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I don't know. :P:P:) I have no idea what the numbers are. We are Zuul, so I'd be doing it even if it was bad for the economy. ;) It is not, I think the colony that receives slaves gets a big boost in infrastructure even and slaves give it a big industrial output addition.

 

I wanted to test but I haven't saved the game for several turns prior to the raid. I will present the numbers next time.

 

Usual strategy for a Zuul player on the offensive is to take slaves, destroy a world, colonize it and drop slaves on that same colony to make it develop really fast. Move on.

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You know, I'd wait a bit, roasting you in the fires of dramatic silence, but... I'm just unable not to play. And if I play, I take screenshots and if I take screenshots I edit them and when I already edit them I might as well post as this is the least work in the process. :P

 

Crap, I have no spine.

 

A nice addition of slave data on colony info sheet.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-57.jpg

 

Our frontline DEs get a Zuul only toy, grappling missile!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-46.jpg

 

And our slave business gets upgrades as well!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0006-34.jpg

 

The star-like symbol means that this ship is carrying extra something.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0005-42.jpg

 

Sadly we clear the Silicoid infestation and luckily form a colony.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0009-28.jpg

 

Research...

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0010-30.jpg

 

...is here to be used and abused. Pods you can see in the weapon loadout are boarding pods. Two can be enough to take out an enemy cruiser if it is not guarded by heavy PD. Zuul boarding pods are toughest of them all.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0012-26.jpg

 

Another infestation is cleared. We can not afford to wait with the expansion, or we might as well surrender.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0014-23.jpg

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This time we were ready.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-52.jpg

 

We didn't destroy the mothership though, we wouldn't want their retribution at this time.

 

I see I have been bragging about our scientists a bit too much. We have gone for a medium turret weapon at last, I don't like to rely on missiles only.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0005-43.jpg

 

Our scavenger has released the slave disc. It didn't bring any slaves though as the battle ended before its return.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0007-36.jpg

 

Liir colony was left in ruins as you will see in an overview. Next wave should be last as our cruiser sized CnC, Bishop, is built and waiting for the return of what is left of this wave.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0009-29.jpg

 

Overview. Go HD and full screen if you want to read messages... Anyway, I did not build nodelines carefully enough. This lead to our backyard not optimally interconnected, now I must favour building nodelines that lead into expansion.

Our research will go for fusion and next iteration of node building as we will be able to have four nodelines from and to each colony. This will help immensely. AND it will bring us new drilling ships armed with node cannon, being a big threat to any enemy. They are expensive but well worth the price.

You may also notice how little of the map is scouted... Zuul are slow to scout because they need to build nodelines, unlike Humans that simply zip through the existing ones. We were also stopped by Swarm on most of this half of the rift. and Liir on the rest. Swarm is no longer a problem and Liir... prepare frying pans. Fish incoming. BTW, Liir are not actually fish, they are mammals. So they are telekinetic dolphins, that would be the closest Earthly description.

 

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That's so oppressive, you should go vegan, man

GAH, leave your green crap out of Zuul business! And step a bit closer, I'll have my minions examine your mind, perhaps it will lead to a research breakthrough! :P

 

But ok, since you're into green, we equip a lot of green on our new cruisers.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-48.jpg

 

Grappling missiles make for some nice effects, like enemy cruisers losing their bearing with heavy combat lasers. Really nice seeing them tossed around.

 

HOLD HER STEADY, I'll finish her off!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0020-13.jpg

 

Obviously we researched plasma cannon and we speed on with a tech that will enable us to repair ships and weld new pods, slave discs...

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0005-44.jpg

 

We find another one of Liir Asteroid Monitors.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0006-35.jpg

 

It is over such a peachy planet that we will try to destroy it. Green lasers give us an option to stay just out of range of this AM and PD destroys its planetary missiles. I have no idea how long this will take us, we might decide to leg it until a more efficient weapon (read: node cannon) is available.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0007-37.jpg

 

As we made way to a planet we had marked as a nice world for colonizing (the one in the centre, with an exclamation mark), we find an already existing Liir colony. And we are sorry we have no fish cans with us.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0008-34.jpg

 

A new technology is put into action.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0014-24.jpg

 

As I already wrote, all support ships have boarding pods. I have been nastily surprised in the past when you are mopping up last remains of a Zuul fleet and suddenly support ships start dropping into the fight... and take over a ship or two. Not a nice surprise.

