Board 8 > [VGMC] The Video Game Music Contest 14 champion is. . .

(+) Yeah! (+)

We've endured over four months of grueling matches, after one of the most incredible nomination periods we've ever had, with a couple odd rule changes thrown in to spice things up, and 207 matches later (plus ties), we have finally reached the end of the road.

That was one hell of an ending, between Endeavour, which always wins narrowly, and Isoleucine, which has blown out every opponent en route to the finals. We had a close one, but in the end...YOUR VIDEO GAME MUSIC CONTEST 14 CHAMPION, WITH A SCORE OF 25-23 IS IDOLA PHANTASY STAR SAGA - ENDEAVOUR!

Top 64 bracket: https://imgur.com/a/lD4pgKW

Contest info - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VNrPnFRI7nJ4PqFiURBW0NWqxvXiuasoq8Sn_O169ss/edit#gid=1760189992
VGMC compability sheet - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lpX4faqnn_geI0y4i6MrZ2AXpV6SWXoWrIA6_eyx-yM/edit

Thank you everyone for a great year, on top of the four prior. As you all know by now, I'll be stepping down as host after this contest. VGMC deserves fresh blood, and I'll be happy to announce that I'm passing the reins to deogenerate (banshiryuu) with mycroprocessor (toxtricity) for next year. Having seen their contributions to the community, I expect they'll do an unbelievable job, superior to anything I've managed in the past. Please give them the respect and understanding you've shown me over the past five contests.

.

Bonus poll:

Chrono Cross - Scars of Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J46RY4PU8a8

Idola Phantasy Star Saga - Endeavour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74TocPKiNCs


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(That poll was ideated with the belief it would be isoleucine.)

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Endeavour in the bonus.

I'm pretty happy with this winner <3

ONE TO FOREVER BRING US TOGETHER

Man, I love Isoleucine almost as much as Endeavour but this was such an incredible underdog story. I've said it before, but greatest final four in VGMC history

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(Clear up your eyes, sight set on horizon)
(Set out to see all we're supposed to see)
(Gentle the heart, as big as the ocean)
(Reach out your hand, with love to share the walk)

(Clear out your voice, the key to live for long)
(None of the light inspire you hope it was)
(Can't understand as if lift chains of love)
(She left to birth, give girl the strength to hope)

(Let all the light inspire your hope in wars)
(Build your bonds, give to all)
(Show us the best keep going streams to heart)
(We'll understand, the dreams of love)

World divided, our hearts are split in two
We're broken, by weighs upon us
Time's in query, a choice can change the world
Defining, of what becomes us

For every hope to grow must a hope then fall down
On behalf of the other

Will we ever, find forever? Never say never
In name of the rover, bring us together, through whatever
Though how unknown, and treacherous, be our way to go

Forever, this ENDEAVOUR, made however, nothing is over
How to enlighten a world with no light? Brave the darkness
We're each assigned with a star, inside of us to see

Lights refracted, no eyes to straight the truth
Unsighted, by the cloak upon us
Lines are binding, if even much above
United, by ways beyond us

For every kingdom calls for a rain for all
To be as there as it's not now

Dawn upon us, a true saviour
One to forever, bring us together
Make us believers, through all adverse
Lead us beyond it to another ray, we are to be

Bring upon us a new tomorrow, brand new beginning, with all us together
How in this world does a hope find its light through the madness?
Four each assigned with a star to shine up to see

(Even though we open up the world to see, may the way be true~)
(Be homotely if the world has gone astray, stars will shine to light the way we must sight~)

(Clear up your eyes, sight set on horizon)
(Set out to see all we're supposed to see)
(Gentle the heart, as big as the ocean)
(Reach out your hand, with love to share the walk)

Will we ever, find forever? Never say never
In name of the rover, bring us together, through whatever
Though how unknown, and treacherous, be our way to go

Forever, this ENDEAVOUR, made however, nothing is over
How to enlighten a world with no light? Brave the darkness
We're each assigned with a star, inside of us to see
(light up our path...~)

(Let all the light inspire your hope in wars)
(Build your bonds, give to all)
(Show us the best, we'll drag in seams of stars)
(We'll understand, the dreams of love)

(Clear up your eyes, sight set on horizon)
(Set out to see worlds never seen)

Thank you, azuarc. These last five years have given me so many wonderful music discoveries and have just been a lot of fun.

