TheNeonArcade - Q&A with CDProject's Lilayah

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Already sprinkled this around the forums, but I think this might be important enough to deserve it's own thread:

TheNeonArcade, MadQueenShowTV, LastKnownMeal and TheTripleSLeague had a Q&A with this forum's very own Lilayah, using their community's questions to her. The video itself is unavailable for playback on other sites, so go ahead and give TheNeonArcade some views, likes, subscribes and comments.

Most of Lilayah's answers are: "Don't know, too early to tell", but hey! Crumbs to the hungry masses!

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Bulletpoints!


  • 0:22 Lilayah is perfect, as we ourselves are already aware.

  • 1:20 They've decided not to dive into any controversial subjects out of respect for their guest.

  • 2:23 What is Lilayah's actual job?
Community, event and contest manger, using social media to communicate with everyone.
  • 3:23 How long has Lilayah been with CDPR?
Since march, 5 years. She's been a community manager for 2 years. (She was tech support and Q&A for Gwent earlier)
  • 3:34 How has she liked the transfer from Witcher to a more futuristic setting such as CP77?
Not really into cyberpunk when she joined. Not into sci-fi in general in fact. She's more into Fantasy and really liked the Witcher series (didn't read the books! Booo!). Once Witcher was done, she moved on to Gwent. Then she started being interested in CP77 as the company moved on to that and gained a fascination.
  • 5:50 Can we romance Keanu Reeves?
She won't spoil that for us. Neither on the subject of Silverhand, nor the real Keanu Reeves.
  • 8:49 Plans on releasing the soundtrack and who is collaborating? Other than Marcin Przybylowicz and (unintelligible name. Let me know if someone knows who the second person is, who MadQueen is talking about.
Marcin is the main composer. The direction has been completely reworked. The new Chippin' in is deliberately different, because Marcin wanted it to have that effect on people. His inspirations include "Rage against the Machine", or the "Wake up" song at the end of the Matrix. A band called "Refused" is being cooperated with.
  • 11:03 Will licensed music be a problem for streamers?
All the music rights used in the game will belong to CDPR. There shouldn't be any licensing conflict. This includes images.
They want the community to be able to show off the game, but Lilayah does stipulate that there might be limits to monetizing such content. She wants streamers to contact CDPR so that the company can communicate and refer them to the right people for that. It's the exact same policy as Witcher 3.
  • 12:54 What about censorship on Twitter, Youtube or Twitch? Any mechanisms to warn streamers that stuff like that'll come up so they don't get censored? Nudity filter?
No such thing in development, but they'll keep it in mind.
  • 14:25 How's modding support?
They'll keep it in mind. It's on the list. Making the game comes first. One commentator mentions that it's good that it's at least on the list, instead of just being considered after all development + dlc is done.
  • 15:40 Do we have the option to play the game without clothes?
CDPR won't do anything to prevent you from taking off your clothes while behind your controller/keyboard.
  • 16:09 How did the studio feel about the reactions to the E3 show?
CDPR had a gathering to watch E3. CDPR got very emotional and enjoyed fans' passion and reactions. Seeing the game in that positive a spotlight brought people at CDPR to tears. Many high-fives and hugs were had. It was heartwarming. Lilayah had her hands full on twitter to answer questions.
  • 18:28 Some people didn't recognize Keanu als Silverhand, since Silverhand is Blonde while Keanu isn't.
That will be explained in the game. Something about the immortality chip having been passed along through several hands...
  • 19:34 What's the relation to that with Cyberpunk Red? Are you going to be in CP Red? They joked they'll put people who worked on the game in Cyberpunk Red.
You're going to have ask Mike and Jay for that information. We work closely with Mike and it's in the same timeline. We're not sure if this is going to be explained. I'm not sure what you're talking about asking if I'm going to be in CP Red... I'm sure there's people who were closer to them who would be more obvious. Maybe Patrick?
  • 21:56 How much do Talsorian and Mike stop by to check in with progress?
I've seen Mike stop by twice now, but the journey between America and Poland is long and tiring.
  • 23:07 How will Talsorian connect Cyberpunk 2077 to Cyberpunk Red?
Can't talk about that yet, but Lilayah ensures us once more that visions are aligned and they're working closely with Mike.
  • 24:19 How much is CP77 CDPR's vision compared to Mike Pondsmith's vision? Are CDPR re-adapting lots of things? It is 50/50?
It's more like 75% of CDPR, and Mike confirming that it's okay or if it'll break his universe. There's a gap of some 40 years between Red and CP77, so there's some breathing space. It's still challenging to make sure it's done properly though.
  • 25:52 What's the favorite thing you've seen in the game so far?
Netrunning! You don't always need the icebath either. You can use nano-wire to hack people from a distance. You can also hack hardware ports to tap into hardware and other people. The eyes during netrunning is a cool effect. Your body turns into a giant CPU, hence the icebath. You can also see people who netrun, not wearing any shoes while they do it.
  • 28:15 Johnny Silverhand and Alt Cunningham... any other famous Cyberpunk people present in this game?
Not going to spoil that. There's several huge surprises waiting for people, but just like in Witcher 3, you can spend half the game moving around before you meet a character like Ciri. There's going to some... breathtaking... surprises!
  • 30:13 But you will need to explain the lore for newcombers to Cyberpunk, yes?
Of course! We're going to cover the lore for newcomers, but also leave surprises to the hardcore fans! While waiting for the game to launch, we're going to do some social media stuff to build lore awareness, raise excitement and get people to share and refer to it.
  • 31:30 We can play non-lethally now. Is that one of the bigger changes? How many of these changes have there been since last year?
Change is subjective, but you're just going to have to wait on PAX to see some of the other changes for yourself. We did the non-lethal thing after feedback.
  • 32:45 Is it 100% non lethal, or will V still be lethal during cinematics, or will our companions get lethal?
It is possible to do non-lethal, including cinematics, but you might still have to hurt people, or you might have to walk out of the fight and have this affect narrative.
  • 33:48 Photo-mode. Is it still a thing?
Still a thing! We're still developing it and doing research though.

