 Shadowrunners Anonymous, I'm a runaholic. |
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 Jul 6 2006, 12:52 AM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: 8-April 06 From: My dorm room Member No.: 8,438  |
Yesterday my mom and dad took me to see The Da Vinci Code, and I couldn't help thinking about how much it reminded me of SR - the twist-filled plot, the sophisticated technology, even the millenia-old conspiracy involving Leonardo Da Vinci. But then I realized that lots of things are reminding me of SR these days: television shows I watch, books I read, even my summer job as an unpaid intern is reminding me of it. For example, last Friday I went with one of my fellow interns to put up flyers in Chicago's Chinatown. Chinatown, as in Cermak Avenue. :eek: I almost wondered aloud to the other guy where the hive must be, but I don't think he would have gotten the reference. :D
How strong is your SR addiction? How does it affect other aspects of your life? |
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Jul 6 2006, 01:46 AM
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#2
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
Pretty much every aspect of my life has a shadow. You'll learn to keep that side quiet around mundanes, but... The biggest problem is the disappointment of never finding the time to put it all to practice.
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Jul 6 2006, 01:50 AM
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#3
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,095 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Ontari-airee-o Member No.: 1,115 |
I am also guilty of being addicted to the game. I wonder what priorities people have taken in life, but life unlike shadowrun is not fair, and not everyone has the capacity of being equal. Most of the movies I watch I mentally translate into game stats and terms... and think of runs based on the movies.
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Jul 6 2006, 01:57 AM
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#4
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Ain Soph Aur Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,477 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Montreal, Canada Member No.: 600 |
Ah, you are still fresh and innocent. Every building I walk into, I consider it's worth as an SR building. I eye the security measure and points of entry, and what could be of worth. *All* business news make me think of Shadowrun. All business classes I took, electromagnetic physics and networking, I just think about how it realtes to shadowrun. I seek out news of crimes that have an SR flair to them. Actually I read any news that has an SR flair to it. When I go clubbing I take mental note of how the place is just so I can use it as inspiration for a locale in my games.
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Jul 6 2006, 02:26 AM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 308 Joined: 1-June 06 From: Nova Scotia, Canada Member No.: 8,631 |
Well, the first part of that statement just means you have the makings of a criminal. The rest, just means you're an addict. The two can be mutually exclusive. Otherwise we'll see someone on trial and they'll be asked questions like "And did the accused ever play that roleplaying game Shadowrun?" "He did, well then, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case. We all have seen how games cause people to do things. Just look at the Dungeons and Dragons Cases." :D On a more serious note, I know some people who are just wired in the way that they must know all the different exits out of a place. Something which would be Shadowrunner like, but is also something I'd expect of people from any serious trauma, including the 9/11 attacks. Myself, my life does tend to have paralells I make to SR. Prime exapmple is where I work. I work in an office building that has two main points of enterance. One by the front desk on the ground floor and one via pedway onto the second floor. After business hours, you need a card to get into the building by either of those ways. That same card allows you to use the elveators to get to any floor besides 2 and Ground as those are exists. THe cards are also only programmed to floors you have access to. Then, once you get past the elevators, you're in an elevator llobby. To get in, at least on the two floors I work on, you need to swipe a second badge to get past the doors to the lobby on floor A, there's a locker room with key locks, a stairway to floor B and a couple doors that can be opened with the doorbadge depending on your clearance. On floor B, you have a few more coded doors and a cafeteria. So, with a layout like that, sometimes I try and think exactly how such a system would work in SR. Yes, you could hack the system and give yourself super-user access. Or you could generate a series of differently coded cards to get yourself around the building, making yourself look like two or three people. And that brings up the issue of making copies of the cards, in the first place. Is there a keycard writer anywhere in the rules or is it just assumed? |
