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Xeogred
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Xeogred Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:10 pm

1. Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour (PC)
2. Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter* (PC)
3. Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter (PC)
4. D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (PC)
5. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (PC)
6. Deadcore (PC)
7. Yakuza 4 (PS3)
8. Hyper Light Drifter (PC)
9. Doom 2: Valiant (PC)
10. Resident Evil 7 (PS4)
10. Doom 2: Ancient Aliens (PC)
11. Doom 2: Vanguard (PC)
12. Doom 2: Doom 2 The Way id Did (PC)
13. Doom 2: Community Chest Pack 4 (PC)
14. Doom: Doom The Way id Did (PC)
15. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (PC)
16. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (PC)
17. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (WiiU)
18. Dishonored 2 (PC)

* replay

I've talked a bit about this in the FPS thread along with my progress through it. Dishonored is one of my top favorites and Dishonored 2 is just as good and possibly better in some areas. I wouldn't want it any other way! The unfortunate thing was that Dishonored 2's initial release was a mess, plagued with technical issues and bad optimization out the gate which has really hurt its reputation, it was even my first Steam refund as well. Now it's been patched a bit and they had a demo up (and your progress saves if you buy the game), so I gave it another shot and the game runs really well now. Everything felt good, but turning on Triple Buffering sealed the deal.

The quick little bad here is that, I don't think I liked Dishonored 2's overall scenario as much as 1's. I would say it's more character driven with a less interesting main plot. I went with Corvo first. It's cool he's voiced by classic Thief's Stephen Russel who voiced Garrett, but I wonder if Dishonored 2 feels like it's more Emily's game. I'll see how I feel when I replay it as her sometime. But the difference to me is that Dishonored 1 felt more mysterious and intriguing, you didn't go back to a general hub as much because the plot and things kept evolving, but Dishonored 2 felt a little more disjointed. Maybe it's just me though.

One thing is for sure, you will want to play Dishonored 1's DLC before this if you haven't. Both main story DLC's were fantastic and build upon Delilah, whom was the main antagonist of the DLC and Dishonored 2 as well.

This is one of my favorite gaming worlds ever created. It's a super dense and rich world that feels so lived in and surreal. Incredible art direction and atmosphere. I just can't get enough of weird 1800 / early 1900's era settings mixed with sci-fi / tech / and magic. The missions are even more free form than before, it's going to be amazing to replay this and will probably be a completely different experience several times through. You can't say that for most games. There were some unique gimmicks per level and they were all amazing, it would be impossible to pick a favorite level. So while the story/characters maybe didn't intrigue me as much as before, Dishonored is more of an atmosphere/gameplay kind of experience for me in the end and it still excels in those areas by far.

I hope they can make a third game. Give it another time leap and put Corvo to rest, with Emily taking up the only main role to come full circle in a way. It would be fascinating to explore more of this world. Like, who are even at war with the Empire? What about the other continents? But I would be fine with even more Dunwall (even though 2 is new cities, there's still some classic Dunwall again).

Another team at Arkane Studios will be releasing the new Prey next month, which looks like a new System Shock (and I don't think they've been shy about that direct influence). It looks awesome and I will be curious to see how it stacks up against their own Dishonored.
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by ElkinFencer10 Tue Apr 18, 2017 7:41 am

Games Beaten in 2017 So Far - 34

January (10 Games Beaten)
1. Persona 4 Arena - Playstation 3 - January 1
2. Chrono Trigger - SNES - January 7
3. Ys: The Vanished Omens - Master System - January 8
4. MUSHA - Genesis - January 10
5. Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below - PlayStation 4 - January 11
6. Ys I - TurboGrafx-CD - January 13
7. Ys II - TurboGrafx-CD - January 14
8. Dragon Quest Builders - PlayStation 4 - January 23
9. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - PlayStation 4 - January 26
10. School Girl/Zombie Hunter - PlayStation 4 - January 29


February (12 Games Beaten)
11. Fire Emblem Heroes - Android - February 3
12. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD - Wii U - February 5
13. Dante's Inferno - PlayStation 3 - February 7
14. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - DS - February 11
15. Persona 4: Dancing All Night - Vita - February 12
16. Sniper Elite 4 - PlayStation 4 - February 17
17. Pony Quest - NES - February 19
18. Halo Wars 2 - Xbox One - February 22
19. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - PlayStation Portable - February 24
20. Hotline Miami - PlayStation 4 - February 26
21. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light - Famicom - February 27
22. Bad Dudes - NES - February 28


