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Post by joertexas on Feb 4, 2020 22:01:28 GMT -5
On the subject of Matt Ashley, yeah, I'm worried, too. He seems to have fallen off the internet (social media, forums and email anyway) completely. Our Matt Ashley isn't the one who died recently and has an obituary online...gave me a momentary start when I saw Obituary for Matt Ashley, I'll tell you! JR, do you remember Paul Walker who was on the Traveller Mailing List and the Akus Moby game a couple of iterations back? He also wrote *the* spreadsheet for FFS 2 way back when. Well, he simply disappeared from all gaming related stuff, too. Eventually, he wrote me some of why he disappeared, but it was months after he became a ghost. Speaking of ghosts...I guess I should mention Sir Randle and Paris over on Akus. John and Greg have also disappeared from gaming, although I do see both on Facebook in non-gaming contexts from time to time. <sigh> I see Greg on FB occasionally, but not John. I don't remember Paul. It's been a long time. I was trying to find the old Akus archives, but the mypbem.com site is gone. Maybe Matt will resurface one of these days. In the meantime, can we just NPC Tokheletoi for a while? She's a broker, and we could use one. |
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Post by Terry Mixon on Feb 5, 2020 7:42:09 GMT -5
Folks, I'm trying to keep this going, but I'm afraid we've lost several of our players. I'm starting to think we might be better off re-setting the game without Chuck, Matt, Carlos, and Oscar. It appears that: JR, raikenclw, Ebon Hearted Soul, Mighty Darci, and Terry are the only players actually around. That's Takheal, Peng, Emilya, Raven, and Charlie. There is one of the active-ish players in each of the current threads, so YOU are going to have to take over in those. The problem with 1 PC per location like this, of course, is you aren't able to interact with each other and that is a big part of playing online. We need people in the roles of Pilot (Raven), Navigator (Charlie), Engineer (Takheal), Steward (Emilya) and Gunner (Peng)...as a suggestion...and I could continue with Blackjack and Dr. Vargas as NPC's for now so we have the PC's/players to continue, but you're all spread out and not engaged with each other. Maybe we should really reset things...switch to a ship that you all own equal shares in and go from there? What does everyone think? I think a reset might be best. Regather and reset us so that we can pick up the new threads and run with them. Terry |
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Post by erisred on Feb 5, 2020 18:03:17 GMT -5
I see Greg on FB occasionally, but not John. I don't remember Paul. It's been a long time. I was trying to find the old Akus archives, but the mypbem.com site is gone. Maybe Matt will resurface one of these days. In the meantime, can we just NPC Tokheletoi for a while? She's a broker, and we could use one. Yeah, I saw a notice that John Sanchez posted something just today on FB. I guess, I should email them both again and see if they have any intention of rejoining. As for NPCing Tokheletoi, I'd rather not. You can PC her, if you want, though. I'd really rather have a PC as trader for the group. Of course, you don't have to have broker skill to do trade in Traveller, it helps, but it isn't required. Anyone can do the search for available cargo/freight/passengers. |
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Post by erisred on Feb 5, 2020 18:05:06 GMT -5
Folks, I'm trying to keep this going, but I'm afraid we've lost several of our players. I'm starting to think we might be better off re-setting the game without Chuck, Matt, Carlos, and Oscar. It appears that: JR, raikenclw, Ebon Hearted Soul, Mighty Darci, and Terry are the only players actually around. That's Takheal, Peng, Emilya, Raven, and Charlie. There is one of the active-ish players in each of the current threads, so YOU are going to have to take over in those. The problem with 1 PC per location like this, of course, is you aren't able to interact with each other and that is a big part of playing online. We need people in the roles of Pilot (Raven), Navigator (Charlie), Engineer (Takheal), Steward (Emilya) and Gunner (Peng)...as a suggestion...and I could continue with Blackjack and Dr. Vargas as NPC's for now so we have the PC's/players to continue, but you're all spread out and not engaged with each other. Maybe we should really reset things...switch to a ship that you all own equal shares in and go from there? What does everyone think? I think a reset might be best. Regather and reset us so that we can pick up the new threads and run with them. Terry Any thoughts from other folks? |
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Post by joertexas on Feb 6, 2020 0:23:42 GMT -5
As for NPCing Tokheletoi, I'd rather not. You can PC her, if you want, though. I'd really rather have a PC as trader for the group. Of course, you don't have to have broker skill to do trade in Traveller, it helps, but it isn't required. Anyone can do the search for available cargo/freight/passengers. I can run her, in that case. |
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Post by raikenclw on Feb 7, 2020 4:16:01 GMT -5
I'm unsure of the definition of "re-set" in this context.
