We're back with the latest Seibertron.comTwincast episode, where host Counterpunch, along with Razorclaw0000, Jon 3.0, and special guest joevill discuss the massive flood of new release news and products in the last few weeks.
As always, the episode is available directly and in our RSS Feed and should appear on iTunes in 24 to 48 hours.
Topics include:
Beast Hunters Predaking, Optimus Prime (in many sizes!)
Beast Hunters Deluxe Wave 2 Smokescreen, Bulkhead, Starscream, and Ripclaw
Beast Hunters Ultra Magnus Prototype
Year of the Snake Omega Supreme
BotCon 2013 Hoist
Transformers Collector's Club Subscription Service Delayed
Fall of Cybertron Springer and Astrotrain
Masterpiece Soundwave
Masterpiece Alert
Masterpiece Prowl, Smokescreen, and Bluestreak
Masterpiece Acid Storm
Masterpiece Tigertrack
Bragging Rights
The Seibertron.comTwincast/Podcast is proud to present our latest episode, featuring host Counterpunch and fellow podcasters Seibertron, Tigertracks 24, and Razorclaw0000. The episode is available directly and in our RSS Feed and should appear on iTunes in 24 to 48 hours.
Excited for tomorrow's big DLC release for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, the "Dinobot Destruction Pack"? Seibertron.com has posted a preview clip of Grimlock, Swoop, Slug, and Snarl in action on our YouTube channel at http://youtube.seibertron.com. The "Dinobot Destruction Pack" will be available for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC tomorrow. Check out the embedded video below.
Activision wrote:The team at High Moon Studios listened to fans and have been hard at work on exciting downloadable content to support the growing TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON multiplayer community.
To celebrate, here is a brand new trailer with an in-game look at the new characters in action:
Here is a breakdown of the three DLC packs, all of which are available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
AVAILABLE NOW - Dinobot Destructor Pack - includes the following multiplayer characters, which includes their full body + individual body parts for use in the multiplayer character creator.
GRIMLOCK (T-rex)
SLUG (Triceratops)
SNARL (Stegosaurus)
SWOOP (Pteranodon)
AVAILABLE NOW - Multiplayer Havoc Pack - includes the following multiplayer characters, which includes their full body + individual body parts for use in the multiplayer character creator.
ULTRA MAGNUS
WHEELJACK
BLAST OFF
ZETA PRIME
PERCEPTOR
AVAILABLE SEPT. 25 - Massive Fury Pack - includes the following multiplayer characters, which includes their full body + individual body parts for use in the multiplayer character creator. Also includes the following single-player campaign items.
KICKBACK (Flying Insecticon)
SHARPSHOT (Flying Insecticon)
HARDSHELL (Beetle Tank Insecticon)
G1 RETRO OPTIMUS PRIME
AUTOBOT HOUND
Single-Player campaign items:
G2 BRUTICUS (character skin)
G1 SHOCKWAVE BLAST CANNON (weapon)
G1 MEGATRON PISTOL GUN (weapon)
TRANSFORMERS FALL OF CYBERTRON
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Points of discussion:
* Multi-Player - Character creation
* Multi-Player - different modes such as Team Deathmatch, Conquest ("King of the Hill"), Capture The Flag, Head Hunter
* Multi-Player - which aspects do you like?
* Escalation mode discussion
* Campaign - How far are you into the game?
* Campaign - What are your likes and dislikes?
* Campaign - Any favorite chapters, scenes, moments?
* Campaign - Discussion about end of game, credits
* View all recent news stories
TRANSFORMERS MASTERPIECE MP-12 LAMBOR VIDEO
-------------------------------------------------- Watch and discuss
TCC SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
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TCC Subscription Service: Open and taking orders
* Details and Deadline
* Circuit
AEON EXCLUSIVE TERRORCON BUMBLEBEE
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Bio translation: The weapon Bumblebee discovered at the excavation site appeared at first glance to be just a normal piece of equipment. However, the moment curiosity got the better of him, his consciousness was swept away by waves of Dark Energon coursing through his body. This was no ordinary weapon, but a trap planted by dark medic Knock Out! The Dark Energon secreted by Arms Micron Terrorcon Zori has transformed Bumblebee into a rampaging beast. If he is not given immediate treatment, all of the Autobots will be at risk.