March (6 Games Beaten)
23. Root Letter - PlayStation 4 - March 2
24. Vroom in the Night Sky - Switch - March 10
25. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Switch - March 17
26. Super Bomberman R - Switch - March 18
27. Super Mario Run - Android - March 24
28. I Am Setsuna - Switch - March 24


April (6 Games Beaten)
29. Mass Effect: Andromeda - PlayStation 4 - April 1
30. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army - PlayStation 4 - April 2
31. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2 - PlayStation 4 - April 2
32. New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers - Switch - April 3
33. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 3 - PlayStation 4 - April 4
34. Persona 5 - PlayStation 4 - April 17


34. Persona 5 - PlayStation 4 - April 17

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Holy shit. This game, yo. I wouldn't say that it exceeded my expectations because of how high Persona always sets the bar, but it fully lived up to my expectations, and that alone is a remarkable feat coming after Persona 3 and Persona 4. There's literally nothing about this game that's disappointing in the slightest. I mean, there's no Chie, but it has two waifus who are even BETTER, so I'll take it.

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If you've ever played a game in the Shin Megami Tensei series, you know that they're among the premier JRPG series. If you've ever played a game in the Persona sub-series, you know that they're the best of the best of the best in the genre. Everything about Persona is perfect. The art style is anime af, the characters are developed so masterfully that you almost feel like you know them, the soundtracks range from "bitchin'" to "audible orgasm," and the storylines are fabulously written and complex enough to be engaging without being pedantic. This was perfect with Persona 4, but Persona 5 is no exception; this game retains the god-tier quality of its predecessors.

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Whereas Persona 3 had the Midnight Hour and Persona 4 had the Midnight Channel, Persona 5 has the Metaverse, accessed not by being awake at the right time or jumping into a TV but by accessing a mysterious smartphone app. On your quest to right the wrongs of the world and gather waifus, you'll meet a wonderful cast of characters that seriously gives Persona 4 a run for its money. You've obviously got your protagonist, but you also meet Fucking Cat, Stupid Bromance, Foreigner Jailbait, Tsundere Prez, Timid Billionaire, Gay Artist, Bitch-Ass Punk, and Kawaii Hacker Jailbait along with a whole handful of NPC waifus and bros I'm too lazy to give sarcastic nicknames.

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So let's talk about what I think is always the greatest strength of any Persona game - the soundtrack. Let's go ahead and get this comparison out of the way: it's not as good as Persona 4's soundtrack. It is, however, DAMN close and amazing in its own right. The soundtrack alone justified the extra $30 for the Take Your Heart Edition IMO even without the Shujin Academy bag, artbook, and Morgana plush. The battle music especially is extraordinarily fitting for the mood of the fights and really helps to get your blood pumping for a tough boss encounter.

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If I were to pick a grip, I have to very minor ones. First, the grind dungeon where most of your side quests will be done, Momentos, feels a little lackluster to me when compared to Tartarus or the TV world. Take out that comparison and it's great, but when you put it up against its Persona 3 and Persona 4 counterparts, it does feel as if a little bit is left to be desired. Second, that stupid cat keeps making me waste time. It's evening, and I want to go work on a Social Link - "Aren't you tired? Let's go to bed." Bitch, I don't want to go to bed. But fine, I'll make some infiltration tools. "Let's not do that tonight." Look, you furry piece of shit, you're not my dad. But fine. I'll train to boost my HP in battle. "Let's not do that tonight." Whyyyy??? Who cares if I'm going somewhere with all my friends tomorrow? They sell some Red Bull equivalent in Japan, I'm sure. Does it really hinder the experience? Of course not, but it is annoying as shit.