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Let's toughen ships up.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0013-18.jpg

 

Despite this being a very nice potential colony, we leave the Silicoids be. I hope they move elsewhere soon though.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0023-20.jpg

 

And we go for a final push at Bronson Alpha. Now or never.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0011-28.jpg

 

Victory! We take slaves and, after colonizing the worlds ourselves, dump them back to help build the colony.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0027-12.jpg

 

With Scavengers, cruisers with slave discs, slaving has become an entirely different ballgame.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0016-19.jpg

 

Yep, that is a lot of slaves.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0033-2.jpg

 

As promised, we take a look at the numbers.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0025-14.jpg

At turn 79 it is not yet a colony but it has a lot of infrastructure left. At turn 80 it is a colony. Infrastructure jump is from the colonizers. At turn 81 slaves are on the planet, as you can see both from the shackles below the planet's name and from the green number of slaves.

I don't think any infrastructure was added due to the fact that slaves were transferred to the colony in itself. The infrastructure jump from 85,83 to 89,07 is the result of slaves adding to industrial output and it is already calculated from the turn you dump them on the colony, not from next turn on. Additional infrastructure corresponds to projected change for next turn.

Also take a look at how fast we will be terraforming the planet!

 

Additional armour is added to all warship designs. Before we head for the long road to fusion, we need to do something on the informational front. First we will deprive the information from our enemies, then we head for a much better intelligence gathering of our own.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0028-10.jpg

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I finally noticed that lack of drill ships (Drill) and accompanying tankers (Tar Pit) is halting our advance. They were mostly lost on Swarms but now we must get a move on!

 

The most perplexing matter is that Liir are ranked as first and I haven't seen much of their might. This is becoming a worry, I'd rather know what they are up to. Sensors are planned for immediate research.

 

Finally we meet somebody else but Liir and Tarka. Not that I wanted to, I was pretty happy that I'm only fighting Liir (and Tarka scouts) as they are our main enemy.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-58.jpg

 

THIS is worrying.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-53.jpg

 

Why? Well, if there are Liir defence structures, it is a Liir colony. Considering that there is a functioning gate in place with 64 Hiver fortress-like ships, there would be no Liir defences were they not in cahoots. This is why it is great to have a Hiver ally, he can help you protect your colonies very effectively with teleporting whole fleets from one end of the galaxy to the other. This is also why it is bad having a Hiver enemy helping your other enemies. And we have nothing but enemies.

 

It would be easier if we could endanger Hivers directly. If there is a thing they do more willingly than help others (read: guard gates at others' colonies), it is helping themselves (read: guard their own colonies and gates above them). So if we could manage attacking them at least nominally they would not help Liir as eagerly.

 

We'll see about that, naturally. We have yet to find bug nesting places. On the side note, I hear some bugs are quite tasty roasted.

 

Attack went ideally. Ok, we lost some ships but results are very good nevertheless.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-47.jpg

 

Liir colony is in ruins, all but a few survivors. Yet it is best not to finish it off or Hivers might set a colony of their own...

61 Hiver ships and a still functioning gate. We leg it. What is left of our fleet.

 

As said.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0008-35.jpg

 

Days of destroyers are over. We are dully notified at Thundara.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0009-30.jpg

 

Trying to destroy a Liir Asteroid Monitor with laser armed destroyers has proved to be quite possible. It took us four turns, so AM also served its purpose in delaying our advance.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0011-29.jpg

 

Yeah well, what can you do. Bronson Alpha needed fresh supply more urgently.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0013-19.jpg

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Nice job with the colony and AM.

 

Funny thing, in my current game I'm playing as Hiver and my neighbour is Zuul. ;)

 

Luckly for me, they don't have PD and I have a lot of missiles. With fusion warheads. :P

 

An interesting thing happened. I destroyed a VN ship over allied planet (Morrigi), a VN Berserker showed up a couple of turns later and wiped the colony. I managed to colonize it. :P

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And got +25% research bonus for 1 turn for destroying VN. :P

It's a win-win-win situation for me. ;)

AND that! :P From now on I'm asking you for advice, not the other way around! :)

 

To continue with the story;

 

we have hidden ourselves from the inquiring eyes of the enemy.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-59.jpg

 

But we desperately need eyes of our own.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-54.jpg