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Jul 6 2006, 03:28 AM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 917 Joined: 5-September 03 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Member No.: 5,585 |
Funny that -
I automatically scan for exits/entrances/fire escapes/fire extinguishers and "egress points" when I enter/leave a new place. I'm not EMS or fire-trained, but I do have an interest in how buildings work and tend to examine places for space/movement. I've only recently had this pointed out to me as weird - I thought everyone else did the same thing. Eg: Where are the stairs down? "Ah, about 40 seconds behind us, on the right, next to the discreete firehose reel and powerboard." Of course, after watching the usual suspects of survival horror, it could simply be a habit. (92%+ on the Zombiapocaplypse test, soft-hearted but not stupid, apparently.) -Tir |
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Jul 6 2006, 04:10 AM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 101 Joined: 27-October 02 From: Chicago Containment Zone Member No.: 3,504 |
FanGirl- You live in Chicago? That's pretty rad. I'll unfortunately be out of the city soon enough in my transferring to Urbana, but it's great to see another
The better part is when I was living in Chicago, and checking out the hotspots. When I crawled along the Cermak bus, I was able to personally see the power plant that was the target of the main hive (1411 W, I believe?), with all its little flower gardens. Continuously passing over Harlem gave me the mental notes of how far the CZ was spreading. The fact I lived just inside the Western Avenue border of the Noose made me smile slightly. I've come to taking aspects of my friends and considering how they would translate into a shadowrunner (I've made nearly all my friends/acquaintances into NPCs for my runners to interact with based upon those ideas). I've also begun to notice people a lot more, such as the shape of a person's face, wondering if that would be an actual UGE/Goblinization later on, or just a regular person who looked a little less human. And regarding the zombiepocalypse event: I never feel safe in shopping malls, especially shopping mall parking garages. Never. |
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Jul 6 2006, 04:41 AM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: 8-April 06 From: My dorm room Member No.: 8,438 |
Has a Bugs Bunny cartoon ever reminded you of SR? 1943's Tortoise Wins by a Hare is a retelling of Aesop's fable of the Tortoise in the Hare, in which Bugs is the antagonist. Still seething with anger over his defeat by Cecil Turtle in a previous race, Bugs demands a rematch. When Cecil explains that his secret is the "modern design" of his "airflow chassis," Bugs builds himself a metal shell of his own, and secretly puts it on shortly after the start of the race (along with a bathing cap to hide his ears). Sadly for Bugs, the all-rabbit mob has bet all their money on him, and will stop at nothing to prevent Cecil from finishing the race. The mob mistakes the disguised Bugs for his terrapin opponent: they set up an ambush for the unfortunate hare, beating him savagely as they let Cecil pass by in his rabbit costume. When Bugs escapes, they unleash their entire weapons arsenal on him, but Bugs almost manages to win in spite of it all - until he's attacked again right before he reaches the finish line. A pair of rabbits pick up Cecil and carry him across the finish line, and the turtle is once again victorious. Only then is Bugs able to reveal himself, and the mobsters all shoot themselves in the heads upon realizing their error. (That is, they do in the uncensored version.) Anyway, don't you think that this cartoon would make a great basis for a shadowrun? |
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Jul 6 2006, 04:46 AM
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#9
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...yeah, DaVinci Code left me feeling the same way. Almost like one of the scenarios I would write. Basically you didn't know who to trust, even at the end. I don't think a day goes by that I don't ponder ideas for SR runs based on what I see or hear. For example, I worked up an entire episode for the Rhapsody arc based on the bombings in London last summer. It actually fit in quite nicely since one of the major NPCs was a former demolitionist. Living in Portland OR is particuarly strange considering the way it is described in the TT sourcebook. I frequently refer to the West Hills as "Royal Hill" (which it just about is these days considering that is where the wealth of the city is), and the recent gentrification of areas like the old Pearl industrial district or the Northwest district as "Elf-i-fication". When they build the wall, then I know it's all over. (...and the only subways in Portland belong to the sandwich shop chain.) |
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Jul 6 2006, 08:24 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 681 Joined: 28-February 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,319 |
As mentioned in another thread my addiction mainly manifests as an overwhelming desire, when I go on holiday, to imagine what the place will look like in the Sixth World.
