There have been various calls for Chronoscope Bones.
Let's be conservative in our estimation of Chronoscope popularity and assume that the rewards never got more than a couple stretch goals past a "Vampire"-like level. Not counting upgrades, what level would you pledge at?
A-$1: Thanks
B-$15: 15 basic Chronoscope figs
C-$28: Some sort of Chronoscope related Sophie
D-$60: 35 Chronoscope figs in bones with some being slightly larger or more elaborate.
E-$100: 30 figs+ 15figs + Sophie + another bonus 20-30 figs of some sort via stretch goals.
F-$100+: E + special prizes (green Master, banner, tour, custom design, etc)
Apologies in advance that the categories are arbitrary and simplified as I only included levels that have had significant participation.
I'd be in for E
If Chronoscope had a bones kickstarter, I would pledge....
Started by
Eilif
, Aug 08 2012 09:34 AM
Bones Chronoscope Kickstart
37 replies to this topic
#2
Baphomet69
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The Big Boner
Posted 08 August 2012 - 10:17 AM
E
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)
John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)
#3
Dr.Bedlam
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Godlike
Posted 08 August 2012 - 11:45 AM
Hm. Good question. In my case, part of the problem is that I already HAVE most of the Chronoscope figures I want. And, again, keep in mind that any figures to be made into Bones are going to have to be megasellers that keep on pluggin' and bringin' in the mah-ney, month after month, year after year. What Chronoscope figures would qualify as classic megasellers? Has the line even been out long enough to really make that call?
Plus, I'm not going to want all of them. At the moment, I'm not doing a lot of superhero gaming, so all the Chronoscope superheroes are going to be kind of superfluous. Others will not be big into zombie apocalypses, which rules out the zombies and zombie hunters. Offering any kind of comprehensive deal with Chronoscope would be kind of a crapshoot, I would think.
But perhaps I am wrong.
Plus, I'm not going to want all of them. At the moment, I'm not doing a lot of superhero gaming, so all the Chronoscope superheroes are going to be kind of superfluous. Others will not be big into zombie apocalypses, which rules out the zombies and zombie hunters. Offering any kind of comprehensive deal with Chronoscope would be kind of a crapshoot, I would think.
But perhaps I am wrong.
"Actually, I DO look like my avatar..."
#4
TaleSpinner
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Posted 08 August 2012 - 11:59 AM
There are only a few figs I want in Chronoscope as I am primarily a Fantasy and CAV guy. Now a CAV kickstarter to get it going would get a lot of my green.
#5
joshuaslater
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Posted 08 August 2012 - 01:57 PM
No interest for me.
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#7
Jordan Peacock
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Enlightened
Posted 09 August 2012 - 08:33 AM
If such a Kickstarter were to happen, I'd pledge "E" for sure, plus snatch up a few optional add-ons, but I would be greatly surprised if the Kickstarter got very far if it was just "like our Dark Heaven Bones campaign, just with Chronoscope figures only." I'd rather see a few sample Chronoscope figures in the current Bones Kickstarter as stretch goals for optional add-ins (to minimize complaints from fantasy purists who don't want any sci-fi/horror/superhero/historical in their fantasy peanut butter) -- and in that case, only if they chose figures that I would want LOTS OF, versus specialty figures.
Astrid the Chronicler, for instance, is a great figure, but I don't imagine anyone will want to buy BUNCHES of her. The only reason I can imagine it's viable to make a plastic figure of her is that SO MANY gamers will want ONE of her that it's enough to pay for the cost of the mold (and perhaps a few kitbashers will want the figure for conversions).
For Chronoscope, I'd be disappointed if the first four Chronoscope Bones turned out to be, say, a set of the "anime heroines." Maybe those would sell, just because they're scantily-clad girls, but I'd be hard-pressed to find much gaming use for bunches of them ... and I strongly suspect that anyone who was willing to pay for them in plastic might also consider them in pewter. Far more useful to me would be a representative pirate, a ninja, a cowboy/bandit, a WWII GI, a Reich of the Dead Kroid, a Cyber Reaver robot, a Kulathian alien, a street thug, an IMEF trooper, a NOVA corp guard, etc. -- character types that I could theoretically buy several of, paint slightly differently, and field in LARGE quantities in a game. The thing is, I doubt most folks would want all of them at once. (I just happen to be one of those strange gamers who WOULD, because I like to play lots of different genres.)
