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SettingSun posted:I've played hundreds of SI games and I've barely touched any of the scenarios. There's just so much game in trying different spirit combos and adversary difficulty levels. In the latest expansion they codified rules for mixing two adversaries together and welp there goes all my time. I have seen people swear both of those off forever. You should try the second wave scenario. It's great fun.
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Dec 30, 2021 19:54
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For the new thread and for a refresher for myself, what are the best games for solo play? I keep waiting for COVID to stop being a thing so I can play with groups again, but I'm getting the itch to play something.
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Dec 30, 2021 19:58
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Aggro posted:I posit that the OP does not have enough Vlaada. nrook posted:The new edition is themeless; they took out the Zen theming, with the exception of the name, and, I suppose, the titling of the GM as "the Master." Admiralty Flag posted:I said this in a PM with a couple of notes on the OP(s), but it bears public repeating: that is some quality work you did to kick off the thread, Magnetic North
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Dec 30, 2021 20:02
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HouseOfLeaves99 posted:For the new thread and for a refresher for myself, what are the best games for solo play? Depending on your table space and ability/willingness to manage game logistics on your own, Spirit Island, Gloomhaven, and Arkham Horror LCG would be my top 3.
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Dec 30, 2021 20:02
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HouseOfLeaves99 posted:For the new thread and for a refresher for myself, what are the best games for solo play? A general suggestion: any co-op game subject to "quarterbacking", like Pandemic/Jaws of the Lion/etc., is a good choice; just play 2+ pawns/characters/etc. by yourself. You miss out on the social aspect of course. Another alternative is AI opposition. Twilight Struggle and Lords of Waterdeep have OK AIs, for a couple of examples. I've heard Race for the Galaxy has an excellent one. This of course requires purchasing the app.
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Dec 30, 2021 20:05
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I don't play Marvel Champions solo, but it gets a lot of love for its solo play.
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Dec 30, 2021 20:14
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Admiralty Flag posted:A general suggestion: any co-op game subject to "quarterbacking", like Pandemic/Jaws of the Lion/etc., is a good choice; just play 2+ pawns/characters/etc. by yourself. You miss out on the social aspect of course. I won my first game of twilight struggle in turn one when the AI held a scoring card unplayed as an unforced error, so “OK” is a bit generous in my mind. RFTG app is great, and you can play the AI used in the app for free with permission from rio grande right here.
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Dec 30, 2021 20:37
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Mighty Eris posted:I won my first game of twilight struggle in turn one when the AI held a scoring card unplayed as an unforced error, so “OK” is a bit generous in my mind. It might say something about me that I don't like... but I'm just fine with poor/predictable AIs. I really enjoyed beating up the Twilight Struggle AI (when it came out on Steam), though it probably gave me some bad ideas about how the game "should" work. Going further, the Agricola mobile app (which doesn't seem to be available anymore, but still works) has straight-up terrible AIs. I win like 98% of games (regardless of the AI level, which is more like "the AI personality")... which is dumb... but learning to exploit the predictable behavior of each AI personality is it's own little game and I quite like it. I probably wouldn't have played nearly so many games if the AI was better or more realistic. At some point, AI tools will progress enough that it's straightforward to add "incredibly strong" AIs to most boardgames. That's great, but I hope they don't stop making "last minute hack" easy AIs too.
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Dec 30, 2021 20:47
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I’ll send this as a PM but I’d recommend in the where to buy section including a bit more info about recommended online retailers. There are a lot of pretty scammy online retailers in the space and it would be good newbies to avoid them. Reputable online retailers of board games: Gamenerdz: Widely regarded as a reputable online retailer for board games at a reasonable price. They have a generally good deal of the day every day that is a deal. Their customer service is solid and they have free shipping at $75. Gamenerdz has had significant supply issues lately (pandemic related or just popularity) especially on Miniatures and painting supplies. Gamenerdz very rarely does large scale sales, they did virtually nothing for Black Friday in 2021. Boardlandia: A more recent challenger in the online board game market, Boardlandia became very popular in 2020/2021 due to great sales and better Instock than other retailers. Like Gamenerdz, Boardlandia has good customer service, fast shipping times, and a lower free shipping threshold ($80). Unlike Game Nerdz, Boardlandia has a very limited miniatures and supplies selection. Boardlandia does huge holiday sales that can be a great way to get games. Miniature Market: One of the longest term online tabletop gaming retailers that specializes in miniatures. Generally the best selection and prices on miniatures, paint, terrain, etc. Miniature Market generally isn’t as comparable on price as the other retailers on board game prices but does have good deals. Their shipping speed is very good but they have a higher free shipping threshold ($99). Card Haus: Another longterm retailer of tabletop games but one that hasn’t changed with the times as much as Miniature Market. They still have the highest free shipping threshold ($125) and prices that aren’t as competitive. They made major changes to their site in 2021 to focus more heavily on board games than card games and a shopping experience that looks/feels much more like Game Nerdz. Recommended online retailers of accessories: LaserOx: LaserOx produces high quality inserts and organizers for many games using mostly recycled materials. They also don’t have abusive pieces of poo poo leading the company. Tower Rex: Tower Rex makes excellent organizes for a very reasonable price. I’ve been very happy with everything I’ve ordered from them. They look good, assemble super easily, and work well. Folded Space: If you prefer foam core instead of laser cut organizers, Folded Space makes good products. Board Game Price checking: Board Game Atlas: Good resource for price history and sources for board games. It can be a day or two behind on live prices especially on boardlandia but should give you a ballpark for what things are regularly selling for especially for frequently out of stock items.