So far, since this obsession recently began, that includes Paris, Gibraltar and Tangiers. I really really need to buy SoE. Also (as mentioned here), I seem to be collecting mp3s that I don't really like but which might make fitting or amusing background music for a game scene. And of course I'm spending far too much time on DS. My name is Dave and I am a shadowrunaholic. Help me. |
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Jul 6 2006, 10:19 AM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 831 Joined: 5-September 05 From: LAX, UCAS Member No.: 7,687 |
Same here. For instance, a few years ago I sat down and traced out the SR national borders on a US map (and thus realized that the Souix-UCAS border follows the demarcation for the Mountain time zone). Later that year, I was driving through South Dakota on vacation and "found" said border - it crosses I90 about a mile west of a little town called Murdo (which consists mainly of a car museum and a truck stop/souvineer store/KFC/Taco Bell). I still find this hilarious, because there is no way the Souix could have the level of border security advertised in SR in that terrain in the middle of no where. ;) But yeah, I'm seriously guilty of a massive SR addiction. I find run ideas in the most demented places, convert people (and places and movies and anime and pop culture and job sites etc etc etc) into SR terms at least mentally even if I never use the resulting material, and constantly bitch that my gf's favorite soap opera (Guiding Light) would be a lot better with a few random gunfights and some gratuitous wetwork. I've put together an anthology of mix CDs that follow "the anatomy of a run/SR campaign", write SR fiction (when writer's block doesn't stop me :( ), and still obsess over how cool my favorite character(s) is/are (When was the last time you refered to a long time character of yours as "the god of all things cool" in conversation?). Even when I play other RPGs, I compare them to SR and think how much better they'd be if they were made more "Shadowrunny". Have been throughly addicted for 16 years now, and love every minute of it ;) |
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Jul 6 2006, 10:32 AM
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#12
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Target Group: Members Posts: 80 Joined: 9-January 06 Member No.: 8,143 |
Hi my name is Tim
in chorus "Hi Tim" :rotfl: I too am guilty of an SR addiction. Though i don't really pay attention to building lyouts, i can't watch a single movie without at least trying to rip the plot and see if it's usable ingame. I myself find this quite amusing, i pay more attention to plot twists and it teaches you alot about options. "I would have done it diffrently" is an often used sentence when i exit a movietheatre. My non-shadow addicted friends however don't enjoy this trait too much, in which case it teaches you when to shut up. *opens up the floor for the next addict* |
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Jul 6 2006, 12:35 PM
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#13
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,590 Joined: 11-September 04 Member No.: 6,650 |
SOrry But I don't have time to discuss this
I gotta meet with a Columbian on a matter involving a kidnapped pedophile |
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Jul 6 2006, 01:42 PM
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#14
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Incertum est quo loco te mors expectet; Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,546 Joined: 24-October 03 From: DeeCee, U.S. Member No.: 5,760 |
I began to worry when I compared Bush to Kerry in regards to who was more likely to uphold something like the Shiawise decision. (The answer is Bush, of course.)
But I guess when your first picture of your wife (who wasn't my wife at the time) has elf ears, you're rather expected to have a tenuous grasp on reality. |
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Jul 6 2006, 01:57 PM
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#15
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,095 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Ontari-airee-o Member No.: 1,115 |
Actually ... you know that you have a problem when you start figuring out everyone's stats and edges and flaws. |
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Jul 6 2006, 02:32 PM
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#16
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Snakehandler Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 7,454 Joined: 28-April 06 From: London, England Member No.: 8,508 |
Yes, I also am horribly addicted. The worst is when you are playing in the Welcome to the Shadows games and you find yourself compulsively checking for new posts every ten minutes, even when you know damn well there will be no new ones at (given time of day).
Or you start getting really really angry about the existence of collector card games and LARPs and MMORPGs and all the other newfangled things that are biting into the market for table-top RPGs. |
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Jul 6 2006, 04:40 PM
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#17
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...when you look at the calendar and realise it's only about four & a half years to the kickoff of the SR timeline, you know you have it bad.