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If I understood correctly, at some point it's said that unique animations are in the game, but not the repeatable ones. That I think is referred to contextual animations like picking items up or interacting with keypads. Not really sure, audio was not perfect and I don't feel well today, very sleepy due to a prescription drug.
 
My biggest concern is she didn't deny other celebrities being in the game. It seems infatuation may have overtaken sound storytelling at CDPR if this is indeed the case. Did they consider maybe NA audiences are already saturated with reality TV bullshit? I want to escape into a fantasy world when I play Cyberpunk, I don't want it to be a reflection of the media I see every day.
 
Yeah, I'm not sure the cost of paying a celeb really translates into enough extra sales to be worthwhile. The money may have been more productively spent elsewhere. The voice actors for the Witcher games weren't famous, but they're now solidly associated with those characters.
 
The money may have been more productively spent elsewhere.
agreed
Yeah, I'm not sure the cost of paying a celeb really translates into enough extra sales to be worthwhile.
disagreed. have you seen the internet going crazy for keanu reeves? like he's adding anything to the game, but still, people went crazy. With all the possibile questions, ALL interview start with "what about keanu reeves? how did you convince him?" because paying a guy to do his job is something very unexpected.
 
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  • 34:53 People said last year that the game was playable from start to end. But then you added Keanu Silverhand? How did things progress and how this did impact development.
Silverhand was always an important part of the game. The game CAN be played from start to finish, but the quest-tree is modular and can still be polished, tweaked and changed.
  • 36:34 Last year, there was an option to pick childhood heroes. At this point Keanu Silverhand was already in?
Can't discuss that.
  • 36:50 Can we customize things? More options the better. Customization is hot! Like apartment, person, vehicles... Do you use feedback for that? We realize that it'll increase effort on an already massive undertaking.
You can mod your weapons. Apartments? No customization there. We're still looking into the customization of your vehicle. The decisions on these things are made internally.
  • 38:50 Any plans for after release to give us these options?
Well, we've done that with the Witcher. New clothes for Yennefer, or quests included in the DLC. These things might change, but it's WAY too early. We need to make the game first, but we are looking out for feedback on new ideas after that and make lists.
  • 40:00 Let me get this straight. You're a triple A developer a year away from release and you're ACTUALLY focusing on finishing the game instead of planning future content? Insanity!
I know, right?
  • 41:52 Minigames? Drinking, dancing, cards?
Hacking for sure, and we have other activities in mind. Streetracing! Visiting a shooting range to level up your shooting skills. We'll surprise you!
  • 43:52 How far will we go with installing implants at the risk of Cyber Psychosis? Any unique animations at the ripper doc for the installation of cyberware?
There's no Cyber Psychosis in the game. There will instead be a limit. I'm not sure if there's some kind of gradient. Maybe you'll experience others having cyber psychosis. Cyberware can be removed and replaced. Too early to tell if there'll be special animations for the ripper doc, but most meaningful and unique activities that you do will have their own animations. Something repeatable.
  • 45:48 Map sizes and the ones that were recently revealed... How about the badlands?
Everything is subjective. The Witcher maybe was bigger, or smaller. The badlands are on the fringes. Can't comment on their size.
  • 47:20 What will the differences be between the console and PC versions?
We're not done with optimization yet. Hard to tell. As for PC specs, we can only comment on those, closer to release. It'll take time.