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To avoid spoiling anything else, I'm going to cut it off here, but this game is truly incredible. After I played Breath of the Wild, I thought "This is my game of the year, no doubt." Then Persona 5 comes along, and shit man, I don't even know anymore. This is a truly god-tier JRPG, the kind that gets remembered as "The best of a generation" years down the light the way Final Fantasy VII and Chrono Trigger get remembered. It doesn't matter if you've got a Playstation 3 or a Playstation 4; you need to get this game. If you don't have either of systems, shame on you! Go fix that! With difficulties ranging from "Not Even Stephen Is This Pathetic" all the way up to "Dark Souls," the game is approachable for players of any skill level. Do NOT give Persona 5 a pass. It's at the very least in the running for "Game of the Decade."
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Tiduas
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Tiduas Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:15 pm

ElkinFencer10 wrote:Long post about Persona


I finished Persona 3 on the PSP a few years ago and while I enjoyed it somewhat it dragged on for way too long and I just avoided P4 because of it looking a lot like the same. But now P5 has me drooling by just looking at it and after reading everything about it from various sources on the Internet it seems that the biggest complaint I had about P3 (mainly being the dungeons being really boring) has been fixed to a certain degree and everything else has been polished. I will most definitely check this game out as soon as possible and hope I will appreciate the series more than the last time I tried.
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Sarge
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Sarge Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:23 pm

January:
1) The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (PC) (8.5) (1/1) (~5.5 hours)
2) ActRaiser (SNES) (8.0) (1/2) (~4 hours)
3) Bonk's Revenge (GB) (6.0) (1/3) (~1 hour)
4) Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break (GB) (6.5) (1/3) (~1 hour)
5) Blackwell Legacy (PC) (7.0) (1/5) (2.6 hours)
6) Blackwell Unbound (PC) (7.5) (1/7) (2.2 hours)
7) Blackwell Convergence (PC) (8.0) (1/7) (2.4 hours)
8) Blackwell Deception (PC) (8.0) (1/8) (4.7 hours)
9) Blackwell Epiphany (PC) (9.0) (1/9) (6.5 hours)
10) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4) (8.0) (1/22) (~55 hours)
11) Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (360) (8.0) (1/28) (~.5 hours)
12) Deep Duck Trouble Starring Donald Duck (SMS) (6.5) (1/31) (~1 hour)


February:
13) Quackshot Starring Donald Duck (GEN) (7.5) (2/7) (~2 hours)
14) Fire Emblem Heroes (Android) (8.0) (2/9) (~10 hours)
15) Super C (NES) (9.5) (2/20) (~0.5 hours)
16) Contra (NES) (10.0) (2/20) (~0.5 hours)
17) Mickey's Dangerous Chase (GB) (6.5) (2/24) (~1 hour)
18) My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (3DS) (8.5) (2/25) (~19 hours)
19) Mega Man 2 (NES) (10.0) (2/28) (~0.8 hours)

March:
20) Final Fantasy XV (PS4) (8.0) (3/2) (~33 hours)
21) Blaster Master Zero (NS) (9.0) (3/10) (~6.5 hours)
22) Espgaluda II Black Label (360) (8.0?) (3/17) (0.5 hours)
23) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NS) (9.5) (3/28) (~70+ hours)

April:
24) Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (PC) (8.5) (4/7) (~5.5 hours)
25) Hyper Light Drifter (PS4) (8.0) (4/9) (~8 hours)
26) Gekido Advance: Kintaro's Revenge (GBA) (7.5) (4/16) (~3 hours)
27) Vanquish (PS3) (8.5) (4/17) (~7 hours)

Time to talk a little bit about Vanquish before I completely forget everything I wanted to touch on. For the uninitiated, Vanquish is a third-person shooter, in the ever-popular cover-based format popularized in the last generation. In particular, Gears of War really brought the genre to the forefront, even if it wasn't the first, as all the 360 folks needed something to play while waiting for Halo.

This ain't Gears of War.

Not that I've even played Gears. But from everything I know about it, Vanquish does things much, much differently. Yes, there is cover shooting. But that cover shooting is more to catch your breath long enough to go flying back out, capping fools in self-initiated bullet-time before rapid-sliding back to cover before your suit overheats. It's intense, fast-paced stuff.

Yes, all those mobility feats come at a cost. Your suit has a limited meter that depletes when you use its rapid-movement slide, the bullet-time effect, or pop off a really powerful melee attack. It also will kick in if you take a hit that puts you in a near-death state. Using this time to get back to cover is wise, although sometimes taking out the threat quickly is also a good move. At least the dodge roll is free, and feels more like something out of Devil May Cry. Huh, wonder why that would be? ;)

So really, the movement is all solid, what about the shooting? Well, the shooting is pretty great, although with some minor quibbles. But it works as intended, and isn't squirrelly like the shooting in Jedi Outcast, so well done, Platinum. My only gripe is that some weapons are pretty inaccurate if you're not using the aim mode, which of course slows down your movement. But it's absolutely key to doing lots of damage on bosses, but you're probably going to want to pair it with bullet-time, as it's safer that way.

