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  1. - Top - End - #1
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    Fjolnir's Avatar

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    Default Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    I asked some people a few months back about doing a LP of this and it seemed like this was the one that had the interest so I am going with it.

    Arcanum is a game from 2001 and made by trokia games and features a steampunk/fantasy setting in which a world of magic is undergoing an industrial revolution. We will be playing the sole survivor of the IFS Zephyr crash and go from there. I will be using the Unofficial patch, a hi-res mod, as well as a mod to raise the level cap.

    I want you guys to have some input so I'll be giving initial chargen to you guys and offer certain decisions when they come up

    so here we go: our opening options within chargen are Race (Human, elf, half-elf, gnome, halfling, dwarf, half-orc, half ogre) gender (females can only be medium races, lose 1 str and gain 1 con) and character background

    Name is important as well, as there are randomly generated chests and name is one of the variables they use.

    next is spending stats, which will likely establish the path for most of the rest of the game at level 1 you get 5 stat points, you can use them on stats, skills, technological disciplines, and magic spells; but keep in mind that magic reduces the efficacy of tech and vice versa.


    There is a shop before entering the game but I'll go through that myself because posting the contents of that will be difficult as there doesn't appear to be a good price list available online, but I will post what was purchased here...
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Female half-elf tomboy. Points in strength, dexterity, melee, dodge and white necromancy.
    Thanks to Veera for the avatar.

    I keep my stories in a blog. You should read them.

    5E Sorcerous Origin: Arcanist

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    Quote Originally Posted by ClericofPhwarrr View Post
    Dhavaer, your ideas are like candy from the sky, sprinkled lightly with cinnamon.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll View Post
    Wow. Badass without being flashy and showy, attractive while remaining classy. Bravo Dhavaer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?

  3. - Top - End - #3
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Alright, here we go, for those of you who want to see the opening cutscene which lays out the start of the overarching plot, here it is (I really wish I could find the one that plays when the game starts up, it's also quite nice)

    With the starting gold, I bought a rapier, boots, health & fatigue pots and a dress that gives a bonus to reaction, this will make follower recruitment easier as well as helping with some of the quests that require a favorable reaction to continue

    Spoiler: Meet Berylynn Sharheen
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    Spoiler: Meeting virgil
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    Just above Virgil is the first of the two randomly generated chests in this area, this one ALWAYS has tech stuff in it, the other ALWAYS has magic stuff in it. I will be recruiting him, as he is one of the better all around followers being a melee combatant and white necromancer as well as having minor aptitude with locks.

    Spoiler: Random chest contents
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    Tech Chest: Magic Chest:


    Spoiler: While exploring the area I come upon some wreckage:
    Show
    Virgil remarks that most ogres couldn't fly something like this and there are two pieces of relevant information here as well the first is , which is obtained by pointing your mouse at the ship and the second is , which is found when looting the dead ogre. (a note on these amulets, they appear A LOT in this game and I will likely be ignoring them for the most part as the playthrough continues simply because every assassin carries one)


    Most of the corpses are not very useful, having no items in them and besides being named after the pregenerated characters, are of very little interest, however two are not, the first is Issac Zapruder who has a camera which is relevant for two quests (Repair Master quest and a quest in the first town) and the second is Wilhelmina Carpenter who is carrying a letter to her betrothed in Tarant, which is a minor quest but still good to get for learning your way around the largest city in the game...

    Spoiler: Letter
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    On the way out of the area there is an altar, virgil reads it out loud, then makes a joke about how even though he doesn't know who the evil one is, you should get cracking because you have to fight them...

    Spoiler: virgil and the altar
    Show


    There are two options from here, the first is to go to the cave on this map and start the Arbalah quest, which nets you a fate point and a blessing if done correctly, or just head down to Shrouded Hills, either way there is an encounter that either Virgil can talk the team out of or you have to fight. Give me some input as to how I'm doing so far and what I should do next...
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    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Murderize Virgil, Arbalah (once you have his blessing) and the assassin guy. Also remember to kill the wolves in the canyon.
    Thanks to Veera for the avatar.