Infection Mode: A mode in which he uses his Twin Cannon for long-distance attacks in all directions to deal damage to opponents, then rushing in with blazing speed to infect them with Terrorcon Zori's Dark Energon stinger. Covering both close and long-range combat, this is an incredibly effective combination for Bumblebee.
CLASSICS TRANSFORMERS DISCUSSION
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We discuss "Classic" Transformers, what the phrase means to us, G1 accuracy, how closely should updates follow in the footsteps of the past, when it's no longer a Classic but instead something else, and more!
For those of you who are enjoying Transformers Fall of Cybertron and like spoilers, a video of the final scene has been uploaded to Seibertron.com's YouTube account. The game culminates in epic fashion as it leads to a massive battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron on top of the Autobot's ship The Ark. You get to choose whether you play as Megatron or Optimus Prime but the ultimate outcome is the same.
In addition, the final credits have also been uploaded to Seibertron.com's YouTube account. While nothing storywise happens during or after the final credits, High Moon Studios takes a moment to have some fun with some key Transformers characters from the game throughout the credits. The credits roll out to the tune of an updated version of Stan Bush's "The Touch" while Metroplex, Soundwave, Bumblebee, Jazz, Cliffjumper, the Dinobots, and the Insecticons have a little fun.
Seibertron's friend and neighbor Starlorz has shared his "preview" review of Transformers Fall of Cybertron. This review will be followed up with a full review some time in the next week once we've completed the game. Here are Starlorz's initial thoughts about Transformers Fall of Cybertron, which is in stores today.
Starlorz wrote:Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (FOC) is High Moon’s follow up their 2010 hit Transformers: War for Cybertron (WFC). FOC takes place immediately after the events of WaC and involves the same cast of characters with a few notable additions. For anyone that didn’t get a chance to play High Moon’s original Transformers offering, WFC, I’d highly recommend it. Transformers fans were given a thoughtful treatment of the Transformers franchise which fleshed out some watershed moments from Starscream’s defection to Optimus’ rise to Prime, and video game fans were treated to well-balanced first person shooter that made great strategic use of an innovative transforming mechanic. In other words, High Moon not only succeeded in creating the best Transformers game ever (which was not hard because the bar was set so incredibly low), but actually made a game that would have been great even without the association to a beloved franchise.
I’ve only had the opportunity to play FOC for a few hours at this point, but that is more than enough time to give you a run down on what has changed, what remains the same, and offer my initial impressions of the game.
What’s the same
There are a lot of elements from WFC which carry over to FOC. High Moon’s adept handling of the Transformers continues unabated. The dialogue stays true to the characters and is well written. I don’t mean that it’s well written like Shakespeare is well written, but in tone, style, and content it all sounds like the Transformers I grew up with. The voice acting continues to be spot on, which is what you’d expect given how many voice actors from the original series are used in the game. The robot and vehicle models remain sharp and contain interesting details like parts that move and shift when the player stands still. The art direction is consistently good. Personally, I really wish the backgrounds had a bit more color to them, but given that every time I’ve ever seen Cybertron in cartoon form it was grey with glowing bits all over, and that’s how it looks in this game, I can’t complain too much. The game itself still has two play styles: single player campaign and online multiplayer. The single player campaign is divided into chapters which are further divided by checkpoints. The multiplayer has several familiar modes like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and a few others. And as with most good FPS multiplayer games these days, you earn experience as you play that can be used to unlock new weapons and weapon upgrades. The cool addition that FOC brings to this system is that in addition to experience, you also earn money that can be used to buy different body parts or vehicle modes. I’ll cover this in greater depth in my full review. Transforming is still handled incredibly well. It sounds perfect (I would sometimes transform just to hear that sound on command) and looks amazing (one of the characters does a breakdance style windmill move to get into vehicle mode). But most importantly, transforming serves an integral strategic function for game play, especially in multiplayer. The multiplayer levels can be much larger than they would be otherwise, since everyone can turn into a fast mode of transportation. What you are trying to do at any given moment affects what kind of character is most useful. A Scientist in jet form may get you across the map fastest, but it has the weakest firepower once you get there. On the other hand the Titan packs a huge wallop, but takes forever to get anywhere. The interplay between the advantages and disadvantages of robot form and vehicle forms of the four different classes make FOC an incredibly fun, balanced and unique first person shooter.
