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What the developers have to say:
Why Early Access?
&***THE SANDBOX IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF IMPROVEMENT, AND IT ISN'T FINISHED. BUYING THE LONG DARK ON EARLY ACCESS SUPPORTS OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE IMPROVING THE GAME.*** While the game is already very stable and highly playable, the Sandbox is constantly evolving. Features and balance tuning may change from version to version. Content will be added, some may be removed, and entire systems might change or disappear. We appreciate your patience as we go through this process of evolving the game with community feedback.
We'd like to expose the Sandbox portion of the game to as wide an audience as possible so that we can derive maximum playtesting value before we launch the game &for real&.
Please note that the game's price will likely increase when we launch the full release version, to reflect improvements and the growth of content during Early Access. The current price reflects the unfinished state of the game.&
Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
&Our intention is to remain in Early Access for 2-3 months, depending on how the community responds to the game, and how that response impacts the game's development roadmap.&
How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
&The full game will offer both the Sandbox and Story modes -- i.e. the Story mode will be entirely new narrative content that lives within the Survival Sandbox. The Sandbox will also offer more content at full launch. If you buy the game on Early Access now, you will immediately get the Sandbox Mode, and will also get the Story Mode once it launches (final # of episodes to be determined).&
What is the current state of the Early Access version?
&We have a fully playable Sandbox mode of the game that has been in Alpha with hundreds of players for several months already. Most of our players are getting dozens of hours of gameplay, with several having played over 100 hours already!&
Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
&We are pricing the Early Access version of the game at $19.99 USD, to reflect the unfinished, work-in-progress state of the game. This price will almost certainly increase when we exit Early Access and launch the full game, to reflect general improvements and increased content and play time.&
How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
&We will engage the community in the Steam forums, as well as in our own Alpha forums, where we already pull bug fixing and playtest/tuning information to the betterment of the game. We will continue to do that, although we intend to devote more resources towards the community interaction aspect once we launch on Early Access since we expect the audience to grow significantly beyond the players we currently have.&
Buy The Long Dark
$19.99 USD
Recommended By Curators
"Even without its story mode (it's still in early access), this is a beautiful, grinding take on wilderness survival."
Recent updates
We've just hotfixed The Long Dark Sandbox Alpha to v.235, to address a few bugs.
THE LONG DARK SANDBOX ALPHA HOTFIX TO v.235 CHANGELIST
* Fixed missing containers for players who saved game when containers were missing.
* Fix for tools sometimes not repairing gear.
* Hide 3D object while harvesting, selecting repair tool, or repairing.
* Fixed an audio crash triggered in the Pleasant Valley to Mystery Lake transition zone.
###END OF CHANGELIST###
We've just hotfixed The Long Dark to v.234 to address some bugs we accidentally introduced with our v.233 update two hours ago. We're sorry for introducing a crash bug, and we apologize to anyone who lost their game progress!
NOTE: This update is for PC players only. The Mac update will be available later this evening.
UPDATE: The Mac fix is now live as well.
THE LONG DARK SANDBOX HOTFIX to v.234
* Fixed issue with save points sometimes being outside interiors. Players are now restored to default start point for old saves inside interiors.
* Fixed problem with some containers not being created after loading old saves.
* Fixed flare and lantern effects being sometimes offset
* Rebalanced wood footstep audio
* Fixed bug with being able to repair items with any tool
* Fixed issue with calorie burn being set too high when player is freezing
###END OF CHANGELIST###
Report bugs and leave feedback for this game on the discussion boards
About This Game
***THE LONG DARK IS AN EARLY ACCESS TITLE. THE SANDBOX IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF IMPROVEMENT, AND IT ISN'T FINISHED. BUYING THE LONG DARK ON EARLY ACCESS SUPPORTS OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE IMPROVING THE GAME. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO THE EARLY ACCESS INFORMATION ABOVE.***
The Long Dark is a thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness. There are no zombies -- only you, the cold, and everything Mother Nature can throw at you.
The Early Access version of The Long Dark features the game’s non-narrative Survival Sandbox mode.
No hand holding! The game challenges players to think for themselves by providing the information but never the answers. You have to earn the right to survive.
Monitor your Calorie count, Hunger and Thirst, Fatigue, and Body Temperature. Maintain your overall Condition if you want to survive. Let yourself weaken and any small threat may take lead to your death.
Three sandbox regions provided nearly 20 square kms of wilderness to explore (and with more regions coming!). Mystery Lake offers abundant hunting and exploration of points of interest like the Forestry Lookout, Trapper’s Homestead, and an abandoned Hydro Dam. Coastal Highway is populated with small townsites, a fishing village, and various hunting cabins in the hills. Watch out for thin ice! Pleasant Valley is a quiet, rural mountain valley with a farmstead, caves, and an expansive wilderness.