    I keep my stories in a blog. You should read them.

    5E Sorcerous Origin: Arcanist

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    Quote Originally Posted by ClericofPhwarrr View Post
    Dhavaer, your ideas are like candy from the sky, sprinkled lightly with cinnamon.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll View Post
    Wow. Badass without being flashy and showy, attractive while remaining classy. Bravo Dhavaer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?

  5. - Top - End - #5
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    you want me to kill virgil? as in talk to virgil, take all his gear as a trade then kill him after killing my way down the canyon...
    Last edited by Fjolnir; 2014-09-20 at 10:21 PM.
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    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Why wait? Kill him now!
    Thanks to Veera for the avatar.

    I keep my stories in a blog. You should read them.

    5E Sorcerous Origin: Arcanist

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    Quote Originally Posted by ClericofPhwarrr View Post
    Dhavaer, your ideas are like candy from the sky, sprinkled lightly with cinnamon.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll View Post
    Wow. Badass without being flashy and showy, attractive while remaining classy. Bravo Dhavaer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?

  7. - Top - End - #7
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Here we go, first things first, here's the arbalah quest! it starts with going through a rat filled cave with some barrels of stuff (non random tech gear, don't miss the high explosives in the last barrel) then you find
    Spoiler: a ghost
    Show
    he claims to be an aethetic who was wickedly murdered by priest named arbalah, who cursed his spirit to never move on. He claims to know about a treasure but didn't use it for himself due to a vow of poverty. It is at this point I bid
    Spoiler: farewell to virgil.
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    I took his gear from him in order to force him to spend all of his fatigue healing himself until he died. I am currently wearing his cloak for the bonus armor it provides. On the way out, I run into a
    Spoiler: mysterious stranger who expresses concern about the crash.
    Show
    Spoiler: Somehow my answers crossed a line because he wanted to ensure there were no survivors.
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    After killing him, he is found to have another one of those
    Spoiler: eye pendants...
    Show
    Went down the mountain, now it's off to
    Spoiler: Arbalah's House!
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    (I often plot random pathing in order to maximize random encounter chance when using fast travel, I will not be showing this again...) After a suprisingly uneventful trip, I make it to Arbalah's house and begin to
    Spoiler: speak with him.
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    Once I find out that the ghost is a liar, I decide to help the old priest, which takes me back to the cave to talk to the ghost in an effort to convince him to sell out his friend, once he does, it's off to
    Spoiler: his friend's house.
    Show
    After talking to him, I get Arbalah's artifact, then give him final justice. On the way back to arbalah's I meet a man claiming to be from the molochian hand who is here to kill me. After doing what any rational person would do when faced with a member of an ancient assassins order would, and try to convince them they have the wrong guy,
    Spoiler: he calls me a harlot,
    Show
    at which point there is only one recourse, kill the guy and take his armor, leaving him with virgil's rags. I get a shiny new dagger out of the deal too. It is here that I find out that the amulets belong to agents of the molochian hand. I return to Arbalah's house and
    Spoiler: get blessed for returning his artifact,
    Show
    however, knowing that the ghost is still promising monetary rewards for his death, I decide to maximize my returns and kill him anyway. When I return to the ghost, he laughs at me and I tell him I don't mind killing. at this point I reach level 5, I put two skill points into the morph skill giving me the spell hardened hands and the spell weaken.

    Now it's off to Shrouded Hills.

    There is a major point here to come up, there is a potentially game breaking thing I can do in this town that allows me to have essentially infinite money. so I pose this question to my loyal readers: Do I steal Rizzette's key? It is possible to pickpocket it from him without any ranks in the skill, so should I try?
    Last edited by Fjolnir; 2014-09-21 at 03:43 PM.
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    Spamalot in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Flagging this thread to read later. I've always been curious about this game - I picked it up during a GOG sale (I think) but just haven't had the time to check it out.

    Please, carry on *relurks*
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    You killed VIRGIL? Why?
    Si non confectus, non reficiat.