What has changed
The graphics for FOC have been noticeably improved while simultaneously eliminating the frame rate slow down that occasionally happened in WFC. High Moon has also tweaked the controls, removing the double jump and secondary robot ability while adding a dash/sprint mechanic to the robot form. For a game that so often deals in close quarter combat, the dash/sprint ability is a welcome addition, particularly in multiplayer. Because your shields dissipate so quickly, if someone got the drop on you in WFC, you were pretty much doomed. But in FOC you can dash around the corner to try and get away without taking the time to transform . The four basic types of characters you can choose from have also changed a bit. The new types are the Infiltrator (a cloaking sniper type that transforms into cars and is quick but lightly armored), the Destroyer (armed with rocket launchers, medium armor and transforms into a truck), the Titan (heavy armor, heavy weapons, and slow tank-like vehicle) and the Scientist (lightly armored support class that transforms into a jet/helicopter). Again, I’ll get into much more depth in the full review. Another change is that instead of being able to choose from three different character options at the beginning of every chapter as you did in WFC, you are given no options. While this may seeming limiting, it has the advantage of forcing players to try different ways of taking on challenges. You can’t just choose the same kind of character every time just because you are good with them, but instead you are forced to experience the different play styles the game has to offer.
First impressions
Overall, FOC is an improvement on an already good model. The game is better looking and the controls seem a bit crisper and more refined. From everything I’ve seen so far, this game should please Transformer fans and video game fans alike. And if you happen to be a fan of both, this will probably be another must own title.
I look forward to getting the chance to play the game from start to finish. When I do, check back in for a full game review.
In addition, High Moon Studios and Activision have provided us with in-game screenshots to share with all of you here on Seibertron.com. The first batch of images are general screenshots, and then the next batch of images are from the campaigns on the Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively.
Earlier today, popular game site Kotaku hosted a live Q&A interview session with Matt Tieger, the game director of the highly anticipated Transformers Fall of Cybertron game. The session ran for about an hour starting at 10am PT. Fans quickly bombarded Tieger but he addressed many of the questions presented to him.
MrOpto: How did you first get the Transformers license? Did Hasbro put out offers or did you go them?
Matt Tieger: ATVI already had a relationship with Hasbro, but what they were looking for was someone to make a non-movie based game. They both felt that we would be a great fit and War for Cybertron was born. The success of that game allowed us to make Fall of Cybertron.
bigduo209: I love games that use Sci-fi inspired weaponry/abilities and not just future-looking guns (Ratchet and Clank, Bioshock), how many crazy weapons have you made for Fall of Cybertron?
Matt Tieger: The great thing about this game world is that there are absolutely shotguns and sniper rifles, but also lightning guns, acid guns, and 'tron' disk guns. The guns are divided into Primary and Heavy weapons. Many (but not all) of the more sci-fi guns fall into the heavy weapons category. In SP there is a Teletraan Store where you can buy and upgrade those weapons. In MP the weapons are divided between the classes based on countless play testing hours - so not every class can use every weapon. As to the exact number of them, since you explore and find blueprints to unlock them i don't want to spoil anything, so ill say quite a few more than we ever had in War for Cybertron.
Jason Schreier: How would you convince a non-Transformers fan that he/she should play your game?
snowtires: Play the demo, it's awesome.
Matt Tieger: Good Question, and one that I often think about. The worst compliment we get about War is, "what a great game, too bad nobody knew about it." What i would say is this (in my most passionate game dev voice. "forget Transformers, forget Michael Bay, forget the toys, and consider for a moment a game that allows you access to your vehicle at any moment in time, a game where the core tactical choices are movement based, and now imagine a game where each character is a unique experience with different vehicles or special abilities. This game offers something that no other game can, huge variety and tactical variety. Oh yeah and it happens to be Transformers"
SaburoDaimando: What are some of the lessons you learned on designing Fall of Cybertron compared to War for Cybertron?
