Friday, January 23, 2015

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Working As Intended: The MMOs we lost in 2014

Posted: 23 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST

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Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote about how Vanguard's early stumbles foreshadowed the changing MMORPG industry. In January 2007, when Vanguard lurched its way to launch, the genre was barely a decade old; it was booming, and it had never suffered hardship on a massive scale. In the west, we'd seen only three "major" MMOs sunset (Motor City Online, Earth and Beyond, and Asheron's Call 2), and only one MMO, Anarchy Online, had "gone F2P," though we hadn't yet thought to call it yet because it was such a rare and new thing. In fact, it wasn't until 2008's first big wave of AAA, post-World of Warcraft MMOs launched and mostly flopped that MMORPG players gave much thought to the future of the genre and how WoW had reshaped (and possibly broken) it. Maybe not even then.

Here in 2015, sunsets are commonplace, and the vast majority of modern MMOs have adopted some sort of subscriptionless model. Last year, we lost more than a dozen MMOs, including Vanguard itself, all of them wiped from the face of the earth (at least until someone decides to resurrect them), and several more under development were canceled, leading to concern among industry watchers like those of us who pen for Massively. Let's try to get some perspective and revisit the MMOs we lost in 2014.

Continue reading Working As Intended: The MMOs we lost in 2014

MassivelyWorking As Intended: The MMOs we lost in 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    WoW's new Blood Elves arrive in update 6.1

    Posted: 23 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST

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    WoW
    Our sister site WoW Insider reports this morning that World of Warcraft's Blood Elves, left off the roster of races that received model revamps with the Warlords of Draenor expansion last November, will finally meet their new faces. Actually, it's just the bodies: The male faces aren't entirely done yet and currently share the same facial geometry.

    "While we're excited to share with you our progress on these new models, I do want to stress that the models, textures, and animations are not entirely finished. Bug fixing and iteration can and will occur, and that's where you come in!" writes Blizzard QA on the US and EU forums, soliciting costructive feedback.

    MMO Champion has full-size, head-to-toe bikini shots of both the female and male models because of course it does.

    Also arriving in update 6.1 are class tweaks, new heirloom gear, garrison expansions, follower mission fixes, and the chance to buy (with gold) those followers you missed while questing. The first iteration of the update landed on the PTR in early January; the patch's launch date on production servers has not been announced.

    MassivelyWoW's new Blood Elves arrive in update 6.1 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    RIFT's 3.1 Storm at Sea arrives next week -- with capes

    Posted: 23 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST

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    There's a preview of RIFT's new Tyrant's Throne content on the game's official website. On January 28th, Trion says, players will see some "titanic zone events" as well as a new 20-player raid, a 2-player chronicle, and more.
    The journey into RIFT 3.1 Storm at Sea is nearly at hand. On January 28, players will make landfall at the harbor of Tyrant's Throne - just in time for titanic zone events that bring ancient akvan lumbering out of the abyss! Ascended will have one week to wipe them from the island before the opening of Tyrant's Forge, a new 20-player raid pitting the strongest Guardians and Defiant against the Dragon Queen of Air.
    The most important bit, of course, is capes. Yes, capes. "New capes debut for all," says the studio.

    MassivelyRIFT's 3.1 Storm at Sea arrives next week -- with capes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    New ArcheAge producer promises communication, game improvements

    Posted: 23 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST

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    No word yet on whether or not there will be a chicken in every pot, although it seems likely.
    There's someone new at the head of ArcheAge, producer Marv Lee Kwai. Kwai posted a lengthy letter to the players on the forums recently outlining the major standing issues that the team still sees in the game along with several of the changes and additions set for the game over the next year. He stresses that the developers are well aware of unusual market fluctuations, sieges being too costly and difficult, and the balance of top-end rewards; moving forward, the team means to see them all tweaked and improved.

    The letter goes on to mention that the team is planning to add a global trade channel to reduce faction chat spam. Also en route is The Diamond Shores, a new area in southern Auroria that accompanies a bump in the level cap to level 55. It's a little past the start of the new year, but Kwai's tone is hopeful that the game can rise above its somewhat buggy and controversial launch.

    MassivelyNew ArcheAge producer promises communication, game improvements originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Daily Grind: What's the most exciting bit of MMO news you've heard lately?

    Posted: 23 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST

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    Wednesday's blurb about Star Citizen's release schedule caught me a bit off guard. I guess I lost track of time because the thought of getting to see the game's persistent universe this year took me aback. It makes sense, though, since Star Citizen boasts a big dev team and an even bigger developmental warchest, and they've been going at it in some form or fashion since 2012!

