Sonic Hacking Contest 2020

Discussion in 'Discussion & Q&A' started by Spanner, Mar 5, 2020.

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  1. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    NOW OPEN FOR CONTEST AND EXPO SUBMISSIONS!
    [​IMG]

    It's that time of the year again...

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    Contest Date

    Last year, we ran the Contest Week around the start of December.
    We found that this has noticeably this resulted in a lower stream turnout.
    Therefore we are returning to hosting the contest at an earlier time this year..

    Historically, the reason the contest dates kept on being moved every year
    was usually a result of site delays, however some other circumstances also
    occurred. In 2018, we moved it due to the release of Sonic Forces.
    In 2019, we delayed it due to Thanksgiving. This year we are returning the contest week to late October.


    Deadlines & Judging

    In 2019 we found a number of Expo entries slipped the net
    and nearly ended up in Contest Week despite failing the
    Quality Control criteria. This was mainly due to negligence of
    some Judges to monitor Expo entries as they were being submitted.


    To compensate, we added an additional week between the Expo
    deadline and the Contest Week, to ensure entries could be filtered out.
    We do not wish to give bad quality entries exposure, particularly
    those we do not feel would bring anything positive to the end user.

    Regarding game compatibility. As an improvement to previous years,
    a spreadsheet has been made to track which games individual Judges
    can play. This will allow us to ensure that we can better tackle niche
    games (should any be submitted), better than in prior contests.


    The Trophy System

    We found that the new trophy system introduced in 2019 has worked pretty well.
    Some categories did not simply have a good turnout to take full advantage of them.

    Overall we were happy with the outcome. We should continue using this format,
    but tighten up some minor loose ends that were discovered.

    Entries will be graded top 3 overall in the respective common submission formats/categories:
    “Retro”, “3D” and “2D PC”. Various “general” categories, subject to different interpretation based
    on submission format such as “best visually appealing” or “best sounding”
    will also be split in the following manner.

    Last of all, “special” trophies such as “most improved since last year” or “most WTF” (Polygon Jim)
    will also be split this year. Also, we have reinstated a few trophies that were removed last year.

    We understand that there is a possibility that some of the trophies under the format may end up
    “unnecessary” in the long run with no real “winners”, due to what may or may not be submitted.
    For such trophies, the “Null Vote Rule” will be applied, with “Null Vote” being a voting option if no
    entry either satisfies the trophy description or does not meet a given quality standard in the given
    trophy’s department. If “Null Vote” becomes the top vote for a category, no trophy is awarded.

    Uploads and Patches


    A recurring issue every contest year is that we very often receive requests from
    users to make available an archive of all of the entries for a given contest.

    While at the time of a contest, it is possible, with the passage of time this becomes
    very difficult, as many entries are often hosted off-site.

    Well, in good news. According to SeanieB, (who hosts the SHC server), the bandwidth
    on the current server is now more than enough to allow all entries to be directly uploaded.
    As such, there is no need for an extra server to be configured for uploads,
    which had been the plan for previous contests but time constraints did not permit this to be set up.

    As a direct result, we expect SHC2020 to have no off-site links for entries.
    Although it wouldn’t stop mod loaders, this will also address a potential exploitable issue with off-site links being updated after the contest deadlines.


    [​IMG]

    The Judges

    This year's judge set consists of AURORA☆FIELDS, Cinossu, CodenameGamma, Dario FF, Melpontro,
    OrdosAlpha, Sewer56, SSF1991 (Donnie), Spanner and Twilightzoney.

    Judges & Contest Submissions

    Judges will be allowed to submit their own hacks, however they will not be allowed to judge
    their own entries
    (conflict of interest). This includes submissions that they have been involved
    with, such as team submissions.

    After the main contest finishes, the Judges will provide more detailed evaluations of the entries to
    give their opinion, thoughts, and advice they feel is deserved.

    Disclaimers

    This judge list is not final and additional judges may be recruited to replace former judges who have
    left the contest due to retiring or other reasons. Do not ask to be a judge as that just rules you out.
    If we think you're up to the job, we'll talk to you.

    Not all judges can judge all games as they may not have have the capability to do so.
    For example: 360/PS3 based Sonic hacks requiring either powerful PC for emulation or hacked console.
    If you submit a non 8/16-bit entry please have this in mind. The majority of judges however are capable
    of playing PC-based game entries.

    Please note that the final decisions are subject to the Judging Team and may not reflect your own opinion.
    If one hack wins a whole load of trophies that is what the judges thought should win. Judges may change
    at any time due to unavailability or other reasons.