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It's no EXSPHERE but then again, what is? okay champion.

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I guess the new Revenger took its Revenger
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Chrono Cross - Scars of Time

Worst contest we've ever had, and probably the worst champion too? Glad azuarc's gone after this.
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Chrono Cross - Scars of Time

Worst contest we've ever had, and probably the worst champion too? Glad azuarc's gone after this.

wow MEAN
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Endeavour > EXEC_SPHILIA/. > Scars of Time > Papiliones > Class::EXSPHERE_NOSURGE; > Reset (Thank You) > MGS2 Theme > Hope > Sunshine > Emil/Karma > Seize the Truth > Despair of ELFERIA > The Extreme > Zero

To say I'm thrilled would be an understatement.
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wow shots fired

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Endeavour... Endeavour....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Edit: Boo, I guess animated pics don't work. How about THIS one?

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Oh, right. I forgot.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim lost because for every hope to grow must a hope then fall down.

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Hbthebattle posted...

wow MEAN

Mac has definitely completed his heel-turn into "complete asshole"

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azuarc posted...

Oh, right. I forgot.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim lost because for every hope to grow must a hope then fall down.

In the darkest timeline where I was host, Isocueline probably wins because I don't at people who didn't follow the rules and I'm a literal jerk in both senses of the phrase and rule that NFUN never actually cast a vote.

know the hell we have all escaped

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what the I used to be a much huger asshole
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Worst contest we've ever had, and probably the worst champion too? Glad azuarc's gone after this.

:cry emoji:

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xp1337 posted...

In the darkest timeline where I was host, Isocueline probably wins because I don't at people who didn't follow the rules and I'm a literal jerk in both senses of the phrase and rule that NFUN never actually cast a vote.

know the hell we have all escaped

So basically, you would have been happy with the VGMC10 finals all over again.

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azuarc posted...

So basically, you would have been happy with the VGMC10 finals all over again.

happy?

legit disappointed that after all these years you think i am ever happy

(On the off chance you were serious, my post's point was to paint that reality where I had any power as a Bad Future)

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When one applies the word happy to you, it has a completely different meaning.

Poll vote: Scars of Time

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-(Isoleucine)-? More like... -(OWNED)-!

ROLF

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NFUN posted...

Mac has definitely completed his heel-turn into "complete asshole"

Probably salty that Pokemon broke its curse or something idk
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Scars of Time

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Just for fun, X-stats for the top 64!

1 Endeavour 50.00%
2 Sky Tower 48.84%
3 -(Isoleucine)- 47.92%
4 Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke 47.83%
5 Confronting Myself 47.65%
6 Partizans 46.51%
7 Moonstruck Blossom 46.51%
8 Flotage (Stage3-B) 44.40%
9 IDOLA The Strange Fruits 44.30%
10 Thermosphere 43.41%
11 -[Deoxyribose]- 41.46%
12 Desire Blue Sky 38.05%
13 Battle! Giratina 37.65%
14 Move Me 37.03%
15 GUERRANT-OFENZA-SUPRONT-UNNE 36.64%
16 EXEC_Z/. 35.81%
17 The Filthy Mind (Theme of the Hive Mind) 34.61%
18 Kanata no Rafflesia 34.20%
19 An Endless Desert 33.31%
20 Midnight Lady 33.04%
21 Bad End Syndrome 32.88%
22 Second Dark Matter Battle 32.72%
23 Megagraph Fleet 32.57%
24 Burning Force Medley 31.96%
25 DNF FW15C (ALL PHASE MIX) 31.94%
26 Bitbop 31.76%
27 Dungeon - Geofront 4 31.15%
28 Infinite Dungeon 2 30.51%
29 Class::EXPAJA 29.98%
30 YO-KAI Disco (Hell's Entrance World) 29.66%
31 Rude Buster 29.62%
32 Love Scope 29.04%
33 Rustling Throb ~ Cloche 29.01%
34 Scars of FAUNA 28.93%
35 Massive X 28.92%
36 Pressure Cooker 28.92%
37 TIGAR (All Phase Mix) 28.91%
38 Desire Below (Flow) 28.31%
39 Apostle's Maraud 28.24%
40 The Wyrm's Jewelbox 27.59%
41 L.L. ~Infinite Beating ver~ 27.00%
42 Shinjugamori Rebel Army 26.49%
43 Imbrium 26.28%
44 Zeal Continent 26.16%
45 Fire Island Volcano 25.48%
46 LastPandemic 25.39%
47 Scourge of the Universe 24.96%
48 Distorted Happiness 24.01%
49 Battle! (Colress) 22.87%
50 Credits 22.79%
51 Variations on a Ra Melody 22.23%
52 Classroom 21.78%
53 The Merciless Savior 21.30%
54 EXEC_PAJA/.#Orica extracting 21.25%
55 Akeldama 21.20%
56 Rave On 20.59%
57 Another Winter 19.72%
58 HYMN 19.71%
59 B.T. Dutch 18.10%
60 Who Am I? 17.91%
61 The Best Is Yet To Come 16.22%
62 The Ruined City Kishgal 16.15%
63 P-R-O-G-R-A-M 16.00%
64 A Line in the Sand 14.49%