Perhaps more realistic would be a Kickstarter focused on a particular property that would fall within the idea of Chronoscope. For example, a Reich of the Dead boxed set featuring plastic troopers for each side, some sort of "big bruiser" add-on option for each side (an American tank vs. a Kroid weird-science cyber-golem), a battle map, RAGE rules, and a campaign book, and stretch goals might be for some more special figures to be added to the line, or perhaps even to unlock additional factions (Japanese, Russians, etc.).
Or, maybe Cowboys & Gunslingers, only this time the figures are plastic, there are cardstock buildings for a wild west town for the shootout to take place in, and for stretch goals and options, there might be a stagecoach or a Conestoga wagon, or perhaps venturing into steampunk with some of the other Chronoscope figures that fit into the 19th-century setting (such as Decker Lugstampf, or Smedley Cloverdash).
Or, we could have some "bug-hunt" scenario featuring IMEF troopers vs. Kulathians or some other space-horror, in a co-op board game format, or just another RAGE scenario, with a boxed set and map tiles for ship battles.
Or, hey, how about a swashbuckling board game featuring pirates/privateers on (map tile) ship decks? Throw in some fantasy elements, and you could dip into a few more Dark Heaven mini lines (Razig and company, for starters) that aren't already covered in the current Bones project, and have an excuse for translucent/transparent plastic (ghosts/banshees for Razig, djinn/ifrit for a Barbary Coast corsair faction, etc.). And, oh yes, ninjas ... because we must have pirates vs. ninjas. Of course. Ah ... moving right along.... ;)
I just wouldn't recommend trying to focus on zombie apocalypse (I've seen so many projects covering that), or superheroes (anyone who wants cheap generic heroes-in-capes could just grab a few boxes of HeroClix at the local comic shop).
With a particular setting as the "star," the campaign might have a little more focus, and therefore might attract folks who wouldn't be interested in just getting a smattering of all sorts of different genres at once. A few other Chronoscope figures that only tangentially relate to the setting (or perhaps not at all) might work their way into the campaign as stretch goals / options, so they can "ride the coattails" of the central setting. (Although, honestly, I have no idea what particular fragment of Chronoscope would be the most popular and thus the best candidate for being the star of the show.)
Astrid the Chronicler, for instance, is a great figure, but I don't imagine anyone will want to buy BUNCHES of her. The only reason I can imagine it's viable to make a plastic figure of her is that SO MANY gamers will want ONE of her that it's enough to pay for the cost of the mold (and perhaps a few kitbashers will want the figure for conversions).
For Chronoscope, I'd be disappointed if the first four Chronoscope Bones turned out to be, say, a set of the "anime heroines." Maybe those would sell, just because they're scantily-clad girls, but I'd be hard-pressed to find much gaming use for bunches of them ... and I strongly suspect that anyone who was willing to pay for them in plastic might also consider them in pewter. Far more useful to me would be a representative pirate, a ninja, a cowboy/bandit, a WWII GI, a Reich of the Dead Kroid, a Cyber Reaver robot, a Kulathian alien, a street thug, an IMEF trooper, a NOVA corp guard, etc. -- character types that I could theoretically buy several of, paint slightly differently, and field in LARGE quantities in a game. The thing is, I doubt most folks would want all of them at once. (I just happen to be one of those strange gamers who WOULD, because I like to play lots of different genres.)
Perhaps more realistic would be a Kickstarter focused on a particular property that would fall within the idea of Chronoscope. For example, a Reich of the Dead boxed set featuring plastic troopers for each side, some sort of "big bruiser" add-on option for each side (an American tank vs. a Kroid weird-science cyber-golem), a battle map, RAGE rules, and a campaign book, and stretch goals might be for some more special figures to be added to the line, or perhaps even to unlock additional factions (Japanese, Russians, etc.).
Or, maybe Cowboys & Gunslingers, only this time the figures are plastic, there are cardstock buildings for a wild west town for the shootout to take place in, and for stretch goals and options, there might be a stagecoach or a Conestoga wagon, or perhaps venturing into steampunk with some of the other Chronoscope figures that fit into the 19th-century setting (such as Decker Lugstampf, or Smedley Cloverdash).
Or, we could have some "bug-hunt" scenario featuring IMEF troopers vs. Kulathians or some other space-horror, in a co-op board game format, or just another RAGE scenario, with a boxed set and map tiles for ship battles.