 

Liir decide to show their might and wrath.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-48.jpg

 

If those are destroyers, I am a pumpkin. There is just no way to prepare a force strong enough to take their fleet head on. So we go ZUUL!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0005-45.jpg

 

Armed with missiles to overload their point defence and emitters, we build boarding cruisers. Medea and both neighbouring colonies are set to overharvest to build as many ships as possible in as little time as possible. Both colony defence fleets are sent to help Medea as well.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0006-36.jpg

 

Liir showed up with plasma projectors We pretend we're not scared and go for boarding action, which is what is going on to the ship in upper right corner. In the middle you see a sensors' screen, with two Isolation class Liir cruisers painted green. https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/evil4.gif

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0010-31.jpg

 

Those nine ships we lost were destroyers and if I'm correct, ships taken over count as our losses as well. So statistics doesn't tell the whole story (does it ever?). What was important was that Liir spent most time fighting their own ships instead of wrecking our colony.

 

Next turn, new bloodshed. Just the way Zuul love it.

 

Liir field biological weaponry. Which is a waste of their time, Zuul are immune to all bioweapons except the ones that affect infrastructure instead of creatures. They can not have gotten that far in research. Above turn result you can see Liir cruiser that was taken over, which is indicated by stripes being red (our empire's colour) instead of orange like on bio cruiser.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0015-18.jpg

 

In third turn the fight is over. Our colony was not even touched!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0023-21.jpg

 

And now we have an army to use. Which we WILL.

 

Close by Hivers come from Liir colony, hoping to set up a gate. We take their ships for a stroll.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0021-18.jpg

 

New Liir colonies are found. Some survive our visit, others not so much. https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/vampire.gif

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0024-16.jpg

 

I declare an end to Swarm growing.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0026-9.jpg

 

Why? While our fleet was present in a Swarm (Silicoids) occupied system a battle was triggered EVERY turn, which is more that I'm willing to stand. PERHAPS it would be different if Swarm came to a colony of ours but I can only take a limited amount of hassle. AND they were seated over a planet that is almost ideally suited for our colonization. Also they didn't reproduce every 5 turns as was supposed to happen.

 

If they survive somewhere I'd love to give it another try but right now... I need that colony much more than bees.

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AND that! :P From now on I'm asking you for advice, not the other way around! ;)

:) I think it will be a long time until you can ask me for advice. I have much to learn.

 

BTW, just destroyed another VN at alled colony. :P

 

Quick question :

Does jammer help vs AI players?

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BTW, just destroyed another VN at alled colony. :P

Do you have fleets all over your allied territory? Preparing for a strike?

 

And are you SURE you're not Zuul? At least secretly? Who needs enemies with friends like you?! :P;) Great job.

 

Quick question :

Does jammer help vs AI players?

 

Definitely. When you send multiple jammed fleets the enemy will not know which ones are real attack fleets and which ones are fake. Sending our decoy fleets was described in my Hivers caught in the corner AAR (check the end of the post I linked). Hivers especially need jammers as their fleets travel for ages. It is best to time them all to arrive at the same time. AI does not use deep space interception as much as it should - and if we're speaking about Human or Zuul opponent, they couldn't intercept you even if they tried. Except for a turn before your arrival. Which I forgot to do in my Antiquarians scenario AAR repeatedly.

 

Our biggest fleet finds a Liir colony. GOOD, a large portion of our budget is spent for military upkeep so we must use it to excuse the cost. Any similarity with real life is (probably not) coincidental.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0027-13.jpg

 

Our losses are mostly destroyers. After the battle a node bore ship is sent on to a nearby colony that will hopefully be next in our conquest. Next turn we will bring out Scavengers and go for some fishing. https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/fishing.gif

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0031-7.jpg

 

We find eyes. Our Pitch Dark destroyers are updated with deep scan command sections. Our research steps on a long road to fusion. There await new space hurting technologies, saviour both in strategic and battle environment.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0029-7.jpg

 

We are also building three Illuminati class cruisers, a deeps scan/extended range/fission cruisers. Zuul deep scan cruisers have a very long range, so those will serve us as strategic eyes on the frontline and at the edge of the rift.

 

Even before they are built, our colonies' eyes reveal more than we knew before.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0033-3.jpg

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Do you have fleets all over your allied territory? Preparing for a strike?