Dynamic weather, wildlife, and time of day, all with an impact on how you choose to survive.
Over 100 gear items including clothing, tools like hatchets and rifles, first aid equipment, foodstuffs, light sources like lanterns and flares, and firestarting equipment.
Hunt Deer, Snare Rabbits, and watch for Crows as they can signify the presence of animal, or human, corpses that can be vital sources of Supplies. Wolves are territorial and will defend their territory, or stalk you if they catch your scent. If you let them get too close, you may find yourself in a desperate struggle to survive. Be on the lookout for Black Bears, as they roam the landscape in search of food.
Harvest Wood for fuel, maintain your Gear and Clothing, and keep your Knife, Hatchet, and Rifle in top shape as they will save your life!
Harvest Medicinal plants like Old Man's Beard Lichen, Rose Hips, Reishi Mushrooms.
Deep First Aid system featuring many afflictions including: Sprains, Blood Loss, Infection Risk, Infection, Food Poisoning, and Dysentery.
Craft Snares, First Aid items, Repair your Clothing and Tools, and Harvest raw materials from the environment, as you do your best to become self-sufficient.
Permadeath! See how long you can survive, check your standing on the global Leaderboards, then head back in and push yourself to survive longer.
...and much more!
With an average of 3-4 updates per month, The Long Dark is in a state of constant improvement. Major areas that will receive additional expansion in the coming months: Crafting, Wildlife, NPC Survivors, more Hunting-type activities, more Gear, Tools, and Supplies, more Regions (maps), Oculus Rift support, Controller support, International Versions, and eventually, a full Story mode featuring the voice talents of Mark Meer, Jennifer Hale, Elias Toufexis, and David Hayter.
Please note that the Early Access price provides immediate access to the Sandbox Mode, and includes the cost of Story Mode, which will be available at the game's full launch.
The Long Dark is brought to you by Hinterland Studio, an independent game developer comprised of industry veterans with significant credits on many renowned series including Far Cry, Red Faction, Saints Row, God of War, Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Company of Heroes, and many others. The Long Dark is the team's first attempt to create a unique and thought-provoking independent game that pushes the boundaries of the medium.
We appreciate your support of our efforts!
System Requirements
Minimum:
OS: Windows XP
Processor: Dual-Core Intel i5 CPU @ 2GHz+
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Intel 4xxx Series w/ 512MB VRAM or better
Hard Drive: 1 GB available space
Sound Card: Any on-board chip will work.
Additional Notes: The game is in an Alpha state and is constantly being expanded and optimized. System requirements are subject to change until the game ships.
Recommended:
OS: Windows 7
Processor: Intel i7 CPU @ 2.6GHz or higher
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: nVidia GTX 555 w/ 1GB VRAM or better
Hard Drive: 1 GB available space
Sound Card: Ideally, something with Surround capabilities.
Additional Notes: The game is in an Alpha state and is constantly being expanded and optimized. System requirements are subject to change until the game ships.
Minimum:
OS: OSX 10.9.3
Processor: Core i5 @ 2.2GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000
Hard Drive: 1 GB available space
Sound Card: On-board.
Additional Notes: The game is in an Alpha state and is constantly being expanded and optimized. System requirements are subject to change until the game ships.
Recommended:
OS: OSX 10.9.3
Processor: Core i7 @ 2.7GHz+
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Dedicated standalone GPU w/ 1GB+ VRAM
Hard Drive: 1 GB available space
Sound Card: On-board
Additional Notes: The game is in an Alpha state and is constantly being expanded and optimized. System requirements are subject to change until the game ships.
The Long Dark (c)
Hinterland Studio Inc. All rights reserved.
