The Conundrum of the Nerd Bachelor Party

I'm going to muse for a bit...

This weekend, I am heading to Kansas City. One of my friends-- nearly the last of the college gang-- is going to be tying the knot in June. So, in true "man" fashion, we must go down and party.

Now... "Nerd" is a precarious thing. We fall into a couple of categories, and some may prefer to call that second category by another name; "Geek."

There's the first type of Nerd-- we'll call it Type 1 Nerd. This one does not get out much, is not all that equipped to deal with social interactions, but contains a veritable wealth of knowledge about the history of Bruce Banner, or the precise layout of the NCC-1701.

Type 1 may very well attend a bachelor party with one of two expectations. Since this type of Nerd does not do well in social situations, girls are a mystery (the Nerd stereotype is derived from this type). So naturally, going to a strip club-- a place that is pretty much all boobies, all the time-- is either:

1. Amazing.
2. Horrifying

Honestly, it's a coin toss. And it may be both. One is never quite certain what this type of Type 1 will do in this situation.

The Type 2 Nerd is the one who is socially adjusted, has many friends, and still possessing that Nerd knowledge (though maybe not to the level of Type 1 Nerd). While his (or her) friends may suspect that the level of nerdery is significant, they have no idea how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Type 2 Nerd can talk to girls, respects them, and therefore, does not need to do the "bachelor party strip club" thing. Type 2 is content to do something like paint-balling, followed by a helping of Rock Band, homebrew, and possibly some Cards Against Humanity.

My friends and I fit firmly in Type 2. And, to be honest, I ripped off our weekend agenda in the above paragraph. We will meet up, hang out, shoot each other, drink, game, and then... probably sleep. Hell, we're over 30!

So, in closing, I've probably either affirmed or insulted Nerds. To that I say: Oops. You'll get over it. Why do you care how I label my own species anyway?

Cards Against Humanity!

At the time of this posting, it is back in stock on Amazon.

Buy it here!

One more thing about the SpaceX launch....

The ashes of Scotty himself, James Doohan, are on board the Dragon 9 rocket!

Warp speed, Mr. Scott. You're finally among the stars.

SpaceX has launched the Falcon 8 rocket!

This is a pretty historic day, ladies and gentlemen!

The first private spacecraft is currently on its way to the International Space Station!

I know a lot of people-- myself included-- were very disenchanted when NASA's funding was cut and they announced there would be no more manned missions in the foreseeable future. They implied the private sector would step up to the plate, but I don't think I really believed it.

Well, I can honestly say that crow is tasty. In this case, I like being wrong!

The last month or so has actually been pretty exciting as well. We had the asteroid mining press conference, and now this? Pretty awesome!

Now... I need to bitch a bit. Gizmodo, well-known tech and gadget blog, has yet to mention anything about the Falcon 9 launch. A tech blog (which, I will admit, has gotten much less "tech" and much more... well, I don't know what, exactly) fails to report on one of the most exciting technology events that we've seen in awhile?

Wow.

Oh, and one other thing... North Korea? This is how you do it.

Please visit SpaceX for more information about their program, and the launch!

Today, we are going to talk about "The New Hotness"

And no, I don't mean Men in Black III.

I am talking about a new card game called Cards Against Humanity.

If you follow Wil Wheaton on Twitter (@wilw), then you know about this. And, if you're a card game fan, you've tried to find it.

First, for those that don't know what it is. It's essentially Apples to Apples, only with mature, mature content (one of the cards reads "Pac Man Uncontrollably Guzzling... umm, yeah. You get the idea). It looks awesome, and is sold out everywhere.

If you hit up Amazon, you can find assholes reselling it for $70, when in reality, it's a $25 game. So please, don't be fooled. Don't pay $45 more for a game. Even though it's awesome, the creator is not benefiting one bit.

However... I don't believe I've heard anyone talk about the best part of this game. If you go to their website (linked above), they provide a PDF that has all the cards. For free. Simply take those to a Kinko's (or whatever your print shop of choice is), have them printed on cardstock, and cut them out!

For roughly $10.00, you can own Cards Against Humanity, with the full blessings of the creators.

Now, I do have to say, that is pretty damned awesome.

There's an Arc Reactor on my chest...

No, really. There is.

With the runaway success of The Avengers-- and the total awesomeness that is Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark-- I found myself yearning for an awesome Iron Man shirt to add to the ol' wardrobe.

My searches in local comic shops, department stores, etc. yielded no results.

So I did what any self-respecting nerd would do. I asked the internet! (Well, technically I asked my wife to look on the internet while I was driving. Always be safe behind the wheel, kids)

And so, as luck would have it, we found this! Thanks, Redbubble!

What better way to display your love of everyone's favorite genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist than to proudly wear an Arc Reactor on your chest?

Is Arc Reactor capitalized? I'm not sure... but I think it should be.

DUST 514

Ok, this may not apply to a large subset of you, but for those who play Eve Online and own a PS3, your interest might be piqued.

DUST 514 is in closed beta, and you can sign up by going here.

Fixed... ish...

Well, the good news is you should be able to see the content of every post now.