Funny to see three non-retirees in the top 5, and something tells me we'll be seeing them all again...

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Janus5k posted...

4 Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke 47.83%

disgusting

Janus5k posted...

12 Desire Blue Sky 38.05%

now i am having conflicting feelings

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Hbthebattle posted...

Probably salty that Pokemon broke its curse or something idk

Didn't really care about that. In terms of running the contest, it was mainly everything to do with the wildcard that was handled poorly.
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Janus5k posted...

4 Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke 47.83%

Perhaps there is hope for humanity...
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I have no issues with us trying out the wildcard system here.

Just I think it showed itself to be not a good idea once put into practice so we shouldn't return it in the future. But that's a discussion for next year. No shame in trying something out then realizing "well that probably wasn't a great idea."

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Okay, I am bummed about Endeavour having to exclusively (starting R4) face music that I like more, all the way to the championship. It would have been nice if it could have beaten Rude Buster, or Credits, or Yokai Disco on its way there.... but regardless, it's still in the top quarter as far as my personal ratings are concerned, so it's not a bad champion at all! Better to have Endeavor win than Revenger over EXSPHERE last year, I suppose.

But overall, I'm still very pleased. I was down to two nominations alive at the round 2, but they fought all the way until round 6! Furthermore, one of them was Second Dark Matter Battle, which honestly means as much to me as everything else in the contest combined!

Great work by azuarc! Also, props to Mycro (and DireKrow?) for the VGMC compatibility, too!


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That was probably as good of a f4 I could have hoped for. I am greedy though and wish an EVEN BETTER song came from D lol.

As far as this match goes...

Scars of Time

Endeavour is better until Scars of Time actually begins 57 seconds in. That is too goooood.

Stop putting Endeavour against all timers. I want to also celebrate it's victory too as it's an amazing song too. :(

xp1337 posted...

Just I think it showed itself to be not a good idea once put into practice so we shouldn't return it in the future. But that's a discussion for next year. No shame in trying something out then realizing "well that probably wasn't a great idea."

I generally agree. It was worth trying, not worth continuing. But I imagine deo and mycro will just go to a full 256 bracket.

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I am doing a literal happy dance right now what is this universe 2020 ISN'T SUPPOSED TO GIVE ME NICE THINGS I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT NICE THINGS ARE ANYMORE
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Chrono Cross - Scars of Time

also

Mac Arrowny posted...

Worst contest we've ever had, and probably the worst champion too

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also in far less dramatic news i am also announcing my retirement as unofficial shadow vote counter

azuarc could tell you (but hasn't) that I was lazy as hell this year to the point of almost being useless. Besides it seems like more competent people are doing it anyway and were even showing me up so.

...this is good, isn't it...?

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Scars of Time

Bonus match is closer for me than expected; I wasn't really into Endeavour for most of the contest, but it's been stuck in my head the past two nights and it's staring to grow on me.