  • 48:14 Will there be a demo available ahead of release? Day one patches?
Nope. You can watch a demo at PAX, but it's the same story as with the Witcher. It's a single-player game we're working hard on, and we'll be working on it until the last minute. Pretty much count on day-one patches.
  • 49:40 As to marketing, is there going to be a dead zone between now, PAX and release?
The marketing is already in motion with pre-orders and such. We're going to keep up with the media campaign, but intensity will increase ahead of release.
  • 51:02 Dual wield weapons?
Not sure, but maybe we can that answer later. We like Tumblr. Ask us there.
  • 52:00 How will this game change our lives? What's up with the ARG?
You're being watched on how you're trying to solve the ARG. You were told to wait, so now wait. ;) And witcher 3 broke me. No other game could ever be as good. We're going for a similar feeling with CP77.
  • 54:24 How much of an influence was Blade Runner? Will there be any easter eggs? Any callbacks to the Cyberpunk greats of the past?
We'll leave finding easter eggs up to you. :) Our own people like to sneak stuff into the game that's close to their heart. It's up to them. We do like to include a lot of them. Otherwise we don't want to get into legal trouble by referencing to other IP.
  • 56:50 Can we customize body type, height, fat, muscle.
You can customize, but to what extend is too early to say.
  • 57:15 Can you tell us when GOG galaxy 2.0 starts?
Soon. Very soon. Certain things have already been set up, but I don't work too closely with the GOG team.
  • 1:00:00 Will V's gender have any influence on the story?
Yes. People can respond differently to you, occasionally.
  • 1:00:50 Will other celebrities play other famous Cyberpunk characters? Is the childhood hero pick removed from the game?
The childhood hero thing is scrapped. No comment on the other celebrity thing.
  • 1:01:54 One of the background options is Nomad. How big of a role will nomads play?
Pretty big and yes, you can pick them.
  • 1:02:24 Romance options and how involved those are. One night stands? Relationships? Any comment?
Romance is a big part of gameplay. You can romance other characters and it's up to you how deep those relations are. Unlike Geralt, you can define V's own sexuality and sexual orientations. Other NPCs and characters already have preset preferences though.
  • 1:04:00 How clear are those romantic choices earmarked? And can we hit on random NPCs? Are there spurned lovers who'll come after you for revenge?
You'll have the option to hire prostitutes for a quicky. Just don't piss them off in dialogue options. Not sure about the spurned lovers...
  • 1:07:25 Will this be an emotional story?
Definitely
  • 1:07:44 Will there be body mods towards enhanced sexual performance in game? We can assume they're in. We've seen the in-universe advertisements for a Mr. Stud and a Midnight Lady augment.
I have no idea, but it's important to consider you're now going in with a 2019 mindset, where you think those things are funny. Living in 2077, these things are ordinary and plain.
  • 1:10:10 No confirmation on dual weapons then, but how about the weather system? How about acid rain?
When it comes to weather, it's always sunny in California. You can expect Californian weather, so no snow at least. As for acid rain, we're not clear on that for now and you'll have to see.
  • 1:11:47 In regards to drugs, can we smoke, drink and is there a toxicity system attached to that?
I won't say.
  • 1:12:08 About dismemberment. Is there a dismemberment system?
It's possible to dismember people, but you'll need powerful weapons for that. There's no way for you to harvest the attached parts for augments for both technical limitations and gameplay balance, but you can always loot bodies in general.
  • 1:14:22 The hosts start ignoring breathtaking comments from now on. They'll also not ask whether you can decorate your living apartment with severed limbs.
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Good job. but