The bad news? Well... Blogger's templates all suck.

Thankfully, John (who is the author of the Skyrim Immersion post) is hard at work, designing a new, better, stronger, and faster template!

Whoops!

It has come to my attention that you might not be able to expand any of these posts.

Working on it. Should have it fixed soon.

The Run-up to Halo 4

Last time, we spoke a bit about Halo 4 (box art, Limited Edition, etc.).

Today I'd like to talk a bit about the lore that will lead up to the game's release. I've been reading Book 1 of the Forerunner Saga by Greg Bear.

It's called Cryptum, and tells the story (in the first person) of a Forerunner named Bornstellar, who ends up helping a long-exiled Promethean (an extremely powerful class of the Forerunners) by the name of The Didact. It really is a riveting book, and while I'm usually not fond of first-person perspectives, it hasn't really bothered me.

I'm going to derail for a moment to say this: Along the way we learn of The Librarian and The Confirmer... which leads me to believe that Forerunners are actually Time Lords.

Anyway, if you're into books, and into Halo, then I definitely suggest checking these out, as well as the other books in the Halo Library (except The Flood. That was a pretty terrible retelling of the Halo:Combat Evolved story). $10 on the Nook store, available in paperback if you roll that way.

Get to it! November 6 approaches!

Halo 4 Limited Edition? Yes, please!

Today, Bungie-- I mean, 343 Industries-- announced a couple of things. First of all, they revealed the Halo 4 cover art (which can be found here, in all its glory).

I have to say, that excited me quite a bit. Awesome artwork!

Then, while we were content in all our nerd warmth, they dropped the second bit of knowledge on us.

The Limited Edition. (Italicized for added emphasis)

Previous Halo titles let all of nerdkind choose between the Limited and Legendary Editions. But alas, this is no longer Bungie's baby. No Legendary Edition this times, kids. Just a Limited Edition that looks very solid.

Retailing at $99.99 (plus tax), it seems a pretty good package. Hit the link for more information.

Halo 4 Limited Edition.

An Update on The Witcher

So... I pulled the trigger and bought The Witcher on Steam. For my iMac.

Once I got used to the combat mechanic (which is actually pretty interesting), and the 5-year-old graphics, it was a blast!

However.... It's not a true Mac port. Essentially they threw the Windows version in a Wine wrapper, and sent it out like that. So... 56 minutes into my playtime, I encountered a Wine error. Three times.

/sigh

Unplayable. Much like Andy Carroll. (Sorry... it's too late for soccer humor)

Thankfully, I'm running Bootcamp, so I fired up Windows 7, and am in the process of downloading the game for Windows.

First of all, a huge kudos to Steam and the service it offers.

Secondly, this download cannot go fast enough.

The Eye of the World... For your eyes!

I was visiting the local B&N tonight, when I came across this! (Yes... I know I plugged B&N, and then provided you with an Amazon link. I'm an equal-opportunity blogger)

Honestly, I've been reading about this graphic novel adaptation of The Eye of the World for years. And I never thought I would ever see it in person. Everything I read seemed to be all talk, plugging, but nothing every released.

 I thumbed through it, smiled at the illustrations, and promptly returned it to the shelf.

Why?

Well.. it's Part 1. And I happen to know that, once all parts are out in the open, I will want them in the compiled hardcover version. My new-found practicality, plus a need for some strict budgeting, forces me not to by all individual pieces, as well as the whole.

I'm assuming that, in the run-up to the final volume of Robert Jordan's epic work (that will be co-written superbly by Brandon Sanderson, I might add), we will be seeing the marketing machine pump out these things-- from the e-book artwork appearing on new paperback editions, to the graphic novels releases.

And honestly, I'm okay with that! The new art might serve to draw in another generation of readers (honestly, you do judge a book by its cover).

So, bottom line is this... If you're a Wheel of Time fan, and a graphic novel fan, then this might be something you'd want to check out.

(Image pilfered (with love) from Dragonmount)

The Witcher, 1 & 2

So many of you, like me, may have missed The Witcher when it came out in 2007.

I've seen The Witcher 2 for Xbox 360 at Best Buy, and after doing some reading, it sounds like a great open-ended RPG. And, for those that are into that sort of thing, CG sexytimes.

But I didn't want to go into it without playing the first game.

Thankfully, after a short time with my friend Google, I discovered that The Witcher is available on Steam for only $9.99 (Windows or Mac). It's the Enhanced Edition Director's Cut, which includes "gameplay not previously available to North American gamers."

Translation: It has bewbs.

Additionally, if you want to be on the ball-- Or, if you've already played the first game and have been looking forward to the second on Xbox-- it is $10 off at Best Buy this week.

Word of warning, though... I've heard this is a very difficult game, especially with the combat mechanics. So be prepared for a challenge!

Go forth. Journey. Slay.

Immersion and Skyrim

Or: Why I can only role play this game for some reason.

There is a lot of content in The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim. Much like any Bethesda game, you can sink a lot of hours into the game to see everything, and to need to play multiple times to see different sides of the story. In their previous offerings through the Fallout series, I haven't had a problem playing the uber-Vault Dweller or Courier who came from obscurity to wander the wasteland to see everything and do everything, becoming a kind of superhero.