    The beautiful girl is courtesy of Serpentine
    My S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripjat Let's Play! Please give it a read, more than one constant reader would be nice!

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by GolemsVoice View Post
    You killed VIRGIL? Why?
    Sweet, delicious XP! Don't pickpocket the key, murder is profitable enough already.
    Thanks to Veera for the avatar.

    I keep my stories in a blog. You should read them.

    5E Sorcerous Origin: Arcanist

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    Quote Originally Posted by ClericofPhwarrr View Post
    Dhavaer, your ideas are like candy from the sky, sprinkled lightly with cinnamon.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll View Post
    Wow. Badass without being flashy and showy, attractive while remaining classy. Bravo Dhavaer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?

  11. - Top - End - #11
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by Dhavaer View Post
    Sweet, delicious XP! Don't pickpocket the key, murder is profitable enough already.
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Plague Doctor by Crimmy
    Ext. Sig (Handbooks/Creations)

  12. - Top - End - #12
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    But Virgil. Come on, surely those XP can't be worth sacrificing a companion? And murdering him in cold blood? I really don't understand that decision.
    Si non confectus, non reficiat.

    The beautiful girl is courtesy of Serpentine
    My S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripjat Let's Play! Please give it a read, more than one constant reader would be nice!

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?
    I don't know. I know you can't be spying on me through my webcam because I don't have one.

    Quote Originally Posted by GolemsVoice View Post
    But Virgil. Come on, surely those XP can't be worth sacrificing a companion? And murdering him in cold blood? I really don't understand that decision.
    - XP from killing him
    - No whiny twerp slowing you down

    I see only upsides to this decision.
    Last edited by Dhavaer; 2014-09-23 at 04:56 PM.
    Thanks to Veera for the avatar.

    I keep my stories in a blog. You should read them.

    5E Sorcerous Origin: Arcanist

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    Quote Originally Posted by ClericofPhwarrr View Post
    Dhavaer, your ideas are like candy from the sky, sprinkled lightly with cinnamon.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll View Post
    Wow. Badass without being flashy and showy, attractive while remaining classy. Bravo Dhavaer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?

  14. - Top - End - #14
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    I see no problem with... allowing Virgil to fall in battle. He's an interesting character if you take him all the way through but there are plenty of good NPC companions.

    Murder though, is an upsetting trend, not that you can't benefit from it fairly consistently in Arcanum.

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by Dhavaer View Post
    - XP from killing him
    - No whiny twerp slowing you down

    I see only upsides to this decision.
    Holy hell, this guy must be Navi levels of bad. Now I wish he was still around so I could see for myself.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Plague Doctor by Crimmy
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    BlueWizardGirl

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    Holy hell, this guy must be Navi levels of bad. Now I wish he was still around so I could see for myself.
    ...Not even. He's actually one of the more interesting and likable companions in the game, IMO. Though he quickly stops being especially useful if you play a technologist, since he's a white necromancer (read: Healbot Cleric) and his healing spells will start failing on you past about 30 tech affinity.

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    Holy hell, this guy must be Navi levels of bad. Now I wish he was still around so I could see for myself.
    He's only annoying in that him being there makes combat take longer and accomplishes either very little (he can heal), nothing (if you don't need healing) or a negative (if you don't need healing and you make him attack and it actually does something, you don't get the xp for that). Also that his voice is annoying and his initial conversation is slightly creepy.
    Thanks to Veera for the avatar.

    I keep my stories in a blog. You should read them.

    5E Sorcerous Origin: Arcanist

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    Quote Originally Posted by ClericofPhwarrr View Post
    Dhavaer, your ideas are like candy from the sky, sprinkled lightly with cinnamon.
    Quote Originally Posted by Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll View Post
    Wow. Badass without being flashy and showy, attractive while remaining classy. Bravo Dhavaer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    ...Why do I imagine you licking your lips and rubbing your hands together?

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Spamalot in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Oh, you get less exp if there are companions? Ugh. I'm glad modern RPGs are kicking that to the curb.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Plague Doctor by Crimmy
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    BlueWizardGirl

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    Oh, you get less exp if there are companions? Ugh. I'm glad modern RPGs are kicking that to the curb.
    On the bright side, Arcanum's level cap is so low that you'll probably reach it halfway through the game without trying, so...

