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Pokémon Scarlet & Violet - PLEASE TAG SPOILERS/LEAKS


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Ironically, Arceus' battle system didn't have a competitive format at all. I wonder how if they'll try to implement that in some way or form.

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3 minutes ago, Kuzu said:

Ironically, Arceus' battle system didn't have a competitive format at all. I wonder how if they'll try to implement that in some way or form.

Exactly. The game is entirely single player focused. You can trade, but that's it. There's massive a disconnect between competitive and single player Pokémon and trying to run both on the same system leads up single player being a very shallow experience. I wish that they could just focus on the single player experience, and run the competitive system separately. They don't need to be intertwined. 

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14 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

Exactly. The game is entirely single player focused. You can trade, but that's it. There's massive a disconnect between competitive and single player Pokémon and trying to run both on the same system leads up single player being a very shallow experience. I wish that they could just focus on the single player experience, and run the competitive system separately. They don't need to be intertwined. 

I don't see that happening unless a massive overhaul of the system occurred. Arceus' system isn't that big of a departure and even that was still too much for some people I've spoken to.

The battle system is perfect for casual players, and most people who play Pokemon like it for the simplicity of its system, while the competitors are the ones who really get into the nitty gritty of the system.

 

Trying to reconcile those two sides has been a huge point of contention ever since competitive became more prominent.

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I'm not advocating for anything remotely complex. Just some way of incorporating strategy and a touch of difficulty into the single player game. Give me something to do in the game except hit opponents with my strongest attacks. 

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I feel the games have been getting a bit more difficult as of late. Not excessively so, but still enough for it to be noticeable.

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Difficulty wise or mechanics wise?

Because things like the Totem Battles, Ultra Necrozma and some battles in the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra were definitely pushing difficulty a bit.

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7 hours ago, Kuzu said:

Difficulty wise or mechanics wise?

Because things like the Totem Battles, Ultra Necrozma and some battles in the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra were definitely pushing difficulty a bit.

So I've only done a single playthrough of Sun (and the first island and a half of Ultra Moon) because Gen 7 is one hell of a boring slog. And I didn't bother with the SwSh DLC because SwSh was already so naff. But as far as my experiences have gone, the games are mindless. Pokémon was never difficult and shouldn't ever be. But I want to do something other than walk from cutscene to cutscene and mash A a dozen times to win battles. Just give me some way to engage in the mechanics of the game, without needing to resort to self-imposed challenges like Nuzlockes. That's half the reason I enjoyed PLA so much; whether I was catching Pokémon, battling wild Pokémon or engaging in trainer battles (of which there are admittedly too few), I had to be engaged. 

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I think I've never seen a trailer from a major triple A franchise as bad as this one. The graphics are way worse than Pokémon Sword and Shield (that was already awful).

Look at these textures.

Captura de tela de 2022-03-01 00-22-04.png

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I'm most interested to see how they'll deal with the NPC / Pokemon pop in / draw distance. I think they managed... about 6 on screen (at most) in previous titles? 

I actually don't think this looks too bad personally - and I'm currently playing through Sword & Shield. On the basis that this is open world this is gunna take a hit somewhat... but really I do think it looks better than those titles... and Arceus especially. In the grand scheme of things it's still terrible though - only saved by the charming nature of "it's a Pokemon game".

It's actually funny GameFreak are finally delivering the open world game I've been dreaming about since the early-mid 00's... I just didn't expect the visuals to also come from that era. 

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I hope we get access to a clothing store soon, because those school outfits are NOT the look lol. Even for just basic starting outfits, they're kinda...boring. Hoping for a cool jacket or something, tbh. It'd be cool if we could give our pokemon a little accessory or something to wear too like w/ the partner Pikachu & Eevee from let's go.

 

 

I want to give my Sprigatito a scarf or something.

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5 hours ago, TheNerdyKMT said:

I hope we get access to a clothing store soon, because those school outfits are NOT the look lol. Even for just basic starting outfits, they're kinda...boring. Hoping for a cool jacket or something, tbh. It'd be cool if we could give our pokemon a little accessory or something to wear too like w/ the partner Pikachu & Eevee from let's go.

I want to give my Sprigatito a scarf or something.

