Nerd Culture Podcast

Welcome to the twelfth instalment of Dust Jacket and our first for 2012. For those of you new to the site, Dust Jacket is NCP’s ongoing column ranking and reviewing the greatest SF novels of all time. Past columns can be found at the Dust Jacket Archive

To kick off the new year, we’re delving into the realm of corporate intrigue, murder and telepathic powers with Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man. As always, I’m joined by co-conspirator Luke, who uses his own psychic powers for evil as the World’s Harshest Critic.

One of two highly influential novels written by Bester in the 50’s, The Demolished Man holds the singular honour of being the inaugural Hugo Award winner. The books influence permeates through the SF that followed it, from the cyberpunk movement of the 80’s,  to television shows like Babylon 5.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

In the 24^th century, beings with telepathic powers have become an integrated and integral part of human society. Known as Espers, these telepaths are divided into three levels, dependent on power and ability. Class 3 Espers are the most common type, able to ‘read’ only conscious thoughts and serve roles as assistants and administrators. Class 2 are more powerful, able to dig into another’s pre-conscious thoughts. They serve in greater positions of power, such as lawyers and psychologists. The most powerful telepaths, the Class 1 Espers can read all conscious and subconscious thoughts and urges and serve in high ranking positions of power in the police force and the government. They also control the Esper Guild, the powerful government body designed to detect, train and enforce the ethical guidelines for the use of telepathic abilities.

The world of the Demolished Man is also one free from murder – due to the presence of telepaths it has been 70 years since the last murder was committed.

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Welcome to my latest WoW Yoda spec. This time I’m showing some Hunter love, with a Survival spec I like to call the Bushwacker.

This spec will allow the Hunter to hit hard and fast to annihilate their prey. The main part to remember about this spec while using it, is that traps will be a real prerequisite, to allow the frequent use of the player to Lock and Load. Also, Thrill of the Hunt and Efficiency to keep as much focus as possible. I recommend using Ice Trap (using the Trap Launcher) to initiate your attack. This way, you will use Explosive Shot (which will be a free cast), then Black Arrow, Serpent Sting, and then any combination of Arcane Shot or Cobra Shot until your original Explosive Shot‘s cool down has finished, in which you simply apply another Explosive Shot. Also, this spec gains a large amount of bonuses from using Deterrence for sticky situations, including Mirrored Blades.  Also, Disengage will be needed, but only after using Ice Trap, so you can gain another Lock and Load.

Your critical strike will be highly increased from Point of No Escape, Toxicology, Glyph of Explosive Shot, and Glyph of Serpent Sting while your Haste is bolstered by Pathing and Hunting Party. Of course, a little more Haste from gear/enchants couldn’t hurt. Mastery will also be a very nice addition to increase your added elemental damage, which will be in all of your special ability shots.

The pet of choice for this spec is the Wind Serpent, for the additional 8% magic damage, and Roar of Recovery, which can help a lot to gain extra Focus. Or, if you prefer, an Owl, for its ability to increase its own damage.

http://www.wowhead.com/talent#cZfMZcrGfRGrRoz:mzRm0kMc0

All in all, this spec should allow the user to destroy your enemy, while he slips around on your ice, and if he does get out of the ice, you have plenty of ways to avoid damage, and force him back on the ice and at the dangerous end of your weapon and pet.

MMO gaming is about community.  They are a chance to share an adventure with friends (or at least like-minded people) wherever you may be. Making strangers into communities that support and encourage each other is at the heart of all MMO so it’s not a surprise that the mobile MMO, Shadow Cities (www.shadowcities.com) encourages mentoring and community building.

Shadow Cities (available only on Apple iOS) is a very simple game at heart.  You are a mage recruited to fight the spirits that plague human kind in the Shadowy realm one step removed from our own plane of existence.  These Shadow realms overlay a map of wherever you are located in real life using the devices GPS and Google Maps information.  Thus you find yourself battling for the defence of your own suburbs, making yourself Shadow Lord over your town.

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Welcome to the Sixth Instalment of Who Review, my ongoing quest to watch and review all available episodes of SF’s longest running television series, Doctor Who. This week, it’s another jaunt into mankind’s past as I look back on The Aztecs.

For a complete listing of all Who Review articles, please click here – Who Review Archive

EPISODES

The Aztecs (4 Episodes)

BROADCAST DATES

23 May – 13 June 1964

THE DOCTOR

William Hartnell

THE COMPANIONS

Susan Foreman

Barbara Wright

Ian Chesterton

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The design for this Moonkin spec is to deliver as much damage as possible to your enemy.  Owlkin Frenzy will help to increase your damage and remove your spell pushback in any form of melee situation, especially when you use Barkskin to prevent more damage and threat of critical hits.  Also, if you can get to either your Lunar or Solar effect before taking on several enemies, you can use Nature’s Grace to help further improve how much damage you can deal to a mob of opponents. If you ever start to run out of mana, your Dream State mixed with Innervate will help to restore yourself, as well as Euphoria whenever you reach your Shower state.  Unfortunately, since there aren’t many survivability options in Balance spec, except for Solar Beam, you will have to apply some tricks.  For this spec, I mixed in Improved Regeneration and the Glyph of Rejuvenation, which you will want in order to cast about 80% hit points.

In order to remain tricky, I have found that hostile NPC’s do not react to Wild Mushrooms placed at their feet, so you can make a trail of them to yourself and explode them. This will make a trail of the Fungal Growth effect that slows them to a crawl before they get to you. Then, when they finally get within melee range, use Typhoon, and they have to crawl to you a second time, unless of course they are dead already.  As for enemy casters, a funny way to take care of them is to use Entangling Roots, and then hit them with Solar Beam. This will stop their casting for at least 10 seconds. Also, with the Glyph of Starfall and Glyph of Starsurge, your Starfall will be ready very quickly and can deal a ton of damage, especially during a Lunar Shower.

All in all, Nature’s Malice can deliver a lot of damage in a rapid succession. Gear wise, it is recommended to keep a good amount of Mastery and Haste to keep up the damage to a constant.

http://www.wowhead.com/talent#0IbGdRGRoRzZMczh:bsVRdrzc0