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    Oh, you get less exp if there are companions? Ugh. I'm glad modern RPGs are kicking that to the curb.
    Arcanums thought up the funny system of getting XP for every hit you land successfully. If somebody else hits for you, you don't get that XP.
    Si non confectus, non reficiat.

    The beautiful girl is courtesy of Serpentine
    My S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripjat Let's Play! Please give it a read, more than one constant reader would be nice!

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by GolemsVoice View Post
    Arcanums thought up the funny system of getting XP for every hit you land successfully. If somebody else hits for you, you don't get that XP.
    So that's who I have to thank for Castle Crashers. BRB while I go firebomb a dev's house.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Plague Doctor by Crimmy
    Ext. Sig (Handbooks/Creations)

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    For all it's goodness, Arcanum has some seriously messed up mechanics. I think there was an exploit where you could buy a ridicilously fast dagger and just rake in the XP.

    Another really fn one was in the first town after the crashsite. There's a merchant, and you can crack open his stash, sell him his inventory, open the stash again, sell him his inventory AGAIN, and so on. He'll run out of money in the end, bt not before you have become incredibly wealthy. The best thing? The merchant will like you more the more you trade with him, so that, in the end, I had a positive reaction of 450. Normal reactions go from -100 (Kill on Sight) to +100 (BEST FRIEND EVAR!). I was his god, his king, the very centre of his being.
    Si non confectus, non reficiat.

    The beautiful girl is courtesy of Serpentine
    My S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripjat Let's Play! Please give it a read, more than one constant reader would be nice!

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Quote Originally Posted by GolemsVoice View Post
    For all it's goodness, Arcanum has some seriously messed up mechanics. I think there was an exploit where you could buy a ridicilously fast dagger and just rake in the XP.

    Another really fn one was in the first town after the crashsite. There's a merchant, and you can crack open his stash, sell him his inventory, open the stash again, sell him his inventory AGAIN, and so on. He'll run out of money in the end, bt not before you have become incredibly wealthy. The best thing? The merchant will like you more the more you trade with him, so that, in the end, I had a positive reaction of 450. Normal reactions go from -100 (Kill on Sight) to +100 (BEST FRIEND EVAR!). I was his god, his king, the very centre of his being.
    That is Ricetti, whose key I usually pickpocket so I can get the camera and shovel from him. He asks for the camera or the boot from the bessie toone mine, both of which also have other quests attached to them and the shovel is also needed for a quest as well, he has about 2 grand worth of cash 3 days a week so if you go in and rob him repeatedly you end up pretty rich fairly fast...


    You can pass his portion of the quest without robbing the key, or giving him anything.(you either pick his locked dresser or stroke his ego...) But honestly it's a bit more fun to rob him because he is such a pompous jackass...
    Last edited by Fjolnir; 2014-09-24 at 04:16 PM.
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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    Not when you're his favourite customer ever!
    Si non confectus, non reficiat.

    The beautiful girl is courtesy of Serpentine
    My S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripjat Let's Play! Please give it a read, more than one constant reader would be nice!

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    Default Re: Let's Play: Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura!

    I'm a really big fan of getting the Black Necromancy spell that brings spirits back from the dead, killing Ristezze, and then getting the information you need by interrogating his tortured soul.

    This is a pretty good solution to every stupid-holding-out-on-you-until-you-complete-their-quest information broker in the game, but Ristezze is especially annoying, so he gets murdered with extra enthusiasm. After you've stolen everything of value from him.

    And that sets the tone for the whole game too. Next thing you know you're just murdering your way across Arcanum.

    Spoiler
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    Then you meet up with the End Boss, and find out everyone's happier after they're dead anyways, and he invites you to go on a murdering spree with him. Naturally you say yes, and you head off to kill everyone. Including him.

    If RPG's have taught me anything, it's that all social and economic problems of the world can be solved through murder.

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