If you mean go back to the beginning situation and start out all over again, I'm not sure of the point of that. I rather doubt it's the setting or our progress toward our nebulous goal that's the problem.
I think it might be best if the characters of non-active players found interesting things to do that involved them leaving the ship at this point. Given the speed (or lack thereof) of PbP play, the currently-active players may not even manage to lift off from the current landfall before one or more of our missing players reappear, in which case their PCs could simply change their minds or whatever deal they thought was in hand falls through.
I am fine with playing more than one character, if that could help.
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Post by raikenclw on Feb 7, 2020 4:21:12 GMT -5
NOTE: Since Gil's player seems to be one of our MIAs, Peng is rather stuck in limbo at the moment, in-game. If I were to take on Gil as a second PC, I could have rather a lot of fun "talking to myself."  |
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Post by erisred on Feb 7, 2020 16:37:01 GMT -5
I'm unsure of the definition of "re-set" in this context. If you mean go back to the beginning situation and start out all over again, I'm not sure of the point of that. I rather doubt it's the setting or our progress toward our nebulous goal that's the problem. I think it might be best if the characters of non-active players found interesting things to do that involved them leaving the ship at this point. Given the speed (or lack thereof) of PbP play, the currently-active players may not even manage to lift off from the current landfall before one or more of our missing players reappear, in which case their PCs could simply change their minds or whatever deal they thought was in hand falls through. I am fine with playing more than one character, if that could help. No, going back to the beginning and restarting isn't what I mean by "re-set", that probably would be pointless..as you say. What I mean is change who's with whom and doing what what now. The PC's with missing players will stay aboard the ship and twiddle their thumbs for a while. That's what I meant by "re-set." Here are the current scenes: A. Buying supplies at the Chandlery. This was just a chance to ask a local NPC questions about the current local situation and maybe see if any info/rumors about any of the systems ahead of you pop up. Tak is there and can run that. B. Checking timetable of boat to mainland and getting tickets. Also giving Gil and Peng a chance to talk about small package deliveries in private. Peng can do the former and we can say he did the later before the pair return to the ship. C. Paying respects to the Port Captain. Again, just a chance to ask a local NPC questions. Raven can do that while the others fade to the background. D. Oversee hooking the ship up to local infrastructure...and seeing something. I made a mistake here, rolled a dice instead of just saying both Emilya and Charlie saw the same thing. The reset would have to be that Charlie saw what Emilya saw.Let me pull the curtain back a slight bit for a moment. The planned adventure here was to center around Gilroy's delivery and what came from that, but Chuck is not here to play Gilroy. NPCing him would be a problem given that. It would be better to turn the "delivery" over to Peng and have Tak, Charlie, Emilya (if Ebon is around...he's been missing during this conversation, too) and Raven go along with him. I doubt Raven would approve of Peng's (of Gil's) "extra-curricular" small package deliveries, but Peng wouldn't have to tell her what he was doing...sightseeing tour would work. What I'd like to have happen is the following: A. Tak asks Chandler about the local situation, about systems up the main and anything else JR wants to ask, and returns to the ship. B. Gil takes Peng into his confidence about the package delivery, they buy tickets for those who want to visit the mainland (just those PC's with active players) and returns to the ship. C. Raven asks the Assistant Port Captain any questions about the locals, systems up the main and so on that she is interested in asking and then returns to the ship. D. Charlie and Emilya (who I will NPC if Ebon doesn't come around) (and whoever gets back to the ship before they start) to go investigate whatever moved back near the open cargo doors. Does all that sound like something we can pull off without too much damage to the IG? Oh, and one more thing! When Blackjack leaves then you're short an Engineer, I think. That was going to happen, eventually, but it'll be sooner than later now. Either you have an NPC do the job, give that skill to a current PC, or have a PC just do the job without the specific Engineering skill. In Traveller you don't need a listed skill to attempt a task, but there is a negative DM when you do. In this game, the DM will be 0 (not -4) if the PC attempting the task has had one or more terms in a Space related career, so that might solve this problem. You'll just have to make sure you remember to assign someone the Engineering job when you scramble out of this system. |
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Post by Mighty Darci on Feb 8, 2020 3:51:16 GMT -5
I think this last option is good but I would be open to a new ship divided 4 or 5 ways. Ebon should be back before too long with a new computer. But yes reset is the way to go IMO. We should add the skill to someone to fill the position or add an NPC.