"They've decided not to dive into any controversial subjects out of respect for their guest."

As a journalist you have the right and obligation to ask everything that the 'people' may want to know.
The interviewed has to option to not answer the question (ofc).

how this basic interaction takes place is always unique.. [...]

but.. Good talk! And Lastknownmeal sounds so much like Stephan West!
You know.... from this Podcast! http://philosophizethis.org/



and tnx for doing all this timestamping what i ask in the previous tread. great job!

Edited. -Drac
 
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No one asked about Jackie:sleep:
I would also like to know if we'll have any Trauma Team or NCDP companions! I want more info on the psycho squad and TT! Lol
And I would also like to know how many long term romance options there will be
Will we be able to decorate our apartment?
 
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No one asked about Jackie:sleep:
I would also like to know if we'll have any Trauma Team or NCDP companions! I want more info on the psycho squad and TT! Lol
And I would also like to know how many long term romance options there will be
Will we be able to decorate our apartment?
I'm pretty sure that it's one of the choices path. But it's difficulty to picture. If you choose a sneaky approach, didn't get in the news and betrayed, how Silverhand would appear? Well... Anyway, I don't think that they would show Jackie dying just for fun: it has to be a choice IMO.
 
Great work, @Skirlasvoud. I didn't want to bother watching the whole thing, and you made it way, way easier for me to digest. Reminds me of some of Rawls' write-ups.

Thanks! Is that all of the transcript or is there more?

Side note, it's good to know that childhood hero has been scrapped, but I'm curious about the other options. Reason for coming to night city, for example, forgot what the third one was.
 
@Snowflakez Transcripts will continue.

TRANSCRIPT CONTINUES

  • 1:17:55 How did you get into the position that you have now within the company? What were you doing before CDPR?
I'm 32, so I've been working for a good while after I finished high-school. I've worked in retail and always in gaming retail, like Game shops. I played WoW and tried getting into Blizzard as a company, but after trying three times, I gave up. Several weeks later, my friend from CDPR came to me and remarked there was a job opening. I was reluctant at first, but he kept nagging to send out my résumé. Eventually I did and got hired. I already lived 2 hours away from Warsaw. I'm grateful that my friend convinced me to keep trying to get into the game industry and I advice you to keep trying if you have a similar dream.
  • 1:21:40 In the current circumstances, CDPR was probably the better choice over Blizzard! You're also getting a large amount of love in the chat!
What's really cool in CDPR, is that everyone's a gamer, but everyone had a different background. We hang out a lot together shooting pool, kareoke or playing game and at those moments we forget we're co-workers. If you want to be a part of the industry, always make sure you have gamer friends around you. Big shout-out to everyone at CDPR. Everyone is amazing there.
  • 1:23:52 Someone in the chat wishes to convey he has a lot of respect for Lillayah and the company. The good work has been noticed by the rest of the world. The hosts remark that it's been a rough period in gaming, with companies making stupid decisions for profit over their customers, while it's the customers who got them where they are. This team of hosts appreciates a company like CDPR showing the industry a different way and how they're moving the bar.