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Dec 30, 2021 21:00
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Lawlicaust posted:I’ll send this as a PM but I’d recommend in the where to buy section including a bit more info about recommended online retailers. There are a lot of pretty scammy online retailers in the space and it would be good newbies to avoid them. Miniature Market should maybe get an asterisk, since Asmodee stealth bought it
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Dec 30, 2021 21:14
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On the topic of solo gaming recommendations, the BGG solo guild recently wrapped up their annual Top 200 Solo Games poll. It’s a veritable treasure trove of what’s good solo and every interested gamer should be able to get a few good ideas from it.
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Dec 30, 2021 21:19
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Is Coolstuff bad now? 
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Dec 30, 2021 21:21
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Here's a rundown of that solo game poll VoodooXT posted:Is Coolstuff bad now? They've just kinda stepped back as a reliable board game retailer after moving warehouses and shifting much more towards TCGs and their fulfillment business for KS campaigns.
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Dec 30, 2021 21:22
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Asmodee may have bought MM on the sly but until I palpably notice a shift in their operation their brick and mortar store is still my go to.
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Dec 30, 2021 21:24
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I got a cheap copy of Feast for Odin off fb marketplace and it's taking my groups by storm. Guess I'll get the expansion...
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Dec 30, 2021 21:25
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Bottom Liner posted:They've just kinda stepped back as a reliable board game retailer after moving warehouses and shifting much more towards TCGs and their fulfillment business for KS campaigns. Yeah, both their store and the site are just not great anymore. Significantly higher prices, worse assortment, and worse service than the other major retailers out there. Their “sales” just make games the same price as everyone else’s normal price.
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Dec 30, 2021 21:29
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Koskinator posted:On the topic of solo gaming recommendations, the BGG solo guild recently wrapped up their annual Top 200 Solo Games poll. It’s a veritable treasure trove of what’s good solo and every interested gamer should be able to get a few good ideas from it. I'm a little dubious, considering the full list has Commands and Colours: Ancients on it.
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Dec 30, 2021 21:41
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Lawlicaust posted:Board Game Price checking: I only know about BoardGameAtlas from this story where BGG users alleged they were using the BGG API to steal content. Dunno if that was overblown or not. I put down CoolStuffInc and Miniature Market as defaults since I don't know many others. I could use these instead. Does anyone else have other suggestions for quality online retailers? The only thing other one I've dealt with his Noble Knight but only as a seller.
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Dec 30, 2021 21:45
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gamenerdz.com is very solid. great prices, $5 flat shipping, $75 free shipping
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Dec 30, 2021 21:47
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nothing but good experiences with TabletopMerchant as well. Shipping is a bit of a pain - $150 for free shipping, or $12 flat rate - but their prices are solid, they package games the best I've ever seen, and they even include a handwritten note thanking you and commenting on a game or two from your purchase.
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Dec 30, 2021 21:56
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This is from the old thread, but I’m still curious:PRADA SLUT posted:Carcasonne, Space Alert, and BSG are p. bad recs in TYOOL 2k21 BSG has the tentacle remake, but what’s out-Space Alerted Space Alert?
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Dec 30, 2021 22:21
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I'd throw in Noble Knight as a good retailer as well. https://www.nobleknight.com/ I'm biased, since they're local, but they have a decent selection and also have a huge catalog of used and older OOP stuff.