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1 person found this review funny
430.4 hrs on record
Early Access Review
Steam is telling me I've played 426.8 hrs of this game at the time of this review. As you might have guessed, I am very fond of the game. I've held off on writing a review because I just don't think I can do the game justice, but I'll try. So what do I love about the game to warrant such an embarrassing amount of hours in the game? I'll try to explain: The graphics. They are beautiful and with the recent upgrade to Unity 5, the graphics became absolutely gorgeous. The beautiful snow-frosted branches of the trees s the stark mountains against a beautiful sometimes stormy, sometimes cloudy, and som The beautiful, but scary nighttime with the aurora borealis, moon, and star the bright green, glowing eyes of the wolves...er wait...more scary than beautiful those critters are. :)The sound. The voice actors are Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale at the time of this review. Veterans of the industry, with titles such as Mass Effect under their belts. The beautiful stinger music that signals a change in weather or time of day. The haunting, creepy music when you discover a corpse inside a house sometimes. The music is not overdone, perfectly placed, so you don't lose that feeling of abandonment. The sound effects, the creaking and groaning of the trees, the wind, footsteps crunching in the snow, the lonely hoot of an owl, the ringing in your ears when you shoot the rifle indoors, the skin-crawling sighing and muttering when in the &creepier& locations, the snarling, howling, and barking of the wolves. The sounds and music in the game are one of my most favorite aspects of the game and it's hard to list them all or describe the feelings of immersion you experience. You must experience them first-hand to truly &get it&.The game mechanics. You have to be careful, you have to be smart, you have to be patient or you die. I love this, it's the player in full control, how long you survive is based on the decisions you make. Plan ahead, learn from past mistakes. Unlike most video games I don't mind dying in this game. I don't feel cheated because I learn what NOT to do or how I can do it better. The saying &you make your own destiny& seems applicable to the gameplay. It's a sandbox, there's no linear path you are forced to follow, you can immerse yourself fully and explore to your heart's content. There are three modes of play: easy, medium, difficult. A fit for everyone- from peaceful exploration to death around every corner.The developers. The developers have always been very involved in the community on Steam and also on their own Hinterland forum and Reddit. They are AAA title veterans who know what they are doing. The updates to the game are frequent and fun. Hotfixes practically same day. They have a zero tolerance for bugs in their game and it shows in this quality product. It's hard to believe it's an Early Access title. I haven't found a more polished one.The best part? It's like a free gift everytime there is an update. More fun stuff to check out for free! Another &best part&...the sandbox will remain available even when story mode is released for the people who enjoy it. I'm looking forward to the story mode, but I adore the sandbox survival.TL/DR: Get this beautiful, quality game. It's Early Access with a twist - it feels like a complete game already!I hope this review helps someone. If not, drop by the forums, you'll find a wonderful and helpful community.
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123.0 hrs on record
Early Access Review
This is your life, and it's ending one calorie at a time.No colonists to save.No quests to turn in.No skill tree to fill.No tokens to grind.No freaking zombies.Just you.The wolves.And the fervent hope that you can find a hatchet before you run out of time.
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21.5 hrs on record
Early Access Review
The craftsmanship of this game is good.
However, the design deserves some discussion: This is not a survival game, but an adventure game with a survival theme, and the design reflects that.These are just a few things that occurred to me while playing, from the perspective of a survivalist.
Some of these are due to the early development of the game, whereas others are design decisions which reflect the minds of the author. * Tools degrade in the real world, they degrade over years or decades. * Tools, such as knives, can be repaired with
actually, you can make a new knife that way, but you cannot repair it in such a manner. * You cannot make knives or axes with wood and scrap metal. * Weather can destroy a large sailor’ in the real world, even a hurricane is unlikely to do so. * The sleeping bag acts like a bivy, but looks like a sleeping bag.
A sleeping bag, outdoors in this weather, would freeze through with body moisture in short order unless put inside a shelter or by a fire, whereas a bivy would be safe.
I’m a bit confused. * Cordage i normally, cordage can be made from a great many things. * You cannot manipulate the snow to build a windbreak for a fire, or for yourself, or to build a snow-grave, or a quinzee. * Regardless of wood on hand, one cannot create either a lean-to windbreak shelter or a kennel-shelter.
The method is simply not in the game. * All of the trees are tall, old, and bare at the lower trunk.
Normally, there are many smaller trees in the area, especially near rocks, and many bushes. * The wind seems to be as strong in open areas, such as railroad tracks, as it is among many trees. * I’m not sure why the land
normally, you’re stumbling over rocks and logs, and chunks of burnable wood. * If you have newspaper, matches, kindling, and logs, you have a thirty percent chance of failing to start a fire.
I've never been that drunk. * Starting a fire is equally easy when normally, when hypothermia sets it, starting a fire becomes extremely challenging due to freezing fingers.
If you wait until frostbite starts to set in before you build a fire, you waited far too long. * Firewood
normally, I use deadfall almost exclusively, and can easily sustain a fire all night with only a half-hour to an hour of gathering. * There is no fire- normally, tending a fire properly makes it last much longer, and allows for coal banking. * Dead fires do not make fire- in reality, there are usually lingering coals (especially if properly banked) and there is often charcoal to help ignite the next fire. * A fire cannot be put out I do this often, to generate charcoal and to conserve fuel when I need to move on, and this allows me to leave behind fires ready to light. * Firewood t even in snow, this process generally takes minutes. * A hatchet speeds in reality, this is only marginally helpful, given that most environments have a great deal of deadfall and standing deadwood that can simply be yanked down.
it’s just under the snow, especially under trees. * It is possible to freeze to death beside a large fire, or even in a closed (but open-doored) fishing hut beside a large wood-stove with a roaring flame.