    So that's a bit of exciting and unexpected MMO news for 2015, at least in my book. What about you, Massively readers? What MMO news has tickled your fancy of late?

    Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

    MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What's the most exciting bit of MMO news you've heard lately? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Red 5 tweaking Firefall's reputation system

      Posted: 22 Jan 2015 06:00 PM PST

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      Firefall's latest news blurb concerns reputation. It's not all about grind and 20 different currencies that will clog up your inventory, though. In fact, Red 5 says that the work-in-progress rep system will ultimately feature reputation points that function like experience. Which, OK, is still about grind. But yay for inventory space!

      The devs are also enthused about the future of the rep system, which they say will make use of Firefall's NPC corporations that "aren't much more than flavor" in the current build. You can read all about rep at the official Firefall website.

      MassivelyRed 5 tweaking Firefall's reputation system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Think Tank: Analyzing Elder Scrolls Online's B2P model

      Posted: 22 Jan 2015 05:00 PM PST

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      Yesterday's reveal that The Elder Scrolls Online will go buy-to-play in March has prompted much speculation about the nature of the cash shop, the ethics of the switchover, the continued viability of the game, and the quality, cost, and frequency of the promised DLC. In today's Think Tank, the Massively staff will discuss the decision. Is B2P the right call for ESO? Was the exceedingly long delay of the console launch a huge mistake? What do we expect from the DLC? And is "Tamriel Unlimited" in fact the worst rebrand ever?

      Continue reading The Think Tank: Analyzing Elder Scrolls Online's B2P model

      MassivelyThe Think Tank: Analyzing Elder Scrolls Online's B2P model originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Heroes in the Sky brings out another WWII arcade battler

        Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:30 PM PST

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        World War II fighter games, both in simulator and arcade format, have been on the scene since approximately 1946. Well look out below, because here comes another one: Heroes in the Sky.

        Heroes in the Sky looks to provide a streamlined combat experience, as players will jump into PvE and PvP aerial battles with a mouse-and-keyboard setup. Dogfights can happen in the various WWII theaters, including Europe and the Pacific. It's been around for several years now but is only now making itself available worldwide.

        If you're curious about giving it a try, you won't have to wait long: Heroes in the Sky will launch globally on February 5th with various in-game events. We've got a trailer for you after the break.

        Continue reading Heroes in the Sky brings out another WWII arcade battler

        MassivelyHeroes in the Sky brings out another WWII arcade battler originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Elite's February patch to feature 'community goals'

        Posted: 22 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST

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        Elite: Dangerous is readying something called "Community Goals" for its 1.1 patch. Executive producer Michael Brookes told PCGamer that community goals are a "new type of story-driven collaborative content."

        The first such goal will involve supply and bounties, with "massive player migrations [that] will have a knock-on effect on galaxy-wide economy and power structures."

        February's 1.1 update will also feature a new gas giant shader and city lights on planetary dark sides, Brookes says.

        MassivelyElite's February patch to feature 'community goals' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Echo of Soul unveils new NA website

        Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:45 PM PST

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        Echo of Soul is quickly becoming known around these parts as a title that is talking big talk prior to its North American debut, and now the Korean fantasy game has a new website to match these boasts.

        The US version of the website has now gone live, with information, art, community hub, and the vitally important beta sign-up button. It also has a short section on the game's mobile app that will feature access to chat and trading. Echo of Soul's North American beta test is planned for sometime this spring.

        [Source: Aeria Games press release]

        MassivelyEcho of Soul unveils new NA website originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Take a tour of DCUO's Amazon Fury raid with the devs

          Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:30 PM PST

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          Coming soon to DC Universe Online is the Amazon Fury Part II DLC, because Amazons are not known to be timid, quiet souls. All about the fury, they are. Anyway, part of this upcoming patch is the new Halls of Hades raid, and the devs are inviting you to go along with them on a tour of this intimidating experience.

          We've got a 43-minute video of the Halls of Hades with devs and test center players after the break if you want to get a good feel for what's going to be faceplanting your heroes in the near future.