I fully enjoyed the contest. I agree wild cards probably shouldn't come back, but they were fun; I liked having the excuse to listen to everything again and play with a different voting format for a bit.
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Anyway, sorry about that azuarc, I was overstating things. You've done a great job keeping the contest afloat the last few years, and implemented some fun ideas, like last year's 192 song bracket.
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Chrono Cross - Scars of Time
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When Ed Bellis left the board after VGMC7, he made the obvious decision to pass the contest off to me - after all, I'd been around since the first contest and had helped fill in for him on multiple occasions. I figured it wouldn't be all that difficult to handle - after all, I'd already been at the helm, and the rest of it couldn't be too bad, right?

VGMC9 may have been a disaster - 20 vote matches, uninspiring retirement choices, 48 hour days just to prevent songs from winning without hitting double digit votes - but I can handle disasters. The other parts of hosting, though, were simply too much for me - in my two years as host, I only did any substantial work on the bracket once, and even then I only did about half of it. I was in way over my head. So naturally, I decided to bail and basically unceremoniously dumped the contest on azuarc, who I felt was the only real alternative as the host of BOST. I'm not sure how he saw it, but I've always felt a bit like I forced him into it. Sorry about that!

I haven't always agreed with azuarc over the years, but you know what? He lasted more than twice as long as I did, and I respect that. So thank you, azuarc, for sacrificing far more time and energy than I was willing to. You weren't perfect - not that any of us could ever hope to be - but you were a far better host than I ever was.
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Like I mentioned in the finals thread, Endeavor was my favorite remaining song post-retirement round, so seeing it win was definitely the best outcome I could've asked for in light of many of my favorites going out prior to then. As a result, I'm very happy with this outcome! Not my favorite champion ever, but still a fantastic song!

A big thank you to azuarc for being the host of the contest for the past 5 years! Just as I did last year when I first participated, I had a great time taking part in this contest this year as well. I look forward to seeing what VGMC15 will bring :)

Might vote in the bonus match tomorrow. I'd really have to think about it because both songs are very good and I don't feel like thinking hard about that right now.

Idola Phantasy Star Saga - Endeavour

well Isoleucine would've been my favorite contest champ ever, but Endeavour's my 2nd favorite ever! Overall though, favorite contest we've ever had! Wonderful retiree set and great winner from that set as well!

Things I nominated/supported did overwhelmingly well compared to ever, even compared to 13 where they did much better than they ever had. I think a lot of factors contributed to this, board taste startling to align more with mine at least a bit, both in new participants and shifting taste among old participants. Also I picked a bit more conventional wide-appealing, less weird picks than usual (Isoleucine apparently being the biggest hit of those hahaha). Regardless of the reasons, it's shown me that i'm not as cursed as i once felt I was, and that music I enjoy CAN be highly celebrated by many here. That feeling is something I feel I haven't had a chance to feel most of my time here, so it was a nice special treat to feel even more this year than last. Many "curses" feel like they've been broken, not just my own. Pokemon got a retiree, KCF got a nom of his to retire, and that's kind of cool! Deservingly so too with the examples of those things that advanced. Some very interesting music represented in the final rounds that hasn't commonly been celebrated here in the past, and wide variety in music represented in the contest as a whole!

Thank you for all your work running this contest these past 5 years azu; it's hard work, and I'm impressed with your willingness to do it even as long as you have! It's resulted in perpetuating an activity that's been worthwhile to me since ~2009, and I'm glad that even now, it's still going. I hope I can do a good job with deo in continuing it next year!
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Meh. Starting from r5 this is easily one of the better winners we could have gotten, but I was just so lukewarm on the entire set of songs that retired this year overall. Endeavour actually ends up coming around the middle of the champ rankings for me, but a year where Endeavour is the 1st or 2nd best retiree is a sad year.

I didn't mind the wildcard and had the impression that there were other people that actually did like it. I'd be fine with it coming back but I'd also be fine with it going away so...*shrug*

Champion ranking based on memory: Papiliones > Hope > Scars of Time > Emil/Karma > Zero > EXSPHERE_NOSURGE > The Extreme > Endeavour > Sunshine Coastline > MGS2 Main Theme > EXEC_SPHILIA > Seize the Truth > Reset > ELFERIA

The only one I actually dislike is ELFERIA, but I'm pretty lukewarm on the next 3 or so that come after that.
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Idola Phantasy Star Saga - Endeavour

Hahaha, figures it faces something I like less AFTER it wins the championship! (close match, though)

tgs2 posted...