Not in CP77. You're not going to space, for sure... maybe... perhaps? I'm not sure.
  • 1:27:32 How is fast travel handled? Taxis?
There will be fast travel in the game and it's the only time there's a loading screen. I'm not sure how those are handled, but we'll have nice screens for you to distract you. Otherwise, no loading screen. Quick travel isn't through taxis, but otherwise we're not sure yet how we'll handle it. You'll have to wait and see.
  • 1:29:30 Will there be pets like cats, dogs and jaguars in game?
There will be street cats and dogs, but it's unlikely you'll be able to own your own pets.
  • 1:30:16 People were also asking about Chippin in. The 2018 version will not be in the game?
That's correct. We were not happy about the old version and the change of direction means we're more happy with the current version.
  • 1:31:08 Were there any ideas that were scrapped that some of the team were sad to see go?
Game development is creative work and a constant work in progress, so there'll always be people who are a little unhappy with the directions we take. I myself really liked the ability to pick childhood heroes, so I was sad to see those scrapped. I'm happy with the three background options we get to choose though. Players themselves will decide if our decisions were good.
  • 1:33:18 Why do certain corp troopers use certain assault rifles?
When it comes to weapons, we have an entire communication plan for explaining why weapons look a certain way compared to Cyberpunk Red or 2020. We'll cover that in the future, so keep your eye on our social media.
  • 1:33:56 Can we turn ourselves into an exotic. Like a cat-girl or cat-boy?
I will not comment on that (causing the hosts to be excited, because that's not a hard no or a vague maybe).
  • 1:34:28 Will we be able to nuke night city? There's a second, missing nuke in Cyberpunk Red.
Why would you? (Then people get distracted by random fireworks outside their studios)
  • 1:37:20 How will the NPCs be improved compared to Witcher 3
That would be more of a question for the Devs. I'm not positioned to handle that question.
  • 1:38:09 Will there be stripclubs in the game?
There are... clubs in the city. Not sure they're stripclubs, but I'd like to see them myself too! There will be a specific area that's very much like a stripclub.
  • 1:39:08 There's a piece of artwork on the internet that's been going around forever. It appeared on the monitor of a desktop computer during a virtual google tour of the CDPR offices. It's the one of the stripper standing on a platform, with all the soldiers aiming their laser pointers at her. Is that in the game?


It's not official artwork. We used to work with that creator but he didn't get hired. It was just for fun.
  • 1:41:03 How did CDPR approach the artist creating the steelbooks to the game?
It's always spontaneous. We get random ideas of working with certain artists and sometimes an e-mail gets sent out and it just happens.
  • 1:42:07 Will characters in CP77 still be presented in the nude. In the latest showing of character creator, our characters had underwear on them instead of pixilation. Has there been censoring?
Full nudity will still be in the game. Of course it will be. During our live demo in E3 2019, character creation also had V already wearing clothes, but it's too early to comment further. Things change. You're going to have to wait and see. Maybe PAX.
  • 1:44:35 About the apartments. There's just the one apartment building?
Yes, just the one apartment and no customization for the apartment. The only thing we've added is the garage for storing vehicles.
  • 1:45:16 The US special collector's editions were a bit of a mess. Are you looking to send out more orders?
I cannot promise anything, but we'll report what happened to our distributors and get into talks with them, which may be hard. It's unlikely we'll be able to do anything about it. I know there's a lot of interest in the CE and what happened sucks. I apologize for that.
  • 1:47:47 About character outfits. There is more customization for that than we've seen? The "iconic" jacket is nice, but will we see more?
Yes, you can switch jackets. The clothing is also different depending on the background you picked... corpo, street kid or nomad. Of course, you can switch those too for something else.
  • 1:49:10 So the new character creation is going to be gender non-binary. Does that mean people will refer to V's gender differently too? Like Jackie calling female 'V' "mah girl!"
We're still writing all the dialogue, so we're looking into that. It's on our radar. However, people will always refer to V as V where appropriate.
  • 1:50:46 What about difficulty options? Same as in Witcher 3?
There will be difficulty options, but I'm not sure how many. We're still making the game and adjusting the numbers for difficulty will come later. Right now, we're making sure the base numbers make sense.
  • 1:52:00 Who is your favorite Witcher character?
Yennefer. 100% team Yen. Sorry Tris.

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disagreed. have you seen the internet going crazy for keanu reeves? like he's adding anything to the game, but still, people went crazy. With all the possibile questions, ALL interview start with "what about keanu reeves? how did you convince him?" because paying a guy to do his job is something very unexpected.