          Continue reading Take a tour of DCUO's Amazon Fury raid with the devs

          MassivelyTake a tour of DCUO's Amazon Fury raid with the devs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Pre-orders for Marvel Heroes' Winter Soldier are now open

          Posted: 22 Jan 2015 03:00 PM PST

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          On the one hand, the Winter Soldier is cool. On the other hand, now we are legit wondering when Uncle Ben gets his angsty cyborg reboot.
          After years of being mostly notable for being supposedly dead, Bucky Barnes turns out to have actually been kept alive as an elite assassin known as the Winter Soldier. You know, as comics do. The important things to note about the character for our purposes are the fact that he's coming to Marvel Heroes and you can pre-order him right now. You can also hear David Hayter voicing him as a closely related cousin of Solid Snake in the video past the cut, but that probably shouldn't influence your purchase.

          The hero pack is at a 10% discount before the character is released and includes the character himself, two costumes for Bucky (comic and MCU incarnations), an extra hero-specific inventory, six Fortune cards, and a retcon token. With the discount, it's just a hair over $16; if that sounds like a bargain for playing a mildly psychotic unfrozen Hydra assassin, you can pick it up now.

          Continue reading Pre-orders for Marvel Heroes' Winter Soldier are now open

          MassivelyPre-orders for Marvel Heroes' Winter Soldier are now open originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          SWTOR Q&A mentions 12x, soloable flashpoints

          Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:30 PM PST

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          Werit has posted a Q&A with Star Wars: The Old Republic's community team. It touches on the well-received 12x experience boost, which BioWare says it will be discussing "later this year." There's also a bit about making older flashpoints soloable and while BioWare says it doesn't want to make all group content accessible to single players, it does have "some major story moments that [it] would like every player to see."

          MassivelySWTOR Q&A mentions 12x, soloable flashpoints originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          APB: Reloaded coming to PS4 and Xbox One in Q2 2015

          Posted: 22 Jan 2015 02:00 PM PST

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          Last fall we heard that APB: Reloaded was reportedly working on bringing the crime spree MMO to consoles but was struggling with the companies to make that happen. Fortunately, it seems as though all of the details have been paved out, as APB is gearing up for its console debut in the latter part of the second quarter of this year.

          APB: Reloaded will be coming to both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as a free-to-play title, although it will require Xbox owners to be part of the Xbox Live Gold service. The console adaptation is being handled by a joint effort between Reloaded Games, Deep Silver, and The Workshop.

          The Workshop CEO Peter Akemann says that the title will shine on the new hardware: "Because APB is such a technically complex game, featuring thousands of destructible objects and heavily customized players and vehicles in every scene, we are thrilled to help make APB a reality on these brand new high performance hardware platforms."

          To date, APB has had five million PC downloads since 2011.

          [Source: Reloaded Games press release]

          MassivelyAPB: Reloaded coming to PS4 and Xbox One in Q2 2015 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Pathfinder details corpse looting and more

            Posted: 22 Jan 2015 01:45 PM PST

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            GoblinWorks CEO Ryan Dancey has published a new blog post touching on today's Pathfinder early enrollment release.

            Version two of the fantasy sandbox adds player husks, which is another way of saying lootable corpses. "The extent of your losses will be related to how quickly you are able to return to the site of your husk and if you are able to recover the inventory that remains on the husk before others are able to take all of its contents or its timer expires," Dancey writes.

            There's a bit more to the update, but you'll need to click through to the GoblinWorks website to read it!

            MassivelyPathfinder details corpse looting and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            RuneScape opens RuneLabs for player suggestions

            Posted: 22 Jan 2015 01:30 PM PST

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            If you have a terrific idea that you'd like to get implemented into an MMO, then RuneScape's your best bet these days. The ever-creative MMO recently launched RuneLabs as a formal structured suggestion process that will take the best player ideas and make them an in-game feature.

            RuneLabs works like this: Players will make a pitch to that month's studio-assigned criteria. If it gets enough community support, it will be reviewed by Jagex and (barring a studio veto) voted on by fellow players. The winner of the poll will go from concept to reality.

            You can watch an amusing video explaining RuneLabs after the break!

            Continue reading RuneScape opens RuneLabs for player suggestions

            MassivelyRuneScape opens RuneLabs for player suggestions originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Skyforge unveils the Gunner

            Posted: 22 Jan 2015 01:00 PM PST

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            Mmm, what you say, ooh, that you only meant well, well of course you did
            The Beatles once opined that happiness is a warm gun. Skyforge's Gunner class has a warm gun that also transforms into different modes and allows the class to call down orbital strikes, so one can only conclude that it is a very happy class indeed. Its opponents are somewhat less so. You can see the class in action in the video just past the break, or you can read through the reveal page to get a better idea of how this multi-mode class will play.