I tend to just keep my character in their default outfit for the most part, because I like the way that they look and it's the most "correct" appearance. The clothing items you can buy tend to be a lot more generic and don't look like such designed characters. Although that said, USUM and SwSh has really dull designs regardless. SV are definitely forcing my hand with these boring and ugly school uniforms. They've definitely gone for pretty plain avatar looks this time around. I hope that there's a more traditional "Pokémon trainer outfit" with a cap and jacket.

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I do wonder if, in retrospect, there's a tension between the amount of visual personality with which previous player characters were invested, and the fact that you could quickly customise it all away.  Arguably having protagonists who are a bit more of a blank slate works better in the age of character customisation - but there's no denying that they're jarringly plain on first looks.  And of course some people did prefer the uncustomised characters - that makes total sense to me, they're usually better than a lot of the customisation options anyway!  I just personally have a hard time not engaging with character customisation when they plonk it right down in front of me.

I'm not sure if I have a conclusion to these musings except perhaps that this idea of them "forcing your hand" is deliberate and intentional; if there's even more of a customisation element this time.

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On 3/11/2022 at 2:25 PM, Salamander said:

I do wonder if, in retrospect, there's a tension between the amount of visual personality with which previous player characters were invested, and the fact that you could quickly customise it all away.  Arguably having protagonists who are a bit more of a blank slate works better in the age of character customisation - but there's no denying that they're jarringly plain on first looks.  And of course some people did prefer the uncustomised characters - that makes total sense to me, they're usually better than a lot of the customisation options anyway!  I just personally have a hard time not engaging with character customisation when they plonk it right down in front of me.

I'm not sure if I have a conclusion to these musings except perhaps that this idea of them "forcing your hand" is deliberate and intentional; if there's even more of a customisation element this time.

I'm the kind of boring sod that wants everything to be the way that it's officially supposed to be. I even kind of struggle with the skin tone options. It sure would be novel if the characters shown in the art weren't white as a sheet of paper for a change. Why not let darker skin characters be the default, and have the white characters be the lazy palette swaps? Crazy. 

I doubt that they're intentionally designed to make players want to customise them. The majority of people customise their characters anyway I'm sure. The characters for SV are almost certainly dressed up in school uniforms suitable for a warm Mediterranean climate. It's probably related to the premise of these games, with the characters being enrolled in a school. We had a similar set up in PLA with the characters being part of the Galaxy Expedition and wearing that uniform. 

The only thing I feel somewhat confident in saying though is that neither of the player characters gets are going to end up being main characters in the anime. And Ash's outfit definitely won't be based upon them either. Granted that the anime hasn't really had either of these things for a while now, I think it's clear that they won't be starting it again anytime soon. 

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In this day and age where franchises like Mario, Zelda and yes, even Sonic are giving player the option to customize and express their own personality with customization, Pokemon definitely felt out of place by not having that function. Especially when when first added the feature back in 2013 with X/Y, only to remove it for ORAS. 

They basically opened Pandora's Box when that feature was added and they couldn't go back after that, so they didn't really have a choice but to make it a mainstay or risk even further backlash. Especially when I remember customization being a feature that some fans were asking for years.  

So I feel like there's less incentive to give much visual identity to the player characters nowadays because most players are just gonna create their own custom avatars to begin with. So why put effort into something most people aren't going to appreciate. 

Think this had a domino effect because said player characters aren't as heavily featured in the Anime as a result; Serena was the last playable character to be featured in the Anime as the ones after that are other game characters; the SM and SwSH playable characters are basically non-existent and I don't that changing for SV. 

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The only game where I didn't change my character's outfit too much was Legends: Arceus.

The Survey Corp Outfit just feels and looks better than the games' other clothing options (plus the Diamond/Pearl Clan Outfits don't let you wear the hood).

I didn't like the straw sandals though so I switched it for the thin toe boots.

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Customisation is pretty nice IMO as it allows me to become the souless Avatar of my own design at least. That being said, yes - I do sort of miss the standard pre-character selects as well. I have not returned to the mainline Pokemon games since OG Ruby/Sapphire and I found this really surprising upon playing Sw/Sh for the first time.  

It has at least forced the anime to be a little more creative in this sense too (and not just with original character inclusions, but in overall animation quality). 
 