Endeavour is better until Scars of Time actually begins 57 seconds in. That is too goooood.

Gotta partially disagree. The first 57 seconds is my favorite part of Time's Scar!

Looking ahead to next year, I had a couple things on my mind. First off, we will be hitting our 15-year milestone. Would the time be right to have an all-inclusive VGMC? As in, all retirees are qualified to be in the bracket? I know it's been talked about a lot, but I figure it's most appropriate to do when we hit some sort of milestone.

Something else is on my mind, too... There are a lot of great video game remixes out there, and I thought it would be fun to do a VGM remix tournament. Now, the problem here is there's less interest in remixes than in actual game music, so doing a stand-alone tournament sounds like a recipe for low votals. Has there ever been this type of contest on Board 8? Anyway, I was thinking it might be more successful if it were done as a side bracket, perhaps with 64 contestants, alongside the real VGMC XV. But yeah, I think that would be really fun!


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Exsphere >= Endeavour > ELFERIA > Papiliones > Excellent Songs > Zero > Great Songs > Scars of Time > Sunshine Coastline > Seize the Truth > Good Songs > EXEC_SPHILIA > The Extreme > MGS2 >= Emil/Karma > Songs That I Can Remember > Hope > Reset

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Haste_2 posted...

Would the time be right to have an all-inclusive VGMC? As in, all retirees are qualified to be in the bracket?

I don't think there's any point in this, especially since we still have ToC.

Haste_2 posted...

Something else is on my mind, too... There are a lot of great video game remixes out there, and I thought it would be fun to do a VGM remix tournament. Now, the problem here is there's less interest in remixes than in actual game music, so doing a stand-alone tournament sounds like a recipe for low votals. Has there ever been this type of contest on Board 8? Anyway, I was thinking it might be more successful if it were done as a side bracket, perhaps with 64 contestants, alongside the real VGMC XV. But yeah, I think that would be really fun!

A VGM-adjacent music contest could be something fun, like music from game composers that hasn't been in any games.
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I think Pillar of Salt won the VG remix contest a while back but I might be wrong:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXj3Fy3JSEM
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Toxtricity posted...

Idola Phantasy Star Saga - Endeavour

well Isoleucine would've been my favorite contest champ ever, but Endeavour's my 2nd favorite ever! Overall though, favorite contest we've ever had! Wonderful retiree set and great winner from that set as well!

Things I nominated/supported did overwhelmingly well compared to ever, even compared to 13 where they did much better than they ever had. I think a lot of factors contributed to this, board taste startling to align more with mine at least a bit, both in new participants and shifting taste among old participants. Also I picked a bit more conventional wide-appealing, less weird picks than usual (Isoleucine apparently being the biggest hit of those hahaha). Regardless of the reasons, it's shown me that i'm not as cursed as i once felt I was, and that music I enjoy CAN be highly celebrated by many here. That feeling is something I feel I haven't had a chance to feel most of my time here, so it was a nice special treat to feel even more this year than last. Many "curses" feel like they've been broken, not just my own. Pokemon got a retiree, KCF got a nom of his to retire, and that's kind of cool! Deservingly so too with the examples of those things that advanced. Some very interesting music represented in the final rounds that hasn't commonly been celebrated here in the past, and wide variety in music represented in the contest as a whole!

It seems your patience with VGMC has paid off! I think you've been sowing seeds of VGM appreciation (especially complex stuff, of course) for years, and it finally started bearing fruit in VGMC XIII, and a lot more fruit this year! I can't say I agree with 100% with how tastes are shifting, it's more like 80% of the shift I am liking. There are some retirees I love to death that I know wouldn't do so well anymore, but at the same time VGMC XIII/XIV average WAY better retirees than any other year, imo.

Team Rocket Elite posted...

I think Pillar of Salt won the VG remix contest a while back but I might be wrong:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXj3Fy3JSEM

So there was one, after all. That's a good winner... it's been among my favorites for years.

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Scars of Time

:/

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Oh yeah Scars of Time lol
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Time's Scar

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Oh yikes that winner is not good. Glad I bailed on this one pretty quickly.

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