Matt Tieger: When we developed WFC we looked for similar games that tackled similar level design issues and frankly, found none. So we blazed a trail and learned alot. With FOC we again did a survey and found WFC to be the only comparable game, so we set out to exceed it in every way. As one example, the driving got a bit stale in WFC, it might seem like a small thing but in FOC we added terrain, so instead of all flat metal surfaces, you now had hills - which innately make driving more fun. We also bowed down to the gods of player choice, and for much of the game you can tackle problems as you see fit - stay in vehicle the whole time, Transform constantly, etc. We had some of that in WFC, but now it is the rule in FOC.
Mike Fahey: WHERE IS OUR BEAST WARS GAME!?!?! ALL CAPS!>!!>!??
Hlokk: Most important question! Notice the all caps!
Matt Tieger: I get asked this alot. Lets see how this game does. We do have Dinobots and Insecticons, so i'd say its in the realm of possibility - someday.
Marquis_Gabriel: When taking on a IP, especially one with tie in's to a movie. What are your expectations?
Matt Tieger: just to make sure - we are not related to the movies in anyway, we are a distinct storyline. We do this by telling their story before they ever reach Earth. With any game you need to find the 'heart' of what makes that game so unique (original or licensed). Strip everything else away and Transformers are about 'transforming' (i know sounds simple, right?). By focusing on that single concept and making everything else supportive to that, we stay true to the license while still making a great game.
KnickKnackMyWack246: How does this universe connect (if at all) to any Transformers stories other than G1? A friend of mine suggested it's a prequel to Transformers Prime while another believes it's a prequel to the Michael Bay films. Can you clarify?
CodeMonkey76: It's a prequel to the G1 television series
Matt Tieger: G1 is our primary touchstone, meaning that we look to G1 for visual ques, abilities, VO quotes, etc. We look to not violate the Movie universe, but aren't beholden to it (and we do in-fact stay in the distant past to help with that). Prime has the most relevance with our game, there are many things introduced in WFC that are not part of the Prime show, like Dark Energon. There are a few elements that have the same 'visual DNA' like the Nemesis for example.
Emmerson: With how the Transformers scaled in the first game, with Scorpinok and Omega Supreme being the biggest we had seen. Then in the second game with having combiners, and then summoning Metroplex, how can you guys top that in terms of Transformers power and scale? How will you handle the issue like Fortress Maximus and Unicron?
Matt Tieger: Quick edit : last game didn't have Scorpinok in it (although that would have been cool) it had Trypticon. Your essential question is, "How do we keep ratcheting up from here?" Honestly, I dunno - you made some good suggestions, what we will do is wait and see what the reaction from this game is before thinking that far ahead.
Brian Erice: Im curious about the campaign design change for FOC. Why did you move away from the two split campaigns that were in WFC?
Matt Tieger: Excellent question. Game Director is often thought of as the best job ever, and some days it is, but often we have to make excruciatingly tough calls - the campaign change was one of those. In WFC, you had 2 separate campaigns that you could play in either order, so we never knew how you were going to play. What this meant for the game that there were functionally 2 first levels, 2 second levels, 2 3rd levels - you get the picture. and when you had played 50% of the game you had really played 100% of the game. We believe that one of the primary reasons for the major criticism of the game, "The gameplay got repetitive", was in-fact because it DID get repetitive based on the campaign structure. So we made a single interwoven campaign where we could pace it well.
Mungry: Hey Matt, huge fan and I love everything about the game we have seen so far! My questions is about multiplayer. I am wondering if their will be killstreak rewards in the game and if we can expect new multiplayer game modes as the game progresses through its life? Thx - SoooMungry
Matt Tieger: SoooMungry - I'm actually a fan of yours. At the studio we watch your Youtube channel and read the comments - thank you for your excitement for the game. Regarding Killstreaks, we had them in for a while during our dev of the game, we took them out for balance reasons. Let me explain, every game has a very unique MP pace and with all the changes from WFC, what we were seeing was runaway gamers, specifically due to killstreaks. By removing them, they game was more competitive. Along a similar vein we removed double jump, many gamers initial reaction were negative until the played it for a bit and realized that the streamlined approach actually made it better. remember this isn't WFC2 this is FOC.