    [​IMG]

    Like last year, we have three main categories that entries can fall under:

    Retro
    For any and all retro console hack entries

    3D
    For all entries based on the 3D Sonic games outright

    2D PC
    For those entries based on the 2D ports, rereleases, and remasters on PC, as well as Mania.

    All three of these categories will have a Top 3 result and individual trophies of
    the following:


    Best Visual
    Best Audio
    Best Technical
    Best Level Design
    Best Voted by Media Panel
    Most Entertaining
    Most WTF (Polygon Jim)
    Best Team Entry
    Best Multiplayer Entry
    Best Character Implementation
    Best Boss Design
    Best Fresh Concept Using Existing Concepts As A Backbone
    Most Potential
    Most Improved Since Last Year


    Of course we also have the overall Top 3 that can again be attributed to any
    entry from any category.

    And what of community trophies, you ask? Apart
    from the obvious exception of "Best Voted by Media Panel", the community get to
    vote on each and all of these categories and trophies as well.

    [​IMG]

    Please note that these rules can be changed, added to, or removed from at any time. In such event,
    the contest staff will notify you through this thread and send a global announcement using any form
    of Social Media we have at our disposal. We recommend checking back often to ensure nothing has changed.

    Everything described in this section applies to both the Contest and the Expo unless otherwise specified.

    Entry Eligibility

    1. Your entry must be based on an existing ROM or game tied to the
    Sonic The Hedgehog franchise.
    Homebrew submissions are not accepted.

    ❌ Hack of Super Mario 64 converting it into a Sonic game.
    ❌ Custom game engine with imported Sonic game assets.
    ✅ Hack of a Sonic game turning it into a non-Sonic game.
    ✅ Hack of a Sonic game introducing new features/content to the game.

    Tech demos of console to PC/console conversions are acceptable if based on an existing
    ROM and/or disassembly.

    2. Joke/Meme entries are not allowed in the Contest. Public evaluations clearly shown people
    did not like the abundance of them in previous contests. Once again we will not be allowing them.
    They will however be allowed in the Expo provided Quality Control Criteria are met.

    3. All entries must be playable and cannot prevent judges from playing them if they have been
    uploaded. Judges have the right to look at your incomplete work if you have submitted it. However,
    judges will not allocate trophies based on any incomplete builds, only the last build submitted
    for the completed entry.


    Submission Rules/Guidelines

    1. Each entry by a participant may only be submitted to either the Contest or Expo - you
    cannot have the same entry in both categories. That said, nothing stops you from submitting <x>
    entries to the contest and <y> entries to the expo.


    ❌ “Sonic Hack R” in Contest AND Expo.
    ✅ “Sonic Hack R” in Contest.
    ✅ “Sonic Hack R” in Expo.
    ✅ “Sonic Hack R” in Contest, “Sonic Hack Z” in Expo.

    2. You must include media such as screenshots, videos (YouTube links are fine) and/or music
    (MP3, OGG, and VGM preferred). The staff will not waste time making these for you.


    3. All submissions must be completed through the online site.
    E-mailed or direct-messaged entries will not be accepted.


    4. You must inform what has been changed or explicitly what has not. This can be zone and act
    breakdowns to a full change log, if need be. We need to ensure stock vanilla levels and completely
    untouched gameplay is not being judged and/or played by the general public. Submissions can
    inform of other information such as cheat codes, easter eggs, and other worthwhile information
    that would benefit your entry when being looked at and judged.


    Copyright & Intellectual Property

    1. All work used from external sources/contributors (sprites, VGM conversions, etc)
    must be credited.
    Hacks found with stolen and / or uncredited content will not be tolerated.
    If anyone suspects an entry to have stolen and / or uncredited content either flag the entry or
    contact staff immediately.

    2. If you have used asset collections such as music packs from the Internet, please be wary that
    they are known to contain content illegitimately ripped from other hacks. Please always double
    check your original sources.


    The general course of action for stolen content is that the participant will have all of their entries
    removed from the Sonic Hacking Contest.

    What Not To Do

    1. Save the drama. The contest is not an appropriate place to air your
    grievances with individuals or communities.

    2. Obscure jokes/memes that most people will not understand. If the entry focuses
    on inside jokes with no appeal to anyone other than those in the know, the Contest or Expo
    is not a valid place for it to be shown.

    3. NSFW content accessed through normal means. Easter eggs are okay, provided
    accessible without prior knowledge of existence. Adding the method of access through
    your entry description, will be considered as “accessed through normal means”.