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Dec 30, 2021 22:23
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Suddenly Susan posted:Boonlake Played 4p today. First game for everyone, took quite a while with 4 players but picked up speed as everyone started grokking what to do. Everyone was engaged the entire time, but what became clear was that 1) don't dawdle on the river too much or you risk others having overwhelming scoring possibilities 2) when selecting a VP tile, the special project on it seems much more important than the VP part, and you should probably plan your resources accordingly 3) do NOT have no playable cards or usable workers when a scoring is about to trigger 4) don't be scared to sacrifice a few VP now for massive gains later; you CAN go below 0 5) the second round is a lot shorter than the first Overall, everyone really liked it, we want to play again soon. Hopefully the tips above help prospective players get into the groove faster.
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Dec 30, 2021 22:30
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Boonlake is alright. Probably one too many mechanisms forced in there. But that’s what the young folks are being told they need these days.
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Dec 30, 2021 22:38
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Leperflesh posted:This is a good suggestion, maybe you can give it a go for a few, if several people write like 5 each, they'd all be written up pretty quickly. This is what I've got from the games I've played enough of to make a statement. For "post length" reasons they're extra short, but are probably enough to gauge thematic interest from someone who has no idea what any of these names mean. quote:2 Player games I also noted "card" games specifically since "card game" people will easily play similar games but not if you throw a board in front of it (e.g., Flamme Rouge) even if the mechanics are card-specific. Also, Caylus 1303 should probably replace "regular" Caylus. Can adjust so it's not as much "build a thing" description, but a some of the original suggestions are basically iterations of the same game (Agricola and A Feast For Odin)? PRADA SLUT fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Dec 30, 2021 |
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Dec 30, 2021 22:47
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Since I moved to Hawai’i my non-flgs purchases have mostly been from Atomic Empire, initially because they’re the only online retailer to offer MM/CSI-level prices and free shipping (>$75) to Hawai’i/Alaska (and continue to do so despite all my $80 orders over the years). They’ve also had great support when there’s been issues, like sending a Arkham lcg pack separate priority when they didn’t receive the promised stock on time.
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Dec 30, 2021 23:24
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PRADA SLUT posted:A Feast for Odin-- Build a viking settlement Hey, just for funsies, click that hyperlink to the BGG page. At the top, they've added the ability to suggest a one sentence description for games. For AFfO, it says, "Puzzle together the life of a Viking village as you hunt, farm, craft, and explore." That's a nice description, and hits the type of game, the theme and a few key actions. Why would someone write a description when one already exists? It's almost as if BGG has already crowdsourced this labor. Because it has. Holy poo poo, yours is laconic to the point of uselessness. Please consider writing one for every game. I am not going to use them, but every one you write is less time you spend posting in this thread.
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Dec 30, 2021 23:24
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PRADA SLUT posted:Also, Caylus 1303 should probably replace "regular" Caylus. Caylus 1303 does not replace the original, from what I hear. Also AFFO isn't an iteration on Agricola. You're probably thinking of Caverna. A bit of non-US input for retailers: UK: the most reliable and best stocked retailers are GamesQuest and BoardGameGuru. GamesQuest offer free shipping on orders over £50; BGGuru charge varying amounts for shipping depending on whether you want Saturday or morning delivery, but offer discounts on orders above £50 that scale up to a 10% discount on orders of £250. EU: I haven't heard of anyone with a better rep than Philibert. Shipping is free on orders above €60 in France and €90 in Zone A (the original 12 EU nations); after that it gets complicated.
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Dec 30, 2021 23:37
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Magnetic North posted:Hey, just for funsies, click that hyperlink to the BGG page. At the top, they've added the ability to suggest a one sentence description for games. For AFfO, it says, "Puzzle together the life of a Viking village as you hunt, farm, craft, and explore." That's a nice description, and hits the type of game, the theme and a few key actions. Why would someone write a description when one already exists? It's almost as if BGG has already crowdsourced this labor. Because it has. Okay, then put those descriptions on there instead. It’s more helpful for new people to whom the names mean nothing.
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Dec 30, 2021 23:57
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It's true that succinct descriptions can be useful information. For example, "PRADA SLUT - There already is representation of women in board games. Just look at all my titty minis. What more representation do they need?" ----- For boardgame price comparisons, I suggest Boardgameoracle instead of Boardgameatlas. More useful for Canadians, too. Boardgameprices.co.uk for Europeans.
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Dec 31, 2021 00:13
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Llyranor posted:For boardgame price comparisons, I suggest Boardgameoracle instead of Boardgameatlas. More useful for Canadians, too. Had no idea about this until you posted it. Already seems way better and easier to navigate. Definitely seconding.
