Re: Character Generation on 12/29/2012 07:15 PM CST
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The elf starts out with a rapier and a doeskin jerkin. However, the veteran does not recognize the rapier as starter gear. Perhaps he needs some updating too?

Sometimes the key to happiness is not assuming it is locked in the first place- Ziggy

A journey of a thousand SMILES begins with a single step- Ziggy
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/29/2012 10:31 PM CST
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>Well, nothing was changed with regards to what happens when you run out of fatigue. You'll have a nice 99% penalty to just about everything though. Are you saying the penalty wasn't present? You should also notice RTs increasing a bit?

In Plat at least, having 0 fatigue doesn't increase weapon RTs, or seem to cause any other issue with combat. My claymore stayed at 3/5/6 for jab/slice/chop, same at 100% fatigue.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/30/2012 12:51 AM CST
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Alright, I'll add fatigue to the list of things to figure out what broke :P

I'm trying to think of a better mechanic than the veteran for trading in items. I think what I'm going to propose is having all new players get an equipment voucher. Reading it will give directions to go to such and such, and there they will be able to pick out something a bit more appropriate.



"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/30/2012 01:04 AM CST
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standard new accts put the newbie in either crossing or haven, so it would have to work both places. Perhaps keep the veteran <and sir robyn, which fulfils this function in riverhaven>, and have the voucher be able to be turned into either npcharacter. The idea behind the veteran/robyn, is to get the new player used to negotiating the streets of the city, and find their way around.

<<The real thing DR needs is to get out there to the kids who actually read books.>>
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/30/2012 02:42 AM CST
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The dwarf definatly has your new stuff, a different coat and a different hammer than in prime.

The hammer seems more than fine for killing rats for a small blunt maybe 7-10 swings at 4 RT, with 4 ranks and 10 strength.

The coat is too hindering tho so I pitched it for a store bought jerkin.

>I think what I'm going to propose is having all new players get an equipment voucher. Reading it will give directions to go to such and such, and there they will be able to pick out something a bit more appropriate.

I think I kinda love that.

How about make it a little book... How to Survive in Crossing/Riverhaven, maybe talks about ways to make coin at super low levels, twigs, branches, fishing, skinning. And some of the first places to hunt, local gathering places, the bank, the vault, and introduces the DIR system, and oh look at the back theres an equipment voucher good for 2 weapons and 2 pieces of armor from such and such.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/30/2012 08:46 AM CST
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I'm all for helping newbies out, but I kind of like the idea of them starting with crappy gear, and being able to upgrade to storebought gear. It instills a sense of accomplishment. I remember being pretty pumped I could afford Ironworks gear.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/30/2012 08:56 AM CST
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Store bought gear is still better than what the new starting gear is. There is a difference between crappy and useless though.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/30/2012 04:32 PM CST
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GSIV uses the 'sprite quest' to get the average newb acquainted to the game, although that's new from GSIII, which gave you your first level for running around town following the various DIRections but never prompted you to do so (you can actually do both now and effectively get your first two levels almost instantly when you consider the additional effects of 'gift of luminus'). It's this short little quest that gets you acquainted with movement, DIRections, speech, npcs interaction, the ORDER system (to buy things), some shop locations, simple combat commands, get you enough silvers to pay off your debt (really makes starting debt obsolete), and presents some etiquette like tipping a cleric when you get raised. DR is a much more complex game, but something similar would be nice. Maybe a brief guild-joining quest instead of a paragraph about how you joined the guild and half hour speech from the guild leader?

That said, there are also giant signs in crossing (been a while since I looked at what was actually in haven but I'm sure it's similar) and lots of help for newbs from the player base.

And while I'm sure we all turn them off, isn't there a "I'm brand spankin' new to this, I don't even know how to move! HELP!!" option in CM?

--Wryhk

1st grade tl;dr version:

Numbers didn't change. Words changed. Words don't matter. Numbers all that matters.

--GRIM45
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/30/2012 10:03 PM CST
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I wouldn't mind some type of simple Task mission/quest for starting out/hazing/initiating into the ranks (depending on how the guild or guildleader wants to do it).

---
"I think anything that forces you to do something no sane adventurer would do just in order to train is ridiculous."
DR-SOCHARIS

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Victory Over Lyras, on the 397th year and 156 days since the Victory of Lanival the Redeemer.
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Re: Character Generation on 12/31/2012 12:12 AM CST
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Found a small bug in Kaldar newbie armor. The tunic they receive now covers both arms as well as chest, abdomen, and back. They also receive (same as before) a set of bracers that covers both arms. Both come worn out of the character generator, but once the bracers or tunic are removed, they can not be worn again while the other is worn due to overlapping protection. Either the tunic needs to go back to just torso only, or the bracers should be swapped for a piece of armor that covers a different body part.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/31/2012 05:55 AM CST
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I'm glad to see at two or three people are validating what I posted a few days ago about rats and newbie characters.

I agree with what my cohorts have said here, this is going to be VERY frustrating for new people. So far looks like similar results with LE, ME, HE, and a pole.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/31/2012 05:06 PM CST
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>>Store bought gear is still better than what the new starting gear is. There is a difference between crappy and useless though.