Or, hey, how about a swashbuckling board game featuring pirates/privateers on (map tile) ship decks? Throw in some fantasy elements, and you could dip into a few more Dark Heaven mini lines (Razig and company, for starters) that aren't already covered in the current Bones project, and have an excuse for translucent/transparent plastic (ghosts/banshees for Razig, djinn/ifrit for a Barbary Coast corsair faction, etc.). And, oh yes, ninjas ... because we must have pirates vs. ninjas. Of course. Ah ... moving right along.... ;)
I just wouldn't recommend trying to focus on zombie apocalypse (I've seen so many projects covering that), or superheroes (anyone who wants cheap generic heroes-in-capes could just grab a few boxes of HeroClix at the local comic shop).
With a particular setting as the "star," the campaign might have a little more focus, and therefore might attract folks who wouldn't be interested in just getting a smattering of all sorts of different genres at once. A few other Chronoscope figures that only tangentially relate to the setting (or perhaps not at all) might work their way into the campaign as stretch goals / options, so they can "ride the coattails" of the central setting. (Although, honestly, I have no idea what particular fragment of Chronoscope would be the most popular and thus the best candidate for being the star of the show.)
#8
kristof65
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Captain of the Sky Pirates
Posted 09 August 2012 - 11:23 AM
I think in order for a Chronoscope Bones Kickstarter to really work, it would have to be configured differently than the existing DHL Bones KS.
FREX, I think the initial goal would need 3-5 of the different "themes" within Chronoscope - IE, Super hero, NOVA Corp, Cowboys, Steampunk - and the average pledge would let you pick minis from one of those themes. As each stretch goal was revealed, more themes would be added and/or more minis added to a particular theme.
The nice thing about using Kickstarter to fund something like this is that it doesn't have to be successful. You put together what looks to be the best plan to work, and get the line off the ground at minimal expense, and if you can't get the backers, you've learned a valuable marketing lesson. If the numbers are really dismal, you give up, if they're close, then you retool the whole thing, and try again later.
FREX, I think the initial goal would need 3-5 of the different "themes" within Chronoscope - IE, Super hero, NOVA Corp, Cowboys, Steampunk - and the average pledge would let you pick minis from one of those themes. As each stretch goal was revealed, more themes would be added and/or more minis added to a particular theme.
The nice thing about using Kickstarter to fund something like this is that it doesn't have to be successful. You put together what looks to be the best plan to work, and get the line off the ground at minimal expense, and if you can't get the backers, you've learned a valuable marketing lesson. If the numbers are really dismal, you give up, if they're close, then you retool the whole thing, and try again later.
My Blog - Warming: May be political
Please check out my wife's Stained Glass page:
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#9
Baphomet69
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The Big Boner
Posted 09 August 2012 - 11:33 AM
The nice thing about using Kickstarter to fund something like this is that it doesn't have to be successful. You put together what looks to be the best plan to work, and get the line off the ground at minimal expense, and if you can't get the backers, you've learned a valuable marketing lesson. If the numbers are really dismal, you give up, if they're close, then you retool the whole thing, and try again later.
This! This is why it's at least worth it to try!
I forgot about this fact for the last couple days while the CAV-KS nay-sayers were saying it was a bad idea. If it's really a bad idea, let the people tell Reaper it's a bad idea via backing or lack thereof.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)
John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)
#10
Heisler
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Auctioneer at Large
Posted 09 August 2012 - 11:54 AM
Remember though that it needs to be sustainable afterwards as well. These have to be miniatures that people are going to want to purchase for several years. Even if the kickstarter is successful its possible that after the demand for the KS itself is fulfilled that no more are purchased. Yes, the KS funds the mold but it doesn't drive future sales. I can't think of anything beyond maybe the NOVA troopers that would begin to have the kinds of sale numbers necessary to sustain a BONES version, unless they were able to bring the production inhouse and recycle the material for a different casting.
* It's NOT denial. I'm just very selective about the reality I accept. -- Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)
* Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war - Shakespeare's Julius Caeser
* Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
* We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. Winston Churchill
* Tardis Express: When it absolutely, positively, has to be there yesterday
* Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, ... - Shakespeare's Henry V
* My two hobby blog; Wargames and Railroads
* Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war - Shakespeare's Julius Caeser
* Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
* We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. Winston Churchill
* Tardis Express: When it absolutely, positively, has to be there yesterday
* Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, ... - Shakespeare's Henry V
* My two hobby blog; Wargames and Railroads
#11
kristof65
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- Bones Supporter
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Captain of the Sky Pirates
Posted 09 August 2012 - 04:55 PM
True, Kris, but with careful planning, you can partially factor for that in your KS project and stretch goals. You may need to have a much higher starting goal to make sure it's sustainable than they did for this one.