On 2/28/2022 at 10:33 PM, Blue Blood said:

So I've only done a single playthrough of Sun (and the first island and a half of Ultra Moon) because Gen 7 is one hell of a boring slog. And I didn't bother with the SwSh DLC because SwSh was already so naff. But as far as my experiences have gone, the games are mindless. Pokémon was never difficult and shouldn't ever be. But I want to do something other than walk from cutscene to cutscene and mash A a dozen times to win battles. Just give me some way to engage in the mechanics of the game, without needing to resort to self-imposed challenges like Nuzlockes. That's half the reason I enjoyed PLA so much; whether I was catching Pokémon, battling wild Pokémon or engaging in trainer battles (of which there are admittedly too few), I had to be engaged. 

I'm personally finding the DLC areas are by and far superior to the main game - if anything I'd say it makes it feel like a complete package with its larger areas and individual challenges and tougher campaigns. Gamefreak were wise to at least do DLC and build on the world rather than succumb to making a third iteration as per their usual MO.

The seamless open world 3D areas of the Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, which had actual proper areas like lakes/marshes/forests/winter tundras/beaches/caves/towns etc...) are what I expected Sw/Sh to be all the way through the game, but here they are just so much more interesting to explore. It shows off Gamefreak's understanding of 3D world design a little more than what they did with the Wild Area. Obviously it isn't anything outstanding (just look at PLA) ...but it is better, which obviously lead to the direction PLA took, and where SV's horizons lie. 


Admittedly, I have had Pokemon Shield for a couple of years and it's only recently that I returned to complete it. The games main campaign is incredibly basic with the most linear routes I've ever crossed. Each time I expected a maze like dungeon to the next area, the game went "nope". Even the final area at Rose tower and the section of the underground Power Plant before facing off against Enternatus had me going "...really it's just boss, then boss, then boss, then boss?" ...there was never any build up to anything or any interesting levels to explore. 

I will say though that despite this disappointment, (and all the one hit KO Gym Leaders)... Leon at least presented a challenge for my Level 70 'Mons in the final - but it shouldn't have been just that one instance.

However, the rest of the game for all it's faults I do adore - part of this that Galar is based on the UK region where I hail from, part of me also felt that the the football stadium idea for the Gym battles was an inspired location to make these duels feel epic, and the final part is me playing the game with my 5 year old as she's proper fallen for this series now.

It's kind of opened up my mind playing this game through her eyes rather than mine (and also don't forget I don't have Pokemon Fatigue / burnout having not played past entries since OG Ruby). So whilst the wild area is a bland old mess, levelling up is piss easy, and newer Pokemon & Dynamaxing is uninspired - to her it's this brand new incredible world of critters to catch. It made me realise that ultimately she is part of the Target Audience they are going after and not the current OG Pokeplayers, which is obvious... but also something that's easy to overlook when they approach each new entry - maybe this is why games like Pokemon Lets Go and PLA exist to some extent? Who is this game going to appeal too? Who will be buying this? And most importantly... is it for OG pokeplayers or for their kids? Or maybe both? I often think this when purchasing a new game in the series now. Am I buying this for my daughter - or myself? Or for both of us? 😂

Thanks to her I've now spent a good long stretch of time in Sw/Sh going to Dens, and cycling around the stupid wild area just for the thrill of finding and catching different Pokemon's at various times of day, or discovering when each Eevee form will turn up (how many now?!!!), ah, and provoking and pissing off a Bewear enough to entice it to chase us like it does Team Rocket in the Sun/Moon Anime... so it's a damn good time in it's own charming way - despite the unfortunate scaling on the difficulty and the lacklustre graphics. 

Once I have finished this, I plan to start a run on Pokemon Platinum before getting Legends Arceus. And recently I purchased Ultra Moon so my 3DS can get in on some Pokemon action too at some point... hopefully that one will be Aloha fun. 


 

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry to chime in like a month after everyone talked about the player character designs

I hope at the very least the especially plain default designs this time around pushes both official media and even fan artists to draw their own takes with alternate outfits you get throughout the game. I know this probably sounds like a crazy specific thing to complain about but bear with me.

But yeah, the last few gens already were making the default designs a bit less "iconic" than before, likely in synergy with the customization options. I don't even mind that in itself. Except you only ever see the default looks in a vast majority of...well, everything, from the official manga and illustrations to most fanart. I kind of get it--everyone can tell instantly at a glance that it's "Player Character from the new game"--but at this point they're basically your OC anyway. Also it would be more fun. And now the default outfit kind of sucks too!

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  • 1 month later...

I still have a lot of good feelings about Legends Arceus so I'm actually very curious if they'll show off any mechanics or anything, as well as elaborating on the "open world" they mentioned.