A tier 4 (forged capped steel) weapon is only going to be 15% more effective than a starter blade in 3.0. I can't see why this is a problem. It isn't like we can just give new players icesteel mirror blades infused with blackfire armageddon .... >:|




"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/31/2012 05:07 PM CST
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>>I'm glad to see at two or three people are validating what I posted a few days ago about rats and newbie characters

Yeah but I fixed it?




"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/31/2012 05:12 PM CST
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>It isn't like we can just give new players icesteel mirror blades infused with blackfire armageddon

Someone make a note of this for when enchanting comes out. I'm pretty sure he just slipped and gave us some clues to what the best set-ups for some crafting items will be.

---
"I think anything that forces you to do something no sane adventurer would do just in order to train is ridiculous."
DR-SOCHARIS

---
Victory Over Lyras, on the 397th year and 156 days since the Victory of Lanival the Redeemer.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/31/2012 05:12 PM CST
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>>It isn't like we can just give new players icesteel mirror blades infused with blackfire armageddon .... >:|

We can't?

-Raesh

"Ever notice that B.A.'s flavor text swells in direct proportion to how much one of our characters is getting screwed?" - Brian Van Hoose
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/31/2012 06:28 PM CST
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>>It isn't like we can just give new players icesteel mirror blades infused with blackfire armageddon .... >:|

>We can't?

http://www.searchenginepeople.com/i/yes-we-can.jpg



You're going to get a bad reputation if you go around pinching every spectral reaper you see.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 12/31/2012 07:31 PM CST
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>It isn't like we can just give new players icesteel mirror blades infused with blackfire armageddon

Hey, we were promised those would be Thunder Ramataur exclusive. Stop giving all of these inferior races nice things.



You've reached the uninformative help match I haven't written yet.

http://i.imgur.com/fBq8R.jpg
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 12:38 AM CST
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>>>Store bought gear is still better than what the new starting gear is. There is a difference between crappy and useless though.

That was actually defending your change, not insulting it, well it was insulting the 2.0 starting gear and all tier 1 weapons.

But that's what they get for being tier 1.

: P

>Yeah but I fixed it?

Yup. This was just last night I was killing rats with a circle 1 dwarf with 10 strength and with the starting SB and only 4 ranks of skill. 7-10 swings, 4 rt, so 28 to 40 seconds... which is exactly in the range of 3.0 combat, except Mutli blades and bows and slings, : D
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 03:00 AM CST
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"A tier 4 (forged capped steel) weapon is only going to be 15% more effective than a starter blade in 3.0. I can't see why this is a problem."

Seriously only 15% from a crappy starter weapon to a fully capped forged steel weapon? That seems really low to me, the starter weapons are junk.

If advice was any good, they wouldn't give it out for free.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 06:48 AM CST
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<< >>I'm glad to see at two or three people are validating what I posted a few days ago about rats and newbie characters

Yeah but I fixed it?
>>

I read that yesterday! I haven't had time to go in and reroll to newbie and test it myself yet but I will.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 08:07 AM CST
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>>>Store bought gear is still better than what the new starting gear is. There is a difference between crappy and useless though.

>>That was actually defending your change, not insulting it, well it was insulting the 2.0 starting gear and all tier 1 weapons.

This, Kodius. I'm actually quite happy with the changes you made to the starting gear. I never ever used the starting gear from 2.0, because it was quite useless.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 10:31 AM CST
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>>That seems really low to me, the starter weapons are junk.

Did you miss the part where I went back and re-vamped all the starter weapons the other day? Starter weapons are no longer Tier 1 crap, they are high Tier 2 or low Tier 3.




"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 10:49 AM CST
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I rolled up a little Rakash Ranger (big surprise.) and everything went fantastic for me. I was able to kill 2 rats and was still learning fine. Used the standard cutlass and coat for awhile with other added leather pieces, had no problems with burden or weight so I moved over to a set of leathers with extras. Still doing great. Maybe one or two scratches, couple of scuffs, and a shoulder pack full of pelts and tails.

Overall a positive experience for me.



You're going to get a bad reputation if you go around pinching every spectral reaper you see.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 10:50 AM CST
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I didnt miss the part where you re-vamped the starter weapons and i still stand by it saying 15% is a really small difference between a high tier 2 or low tier 3 starter weapon you get for free and a capped forged steel weapon which is tier 4.

If advice was any good, they wouldn't give it out for free.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 01:13 PM CST
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What is your actual point Coupe? That starter weapons should suck more, or that capped steel should be better? Or are you focusing on the number 15% a little too much, and not taking into account that new steel weapons are much better than the old weapons.

I don't remember there being very many complaints about the stats on new forging templates (except the swappable HE/2HE, but old basties were way OP). Trying to complain now because you saw a percentage you thought should be higher (but really means nothing) is more than a bit petty.