...it's 2011...do you know what your children are? |
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Jul 6 2006, 04:48 PM
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#18
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,026 Joined: 23-November 05 From: Seattle (Really!) Member No.: 7,996 |
I am so not looking forward to the eruptions, traffic out here will only get worse. |
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Jul 6 2006, 04:57 PM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 358 Joined: 12-May 05 From: The nearest UV host near you... Member No.: 7,390 |
I too have tendencies to look for entry points, locks and security systems and the way to defeat them. I often look at ventilation conducts wondering if I can pass there ^_^
I've even tried some tricks to see if they work (for instance, can I spoof a chipcard magnetic lock...?) I've even done some homemade explosives when I was younger. When I'm in a secure place or in an elevator or even a bus, I often go day-dreaming asking myself "how quick" I can disable and neutralize peoples around me... (Of course, that can also be related to my Kempo/Jiu-Jutsu addiction... lol) Especially if I hold something in my hands like an umbrella or such... I imagine if it was a katana instead, how faster it would be... My son and I often try to sneak past each other and try to do a choking hold "MGS Way" to see if we can be silent and deadly... I guess that I'm becoming kinda pro at this since I ALWAYS startle people at my work... ^_^ A quick game that I really enjoy with my son and his friends is to play with toy-guns that shoot rubber caps... We hide, sneak and try to hold up/shoot the others as a team or as individuals. I wish I had a paint ball gun... ^_^ I work as a computer programmer for one of the biggest computer firm in North America, my job is related to bank transactions. I've found many ways that I can redirect transactions to another account or even causing SERIOUS troubles to a particular people. I know... I'm a freak... ^_^ However, I'm *really* honest and all of this is only day dreaming. Hopefully I think because I think it can be really dangerous otherwise ^_^ Now, where did I put that DMSO recipe?! lol |
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Jul 6 2006, 05:38 PM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 101 Joined: 27-October 02 From: Chicago Containment Zone Member No.: 3,504 |
I'm looking forward to the 2011 just because I'd like to be married and would be having my first kid right around then ~_^ "SWEET! WE GOT A UGE'ER!" XD |
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Jul 6 2006, 06:33 PM
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#21
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Incertum est quo loco te mors expectet; Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,546 Joined: 24-October 03 From: DeeCee, U.S. Member No.: 5,760 |
What about when you dedicate about 60 hours to researching and practicing lockpicking so you can decide how best to make rules for it? (I can understand why maglocks are so much more popular in SR.)
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Jul 6 2006, 07:21 PM
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#22
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Maglocks are particularly good because it's easier to get them to fail open than most mechanical locks.
That's an aspect most people tend to forget, in my experience: in everything but a highly-secured area, a fire alarm should unlock doors rather than locking them. ~J |
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Jul 6 2006, 07:39 PM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 132 Joined: 24-August 05 From: Luxembourg, Luxembourg Member No.: 7,611 |
I never thought of myself as an addict. I guess I’m in denial. I look for and remember the exits and egress paths when I go into buildings. I look at the structural details to see how it will collapse under a given load, and where to put the kaboomite to make it go down faster. I check the fire suppression systems, and look for waterwalls and such that could be used to cause more havoc and make an escape easier. I look for defenses against things like snipers, truck vs wall scenarios, and general sneakiness. Then in off hours I’ll draw up floorplans and make note of “upgraded” security features.
Every movie I see I contemplate the plot and how much it would take to bend it into a SR game. When I see a news story I do the same. When traveling I like to lookup the places I’m going in the SR books to make sure I see things that might be significant in a game. When playing other games I think to myself “how would this be with cyberware?” even if it’s 7th Sea. I spend way too much time reading posts here. After comparing notes with others in this thread I have come to the conclusion I’m hopelessly addicted, and very happy with that. |
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Jul 6 2006, 08:51 PM
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#24
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...yeah, here in Portland we not only have Mt Hood & St Helens to worry about, but there is also a dormant cinder cone with a neighbourhood built on top known as Mt Tabor which is within the city limits. Worse, it's only about 20 blocks from my house. |
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Jul 7 2006, 07:13 AM
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#25
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 831 Joined: 5-September 05 From: LAX, UCAS Member No.: 7,687 |
So I guess I'm not the only one that's secretly disappointed when critical events of the SR timeline don't happen "on time", or when major things happen that aren't in the timeline (Iraq, Katrina, etc)? ;)
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Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 16th April 2024 - 04:33 AM |
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