BertieWooster

Another for the pile: UncaScrooge#1878 (NA? Canada, so I'm assuming here...)

Yo Bombers,

While normally I wouldn’t think a place to celebrate video games and questionable decision-making in most avenues of life would be the place to peddle literature, I think the GB community would want – nay, NEED – to know about this.

You have the opportunity to immortalize one of our Giant Bomb’s own as the namesake for a brain-stealing, human-trafficking, blackmailing and all-around villainous character in a new sci-fi novel.

I’m writing a book, and right now it’s up for crowdfunding on Inkshares, a crowdfund-based publisher, who is currently partnered with Sword & Laser to build a collection of sci-fi/fantasy novels.

Mine is one of them: [LINK REMOVED]

The pitch: a 14-year-old girl navigates black market antiquities dealers, moonshiners and stir-crazy astronauts to buy a trip to the moon to find a lost outpost. The cost of her ticket to space? Albert Einstein’s preserved brain.

But most relevant to this particular community? The main villain’s name is Gerstmann.

Not that I think Jeff steals brains or tries to send tweens on suicidal missions to steal lost technology, but it’s a hell of a last name. You can really chew on it.

If that story sounds like something you could jam on, click the link, or if you’re feeling super generous, a share on the social media of your choice would be awesome.

Thanks GB.

I should add bits to this: using on a Mac Mini (older), and it does need to have the trackpad built in. Don't know if that changes any recos.

Question that I'm sure someone here can help me with:

The fellas seem to get asked this every few months - what is the best compact/lightweight wireless keyboard for light interfacing with a living room PC? I know Vinny and Brad have both answered this in the past, and I've done some forum mining but can't find the answer. I'm not looking for something to game on or anything, just for navigating and opening programs and such. I know they've both talked about an integrated keyboard/trackpad that suffices, so I was wondering if anyone else remembered or has a relatively inexpensive recommendation.

Something with an easy off switch would also be great since we've got an 18-month-old who loves to get into things with buttons.

Added a bunch from this thread. Whacking Day is upon us, and this stupid game is too addictive. I'm MisterWooster on Origin.

Despite the fact that I'm somewhat compulsive in my urge to see all the content presented to me, Mass Effect has always been exempt from that for me.

I've always lived with the outcome of my decisions.

I got a little lucky though in that through my completionist playthrough of ME2 and dumb-luck/intuiting the final mission, everyone lived for me. So I've been happily bumping into characters left and right so far in my 10 hours of ME3.

That doesn't stop me wondering, though, what the universe would be like without them.

I started a new (evil lady) ME1 Shepard ages ago, then blew through the whole remains of ME1 a couple weekends ago, and I'm amazed that it actually held up, so long as you knew how to play it (avoid side missions/the mako entirely, set combat to easy). I can't wait to get back to her and guide her through ME2 so I can see the whole story play out way differently.

Just the breadth of change that you can create, even within the bounds of the story that must be told (first Shep: good guy, saved the Council, saved the Rachni, helped all the crew and civilians; second Shep: evil lady, killed/sacrificed everybody who got in her way).

This is such a well-constructed universe that you actually feel compelled to act in the interests of your characters and to adhere to what you feel is the 'right' version of the universe, even when there's proven to be so much to see by making different choices.

I'm also really enjoying ME3 so far, despite the scads of doubters and nay-sayers. I think some people want something that Mass Effect isn't, and maybe never has been, except in their minds.

All I ask is that this prints so much money that when Activision suits visit, just enough cash falls from their pockets in loose bills to finance another Toys For Bob-made Star Control game.

Or if the TFB guys can at least salvage the $1000 bills that the Activision guys light their cigars with from their comically jewel-encrusted ashtrays.

I chuckled after reading the full headline vs. the truncated one that was on the posting schedule on the main page.

There it read: "The Game Designer Who Won't Call"

Why won't he call? Doesn't he love me?

No L.A. Noire for story? Even as a runner up? I disagree.

I've gotta throw my name into the pile here - no updates on my Live account for almost two weeks. And I've definitely been active almost every day, plus Arkham City hasn't shown up at all despite being started last week.