RaceDepartment Formula Manager is a forum game in which you own a F1 team and manage it in seasons consisting of 10 races. In order to play the game, a daily 5-10 minutes is enough to commit. The game uses a complicated set of formulae made with MS Excel 2007. You give your orders, and I update the races 2 laps per day.
PLEASE DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THE HUGE WALL OF TEXT HERE. JUST START A TEAM BY SIMPLY FILLING THE TEMPLATE BELOW. AND DONT HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS. THIS GAME is GRADUALLY LEARNED AS YOU PLAY. YOU CAN ALWAYS QUIT IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT.
Sign Up Template:
(You start the game with 2500 credits)
Manager Name:
Team Name:
Team Colors: (One primary, one secondary)
Tyre supplier: See the supplier lists below
Engine Contract: See the supplier lists below
Favorite Track: The first track of the calendar can't be picked
Sponsors:
Driver 1: Check out the driver list table below
Driver 2: Check out the driver list table below
YOU CAN JOIN ANYTIME. YOU DON'T NEED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT SEASON IF THE CURRENT SEASON IS UNDERWAY.
GETTING STARTED
If you are a newcomer, you start with 2500 credits. Name your team, (Don't use engine names in your team name) pick two colors, sign an engine contract, a tyre contract, pick two types of sponsors, pick a favorite track and hire at least 1 driver. (Careful that drivers are not free, check out the Drivers List) (You can name your drivers unless you buy a specific driver from the drivers list. BUT you have to use realistic names, please dont make names like "speed devil" or "boogey man" etc...) You should also send me your car setups via PM. (Details on car setups below)
You can't sign an engine contract extending the season calendar's length. For example, if there are 4 races to go, you can't sign a 5 races contract.
THEN HOW TO RACE?
When your team is ready, wait for the race start. Races start with qualifying session. You have to decide your drivers' pace and revs, tyre compounds and fuel levels before the qualifying. Between qualifying and race, there is no chance to change them. Parc Ferme lock is applied.
First update is the qualifying in which your drivers set a single lap time. Beware as your starting fuel levels and tyre compound will be the one which is used in the qualifying. You will be able to change your pace and engine rev though.
After qualifying ends, race starts and every update completes TWO laps in the race. Between the updates, you can change your paces and engine revs. Also you can order usage of ERS. And you can call your driver to pits (When you order a pitstop, you have to inform me about tyre compound and how much liters you want to be filled. There is nothing mandatory in the races regarding tyre compounds and fuel usage).
While giving your orders, you have to give orders for next 2 laps. Clearly seperated and without conditional clauses. For example; you can't say "pit if my tyre hp drops below %x in the 2nd lap". A good example of a command is just like this:
1st Lap
Schumacher easy/medium
Barrichello steady/low
2nd Lap
Schumacher steady/high use ERS
Barrichello safe/low pit for hard tyres and refuel to 120 lt
LIST OF PACES
(From Safe to Give all, the speed increases, wear increases, mistake chances increase.)
Give all
Push
Aggressive
Steady
Easy
Safe (Driver refrains from fighting for position on track)
Focus (Not available by default, the driver should have focus training, limited usage)
LIST OF REVS
High - Faster, but heats up the engine
Medium - Normal, heats up the engine, but not as much as high
Low - Cools down the engine, but slower compared to higher ones
LIST OF DRIVER ABILITIES (Driver abilities can be used only for ONCE in each race. They affect only a single lap. They can't be used in Qualifying laps.)
Play Safe - Driver drives more carefully in that lap.
Pace Up - Driver gets faster in that lap.
Hunt Them - Driver becomes better in overtaking/defending in that lap.
Care Tyres - Driver wears their tyres less in that lap.
Cool Down - Driver's engine is cooled a bit in that lap.
Intimidate - Driver in front of the driver gets a bit nervous in that lap. (You have to be at least 0.25 close to the car in front to be able to use it.)
Save Fuel - Sort of an emergency move that limits the fuel usage in that lap to avoid running out of fuel. In order words, your fuel can't drop below 1 in that lap.
HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR TEAM?
After a race ends, you will get prize money from your finishing position and sponsors. With this money, you can buy items from the marketplace and this way develop your team. Marketplace and Supplier lists below give details on what things you can buy.
Tyres and engines are developed through testings. Manufacturer engines which surpassed certain performance levels have a chance of increased failure at testings to balance their power. Manufacturer upgrades are more effective when bought directly by the manufacturer.