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Post by Terry Mixon on Feb 8, 2020 9:44:06 GMT -5
I'm unsure of the definition of "re-set" in this context. If you mean go back to the beginning situation and start out all over again, I'm not sure of the point of that. I rather doubt it's the setting or our progress toward our nebulous goal that's the problem. I think it might be best if the characters of non-active players found interesting things to do that involved them leaving the ship at this point. Given the speed (or lack thereof) of PbP play, the currently-active players may not even manage to lift off from the current landfall before one or more of our missing players reappear, in which case their PCs could simply change their minds or whatever deal they thought was in hand falls through. I am fine with playing more than one character, if that could help. No, going back to the beginning and restarting isn't what I mean by "re-set", that probably would be pointless..as you say. What I mean is change who's with whom and doing what what now. The PC's with missing players will stay aboard the ship and twiddle their thumbs for a while. That's what I meant by "re-set." Here are the current scenes: A. Buying supplies at the Chandlery. This was just a chance to ask a local NPC questions about the current local situation and maybe see if any info/rumors about any of the systems ahead of you pop up. Tak is there and can run that. B. Checking timetable of boat to mainland and getting tickets. Also giving Gil and Peng a chance to talk about small package deliveries in private. Peng can do the former and we can say he did the later before the pair return to the ship. C. Paying respects to the Port Captain. Again, just a chance to ask a local NPC questions. Raven can do that while the others fade to the background. D. Oversee hooking the ship up to local infrastructure...and seeing something. I made a mistake here, rolled a dice instead of just saying both Emilya and Charlie saw the same thing. The reset would have to be that Charlie saw what Emilya saw.Let me pull the curtain back a slight bit for a moment. The planned adventure here was to center around Gilroy's delivery and what came from that, but Chuck is not here to play Gilroy. NPCing him would be a problem given that. It would be better to turn the "delivery" over to Peng and have Tak, Charlie, Emilya (if Ebon is around...he's been missing during this conversation, too) and Raven go along with him. I doubt Raven would approve of Peng's (of Gil's) "extra-curricular" small package deliveries, but Peng wouldn't have to tell her what he was doing...sightseeing tour would work. What I'd like to have happen is the following: A. Tak asks Chandler about the local situation, about systems up the main and anything else JR wants to ask, and returns to the ship. B. Gil takes Peng into his confidence about the package delivery, they buy tickets for those who want to visit the mainland (just those PC's with active players) and returns to the ship. C. Raven asks the Assistant Port Captain any questions about the locals, systems up the main and so on that she is interested in asking and then returns to the ship. D. Charlie and Emilya (who I will NPC if Ebon doesn't come around) (and whoever gets back to the ship before they start) to go investigate whatever moved back near the open cargo doors. Does all that sound like something we can pull off without too much damage to the IG? Oh, and one more thing! When Blackjack leaves then you're short an Engineer, I think. That was going to happen, eventually, but it'll be sooner than later now. Either you have an NPC do the job, give that skill to a current PC, or have a PC just do the job without the specific Engineering skill. In Traveller you don't need a listed skill to attempt a task, but there is a negative DM when you do. In this game, the DM will be 0 (not -4) if the PC attempting the task has had one or more terms in a Space related career, so that might solve this problem. You'll just have to make sure you remember to assign someone the Engineering job when you scramble out of this system. I can roll with this or what Darci suggested. If the shareholder PCs have dropped, that’ll have to be addressed somehow. Terry |
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Post by joertexas on Feb 8, 2020 16:10:55 GMT -5
Maybe we can add Engineering to Tokheletoi's skills list. Takheal wouldn't be interested, but she would.
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Post by raikenclw on Feb 9, 2020 6:52:29 GMT -5
Looking over the listed options - and allowing for how slow PbP progesses - I think that having the GM simply relate what each away-from-the-ship PC finds/does in the current separate scene threads (conspire/buy tickets and interact/learn about nearby worlds, as applicable), then "just happen" return to the ship in order to be there when something is noticed moving near the ship's hatch (?) would be ideal.
If this seems to require too much suspension of disbelief, consider this:
Someone trying to sneak aboard to become a stowaway or do something actively nefarious would likely wait until the surroundings are less full of people [who might notice them as out-of-place]. Of course, such putative intruders would be aware of the possibility of electronic surveillance. However, with no AI ship computers or self-willed robots, a crew member must *actively* watch monitors in real time to stop intruders. Paying actual attention to an unchanging view or - much worse! - reviewing accumulated footage of nothing at all happening for long periods are both difficult to do properly . . . which is why Anti-Hijack only gives a small bonus rather than certain protection. Active, alert minds are rather hard to come by in such situations.
I am quite content to let all the current threads conclude off-screen and opening a new scene with the Away-Folk returning just in time to help the Stay-Behinds catch (or not) Who/Whatever.
MUCH more interesting!