This is not realistic.
* Dead bodi there is no way to salvage their clothing. * T there is no way to cannibalize the mattresses for cloth or to remove the sheets, nor can one lay one mattress on top of another and sleep between them for added warmth. * One cannot stuff one’s clothing with the batting from mattresses. * One cannot upgrade the insulation of clothing at all, despite this being a staightforward (if somewhat time-consuming) task in reality. * One cannot wear multiple sweaters or layer multiple pants.
I do this o one loses some mobility, but it works. * It is possible to fail to sew a piece of cloth.
I love my Jack Daniels, but I’ve never been too drunk to sew.This is a very good and fun game, but survivalists should not mistake it for a bushcrafting game, and should not try to use a real-world survival mindset to predict the game's behavior.Still, as video games go, it's fun, well-crafted, finely drawn, engrossing, and well worth playing.
I would recommend this game.
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9.6 hrs on record
Early Access Review
Day 1:-Harvested some nice things and drank some popping soda-Reached a dam-OH! all them goodies yay-*** WATISDISAWULF. PRESS BUTTONS -& heart attack-DiesSecond Attempt:-I had finally found the right place to take camp. Trapper's Home. -I scared away a wolf that just took down a deer.-I harvest everything from the deer.-Didn't realize I was freezing and my condition dropped down to 15%.-I wasn't far, but the movement speed was very slow.-Could hear my heartbeat slowing down and vision becoming fuzzy.-In a last effort, I lit up my lamp -& what did I think it would do magic?-I actually reached the door, but as it was about to open -& the tragic line of your death appeared on the screen.-RAGEQUIT for the nightI'LL BACKBest heart attack simulator 11/10Best survival game out there. Had my heart racing both times.
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13.4 hrs on record
Early Access Review
Remember back in the day when your mom told you to stop playing Mario Bros and you said &let me finish the level!&
Well if you where playing TLD you'd say &I'm just about dead, let me see if I freeze before the wolf eats me.&
It's an amazing game of frustration, exploration and true sense of accomplishment.
I had no idea how exalting it is to find an old can of dog food until now.I'd highly recommend this game.
There's nothing like it out there and is incredibly enjoying.
The game play and levels are well thought out and the atmosphere is amazing.
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71.3 hrs on record
Early Access Review
Pros:- immersion. The crunch of snow underfoot and the fog of your breath will make you feel like you're there.- permadeath. This game brings the challenge back to PC gaming that has been missing for a while. - femshep. Jennifer Hale voices the female character. Sorry, no bionics available.- challenging. It is a struggle to survive, but they have since added some gradation to the diffuculty level with three settings to choose.- regular updates- vindicates the 'Early Release' business model. The 'Early Release' concept is hit or miss (Ex: DayZ SA) and is the topic of a lot of debate among PC gamers and interested parties. 'The Long Dark' plays like a beta or even a release candidate, although they call themselves an alpha. It's easily worth the $20 tag on it right now. - roadmap. More areas are coming. M I find the lack of maps kind of exciting, there is a thrill of exploration to be had. - survival without zombies. Although I could play a hundred zombie shooters and be fine with it, I have to give credit to a novel concept of man-vs-environment in today's arena that is full of zombie shooters.Cons:- will test your gamer might. You will die. - weather model. Sometimes it goes from nice outside to foggy to blizzard with little warning. In summary, 'The Long Dark' is probably a $30 title than you can get for $30, it's a great alpha, it will provide hours of entertainment and minutes of furious angst, it's a unique pc game survival experience that's worth you time and your cash.
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1 person found this review funny
4.3 hrs on record
Early Access Review
The Long Dark is an interesting game to me. With a story mode due somewhere in the future, the finished product of this game might be something fantastic. The game looks great and as opposed to facing Zombies or Humans, you're completely by yourself trying to survive in the wilderness. Wolves and the freezing cold weather will be your main enemies, and they will not be easy to take on all alone, but that is what makes this a strong survival experience. It's great to see a survival game where nature will rip you apart in every way possible if you're not always working hard to be prepared.
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32.0 hrs on record
Early Access Review
Day 31, still can't find pants...smh 10/10
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18.7 hrs on record
Early Access Review
This game is incredible.