DinoDinoBot: What made you guys change your mind about releasing it on PC after you said you wouldn't? And what do you think is the best addition or special feature in this version?
Thanks for the Q&A.
Matt Tieger: coming off of WFC we needed to laser our focus on FOC. Reducing the number of platforms that we ship on was one way to do that - and it was the right call for the dev team. The fan outcry wasn't lost on us, however and once we saw how much PC gamers wanted it we started looking for solutions. The short version is that, a PC version exists because of the fans.
czen2: Is there any plans to include other combiners like the aerial bots ,protectobots, or even transformers like ultra magnus ,hot rod,cup, etc.
Matt Tieger: Yes and no. The curse of Transformers is that there are so many of them. Last time I spoke with Hasbro i asked them how many there are, their response was in excess of 11,000! We simply cant put that many into the game. What we do have is customization in MP. There are millions of combinations and enough color choices that you can make, and name, a garage full of Transformers.
Emmerson: As my favorite Transformer(s) ever, I have to ask, Where is Devastator? Any chance on seeing him in the new game?
Matt Tieger: Devastator isn't in this game. however, who knows where we go from here
Leebee: how did you guys approach designing multiplayer this time around? what features did you guys want to add to make it fresh from the last game? how often did you guys release new builds to tweak overpowered/underpowered stuff? will keeping the MP suite fresh and balanced be a priority for you guys after release?
I'm a huge fan of asymmetrical competitive multiplayer design, and I love giant robots. you could say that I'm a huge fan of your games. :3
cheers, and thank you.
Matt Tieger: We host 5pm MP matches for the team, EVERY night through the ENTIRE project. Now not everyone can play every night and sometimes the build breaks, but more often than not the team is playing. What that means is that it gets tweaked every day, we try all sorts of stuff, game modes, who has what gun, footspeed adjustments, everything. the 'secret sauce' is countless hours by a dedicated team.
James De Moss: Will we see humans in the franchise? I know WfC and FoC take place waaaaaaay before humans were in the picture, but will the franchise ever go that far into the future?
Matt Tieger: Certainly not is this game, but we will have to see.
Aidil42: During development, with all ideas flying around, do you sometimes wish you're not tied up to an already established franchise?
Matt Tieger: In this case, i'd say no. The harder decisions are what not to put in.
FullmetalPrime: Are there any characters, save the Dinobots of course, that you'd like to have included into this months Fall of Cybertron?
Matt Tieger: Triple changers. I always thought that concept was a cool one. We just didn't have the bandwith to do it right, that I am not sure how much fun Astrotrain's train mode would be.
CFNexus: Any chance there could be a Transformers MMO in the future? Ive been thinking about 1 for years. I have already thought of character creation, mechanics and plenty of other things. I think and MMO has some very interesting things going for it.
Callum F, Northern Ireland.
Matt Tieger: It is definitely a big enough universe, but at HMS we aren't geared for MMOs.
mandrate: Is Co-op has been taken out for a more immersive single player storyline?
Matt Tieger: I mentioned earlier about tough decisions - this was the other big one. We do however recognize that Co-op is part of fan expectations, so we really put a lot of focus on Escalation. It is crazy addictive 4 player online Co-op, trust me you will like it.
Zurick: Will there be a 3rd game in the series?
Matt Tieger: Maybe. Lets see what the fans are saying about this one first.
dinowho: Why you no give autobots combiners? AerialBots! Thanks for revitalizing the Transformers to the glory they deserve
Matt Tieger: Deceptions get Bruticus, Autobots get Dinobots - sounds pretty fair to me!
Glenn Beck: Pre-order G1 DLC has been shown played to "The Touch." Make us all happy and tell us you have some Stan Bush somewhere in the game.
Matt Tieger: you will be happy.
Trax0r: How come it took 25 years for a designer to finally make a great Transformers game (WFC)? It seems like its the perfect premise and platform for a good story/fighting/shooter, and yet until, WFC, the ones that did come out were total shit.