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Post by raikenclw on Feb 9, 2020 7:43:29 GMT -5
. . . but I would be open to a new ship divided 4 or 5 ways . . . This as well. Over the years, I've found that most groups of players like "finding" or scrounging up their own rides, as opposed to simply accepting whatever boat their PCs have possession/use of at a game's beginning. I've recently started a face-to-face Savage Worlds game, which is using Milieu 0 as it's setting. The PCs have a ship courtesy of stealing it off-stage as part of the pre-game setup. But the players (especially my one experienced Traveller player) are not very enthusiastic about it's size or capabilities, so much so that they spent most of the first session scheming up ways to "upgrade to a better model." So next session I'm letting them find a larger, better vessel (still 1 G - to start with - but Jump 2 and double their current tonnage). This ship will be found crashed on top of the Shadows complex, said complex having been relocated to a heavy gravity world. The PCs will need to not only deal with the complex as written, but also strip the maneuver drives from their current vessel and upgrade the thrust of their new one, in order to be able to lift off. |
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Post by Terry Mixon on Feb 9, 2020 11:15:45 GMT -5
. . . but I would be open to a new ship divided 4 or 5 ways . . . This as well. Over the years, I've found that most groups of players like "finding" or scrounging up their own rides, as opposed to simply accepting whatever boat their PCs have possession/use of at a game's beginning. I've recently started a face-to-face Savage Worlds game, which is using Milieu 0 as it's setting. The PCs have a ship courtesy of stealing it off-stage as part of the pre-game setup. But the players (especially my one experienced Traveller player) are not very enthusiastic about it's size or capabilities, so much so that they spent most of the first session scheming up ways to "upgrade to a better model." So next session I'm letting them find a larger, better vessel (still 1 G - to start with - but Jump 2 and double their current tonnage). This ship will be found crashed on top of the Shadows complex, said complex having been relocated to a heavy gravity world. The PCs will need to not only deal with the complex as written, but also strip the maneuver drives from their current vessel and upgrade the thrust of their new one, in order to be able to lift off. Agreed. It would also get the game moving all at the same time. |
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Post by erisred on Feb 10, 2020 16:02:51 GMT -5
Well, I'll conclude the current scenes with a post and return all the active PC back to the ship and we'll go from there.
As for anything more radical we'll just have to see how things play out...
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Post by raikenclw on Feb 23, 2020 5:33:08 GMT -5
Well, I'll conclude the current scenes with a post and return all the active PC back to the ship and we'll go from there. As for anything more radical we'll just have to see how things play out...A [begin bratty whine] Are we there yet? [end bratty whine] |
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Post by erisred on Mar 3, 2020 16:40:14 GMT -5
Well, I'll conclude the current scenes with a post and return all the active PC back to the ship and we'll go from there. As for anything more radical we'll just have to see how things play out...A [begin bratty whine] Are we there yet? [end bratty whine] Well, let's get Charlie into trouble back in the cargo hold first, okay. |
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Post by Terry Mixon on Mar 4, 2020 22:39:10 GMT -5
[begin bratty whine] Are we there yet? [end bratty whine] Well, let's get Charlie into trouble back in the cargo hold first, okay. OOC: How well he knows me.  |
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Matt
Prospector
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Post by Matt on Mar 13, 2020 20:42:08 GMT -5
Hey guys, back from the land of way too much work and stress hopefully for a while.
I'm ready to start back up with Takheal for sure. He'd not be up for an engineering roll necessarily but we could tweak his skills to support the larger group if necessary.
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Post by joertexas on Mar 13, 2020 21:18:02 GMT -5
Hey guys, back from the land of way too much work and stress hopefully for a while. I'm ready to start back up with Takheal for sure. He'd not be up for an engineering roll necessarily but we could tweak his skills to support the larger group if necessary. I think Engineering is more Tokheletoi's thing, being that she's the female. |
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Post by raikenclw on Mar 15, 2020 4:20:42 GMT -5
[grumble]I wish we knew how far Charlie's signal went. I'd really like to have Peng say something snarky in the action thread . . . [/grumble] As to supporting the group, Peng could be an engineer . . . but someone would probably want to make sure he was not initialing his checklists then "forgetting" to actually perform the relevant checks. Except on the jump drive, that is. Only a stone cold IDIOT would skimp on THAT maintenance.  |
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Post by raikenclw on Mar 17, 2020 19:47:07 GMT -5
Whether or not we were officially allowed to carry weapons, Peng would have taken at least his blade.
I seem to recall outfitting him with both his pistols . . . but frankly that may have been at the PREVIOUS planetfall.
