun). For me the most obvious line is Jeff Lynne, so I’d suggest his projects with the Travelling Wilburys. I mean, you can’t go wrong with that lineup anyway, especially since ELO is so very Beatles-inspired. And with the Beatles vibe and the synth idea, George Harrison’s catalogue from the 80s may fit the bill, as might Paul McCartney’s stuff from Wings. There’s also both that expansive synth-styled sound and Beatles inspiration from Queen’s later work.

If you’re just looking for that Xanadu early 80s experimental weird vibe, definitely start listening to Rush.