Matt Tieger: Transformation is a tough concept to wrap you brain around. It sounds simple enough, but when you start to really knuckle down with the geometry and the mechanics it is a unique problem with no real parallels. We took this as an opportunity to do something different, I am glad you feel that we succeeded.
opieman2010: From what I can understand, War and this game are considered the "revised" official canon for the Transformers, as well as the Prime cartoon. How involved was Hasbro, outside of just overseeing the story? Were any other writers brought in to work on this that have also contributed to the Transformers story?
Matt Tieger: Hasbro was very involved, but the story starts and ends here are HMS. We have some very talented writers, a studio full of G1 fans, and a design staff that is passionate about bringing the story out in the world.
Cabbagetroll: Any hints to what else you guys are working on? Maybe a little bit of news about Deadpool?
Matt Tieger: No can do.
frizzlestick: The first level of the demo had you playing as Bumblebee, but for some reason his voicebox was smashed. I really enjoyed Johnny Yong Bosch as Bumblebee in the first game, so will he still have a voice or is this a reflection of the Bay-era where he never speaks?
Also, Dinobots are awesome, but they did get messed up by Devastator in the 80's film.
Matt Tieger: BB does not have a voice in FOC. This is one element that is in fact a reflection of the Bay movies. Per a comic that was a 'movie prequel' he has his voice box crushed by Megatron, in the game there is a VO that allude to that fact.
Chris Zombiechild: Are there any other cartoon series from the same era that you would like to make a game for?
Matt Tieger: Thundercats, Dinoriders, He-Man. Not sure that anybody other than me would want to play them, but they could be awesome. Also Big Trouble in Little China would make an amazing video game.
djs2879: How soon do you expect the Dinobot DLC to come out after launch?
Matt Tieger: not soon enough by most peoples standards, but it will happen.
Anubis_Arcane: Will we be able to use our custom built transformers for escalation mode? A few of my friends and I were wondering if that might be a possibility down the road.
Matt Tieger: in Escalation you play as the named characters, we chose this for 2 reasons. 1 so that you could use the official iconic characters with your friends and 2 because that mode requires an extreme level of balance within the team, we needed to set the rules.
montymonster50: I love the WFC multiplayer, but I thought it died out (relatively) quickly. Are there any plans to expand the multiplayer to keep players involved for a longer period of time?
Matt Tieger: Tell your friends about it. Seriously, we are very hopeful that the community can reach a much larger self-sustaining size this time around. ATVI has gotten behind the product in a big way, so if you love it help us get the message out there.
Seibertron.com: Are there any Easter Eggs in the game that die-hard Transformers fans can look forward to? (other than Stan Bush's "The Touch")
Matt Tieger: tons of them, keep your eyes open
TheBigTsk: Will the MP skills that were so popular in the first game be back? Right now there doesn't seem to be much info and the info that is out there looks bleak.
Matt Tieger: This game stands on the shoulders of WFC, but it isn't WFC2. Things are slightly different, and in our opinion significantly better. What I suggest you do is try the demo, you initial reaction might be that you miss something specific, but i'd bet that after a few matches you will realize the clarity of the MP experience and see how much better this game is. WFC had really good MP, FOC has great MP.
mannoroth0913: My question has to be: Is Grimlock as amazing in game as the trailers make him out to be, because there's no way I can miss a chance to play as the King
Matt Tieger: Yep. Not only is the gameplay fun, it is very unique compared to every other playable character and the story is exceptional - you get to see how they are created in a brand new official cannon story.
Atomic3xplosion3564: Is it possible for you guys to make a movie?
Matt Tieger: LOL. I hear that alot. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Liquid-X: Will we get some version of Starscream in a cape and crown?
Matt Tieger: smells like an easter egg to me.
opieman2010: What does an Easter egg smell like? Probably a lot like a regular, hard boiled egg.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron was at Botcon in Dallas during the last weekend of April 2012. Activision has provided Seibertron.com with a behind-the-scenes trailer available for your readers. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron will hit retail stores here in the U.S. on August 21st. For more information and updates, fans can visit http://www.facebook.com/TransformersGame and http://www.TransformersGame.com. Make sure you stay tuned to Seibertron.com for all of the latest Transformers Fall of Cybertron news.
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