There is the usual assortment of weapons, although nothing gets truly outlandish. A standard assault rifle, a heavy machine gun that's less accurate but more powerful, rocket launchers, lock-on lasers, sniper rifles, disc guns (not as interesting as you'd think), stuff like that. My favorite heavy weapon was the LFE gun, though. It's much like the PPC cannon in MechWarrior 2, a slow-moving charge of death that will instantly kill any mooks, and scores an ever-effective knockdown on a lot of larger enemies. It's especially great if you can get it upgraded to the highest level.

Right, upgrades. Occasionally you'll get a green upgrade cube that lets you upgrade any of your weapons one level on the spot. But you can also upgrade weapons by picking up any of the same type weapon in your loadout while having full ammo for that weapon. It means that it's worth scouring the battlefield for weapons you already have, because the upgrades are not trivial. That LFE gun at the highest level has double the initial range, and my other two weapons of choice, the assault rifle/heavy pairing, get accuracy and damage bonuses that are quite significant. It's a neat system, and it's also one you can game a little bit, dropping a weapon without full ammo (say the LFE) for a different one, picking up a full ammo LFE to replace that, then going and picking up the non-full LFE to get the upgrade mark on your chevron.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot to say about the game structurally. It's a pretty linear romp, with some interesting setpieces, although the most interesting-looking feats are all in cutscenes. The whole game has a very mechanical look, and it's fine, but I do wish there had been some more splashes of color. The voice acting is convincing enough, the audio conveys the proper sorts of bangs and booms you'd expect, and the story... well, eh. Not as stupid as MGR: Revengeance (sorry, Xeogred!), but you can definitely tell Mikami likes his evil (or misguided) America shtick. Just like we like our evil Russians! Oh, right, this game has those, too. Ha!

Anyway, you don't play a game like this for story. You play it for whiz-bang shooty action, and this delivers. Give me a version of this that doesn't quite segment things like Platinum usually does, and I'll probably call it the best TPS I've ever played. (And it does set up for a sequel, so who knows? Maybe one day.)

(P.S. My personal strategy ended up boiling down to dodge rolling like crazy, especially as I waited for my suit to recharge, then initiating slow-mo and going at it again. In instances where I was getting beat up, cover was the first priority, otherwise it was all staying in the open, using my mobility as much as possible. I didn't end up using the slide as much unless I really needed to get somewhere in a hurry.)
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Exhuminator
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Exhuminator Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:18 pm

So glad you played through it and enjoyed it. My only real complaint about Vanquish's shooting is that it didn't support blindfire. But that's a very minor complaint in regards to a very awesome game.

Fun fact; Vanquish is kinda sorta the spiritual successor to P.N.03. Thus sayeth Mikami.
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BogusMeatFactory
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by BogusMeatFactory Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:44 pm

1. Captain Toad (WiiU)
2. Lost: Via Domus (PS3)

3. Modnation Racers (PS3)
4. Tron: Evolution (PS3)
5. Dead Rising (PC)
6. Fire Emblem Heroes (Android)

7. Yoshi’s Wooly World (Wii U)
8. Stanley Parable (PC)

9. Lone Wolf: Flight From the Dark (Android)
10. Lone Wolf: Fire on the Water (Android)
11. Lone Wolf: The Caverns of Kalte (Android)

12. Lone Wolf: The Chasm of Doom (Android)
13. Lone Wolf: Shadow on the Sand (Android)
14. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)

15. LoneWolf: Kingdoms of Terror(Android)
16. Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties (PC)

17. King’s Quest IV (PC)
18. Shovel Knight (PC)

19. The 7th Guest (PC)
20. 1, 2, Switch! (Switch)

21. The Longet Journey (PC)
22. Plague Knight (Switch)
23. Steamworld Dig (Wii U)


The Longest Journey - Many of you may know my love for Adventure games. Being a kid who grew up on old-school Sierra titles on my Apple IIGS taught me how to read and type like a madman and are an indelible mark on who I am as a gamer. Having played and completed The Longest Journey years ago when the game first released, it stuck with me as being a really awesome adventure game. Even with its sequel, Dreamfall, I was able to overlook its hodgepodge combat and stealth mechanics to appreciate the story they were telling.