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5 hours ago, SanPolo4389 said:

New info coming tomorrow. 

Finally!

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Still no name for this region...

Anyway, time for a information recap!

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Additional Gen 9 Starters Info

Sprigatito

Spoiler

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  • English Name: Sprigatito
  • Category: Grass Cat Pokémon
  • Type: Grass
  • Height: 1'4"
  • Weight: 9 lbs.
  • Ability: Overgrow
Quote

Capricious and attention seeking, it may sulk if it sees its Trainer giving attention to a Pokémon other than itself.

A Kneading Move That Releases a Sweet Aroma

When Sprigatito kneads and rubs with its forepaws, a sweet aroma is released that can mesmerize those around it. This aroma has therapeutic qualities and makes opponents lose their will to battle.

Fur with a Similar Composition to Plants

The composition of its fluffy fur is similar to that of plants, letting it create energy by absorbing sunlight. It adds moisture to its fur by grooming itself, which aids its ability to photosynthesize.

 

Fuecoco

Spoiler

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  • English Name: Fuecoco
  • Category: Fire Croc Pokémon
  • Type: Fire
  • Height: 1'4"
  • Weight: 21.6 lbs.
  • Ability: Blaze
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Fuecoco is laid-back and does things at its own pace. It loves to eat, and it will sprint toward any food it finds with a glint in its eye.

Scales That Absorb Heat

External heat is absorbed by the square scales on Fuecoco’s stomach and back, then converted into fire energy. These scales are always warm, and at times they can also grow very hot.

Overflowing Fire Energy

Flickering atop Fuecoco’s head is fire energy that is leaking out from inside the Pokémon’s body. When Fuecoco gets excited, its head spouts more flames.

Quaxly

Spoiler

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  • English Name: Quaxly
  • Category: Duckling Pokémon
  • Type: Water
  • Height: 1'8"
  • Weight: 13.4 lbs.
  • Ability: Torrent
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This serious-mannered Pokémon will follow in its Trainer’s wake. It’s tidy, and it especially dislikes getting its head dirty.

A Glossy Gel Protects Its Body

Its body is always glossy because the gel secreted by its feathers repels water and grime. The coif on its head is slicked back using a rich, moist cream, and it becomes unkempt when dry.

It Uses Its Strong Legs to Swim Freely

It has strong legs and is able to swim without difficulty even in places with strong currents. In battle, it kicks its opponents swiftly and repeatedly.

New Pokémon: Pawmi, Lechonk, & Smaoli

Pawmi

Spoiler

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  • English Name: Pawmi
  • Category: Mouse Pokémon
  • Type: Electric
  • Height: 1'
  • Weight: 5.5 lbs
  • Abilities: Natural Cure/Static
Quote

Pawmi is one of the Pokémon used by Nemona, your friend.

Electricity-Discharging Organs on Its Forepaws

In addition to the electric sacs in its cheeks, Pawmi has electricity-discharging organs on its forepaws. It generates electricity by rubbing its cheeks, then it shocks its opponents by touching them with the pads on its forepaws.

Thick Fur That Stores Electricity

Not only is the fur that covers its body good insulation against the cold, but it also serves the purpose of storing electricity. When it feels uneasy, this cautious Pokémon will begin rubbing its cheeks, preparing itself to discharge an electric shock.

Lechonk

Spoiler

lechonk.pngp15_02-m.jpg

  • English Name: Lechonk
  • Category: Hog Pokémon
  • Type: Normal
  • Height: 1'8"
  • Weight: 22.5 lbs.
  • Abilities: Aroma Veil/Gluttony
Quote

Lechonk is one of the Pokémon used by Nemona, your friend.

A Gourmand with an Excellent Nose

Lechonk uses its sense of smell to find and eat only the most fragrant wild grasses and the richest Berries. As a result of its dining habits, it has come to radiate an aroma resembling herbs that bug Pokémon dislike.

Timid and Fainthearted—but Also Strong

If attacked by an opponent and startled, it will charge forward in a panic. It may appear fat at first glance, but in reality, the Pokémon’s body is mostly muscle built by constantly walking around in search of food.

Smaoli

Spoiler

smoliv.pngp16_02-m.jpg

  • English Name: Smaoli
  • Category: Olive Pokémon
  • Type: Grass/Normal
  • Height: 1'
  • Weight: 14.3 lbs.
  • Ability: Early Bird
Quote

Smoliv is one of the Pokémon used by Nemona, your friend.