    4. Submit joke entries with sole purpose of just gaming the rules/exploit any loopholes.

    Action may or may not be taken depending on the severity if you infringe on any of the above.
    In the worst possible case the participant may have their entry removed, possibly along with
    any other entries they have submitted.

    Other Considerations

    1. No private entries. If you want to submit to the Contest your entry must be made
    available completely to the Public.

    2. Offensive content without good context is frowned upon and should be
    avoided to prevent issues.

    3. Give a thought about your target audience. Make sure your entry is not
    over-complicated to run or unnecessarily bloated. If a mod can be 200MB and easily
    installed with a mod loader, we don't want to see a 2GB submission that achieves
    the same thing requiring total file replacement.

    4. All entries should be enjoyable for all to play, and not just for masochists
    Please refrain from submitting monotonous, off-putting or insanely difficult entries (such as “Kaizo” hacks) which do nothing but frustrate those who play the entry and cannot enjoy it,
    regardless if it is a judge, streamer or an ordinary Contest Week attendee. Save yourself from embarrassment, as we won't hold back from criticising your entry.

    5. All entries are viewed equal regardless of who submits them.
    Do not be put off with people well known in the community potentially submitting
    that could win trophies - people do not win trophies because of who they are in this
    community, people win because their entry deserved to win.

    [​IMG]

    In the Sonic Hacking Contest we take quality control very seriously,
    but try to be inclusive enough to potential contest participants by not setting the
    bar too high.

    For Contest entries, the quality control is very strict, while for the Expo
    entries we are a bit more lenient. As a general rule of thumb, we use the
    following measurements to decide whether an entry is of sufficient quality
    for the Contest.

    Retro & 2D PC Entries

    Pick at least 3 of the following
    A. Palette changes, physics changes and other various minor modifications.
    B. Art changes, layout changes and/or mapping changes.
    C. Engine, sound driver and/or special stage functionality changes.
    D. Music and sound effect modifications.

    3D Entries

    Modification(s) that change features in the playable game itself.

    ❌ Simple texture only hacks.
    ❌ Simple object layout modifications.
    ❌ Model swaps of existing game models. (UNLESS process is technical - there will be no repeat of 2019 this year)
    ✅ Collection of custom models, assets, objects.
    ✅ Custom levels and/or playable stages of acceptable quality.
    ✅ Custom game logic/code written in assembly or existing game logic hooked
    using arbitrary programming language (C/C++/C#/D etc.)

    All Entries

    Alternatively if your entry meets any of the following criteria
    (regardless of entry type), it is sufficient to enter the Contest.


    Pick at least 1 of the following
    A. Complete change to the rules of a Sonic game.
    Example(s): Sonic Bash v2, Boss Rush Hacks, Knuckles Emerald Hunt.

    B. Overhaul into a whole new game.
    Example(s): Sonic Scorched Quest, Sonic Virtual Adventure.

    C. Technical feat.
    Example(s): MarkeyJester's Mode 7 Mega Drive experiments,
    Lantern Engine, Sonic 4 in 1, etc.


    Can’t meet the criteria? Take some time, look at what you are
    missing or need to work on and come back in next year with an even
    better hack than your current one.

    Unsure if your entry meets the standards? Ask a judge or a
    member of the Hacking Contest staff. If it happens to be the case
    you already have submitted your entry, do not be concerned - we
    will tell you if we believe the entry does meet the given standards.

    [​IMG]

    CONTEST DEADLINE - End of Sunday 20th September
    UPDATES DEADLINE - End of Sunday 27th September
    EXPO DEADLINE - End of Sunday 4th October
    CONTEST WEEK - Monday 26th October to Sunday 1st November

    Please stay tuned to this thread for information on the usual trailer and when the website opens for submissions. It will be up when it's up.™

    Ready, Set, Procrastinate!!

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    Forum Thread also available at Sonic Retro.

     
  2. Burst

    Burst You call this a connection? Oh, give me a break. Member

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    Here we go again. Let's see what this year brings.
     
  3. DeltaWooloo

    DeltaWooloo The noob next door Member

    Joined:
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    And probably my hack will be ready to show.

    EDIT: It is!
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2020
  4. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    When most of the world has been shut down, locked down, in quarantine, etc over this coronavirus what can you do to entertain yourselves whilst stuck in your homes?

    Download and play all the public SHC entries from 2013 to 2019 today!

    A commonly asked question is how people can play all those old contest entries from previous years. With these packs, you can do so, at least the public entries - any marked Private or Partial Private won't be in these.