SETUP SYSTEM
Please look at the calendar list in the end of this post and notice the five parameters: Downforce, Top Speed, Braking, Cornering, Shifting. The numbers below those parameters signify how effective those setups are for the track they are shown. At the beginning of the season, you make your setup for both of your drivers. They can be different from each other. You have 100 points and you distribute them between Downforce, Top Speed, Braking, Cornering, Shifting and Wet Track. Wet Track setting is not related to track characteristics, but gets effective the more wet a track gets. Each setting becomes effective as much as the track parameters' number. High number means that setting effects the speed more than other parameters for that track.
You can adjust each of your cars' setups by 10 at the mid-season testings. Otherwise, you can conduct tests with your test driver and adjust your setup by 10 that way at each marketplace period.
If your test driver replaces one of your racing drivers, they get the setup of the replaced driver.
SEASON-START DRIVER BIDDING SYSTEM
At the beginning of each season, teams have no drivers. For this reason, managers would want to get the best skilled drivers on the drivers list. A bidding war takes place before the managers buy anything or sign supplier contracts. Each manager will send me (VIA PM, not public) five bids for five drivers like this:
1- Alonso - 3000
2- Schumacher - 2300
3 - Fisichella - 2000
4 - John - 600
5 - Micheal - 600
(Minimum bid is 600 credits, there is no maximum limit)
After I get all the bids from the managers, I will compare the 1st bids. The highest ones get the drivers. Then the 2nd bids, then the 3rds and so forth... If the driver was yours in the previous season, your bid gets a (500+Relationship Points) credits bonus. (For example, if you bid 1000 credits for your previous driver, and another manager bids him 1400, you still get him for 1000 as you have that 500 bonus.) In case of a draw at biddings, the driver prefers his previous team. If the bidders are not previous teams, he picks the more succesful one in the previous season. If they are both new teams, then he picks his team randomly.
HOW TO INCREASE RELATIONSHIP WITH A DRIVER
There are special marketplace items for that. Also finishing on podium and scoring points give certain points:
Podium: 50 points
Points Finish: 10 points
Each Driver Skill Purchase: 50 points
SAFETY CAR
When 3 or more cars retire in a single lap (for whatever reasons), the SC comes out. It does not affect the lap it begins immediately. The next two laps are affected. After two laps, it gets green again. You can pit in the SC period. But careful that convoy is formed in the 2nd lap of SC, not in the first one. So it is better to pit in the first lap quickly before the convoy is formed. Every driver switches to SAFE/LOW automatically in the SC period. They can't use other paces or revs in those two laps. ERS is disabled.
RED FLAG
If 8 or more cars retire in a single lap (for whatever reasons), the race gets stopped. If the %75 amount of the race is not completed, a restart takes place before which managers can fit new tyres, fix the cars fully and adjust the fuel loads freely. If the %75 is completed, the race ends and drivers are awarded full points.
FAVORITE TRACK
Each team picks a favorite track from the calendar. Australia can't be picked as it is the first race. The favorite track brings speed boost in the qualifying and race.
MID SEASON TESTINGS
There is a mid-season testings on the calendar, each supplier gets a new random upgrade at that testings. You can also adjust your car setups by 10 points after those tests.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO ALL ENGINE MANUFACTURERS and CUSTOMERS
- Default deal is that all customer teams will pay 100 (50 per car) credits to their manufacturer team.
- As a manufacturer, you can supply maximum 4 teams (including your own team).
SISTER TEAMS
You can found a sister team with 3500 credits. You can have maximum 1 sister team. Running them is completely same as your main team. But they have a limitation: They can only use Cosworth/Renault/Ferrari/Mercedes engines. Sister teams can't manufacture their own engines.
END OF SEASON
At the end of the season, tyre upgrades will be reverted back and their stats will be changed randomly. Your drivers will leave the team. Engine upgrades will remain. Chassis, qualifying, and durability upgrades will be reverted back too. That is to provide a more equal ground in the next seasons. Driver will lose %20 of their skills randomly. If they have less than 5 skills, they won't lose any. There will be prize credits given according to your finishing positions in constructors and drivers championships. All drivers will be free after the season. You can carry over maximum 10.000 credits to the next season. Remember to spend any extra credits you have before the final race as there is no marketplace period after the 10th race of the season.
IMPORTANT RULES and INFORMATION (Updated with questions from the managers)
FAQ
-About driver abilities: Can we use each ability once in the race, or we select one only?
You select only one. You can't use all of them.
-Another question regarding driver abilities, do we have to decide for one per driver each season, or can we change the one we use from race to race?
You can choose any one of them each race. You don't have to decide which one you will use before the race.
-Question about supplying engines to other teams: In case of an upgrade to the engine, do I get to race it first for one race before supplying others or will each team get the upgrades at the same time?
They get the same upgrades
-Can i sell my drivers?
You can if another manager is willing to buy them. Otherwise, you have to release them. If you sell your driver to another manager, you will get the half-price as credits. You can do this between sister teams, but the selling team does not get any money. The buyer has to pay at least 600 credits.