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Dec 31, 2021 00:23
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HouseOfLeaves99 posted:For the new thread and for a refresher for myself, what are the best games for solo play? I like story heavy games for solo play - stuff where reading large amounts of text would be tedious out loud. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Chronicles of Crime Detective Mythos Tales These games are all light on gameplay and focused more on deduction.
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Dec 31, 2021 01:02
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Jedit posted:Caylus 1303 does not replace the original, from what I hear. Also AFFO isn't an iteration on Agricola. You're probably thinking of Caverna. Caylus 1303 streamlines Caylus, and it definitely comes out quite a bit lighter than the original. I like 'em both.
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Dec 31, 2021 01:13
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Got to play 2 recent big kickstarter games today, both at two players. Destinies We did the first scenario. This is a “competitive” choose your own adventure game using an app. It didn’t seem like there was any way to interact with the other player other than using up a location first. It was easy to learn and didn’t overstay its welcome, but felt odd to be racing in a game where most of the fun was in exploring all the different map tiles. Whoever gets lucky in heading the right direction more often will progress the story, while the other player is just getting more powerful. However, getting more powerful doesn’t help you win if you don’t end up on the right map tiles. I don’t see there being much replay value in a scenario as the map and encounters seem static. Townsfolk Tussle This is a boss rush game, but unlike a certain kingdom game it’s not a campaign game. It has a cuphead or very early Disney cartoon aesthetic which looked fantastic. The production value is top notch on this thing. The game has you fight 4 bosses with a town phase before each fight where an event happens and you get some gear. There are a good number of bosses in the box and they all have special abilities depending on when you fight them. They also each set up the arena where you fight them in a different way with a ton of terrain that has different effects, all of which is easily referenced with cards placed out on the bottom of the map. When we did the first fight it went very poorly. My character missed every attack and died quickly. The other character did some good damage, but also died. We decided to reset as my character felt like it was a support that really needed more than 2 players to be usable. With new characters and a fresh start the game went the other direction with me quickly getting 2 guns that I could use on alternating turns from very far away coupled with some pants that let me move very far meant all the bosses went down without much challenge. Im looking forward to seeing the greater board game communities thoughts on its balance and player count differences as more people get a chance to play. As it stands it feels very luck dependent between the randomized equipment you’re able to purchase coupled with every attack relying on a single d10. In short, a beautiful production with some questionable balance issues, but I repeat myself as I already said it was a Kickstarter.
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Dec 31, 2021 01:21
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Bottom Liner posted:Every Vlaada should be in the OP. The OP should just be Vlaada. All praise unto Vlaada. It's weird - I suspect that because he's moved onto family party games and hasn't put out anything particularly heavy in years (except the TTA expansion), he hasn't been as romanticized in this thread (or on SUSD) as he once was. Space Alert and the Dungeon duo are, imo, timeless and while I've moved onto more intuitive solo fare than Mage Knight, it's great too. And people in my group will always remember Bunny Bunny Moose Moose.
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Dec 31, 2021 01:40
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There's still nothing I've found that quite replaces how good Space Alert is as a real-time co-op board game, but like other people have mentioned, I would love to know if there are other good board games like it.
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Dec 31, 2021 02:01
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manero posted:Caylus 1303 streamlines Caylus, and it definitely comes out quite a bit lighter than the original. I like 'em both. I haven't played 1303, but from what I saw of it it stripped out too much. I was willing to go with the consensus opinion on that basis.
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Dec 31, 2021 02:03
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Stickman posted:BSG has the tentacle remake, but what’s out-Space Alerted Space Alert? There's nothing wrong with Space Alert, but it's not really an "introduction to board games" style of game, especially when you have more options in the co-op space in the 13 years since its release. It's also hard to keep track of what's happening if you're new, and the "lol don't worry about it just watch the chaos" isn't always broadly appealing. It's a niche game. I'd still play it if someone put it on the table, but I can't think of anyone who I'd think "yeah.. Space Alert is what's going to get them into this hobby", especially when I'm staring down like.. Quacks of Quedlinburg (chaos) or Pandemic (co-op) or Flamme Rouge (play some cards). Even Magic Maze if I think they would love real-time. Space Alert fits into the "someone who already plays some board games but want's something a bit weird and different than what they know" PRADA SLUT fucked around with this message at 02:58 on Dec 31, 2021 |
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Dec 31, 2021 02:52
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Suddenly Susan posted:
Judging by my friend who duo'd the whole campaign with his wife then alternately showed it off to me and a couple others, the replay value is in stomping newbies because you remember where everything is and they are still stumbling around trying to figure out which threads to latch onto.
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Dec 31, 2021 03:04
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Does anyone else here work TG retail?
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Dec 31, 2021 03:44
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