I was playing on an extremely outdated computer, and even though it ran like horse poop it still drew me in.
Just upgraded to a 970 and I gotta say it's beautiful, and I can finally fully appreciate the work and sheer brilliance of the game.
My favorite part of the game is the replay value.
The farthest I've gotten into the game isn't super far... but it's still extremely entertaining to struggle... barely make it to a house or bar, and heal up, and then it the open road again in search of a hatchet, rifle, or a knife to harvest a frozen carcass so you don't starve to death.
Every update has been an improvement, and like other reviewers have said, it's like a gift every time a major patch comes out. The most recent patch with Pleasant Valley provides some of the most difficult survival yet... and I love it!
In a genre full of zombies, blood, guts, and gore, this is a refreshing twist.10/10.
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6.4 hrs on record
Early Access Review
Extremely good game! It is punishing and that's what is good about it. I survived 7 Days on my first ever run on the voyager difficulty (Did quite well) My mistake was I got too comfortable (Had a gun, ammo and lots of animal meat) then as I had been eating raw things before and had been fine I casually ate some raw meat...that was my mistake. From 20% condition to 18% condition during the middle of the night I knew I had to run out and find a tree stump with mushrooms that could heal the poisoning. At 8% condition I knew it wasn't worth it running around in the dark with wolves lurking and hardly any light. I rolled out my bed roll and started a campfire and ate my last meal then layed down to sleep.
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32.2 hrs on record
Early Access Review
I finally got the hang of this game, I fished, gathered wood, even made myself some deerskin boots.
But after 8 days I still couldn't find the rifle!
I packed my bags with supplies ready for a search of the ravine , weather was fine and visibility was good.
A wolf catches my scent, with my flare I keep him at bay, I make a sprint for the Hydro Dam, phew safe!
I hear scratching, I am not alone! I ready my final flare and hold it steady, confident I can repel whats there.
Fluffy comes for me, I ignite my torch.....he attacks, I fight for my life, wounded, the wolf retreats but I am left in a crippled state, bleeding.
My condition is not good, I escape the Dam only to find myself in a blizzard, I can't go back I must get back to my cabin. I forge ahead gritting my teeth, I am cold, so very cold.
I lose my bearings in the whiteout, i'm down to 3% my vision blurs, 2% i see the silhouette of a cabin I make it to the door, yes I survived. But whats this, this cabin does not have a fire! 1% i start to panic before I can get my bedroll out I slip into The Long Dark. 10/10 for atmosphere it really did have me frantic when I realised I was caught out in a blizzard with low health.
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64.8 hrs on record
Early Access Review
I enjoy this game and can't wait for story mode
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50.4 hrs on record
Early Access Review
At the time I'm writing this review only sandbox mode is available. Story mode is slated to come out sometime this year. I've spent 48 hours so far playing sandbox mode. There is definitely a sharp learning curve in TLD. Prepare to die a lot, especially in the beginning. Prepare to be frustrated at times. Also, prepare to see some really beautiful sights. Prepare to feel the satisfaction of discovering new locations, new items, and new ways to survive. Survival isn't fun. It is tedious and boring at times. In TLD there is the constant threat of death from a multitude of sources. Just when you think you've become an expert, you are humbled. Don't get too comfortable, or too confident. When that happens you open up yourself to stupid mistakes, and will die. There are frequent updates from the developers, which is encouraging. The game is constantly being tweaked and improved. Definitely worth checking out.
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4.5 hrs on record
Early Access Review
This game is another early-access diamond in a sea of coal.I highly recommend this atmospheric and dynamic survival game.Updates are frequent enough and usually substantial in their content.
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45.2 hrs on record
Early Access Review
One of the best survival games out there in my opinion! Fending of wolves and bears while trying to stay warm, fed, and hydrated. Very cool artistic style makes for beautiful screen shots. COntunious work is beoing done on this game. I look forward to all future updates. Highly recommended game if you like survival games.
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6.2 hrs on record
Early Access Review
Ben Frost the game
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Spooky Wolves
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4.0 hrs on record
Early Access Review
1 of a kind. 10/10
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43.5 hrs on record
Early Access Review
This game is charming amosphoric and not a building based game like minecraft.
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5.9 hrs on record
Early Access Review
Open GameOpen SpotifyClick Browse & Focus & Deep FocusPrepare to fade into the long dark
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Includes 22 Steam Achievements
Title: The Long Dark
Genre: , , , ,
Developer:
Publisher:
Release Date: 22 Sep, 2014
VAT included in all prices where applicable.&&
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