 

And are you SURE you're not Zuul? At least secretly? Who needs enemies with friends like you?! :P;) Great job.

 

Fleets? No. Gates? Yes. :)

 

And I'm not preparing for a strike. My fleets are just performing tactical maneuvers training near Morrigi space.

 

Am I Zuul? Let me check : antennas on my head, big compound eyes, 4 arms and between my legs a big .... sting! :P

Yep, I'm pretty sure I'm a Hiver.

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:P Ok, just checking. ;)

 

But I am a Zuul and we continue with our bloody business.

 

Before the research on fusion actually begun I decided we need to take a shortish detour to help in colony growing. And back to fusion.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-60.jpg

 

Fighting at Niishini continues. I'm a bit surprised at the lack of Liir activity to protect such a great planet. I've seen them help less important colonies much more. It is true that I do not see their trade sectors so who knows ho much revenue Niishini is bringing. Slaves are taken in huge numbers.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-49.jpg

 

A quick overview.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0009-31.jpg

 

Niishini fighting is bringing other goods as well, not just slaves.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0012-27.jpg

 

If you remember, we sent a lone Drill to make way to a neighbouring Liir colony in advance. It finds a nice target that demands attention.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0014-25.jpg

 

Niishini falters.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0023-22.jpg

 

Founding a colony here will be a nice little test, too. There are 750+ million civvies on the planet and we have 300 million fish in our tanks as well. I'm not sure what happens to the civvies. But we'll find our soon enough.

 

Meanwhile we destroy the second Liir Asteroid Monitor. Ehm, previously destroyed one was NOT the one over a peachy world, this one was... :P No matter, as long as we destroy them both.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0018-15.jpg

 

Our Illuminati class cruisers reach frontlines. Level of Liir-Hiver cooperation is disturbing. Hivers have gates all over and their empires are completely intertwined. We'll have to do some disentanglement.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0024-17.jpg

 

Now excuse me but after all this carnage I need a bit of stress reducing time in another, much more relaxing AAR.

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And besides, the continual enslaving and bloodshed are our most relaxing and gratifying passtimes. :P

:P Well than, some relaxation incoming.

 

Funny, of 750+ million Liir civvies, less than 5 million remain alive. Our spawn was hungry? ;) At least the ones caught in the nets are still around, building our colony.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-61.jpg

 

We send a deep scan cruiser, Illuminati class, across the rift. I hope fusion and new drive techs will arrive sooner than this cruiser gets to the other side but I want to have a forward warning system if Tarka decide to come take a look.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-50.jpg

 

We start an attack on the first Hiver colony!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0004-49.jpg

 

If you look closely, there is a small green smudge just in front of our colony. Funny, I missed it. Results seen above our colony really come from our colony. It was destroyed.

 

At least our fishermen fare better. Destroyed trade ships yield money!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0007-38.jpg

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:P Well than, some relaxation incoming.

 

Funny, of 750+ million Liir civvies, less than 5 million remain alive. Our spawn was hungry? :P At least the ones caught in the nets are still around, building our colony.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-61.jpg

 

5 million was totally the carrying capacity of that planet, man. When you reclaim a planet, sometimes the sapients just have to go, mmkay?

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Mmkay, I'm down with that, they gotta go. :P

 

Tarka are moving awfully fast, they have fusion!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-51.jpg

 

Just a view at our Illuminati class cruiser. All about external fuel tanks and antennae.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0005-46.jpg

 

After getting to 50% we go cheap and hope slaves are brainwashed into a breakthrough.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0007-39.jpg

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Oh Suul'ka, grant us a breakthrough! We'd REALLY appreciate it and we give you all of Liir slaves for it!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0002-55.jpg

 

A special project brings VERY nice research option! Marked for research directly after fusion!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-62.jpg

 

Born on the wings of Expert Systems I might have over-invested into special projects (white piece of pie) a little.

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0003-52.jpg

 

Currently there is little to show really though we continue our advance. It is focused on worlds without Hiver gates.

So far. We must take what we can with as little effort as possible.

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A special project brings VERY nice research option! Marked for research directly after fusion!

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/SotS%20TAR/screen0001-62.jpg

It's nice to know that tech can be salvaged and researched since I'm missing it as well in my current game. :P

 

A a stroke of luck on breakthrough with fusion. This will aid you greatly. :P

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