Definitely. The reach someone like Keanu has should not be underestimated. Solely awareness wise, it's a huge boon.
 
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  • 1:52:30 In the new trailer, Jackie dies. Can this be prevented?
I will not spoil that.
  • 1:52:57 Can we surrender to the police and go to prison. How does the "wanted" level system work.
Like in Grand Theft Auto or in Assassin's Creed? It's not a proper wanted level. You can't just surrender since (Feed cuts out, but I assume it's something bad), but you will be on the radar of police and gangs if you go haywire and you're not wanted somewhere. You just need to lay low and things will go back to normal.
  • 1:54:16 How many gangs are there? Does every district has its own gangs and sub-gangs?
There are quite a few gangs. 6 different districts and each has their own gang. There are sub-gangs, but it's too early to say and too spoilery. More details to come later.
  • 1:55:18 Lilayah's best game in 2018 and 2019?
For 2018, "God of War", no doubt. In 2019, I liked "A Plague Tale", but I don't really have a GOTY yet. She's looking forward more to 2020 right now and some of their competitor's titles.
  • 1:56:15 Field of View sliders and options?
Adjustable for PC, but I have no information on how we'll manage on console. There's also the option to walk around like a normal person and disable bobble-head mode and motion blur on V's vision. We've listened carefully to the people who had trouble with First Person Perspective.
  • 1:58:07 Barbers in Cyberpunk. Can we get a new haircut? Maybe even the ability to bio-sculpt yourself?
Too early to say. I hope so! I loved that ability in World of Warcraft!
  • 1:58:56 Are there any ideas yet on expansions?
Right now, we're focused on the the main game. We'll see about expansions and look into it later.
  • 1:59:50 How about the in-game radio and clubs.
We'll have clubs. We'll see about the music.
  • 2:00:54 What about Shock Jocks and talk radio?
It's not time to talk about that yet.
  • 2:03:02 Can you sit, like on chairs?
I don't know! I haven't seen V seated yet.
  • 2:03:44 What's the word on the on-line and the multiplayer features in this game?
We get those questions regularly. We recognize there's an interest in multiplayer and we're doing research on that. On launch however, Cyberpunk is purely a single-player game. And if - and that's a BIG if - there'll be any multiplayer components, it'll come after release.
  • 2:04:33 After release, are there any plans on porting the game over to the PS5 or the XBox Scarlet? And what about the system specs for PC?
We're completely focussed on the current gen PC, XBone and PS4. The system specs for the new generation aren't even out yet and we know as much about them as you guys. It's too early to think about that. As for System Specs for PC, we'll talk about those in early 2020 at the soonest, when we're actually done with development.
  • 2:05:34 How about the North American Merch store?
Soon. Not like in a/this year, but relatively soon. We want to be in the US.
  • 2:06:34 Anything else Lilayah can tell us, that we haven't asked about yet.
Good question, but I haven't read or watched all the interviews the team gave during E3. I'll need to check up on those first. My advice however is to be open minded about Cyberpunk 2077. It's going to be emotional.
  • 2:07:32 Did you play the current demo?
No, but I played the one from last year. Part of the job is making sure that we know what we're talking about. We'll have played the game before the conventions or release. During Witcher, I was actually playing that game every day. After a while you just switch to discussing code names instead of quest names. We were like Q&A, but also making sure we can answer questions.
  • 2:09:22 How many hours does it take for a full completionist run?
That's not been counted yet. Also depends too much on your choices and playstyle. We'll do the maths closer to the game being finished.
  • 2:10:15 Any achievement lists yet?
Not yet! Those are usually made once development is over.
  • 2:10:28 Are you aware there's a petition, that CDPR should name the 100% completion achievement, the "breathtaking achievement"?
Yeah, we've seen. We've discussed it. You'll have to wait and see.
  • 2:11:04 The cyberpunk 2020 sourcebook that comes with the base game. Is that the base rulebook, or the original sourcebook?
It's the original Sourcebook. You can buy it from Talsorian, but ours is the digital version. It'll come localized to your region's language.


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There's several more questions after that, but they're not THAT interesting and by now I'm just as tired as they are.

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