IMO 15% between basically a tier level is an acceptable amount, especially when you consider most people use rare metals anyways.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 01:42 PM CST
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I think the issue is that, at times, some don't fully understand how crafted gear scales. The differences between tiers aren't always that massive when you look at metal mixes sharing similar densities/volumes.

IMO, the stat differences usually come into play when you end up increasing/decreasing densities. People also sometimes compare something with a very high volume vs something with a very low volume, so the differences are much more highlighted there, as well. These highlights happen more when you're dealing with high volume items that have different densities, as well. The difference between a 1 volume weapon having 3 or 7.5 density isn't going to be as notable as a 10 volume weapon having 3 or 7.5 density.



The teeth lands a solid (5/23) hit that pokes the teeth into Turul's rear end (more embarrassing than painful!).
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 02:07 PM CST
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>>a capped forged steel weapon which is tier 4.

Capped steel isn't exactly "the bar" these days. Anyone with some skill can quickly whip them up. Not to mention the 15% is assuming everything is 5 density. If you compare a starter broadsword to a weighted steel broadsword, the difference could very well be much more. We also need to keep some headroom for weapon buffs (like ignite and resonance) and enchantments (like blackfire and soul-devourer) warhammers.





"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 02:33 PM CST
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< soul-devourer

That has a nice ring to it.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 03:49 PM CST
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Would it be possible to look in the other direction?
If the argument is over how a new character weapon increase gimps the crafting systems, would it be possible to just look at the creatures new characters are going to encounter instead? We could lower lvl 1 critter armor/defenses (or remove them) and physical stats to get the same end result, couldn't we? That new characters will be able to kill lvl 1 critters with their tier 1 weapons (or whatever tier they originally came out with).

What would doing something like this impact, and how detrimental would the consequences be?
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 03:58 PM CST
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If you slam the new critter stuff to -1, then anyone with store or forged gear blows them up.



Adding nothing to the conversation since 1834.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 04:21 PM CST
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I just want my weapon to glow so I can see in the dark!

______
Kertig Heart Magdar Bluefletch, Mechanical Lore Grand Master of M'Riss
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 04:27 PM CST
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<I just want my weapon to glow so I can see in the dark!

I think of lord of the rings swords glowing in the presence of orcs and it makes me laugh, cuz in DR version they will only glow in the presence of (gasp) ARMADILLOS!
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 04:33 PM CST
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>>Would it be possible to look in the other direction?

Level 1 critters already have the lowest stats, armor, attack/defense and less than half the health of normal critters. There is no longer a problem with new players killing them from what I can see. Improving CM items was always on our list, and has nothing to do with the game's balance. It just didn't make sense to hand out weapons with stats so crappy they were completely unusable.





"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 05:07 PM CST
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<It just didn't make sense to hand out weapons with stats so crappy they were completely unusable.

Little off track here, but while the subject of crappy weapons was at hand... Is there anything on the board as a niche for throwing daggers? I've done a bit of testing with a bunch of daggers I bought from the last fest. They seem to hit exactly the same as a regular old throwing blade taken out of a 5 stack, very underwhelming (always been the case) I thought maybe a poison application bonus or something would be possible because at the moment there is no reason to ever use them in leiu of throwing blades and other hard hitting LT's like throwing clubs and light throwing axes. Seems a shame because I always liked some of the throwing daggers and it would be cool to have a use for them.
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/01/2013 07:11 PM CST
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>>I've done a bit of testing with a bunch of daggers I bought from the last fest.

In my opinion, the only decent dagger at the fest is the three-tined claw model from Forever Faithful. It seems to be the same template as the old Outcast lions-claw daggers. Even then, I'd still rather use blades or LT blunts.



~The Prydaen~
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/02/2013 07:14 PM CST
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FWIW, I rolled up a Prydaen newb in Test and after some time (c.a. 10-15 minutes) managed to kill a rat with the starting bola, taking no damage in the process. While the kill wasn't particularly quick, I was able to do it in relative safety and ranked everything combat-related to 3-5 or so with one critter. All in all, I think that's perfectly acceptable for a newbie.

~player of Gulphphunger
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/02/2013 07:19 PM CST
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>after some time (c.a. 10-15 minutes) managed to kill a rat with the starting bola

That seems like way too long. Did you use it as a melee or thrown or both? If any melee attacks, did you use ATTACK or SWING?

Elemental Lord Opieus, Master Warrior Mage of Elanthia
"For a bunch of radical empiricists, the Philosophers' system relies on a whole lot of faith." ~Armifer
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/02/2013 07:26 PM CST
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Uhh, you should be killing a single rat in under 2 minutes post Kodius's change.

~ Leilond
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h307/ss1shadow/Leilond_Progression.jpg
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/02/2013 11:12 PM CST
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Well. He MIGHT have forgotten to mention the bolas were fashioned from lumps of parboiled turnip. But, you know, details...
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Re: What should we be testing? on 01/03/2013 12:49 AM CST
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We'll be doing some more directed testing now that the holidays have passed.

--

"The ninety and nine are with dreams, content but the hope of the world made new, is the hundredth man who is grimly bent on making those dreams come true." -E.A.P.
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