    A few notes from Cinossu:
    There's so much to play from here, in fact there's over 20GB of it! If people are going to be locked down for weeks or months to come, we have something to tide people over with.

    We only have a few missing entries now, other than 2012:
    • 2013 - Sonic Adventure 2 Battle Network by Morph
    • 2014 - SADX Ghost Mod by MainMemory
    • 2014 - Sonic Generations - World Adventure Packs by N69 and TiManXD (not the Spagonia Adventure Pack)

    Let us know if you have them!
     
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  5. Giovanni

    Giovanni It's Joe-vanni, not Geo-vanni. Member

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    I've attempted downloading all of the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive ROM hacks, and I've had trouble downloading:
    • Sonic 1 - Color Contrast (2013)
    • Sally Acorn In Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2013)
    • The S Factor - Sonia And Silver (2013)
    • Sonic 2 - Build A Burger (2013)
    • Anything from SHC2015
    This is because of "site manteinance". Please fix this, because I'd like to keep all of the ROMs in my computer, and I'm especially fond of the 2015 entries.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2020
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  6. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    I have sent this list to Cinossu to take a look at and hopefully this will be sorted out soon. The 2012 entries will also be getting added soon as we have managed to get access to them.

    We also have a chance at getting 2011's if the entry pack can be salvaged from an old SSRG server backup OrdosAlpha may still have from that time period, but there is no guarantee that it can be recovered.

    So, if this does happen, the Vault will start from 2011 all the way to 2019, so quite a lot of history from over the years, but if we can't find 2011 then 2012 will just be as good of a start.
     
  7. Giovanni

    Giovanni It's Joe-vanni, not Geo-vanni. Member

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    I figured out where are the 2015 entries!
    All of the 2015 links link to the "compo2015" folder, which does not exist.
    All of the entries are in the "compo2015_sonic" folder instead (Except for the Sega Homebrew Competition ROMs, which are in the "compo2015_knuckles" folder).
     
    ProjectFM likes this.
  8. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    The entries from 2015 should now be accessible. 2012 should be up by this weekend too. There are also a few fixed entries from 2013 as well now.
     
    TheInvisibleSun and Crimson Neo like this.
  9. Cinossu

    Cinossu A blend of secret herbs and spices Member

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    So The Vault got an update today, we have SHC2012's entries now available too.

    Click here, go enjoy!
     
    MarkeyJester, Angel X, Kurk and 2 others like this.
  10. StephenUK

    StephenUK Working on a Quackshot disassembly Member

    Joined:
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    Some of you may have noticed over the last 9 months or so, I've been fairly absent around the community in general, not really being present in the day to day running of the forums as much, not being around as much on the various Discord servers I frequent and even taking a backseat from moderating RHS's streams. All of this has come about as the result of a very serious health condition which has had a major impact on my life for the last year and has gradually affected me to the point where it's hard to even function properly on a day to day basis. I've been under various specialists to try and get the condition under control but so far I'm not having much luck, and I was hoping by now I'd be seeing some results.

    For this reason I've decided to step down as a judge for this year, as I can't guarantee that I could give the full commitment that the contest and the entrants deserve under the circumstances. The situation already left me unable to complete my evaluations for the last contest which I felt was a let down on my part, but due to what was happening at the time it was pretty unavoidable and the last thing I want is a repeat of that or worse. Maybe I can return again in the future if my health permits, but we'll see.

    Spanner asked me for a recommendation for a replacement judge, preferably Retro orientated to maintain a 3D to Retro balance between the judges, so I suggested Aurora Fields based on the fact that she has a pretty extensive knowledge and I don't believe she'd been approached about the position before. She has accepted the position, and so she will be replacing me as a judge for this years contest. I'm sure she will do a great job and I'm looking forward to seeing her feedback on the entries and enjoying the contest week with the rest of you.

    Spanner has kindly allowed me to still be around for a stream or two during contest week so, health permitting, I'll still be around in some capacity.
     
    Samey, maple_t, Giovanni and 12 others like this.
  11. Akogiri

    Akogiri Newcomer Trialist

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    I've read the entirety of the SHC rules as I'm considering entering 2020 or 2021's, and I have 3 questions:
    1 - Does the submitter have to work alone? What are the dos and don'ts of working with a team?
    2 - Is it allowed to submit a hack that's already been made or at least worked on before being entered in the contest? Or do you have to submit a hack you worked on from a determined date? There's probably no way of checking how long a hack took, so I'm assuming not? Does a hack have to be made with the contest specifically in mind?
    3 - Is light gore allowed? With the entry I have had in mind, you fight off animals rather than Badniks, for reasons I will not go into just yet, meaning they need something to compensate for the "exploding" effect - as you'd imagine, seeing them vanish into thin air would be questionable.
     