            The cannon has three main modes as well as a variety of sub-firing options, allowing gunners to mow down targets at long range with missile barrages or take out hardened targets with bursts of plasma. Since it's meant to stay at range, the class also sports a variety of defensive tricks like teleporting back and forth. It's exactly the sort of class for you if you like having a big gun, even more so if you want that big gun to shoot all sorts of different stuff.

            Continue reading Skyforge unveils the Gunner

            MassivelySkyforge unveils the Gunner originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            DDO trumpets the start of its Winter Games

            Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:30 PM PST

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            Just because we're in the heart of winter in the northern hemisphere doesn't mean that we can't enjoy snow-themed festivities! That's the attitude of Dungeons and Dragons Online, which has started a slew of activities under its Winter Games umbrella.

            For starters, there's the Midwinter Festival in the Forgotten Realms which includes speed skating, snowflake collecting, and vole smashing. Meanwhile in Eberron, the ever-popular Risia Ice Games are back with more ice sliding action. Then there's an ice skating rink in the harbor, an ice jump off a cliff, and a frozen half-pipe in the Bogwater Tavern. Participation in all of these activities will not only result in embarassing fun, but rewards from the various tokens won.

            MassivelyDDO trumpets the start of its Winter Games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Here's a 23-minute Elder Scrolls Online 'supercut' CG trailer

            Posted: 22 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST

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            ZeniMax has released a 23-minute "supercut" of its Elder Scrolls Online trailer series. The firm says that the CG production was "over a year in the making," and the final bit -- dubbed The Confrontation -- brings the battle for Imperial City to an end and reveals "a new and horrific threat to Tamriel."

            Click past the cut to have a look.

            Continue reading Here's a 23-minute Elder Scrolls Online 'supercut' CG trailer

            MassivelyHere's a 23-minute Elder Scrolls Online 'supercut' CG trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            World of Warcraft player hits 100th level 100

            Posted: 22 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST

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            And then comes the realization.
            Do you like playing World of Warcraft? Would you like to play a thousand levels of World of Warcraft? Because the player known as Watola did just that. Watola has 100 characters at level 100, a project that started during the exceptionally long twilight of Mists of Pandaria. With 20 characters already at the level cap back then, another 80 apparently seemed like a doable project, which started a cycle of very efficient leveling and copious use of recruit-a-friend tricks.

            The method outlined on the the forums involves essentially rotating through full rest state on various characters and having a set plan of attack, along with using tank characters via recruit-a-friend to ensure that queues for dungeons are more straightforward. If you'd like to do the same, it's still perfectly functional now, although you'll have to do so knowing full well that you can never have a world-first level 1,000. (That seems a fair nod for the achievement.)

            MassivelyWorld of Warcraft player hits 100th level 100 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Stream Team: Peeking into H1Z1's PvE server

            Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST

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            When the servers were finally sorted last weekend, Massively's MJ was able to bring you a first look at H1Z1's early access on one of the many PvP servers. But folks have been asking to see the world on the PvE server, so she's diving back into the sandbox and facing death at the hands of zombies, bears, wolves, and any really peeved deer. Oh, and let's not forget starvation! Will MJ find friends as she did in the first part of her PvP journey, or will folks be more like those near the end? Join us live at 1:00 p.m. to see.

            Game: H1Z1
            Host: MJ Guthrie
            Date: Thursday, January 22nd, 2015
            Time: 1:00 p.m. EST

            Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

            Continue reading The Stream Team: Peeking into H1Z1's PvE server

            MassivelyThe Stream Team: Peeking into H1Z1's PvE server originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              WildStar explores the design of Veteran Shiphand missions

              Posted: 22 Jan 2015 09:30 AM PST

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              Better late than never, although better earlier than now.
              Veteran Shiphand missions are coming to WildStar, and that's great, but their design also posed a lot of unique challenges to the design team. Those challenges are outlined in the game's most recent development diary, starting with a core set of assumptions that had to be true for these missions: They had to remain scalable, they had to still be soloable, and they had to offer appropriate rewards. This meant making challenging combat that could scale up or down for party sizes and didn't require tanks, healers, or pre-made groups.

              To settle nicely into the gap between other solo content and Veteran Adventures, the Shiphand missions reward Renown even for solo play, as well as various appropriate bells and whistles for higher medal performance. Renown vendors will soon sell variety of gear as well as social items to ensure that playing through feels rewarding. Veteran difficulty will also offer remixed elements of the missions to give players a taste of something novel even if they've been through the base mission before. If you've been looking for more scaling content in the game, this one's for you.

              MassivelyWildStar explores the design of Veteran Shiphand missions originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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