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Post by erisred on Mar 19, 2020 14:52:13 GMT -5
Hey guys, back from the land of way too much work and stress hopefully for a while. I'm ready to start back up with Takheal for sure. He'd not be up for an engineering roll necessarily but we could tweak his skills to support the larger group if necessary. I think Engineering is more Tokheletoi's thing, being that she's the female. That's up to you two. I'm not requiring Aslan be, strictly, OTU in MTU. You could change it so Aslan males and females have same roles, reversed roles, to something else...if you want. Of course, you can play them like lions where the males are big lazy lay abouts and the females are the industrious workers if you want, that's pretty much the OTU way. Or maybe one of the reasons you two are not with your clan, and are off traveling, is *because* Takheal is somewhat "different" from the normal Aslan male and actually likes tinkering with machinery. BTW, in hunter/gatherer cultures where males were the hunters and females mostly did the gathering there were exceptions...or so it works that way today and Anthropologists think it worked that way in Pre-History, too. Some of the males, perhaps weaker or injured in some way, joined the gathering parties and others spent their time knapping all those spear points the hunters used...among other things. |
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Post by joertexas on Mar 19, 2020 15:41:48 GMT -5
Of course, you can play them like lions where the males are big lazy lay abouts and the females are the industrious workers if you want, that's pretty much the OTU way. I don't think Tokheletoi would like that a whole lot... |
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Post by erisred on Mar 31, 2020 15:06:22 GMT -5
It's been a few days, but I'm still around. We're under "stay at home" orders (ur, well from our stupid Governor that's only a recommendation), but things have been strange here. I'm the caregiver for my 99 year old Mother, so I've had her locked down for 3+ weeks and I've been, except for two trips to the grocery store and a daily (very) solitary walk around the neighborhood locked down with her. My sister is staying here now and has to work from home, so I spent some time getting a "home office" set up for her. Between the three of us, I think she has the most "cabin fever" so far. I, however, am a lot more use to being stuck here all the time...what with Mom. I do need to make another run to the grocery store sometime this week...no I don't need to score toilet paper. IAC, I am currently Covid-19 free...I hope...well at least, none of us are showing any of the symptoms. I hope the same can be said for each and all of you! Stay Safe. Oh, and game post coming right up! |
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Post by Terry Mixon on Mar 31, 2020 15:24:32 GMT -5
We're locked down on our own. Stay safe and sane, Eris.
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Post by joertexas on Mar 31, 2020 16:14:24 GMT -5
It's been a few days, but I'm still around. We're under "stay at home" orders (ur, well from our stupid Governor that's only a recommendation), but things have been strange here. I'm the caregiver for my 99 year old Mother, so I've had her locked down for 3+ weeks and I've been, except for two trips to the grocery store and a daily (very) solitary walk around the neighborhood locked down with her. My sister is staying here now and has to work from home, so I spent some time getting a "home office" set up for her. Between the three of us, I think she has the most "cabin fever" so far. I, however, am a lot more use to being stuck here all the time...what with Mom. I do need to make another run to the grocery store sometime this week...no I don't need to score toilet paper. IAC, I am currently Covid-19 free...I hope...well at least, none of us are showing any of the symptoms. I hope the same can be said for each and all of you! Stay Safe. Oh, and game post coming right up! Hang in there! Linda and I take regular drives, and run needed errands, too. We are also having our HVAC system replaced this week. I've had more visitors to the house over the last couple of weeks, than in the last few months... |
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Post by raikenclw on Apr 5, 2020 17:39:14 GMT -5
I'm on pretty complete lockdown, here. Except for having to drive my brother to Chattanooga and back Friday night (he visits a methadone clinic there once every four weeks), I have left home this week only for a grocery run and taking trash to the dumpster (we have our own, located about a mile away at our rental properties). The hotel where I was working finally closed down this past Monday (we'd had only one room in house for the entire previous week anyway) and we're all laid off until at least May 1, probably longer. Both my Mom and brother are paranoid about getting the Covid. Can't really blame them: she's 87 and while at 54 he's a couple of years younger than me his health is very poor (he has only ~20% lung capacity and is an insulin-dependent diabetic). So - in a nutshell - I really have nothing to do except [finally] clean my room and play games online. |
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Post by raikenclw on Apr 7, 2020 21:41:11 GMT -5
Just a thought: Eris, if you open a new thread to handle the action, please put a note to that effect either here or in the current one. I know I should check the main game page regularly, but I'm afraid that I will get lazy and forget to do that . . . again.  |
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Post by raikenclw on Apr 11, 2020 17:45:07 GMT -5
FYI: I'm checking this site at least once every couple of days, just in case anything happens.
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