That doesn't necessarily mean that every odd ball idea is ripe for a Kickstarter campaign, but if you're on the fence about something, a KS campaign is a good way to find out for sure.
Don't forget, too, that gamers tend to have a "wait and see" attitude about new lines. Way too many of us have seen great new figures come out with promises of lots more, only to see the line die off or simply stagnate. There is a certain tipping point at which many lines can become self sustaining.
FREX, to use a store you know, Colpar West only had two pegs devoted to Chronoscope new releases until a few months back, when they finally decided to add the whole line as a section of their minis wall.
On another thought, I was looking over the CMoN past projects and their current one. It looks like their first project, Zombicide, gave an initial boost to the Sedition Wars one, based on the fact they already had a mailing list of supporters, however, Sedition Wars came in nearly 1000 backers less than Zombie Wars. The new project, Relic Wars has had a large initial number of backers as well, but we'll see how that plays out over time.
But, my first hunch is that while having a mailing list of backers can give you an initial burst of backers and publicity, that maybe, just maybe trying to run too many KS projects back to back will tap out your supporters. So if any new KS prject from Reaper is forthcoming, give all our wallets time to refill.
That doesn't necessarily mean that every odd ball idea is ripe for a Kickstarter campaign, but if you're on the fence about something, a KS campaign is a good way to find out for sure.
Don't forget, too, that gamers tend to have a "wait and see" attitude about new lines. Way too many of us have seen great new figures come out with promises of lots more, only to see the line die off or simply stagnate. There is a certain tipping point at which many lines can become self sustaining.
FREX, to use a store you know, Colpar West only had two pegs devoted to Chronoscope new releases until a few months back, when they finally decided to add the whole line as a section of their minis wall.
On another thought, I was looking over the CMoN past projects and their current one. It looks like their first project, Zombicide, gave an initial boost to the Sedition Wars one, based on the fact they already had a mailing list of supporters, however, Sedition Wars came in nearly 1000 backers less than Zombie Wars. The new project, Relic Wars has had a large initial number of backers as well, but we'll see how that plays out over time.
But, my first hunch is that while having a mailing list of backers can give you an initial burst of backers and publicity, that maybe, just maybe trying to run too many KS projects back to back will tap out your supporters. So if any new KS prject from Reaper is forthcoming, give all our wallets time to refill.
My Blog - Warming: May be political
Please check out my wife's Stained Glass page:
KAH Designs
[font="'comic sans ms', cursive;"]Member of the ReaperBryan Fan Club.[/font]
#12
Heisler
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Auctioneer at Large
Posted 09 August 2012 - 05:53 PM
I think Relic Knights may have already shot its bolt. Incredible response the first two days and then a huge drop today. I think the appeal is just more limited on that one than either zombicide (which I did not support) and sedition wars (which I did support). I don't think its going to be anywhere as nearly successful as the other two. Although from a pure painter standpoint it has a lot of appeal but the "extras" are quite a bit more expensive.
* It's NOT denial. I'm just very selective about the reality I accept. -- Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)
* Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war - Shakespeare's Julius Caeser
* Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
* We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. Winston Churchill
* Tardis Express: When it absolutely, positively, has to be there yesterday
* Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, ... - Shakespeare's Henry V
* My two hobby blog; Wargames and Railroads
* Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war - Shakespeare's Julius Caeser
* Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
* We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. Winston Churchill
* Tardis Express: When it absolutely, positively, has to be there yesterday
* Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, ... - Shakespeare's Henry V
* My two hobby blog; Wargames and Railroads
#13
Baphomet69
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- Bones Supporter
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- 2100 posts
The Big Boner
Posted 09 August 2012 - 06:15 PM
Don't forget, too, that gamers tend to have a "wait and see" attitude about new lines. Way too many of us have seen great new figures come out with promises of lots more, only to see the line die off or simply stagnate. There is a certain tipping point at which many lines can become self sustaining.
Unfortunately, this is gospel. I don't know any gamer that hasn't been burned by this very thing a half a dozen times, myself included.