Oil So Bitter and Astringent It Will Make You Flinch

The oil that comes out of its head has a very strong bitter taste, and it is not suitable for consumption. When startled or attacked, Smoliv will shoot this oil out, slowing its opponent down. It will then seize that moment to run away.

Fine without Eating or Drinking

In the fruit on its head, Smoliv stores oil made from nutrients it gathers through photosynthesis. As a result, it can go for a week without eating or drinking. It prefers dry and sunny climates, and it seems to spend its days sunbathing.

Scarlet & Violet Boxart Legendaries: Koraidon & Miraidon

Spoiler

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Quote

Koraidon and Miraidon grace the covers of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, respectively.

Koraidon is a Legendary Pokémon you can meet in Pokémon Scarlet, and Miraidon is a Legendary Pokémon you can meet in Pokémon Violet. These two Pokémon are said to have powers that far surpass those of other Pokémon, but details about Koraidon and Miraidon are still shrouded in mystery.

New Human Characters: Professor Sada & Turo

Spoiler

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Quote

For the first time in the series, one of two different professors will appear in your game depending on the version you choose to play.

In Pokémon Scarlet, you will meet Professor Sada, and in Pokémon Violet, you will meet Professor Turo. Each is carrying out research into certain lore passed down in the region.

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New Human Character: Nemona

Spoiler

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Quote

Your friend, Nemona, has a sunny and energetic disposition, and she absolutely loves Pokémon battles. She’s an experienced Pokémon Trainer and serves as a reliable guide for you on your adventures. She has undisputed skill in battle—though it does also seem that she’s not the best at throwing Poké Balls.

New Feature: Open World

Spoiler

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Quote

The Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games, the newest chapters in the Pokémon series, are coming to Nintendo Switch later this year. With these new titles, the Pokémon series takes a new evolutionary step, allowing you to explore freely in a richly expressed open world.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet offer an open-world experience that only the Pokémon series can deliver—one welcoming even to newcomers to the series.

You can experience a new style of adventure, with a world that you’re free to explore at your leisure and not in an order dictated by the story. You will, of course, journey to hone your skills as a Pokémon Trainer, but many more discoveries and stories await you. Meet a variety of people and Pokémon, and adventure in the world of Pokémon the way you want to.

 

New Feature: 4 Player Multiplayer

Spoiler

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Quote

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet allow multiplayer gameplay with up to four players.

Along with series staples, such as trading and battling Pokémon, you will be able to explore the various locations of the region in these games with other players. You can discover new Pokémon and explore unfamiliar areas with your friends and family, opening the door to an adventure more precious and fun than ever!

 

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  • The title was changed to Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (Coming November 18th, 2022)

I see they learnt from the complaints about Sword and Shield's boxart, then!

So the theme is past/future, right?  Or low-tech/high-tech, something like that; it's fairly obvious from the mascot legendaries and professor design.  The latter are also interesting as an indication that GameFreak are continuing to experiment with differentiating the two versions, and I wonder where else they might apply that; the little aesthetic touches here and there I think are a good decision in that regard.

As for the legendaries themselves, Koraidon looks a bit overdesigned to me, but at the same time I think it's an interesting design, so I'll let it slide.  It's a bit disappointing that they're both obviously Dragon-type, and Miraidon Electric/Dragon, which we've had before; but with any luck Koraidon will be something unusual like Rock/Dragon (rather than the obvious, Fire/Dragon, which would mean a complete copy of Black/White's legendary typings).

It's a little surprising that Pawmi is an Electric-type, given that it exudes Fire vibes; rather repetitive for this game's Pikachu, too.  But perhaps it will actually evolve, and into something more interesting?  I think it just might.  Lechonk is Normal-type now but looks like a shoo-in for a Ground-type evolution; it and Smoliv I initially thought looked a little plain, but they look better in their illustrations.

So far as world design goes, it's revolutionary to have Pokemon centres be completely open to the air - but at the same time feels like a great idea to make the game experience more seamless.  Could it also imply that more functions have been made directly accessible to the player anywhere?  That would be my guess.  Still no information as to how they'll actually effect the open-world mechanics; level-scaling, or will each area have its own difficulty as a soft means of guiding you through the game?  I could see it being the latter.

I just hope it has plenty of content.  Sword/Shield were so barebones - and not even that long ago...

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