  12. AURORA☆FIELDS

    AURORA☆FIELDS so uh yes Exiled

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    There have been a lot of team entries in the past, and as far as I am aware, there isn't really any specific rules to do with team entries. Of course, all the courtesy of crediting everyone properly, and making sure people know its a team entry is always preferred. There is also the team feature that allows you to better indicate when an entry was made by a team of members as opposed to the submitter.

    Most of the hacks are actually already started before the submission period of the Hacking Contest (though some are definitely started after and sometimes have amazing effort put in, too), and some hacks are nearly 10 years old.

    Well, it really depends. I think, so long as you don't go overboard, there shouldn't be major issues. Notably, Hellfire Saga has some light gore in the hack, and nobody batted an eye at it. I would imagine this to be more of a case-by-case basis rather than a hard rule or a specific restriction. I'm a little hesitant to say ahead of time what is okay or not, because as far as I know this hasn't really come up yet. It would be the best to discuss this with a judge when the submissions opens.
     
  13. Devon

    Devon Down you're going... down you're going... Member

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    Speaking of Hellfire Saga, there was also a team behind it, and actually has been in SHC twice (with the obvious changes made to make it stand out from the older version... by a lot). The only thing you should really need to worry about is if the hack you are submitting holds up to standards and isn't gonna cause any grievances.

    Regarding the light gore against animals, it really depends. If the animals you are gonna put in are just your typical real life animals (especially animals like dogs and cats), then I think it's bound to upset someone. If it's something more like Hellfire Saga where they are much more unrealistic and more obviously threatening, then I think you can get away with it. You could always go for something more cartoonish, too.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2020
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  14. Akogiri

    Akogiri Newcomer Trialist

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    Well what I was planning was mostly very beast-like versions of the "Flickies" like huge, gruesome seals and Emperor Penguins. Although I like the idea of a more cartoony approach, I'll definitely consider it.
     
  15. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    The Contest Week dates have been revised. And by revised I mean fixing the end date as the Sunday is not October 31st.
     
  16. Cinossu

    Cinossu A blend of secret herbs and spices Member

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    Psst. Hey. Hey. Guess what.

    https://sonichacking.org
    The 2020 Sonic Hacking Contest is now live. Go nuts with getting those entries in!
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2020
  17. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    Just a reminder to let us know if you have any issues with the site, so we can look into them. Alternatively, if you have Discord, join our server and report them in the dedicated channel.

    We are getting submissions coming in, just remember to follow the guidelines to ensure you meet the criteria for either the Contest or Expo.

    If they do not meet the Contest criteria, they will be moved to the Expo following the submissions deadline.

    Also check your spam folder for any emails as some providers like to put those in there.

    And a reminder if you are unsure about anything with the Contest or Expo and have any questions, please ask them in this thread.
     
  18. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    Sorry for double post, but just to state the importance of this.

    Please ensure your entry fits the Quality Control Criteria, or your entry will either be moved to the Expo, or if not fit for the Expo, will be rejected following the exhaustion of all deadlines!

    We have seen a fair amount of decent entries so far. But on the other hand, we have seen a small amount of entries that so far, are very likely to end up in the shredder.

    A reminder of what we are NOT wanting this year:
    ❌ Simple texture only hacks.
    ❌ Simple object layout modifications.
    ❌ Model swaps of existing game models. (UNLESS process is technical - there will be no repeat of 2019 this year)

    The Expo is NOT a free-for-all to show off whatever you've made. If you cannot meet the criteria in time for the deadlines, we advise waiting for next year's Contest and Expo.

    Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions, please put them in the thread, or contact us on the SHC Discord.
     
  19. penPhobic

    penPhobic Everything's all topsy-turvy now. Member

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    Or even simple music changes are not allowed like Sonic 3K music. Don't forget that.
     
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  20. Sewer56

    Sewer56 Newcomer Member

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    It's that time of year again!

    No, not for the contest but to tell Twitter that we are good boys and girls.
    http://sonichacking.org has been blacklisted by the AI filter, as usual and we need to let @TwitterSupport know this needs fixed.

    This happened last year too.
    We are an annual contest showcasing ROM hacks & mods of Sonic the Hedgehog games.
    Please tell that to https://help.twitter.com/forms/spam

    [​IMG]
     
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