Diecast – Twenty Sided

And so we begin the new year with a bit of positivity and a whole lot of mailbag questions. Also, we got at least four different emails asking me to comment on Walmart’s proposed virtual mall. Given my history, do I have anything new to say as this idea re-appears after vanishing for 20 years?

I don’t know. I might make a video about it.

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Hosts: Paul, Shamus. Episode edited by Issac.
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Link (YouTube)

Show notes:
00:00 Phishing attacks getting worse, or better?

06:39 Jimmy Webb’s Deluxe Space Looky-Loo

This is the real time tracker I’ve been following since launch.

14:13 Google has Concerns about BitBurner

So Paul told me about BitBurner, but I forgot to ask what the “Google has concerns” thing was about.

22:57 Mailbag: Watching Instead of Playing

Dear Diecast,

What are your thoughts on watching no commentary playthroughs of a video game to get its story, whether the watcher has played the game entirely, partially, or not at all?

All the best and a Happy New Year,
Andrew

26:06 Mailbag: Plot Holes

Dear DieCastles,

When looking back on the history of this site, one could make the argument that the most prominent content is the analysis of plots, with a strong focus on identifying and questioning the existence of plot holes.

What plot holes do you find to be the most annoying? Those which are easily avoidable? Those which are most obvious? Or those which are less noticeable, but risk the complete breakage of immersion in the story once discovered, the kind that once seen can never be unseen?

Regards,

Zeta Kai

32:35 Mailbag: Question for Paul

Dear Diecast,

I hope you’re doing well! As I was watching a stealth section in the latest stream of Batman Arkham Origins with Chris and Shamus, I realized how integral vents are to a lot of action franchises. From the vents of Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard, through the numerous vents found in Half-Life, all the way to the vents Batman crawls through while sneakily downing mooks. Indeed, the moment I see a vent in real life, the first thing I think about is how I can pry it open and sneak undetected through the whole building!

All that being said, though, I really want to ask Paul’s opinion as an engineer who’s actually worked in HVAC: how realistic are the vents we see in video games and action movies? E.g. what do you think of the ones in the Batman games (if you’ve seen them, that is)? Are vents really the Achilles’ Heel to every single security system in the world, as they seem to be portrayed in media?

Keep Being Awesome,
Lino

44:44 Mailbag: Respecs

Dear Dicecast,

How do you feel about respeccing, the process where RPGs let you reallocate all your ability points/perk choices/whatever else? It seems like all points on the spectrum of respec availability have drawbacks (respecs too liberal and you lose the satisfaction of making long-term decisions, too conservative and your build ends up unfixably suboptimal) so where do you prefer things fall?

Ninety-Three

50:07 Mailbag: Mess Effect Audiobook

Dear Diecast,

I’ve been trying to get my friend to read Shamus’s retrospective on the Mass Effect series, but he refuses because he’s one of those audiobook over reading types. Alas, there doesn’t seem to be an audiobook alternative for him. So I was wondering if Shamus had any plans of ever doing one for his Mess Effect book? Or have someone else do it? And if so, if there is any estimation on when it might become available?

All the best,
Andrew