I went into Skyrim thinking that it would happen here as well. Instead I found myself getting caught up in really roleplaying my character instead of scouring the map just to see everything. I can't say when it happened, but at some point I looked at the map after spending a lot of time around Winterhold and Windhelm and realized there was a lot I hadn't seen, but realized my character probably didn't care. It was enough that this Breton was the Dovakin and had just become the Arch-Mage of the Magical College of Winterhold. What interest could an Arch-Mage possibly have in a thieves guild, or the fact he's not evil enough to go cannibal, or to willingly help most of the Deadra.

This meant that many errands, quests, jobs went unfulfilled because they fell outside of what my mage would either explore or ever consider getting caught up in. Most of the time it meant looking the other way. Most of Skyrim had problems that either weren't his concern, or were outright evil that he didn't want part of. This isn't to say that he didn't occasionally get sucked into events. The main plot lines are hard not to get wrapped into.

One such situation was Markarth and the Foresworn. As I made my way into the misty, damp mountains and found a gorgeous living city in the abandoned ruins of the Dwarves, I initially thought my character would like this place. The immediate murder in the market soured that. The subsequent imprisonment and manipulation by the deposed Foresworn King made him hate the place, and the exploitation of the workers of the silver mines that made Markarth one of the thriving Nine Holds made it hard to like the city whether my character backed the Empire or the Stormcloaks. I realized after the fact that my character could have shivved the Foresworn King and been done with it, but even imprisoned in the mines, he wasn't going to do that. Not in his character to be so murderously aggressive (defensive yes, but not offensive).

This did lead to the character avoiding Markarth altogether, only visiting to thin the Foresworn ranks. This was the start of my character not taking kindly to being used or manipulated. If he was manipulated, it usually meant not dealing with said manipulator. Alternatively if said person then tried to double-cross or use him as a scape-goat, a certain rage that was kindled in Markarth usually meant their end.

I still find this strange. Usually such games allow an evil or a good path, but there are enough titles, places, and variety of things to do in Skyrim that my mind doesn't believe that one character would be able to fit all of them into their life time.

This does set me up to replay the game and main story lines with considerably different perspectives to feel like the different quests, titles, sub-plots could fit into the experience. This is the first time in a very long time I've had an RPG feel like this without feeling somehow disingenuous about giving me choice. Skyrim's expansiveness lets me play two very different characters, that may complete the same primary story, but they'll have gotten there two very different ways.

Operation: Slicer is a go!

Just a heads-up to all of you Mass Effect 3 players. Operation: Slicer kicks off this weekend!

The target? Banshees. 3 million (yeah... that's 3,000,000) of 'em. This is all players combined, across all platforms. The last time there was an operation, it was 1 million phantoms. The community killed 1.5 million.

Twice as many banshees, which are a helluva lot harder to kill than phantoms!

Better get practicing!

Additionally, if your squad can make it to full extraction on Gold (any settings, as long as it's Gold), then you're up for a Commendation Pack.

The Banshee genocide will net everyone a Victory Pack.

Do you have a strategy for taking down banshees? Put it in the comment section below!

Whoa...

So I saw Robert Jordan's Eye of the World at B&N tonight, with the e-book artwork.

I'm sure this has been in the works for months, but it's pretty poor timing since Darrell K. Sweet (the artist for all the print editions) died on December 5th of last year...

This is the beginning...

I’ve spent a lot of time on this initial post. I have a lot of ideas regarding topics I’d like to cover, but I also think it’s important to start with a mission statement.

What is Fellowship of N3RD setting out to accomplish? What can it bring to the table that other tech/gadget/gaming/nerd sites cannot?

To be honest, I’m not sure. And while that may not be the most comforting admission ever, it’s sincere. I visit a lot of sites on a daily basis (Giz, io9, BGR, Kotaku, Blastr, IGN to name a few) that cater to my interests: Science fiction, fantasy, comics, gaming, the newest and most exciting gadgets...

But there’s more. I think we are at an incredibly exciting point in the history (and future) of humanity. To cite one example: In a time where funding for NASA has been stripped, private industries are picking up the mantle of space travel and exploration. Hell, we’ve even seen press conferences for asteroid mining (which, I have to admit, makes me miss New Eden something fierce)!

I don’t claim that we’ll be living in our Star Trek future soon, but it’s an exciting step forward. In the meantime, we have a wealth of resources that we can pour our imaginations and hopes into. Books, games, and movies are giving (and have given) us a glimpse of the exciting (both inspiring and terrifying) prospects that we are capable of. Franchises, and new entries into our favorite genres, captivate our imaginations and drive our visions for the future.

In a time where the world faces a great deal of uncertainty, we can almost take solace in these wonders of secondary creation. It gives us something to strive for, and to work toward. I started this post talking about a mission statement. I don’t think it’s a statement on what I will provide to you.

Instead, it’s an invitation. Join me in this fellowship. As we continue this journey, and make amazing leaps in science fiction and science fact, I invite all of you. We can experience it together.

And may those lines between science fiction and science fact continue to blur.

Allons-y!