I think Relic Knights may have already shot its bolt. Incredible response the first two days and then a huge drop today. I think the appeal is just more limited on that one than either zombicide (which I did not support) and sedition wars (which I did support). I don't think its going to be anywhere as nearly successful as the other two. Although from a pure painter standpoint it has a lot of appeal but the "extras" are quite a bit more expensive.
Ugh...I just looked up Relic Knights. This is purely my unobjective opinion, but I hate, I mean HATE that cutesy, anime meme...my personal opinion of course, but ugh...
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)
John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)
#14
kristof65
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- Bones Supporter
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Captain of the Sky Pirates
Posted 10 August 2012 - 03:43 PM
i don't care for it all either, but I know there are a lot of people who do. Denver has one of the largest Anime and Manga Cons in the country, NDK, and I'm friends with a couple of the big cheeses at NDK, so I've seen some inside glimpses into how popular anime is. And now that I think about it, I'm actually surprised that I haven't seen anyone mention this on the NDK FB page yet.Ugh...I just looked up Relic Knights. This is purely my unobjective opinion, but I hate, I mean HATE that cutesy, anime meme...my personal opinion of course, but ugh...
My Blog - Warming: May be political
Please check out my wife's Stained Glass page:
KAH Designs
[font="'comic sans ms', cursive;"]Member of the ReaperBryan Fan Club.[/font]
#15
Jordan Peacock
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Enlightened
Posted 12 August 2012 - 07:23 AM
Re: Relic Knights: Well, I actually like the "anime" look when it comes to "mecha" designs, BUT I'm not a fan of the Relic Knights' silly take on mecha where you've got this massive armored frame ... and then you stick your pilot in a bikini (or worse) sprawled on top, with backside exposed because it's more important in this setting to have some cheesecake as the star of your force than to have something that looks like it means serious business.
Now, in theory, I could take that Black Company Mercenaries force and do a conversion on the mecha to give it an enclosed cockpit, or put some Appleseed-style light armor on the pilot as a concession ... but that would be more worthwhile if this were at a lower price point. Relic Knights really doesn't seem to have the value that I see in Reaper Bones and such (or in certain other miniatures-game Kickstarters, such as Zombicide or Sedition Wars).
(Really, it makes me wish I could get a mecha vehicle like that at Bones-ish prices. Why, I could replace the pilot with an IMEF trooper conversion. If there were ever a Chronoscope Bones Kickstarter, I'd be all for some BIGGER plastic models like that to fit with the current line. :D )
For Zombicide and Sedition Wars, I could get pretty excited. (I ended up going $190 pledge level for each, plus one each of the limited-edition figs, and other add-ons such as the 3D terrain set and "opticamo" set for Sedition Wars.) But ... Relic Knights? The illustrations are pretty and colorful, but I just can't get as excited about the setting, and there's not nearly as much bang for the buck. Plus, I'd probably get in trouble with Wendy for bringing home minis like those, so it just doesn't do anything for me. (Yeah, I know, there are a couple of "naughty" figures in the Reaper Bones sets, but those are easy to fix.)
Now, in theory, I could take that Black Company Mercenaries force and do a conversion on the mecha to give it an enclosed cockpit, or put some Appleseed-style light armor on the pilot as a concession ... but that would be more worthwhile if this were at a lower price point. Relic Knights really doesn't seem to have the value that I see in Reaper Bones and such (or in certain other miniatures-game Kickstarters, such as Zombicide or Sedition Wars).
(Really, it makes me wish I could get a mecha vehicle like that at Bones-ish prices. Why, I could replace the pilot with an IMEF trooper conversion. If there were ever a Chronoscope Bones Kickstarter, I'd be all for some BIGGER plastic models like that to fit with the current line. :D )
For Zombicide and Sedition Wars, I could get pretty excited. (I ended up going $190 pledge level for each, plus one each of the limited-edition figs, and other add-ons such as the 3D terrain set and "opticamo" set for Sedition Wars.) But ... Relic Knights? The illustrations are pretty and colorful, but I just can't get as excited about the setting, and there's not nearly as much bang for the buck. Plus, I'd probably get in trouble with Wendy for bringing home minis like those, so it just doesn't do anything for me. (Yeah, I know, there are a couple of "naughty" figures in the Reaper Bones sets, but those are easy to fix.)
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