PolyCast Going Live: Season 5 Begins January 8th, 2011

[DanQ]

Now to be recorded before a live Internet-based audience. PolyCast, an entertaining and informing Civilization computer series podcast, is to begin its fifth season this month. For more than four years, regular co-hosts Daniel "DanQ" Quick and "Makahlua" have been joined by two other panelists and more than 80 guests to discuss all things game strategy. From hot topics in community forums to sharing gameplay experiences, they have done so in an ongoing effort to engage the show's audience and give them an interactive voice. After more than 100 produced hours of content during this time, a significant change is coming about effectively immediately: PolyCast is replacing its pre-recorded format with a live one.

On January 8, 2011, starting at 12PM ET (North America), tune into the show's channel on uStream for the live recording of its Season 5 premiere, Episode 109. Philip "TheMeInTeam" Bellew and Lisa "qnl" Bang will continue to complete the show's core four-person panel, where the majority of its shows are still to feature set guest co-hosts. Now the opportunity for impromptu guest co-hosts too will emerge; that is, those listening in will have opportunity to call-in as well as interacting in the designated text-based chat room. To call-in, you can do so through either of the show's telephone numbers -- (301) 637-7659 (North America) and +44 121 288 7659 (Europe) -- or via Skype with your Skype account.

Unlike PolyCast's landmark 100th episode last summer, which was the show's first production to be recorded live, set topics within said segments are to be in place though they will not be announced in advance of the recording. New episodes are to continue to be recorded every two weeks throughout the calendar year.

[Asher]

sigh

and

set topics within said segments are to be in place though they will not be announced in advance of the recording

Am I the only one who recognizes this as very stupid? Who is going to listen to you randomly talk about something that may (however unlikely) be interesting? Is the idea that you'll get more listeners this way because they don't want to miss something terribly exciting? What's instead is going to happen is people won't bother. I still don't understand how this is still going on.

[Nikolai]

I'm with Asher on this one. I'm not that interested in polycast in the first place, if you want me to possibly be interested, you've got to tell me why I should be.

[DanQ]

PolyCast is, of course, dedicated to the Civilization series of computer games. Now with a primary focus on CivV, expect most topics in a given episode recording to be related to this. In the 'live' as opposed to pre-recorded format, those listening to an episode while it is being made can have an even more immediate opportunity to influence the course of some of that Civ discussion.