I was elated when Dreamfall Chapters came out and I was quick to support it. I played the first chapter to completion and then waited a while. Time passed and I thought to myself, "Why was I passing on the completion to a story that was over 10 years in the making!?" This was almost Shenmue and Myst level of love and I was letting it slip through my fingers. I decided it was time to brush off my old copies of the original two and revisit them to prepare for tackling the finale of a series I so desperately have been seeking closure on.

Now on to the meat and potatoes. The Longest Journey may very well be the greatest adventure game ever made. There... I've said it. The story seems simple. You play as April Ryan, an art student in the near future who starts to experience dreams and visions of a fantastical world beyond her own. Through her journey she realizes that long ago, the world was split into two dimensions; one of science and one of magic. The two worlds have been kept in balance for a long time until now and they are starting to merge together. April is tasked with keeping the balance in tact. That is as much as I can spoil.

What makes the game so great is not the puzzles, but the characters. The adventure game genre had a fixation on creating brain teaser puzzles that didn't fit well with the world and put a much larger emphasis on those versus the world. The Longest Journey is almost entirely about the world and the people that live in it. There is complex character story arcs that masterfully persist. There is numerous setups and payoffs that are refreshing to experience in any game. There are complex themes of personal struggle, insecurity, perseverance and so much more. April herself evolves as you play and those around her evolve as well to shape a great world.

The game is 20-50 hours depending on if listen to all the dialog and never speed up the walking animations (the only gripe I have is that folks walk too slow...just press escape and that speeds them up... weird I know). Only one puzzle in the game is mind-numbingly bad at the very beginning....stupid rubber duck puzzle. Outside of that I feel it is a truly perfect storytelling experience.

Plague Knight - I just finished this after finishing shovel knight and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt that the mechanics were a nice change of pace, but felt the game was a bit easier because of the unique skill set Plague Knight has. The only real gripe I had with the game was the rehashed levels. I know the Specter Knight DLC uses unique levels and can't wait to dig into that. Also, Plague Knights character is charming. He has a freaking dance button. A+

SteamWorld Dig - My wife has been playing a LOT of Breath of the Wild and I wanted something to play side-by-side with her on the couch and loaded up Steamworld Dig on the Wii U. Little did I know that I beat the game in a little over 3 hours as I steamed through this delightful cavern exploration game. In it, you play as a robot who inherits a mine from a long dead relative. With it comes mysterious instructions to explore. You do so and gain new abilities, rare gems and help revitalize a withering town. The western themes are charming and the music is top notch. The puzzle platforming elements and overall character progression is very fulfilling. Even the only boss fight in the game offered a nice mix of challenge and enjoyment. It was short, but definitely a joy to play and has made me genuinely excited for Steamworld Dig 2!
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noiseredux
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by noiseredux Tue Apr 18, 2017 10:13 pm

1. Fire Emblem Heroes (Android)
2. Sara Is Missing (Android)
3. Civilization V (PC)
4. Portal 2 (PC)
5. Halo Wars 2 (PC)

I just beat Halo Wars 2 and loved it. This might not seem like a big deal, but to me it is as it means I've finally beaten my first RTS game. A genre I've long been intimidated by. Ironically, Blizzard announced tonight that a newly patched StarCraft is now free.
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Segata
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Segata Tue Apr 18, 2017 10:23 pm

Caladrius Blaze
Nier Automata
Earth's Dawn
MUSHA
Astebreed
Raiden IV
Akai Katana
Bulk Slash
Gunblade Ny & LA Machine Guns
Otomedius Excellent
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Xeogred
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by Xeogred Tue Apr 18, 2017 10:29 pm

noiseredux wrote:1. Fire Emblem Heroes (Android)
2. Sara Is Missing (Android)
3. Civilization V (PC)
4. Portal 2 (PC)
5. Halo Wars 2 (PC)

I just beat Halo Wars 2 and loved it. This might not seem like a big deal, but to me it is as it means I've finally beaten my first RTS game. A genre I've long been intimidated by. Ironically, Blizzard announced tonight that a newly patched StarCraft is now free.

Time to play some real RTS's. :twisted:
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noiseredux
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Re: Games Beaten 2017

by noiseredux Tue Apr 18, 2017 10:45 pm

Yes, yes I expected that. I have attempted some C&C in the past but it overwhelmed me. So this felt like a good easy starting point.
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