-What if i fail to give my orders for the qualifying or in the race?
Your drivers go on default levels. Default pace is steady, revs is low. The default tyre is hard compound. Car is %100 fueled.
-Do i have to give orders each turn?
Your pace and rev choices are carried over from the turn before. Others are not. So it is up to you.
-Can i use ERS in qualifying?
ERS is not available in the qualifying.
-Can my drivers pit in the same lap?
Drivers can pit at the same lap. But if there is not an enough gap between them (around 5.00), the latter one has to wait and loses plenty of time.
-Can we take fuel out of the car in pitstops. Let's say can we decrease a 30 lt fueled car to 10 with a pitstop?
No, it is not possible. If you tell me to refuel from the amount lower than the current fuel, it is an invalid command and your fuel level will remain the same.
-Can i found more than one sister team?
No.
-What if i go AWOL a bit?
In the course of a race, going awol has no penalties other than the fact that your cars will retire with either fuel or chassis problems. If you miss the contract-renewal period after the 5th race, you will not be able to race without any tyre and engine though.
-Can I pull my drivers out of a race?
You can't. They have to retire naturally. Only if the managers wants to quit the game for good, their drivers can be pulled out mid-race.
-Can I give the ownership of my own-manufactured engine to another player?
If a manager wishes to take-over a player-manufactured engine, they have to win a bidding war against the other interested parties. Winner becomes the new owner of the engine. The old owner gets the half-price as credits. If a manufactured engine's player goes AWOL, a bidding war takes place to pick a new owner. (1000 cr is the minimum price)
-Can I edit my marketplace purchases?
As long as there is not a technical mistake, you can't refund/remove purchases after you make your post. But if you have money left, you can buy more things before the marketplace gets closed.
-Can my budget go negative?
You can only go negative if you have to buy your first driver or get an engine/tyre supplier. In other terms, you can't go below 0 by over-spending. You can't buy player-manufactured engines if you have 0 credits or less, because you are supposed to pay to the player.
-Driver Testing skills give bonus at which tests?
Only in tyre/engine supplier tests conducted by the team itself, not by sponsors or partnership.
-What happens to the relationship points after a driver is hired?
They are removed and the relationship should be rebuild from 500 points again.
-Can I swap the positions of my drivers behind the safety car?
You can only order them to change positions if they both pit in the same lap.
CALENDAR
MARKETPLACE LIST
SPONSORS LIST
REWARDS and POINTS ALLOCATION
*This page is subject to change with updates*
PLEASE DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THE HUGE WALL OF TEXT HERE. JUST START A TEAM BY SIMPLY FILLING THE TEMPLATE BELOW. AND DONT HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS. THIS GAME is GRADUALLY LEARNED AS YOU PLAY. YOU CAN ALWAYS QUIT IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT.
Sign Up Template:
(You start the game with 2500 credits)
Manager Name:
Team Name:
Team Colors: (One primary, one secondary)
Tyre supplier: See the supplier lists below
Engine Contract: See the supplier lists below
Favorite Track: The first track of the calendar can't be picked
Sponsors:
Driver 1: Check out the driver list table below
Driver 2: Check out the driver list table below
YOU CAN JOIN ANYTIME. YOU DON'T NEED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT SEASON IF THE CURRENT SEASON IS UNDERWAY.
GETTING STARTED
If you are a newcomer, you start with 2500 credits. Name your team, (Don't use engine names in your team name) pick two colors, sign an engine contract, a tyre contract, pick two types of sponsors, pick a favorite track and hire at least 1 driver. (Careful that drivers are not free, check out the Drivers List) (You can name your drivers unless you buy a specific driver from the drivers list. BUT you have to use realistic names, please dont make names like "speed devil" or "boogey man" etc...) You should also send me your car setups via PM. (Details on car setups below)
You can't sign an engine contract extending the season calendar's length. For example, if there are 4 races to go, you can't sign a 5 races contract.
THEN HOW TO RACE?
When your team is ready, wait for the race start. Races start with qualifying session. You have to decide your drivers' pace and revs, tyre compounds and fuel levels before the qualifying. Between qualifying and race, there is no chance to change them. Parc Ferme lock is applied.
First update is the qualifying in which your drivers set a single lap time. Beware as your starting fuel levels and tyre compound will be the one which is used in the qualifying. You will be able to change your pace and engine rev though.
After qualifying ends, race starts and every update completes TWO laps in the race. Between the updates, you can change your paces and engine revs. Also you can order usage of ERS. And you can call your driver to pits (When you order a pitstop, you have to inform me about tyre compound and how much liters you want to be filled. There is nothing mandatory in the races regarding tyre compounds and fuel usage).
While giving your orders, you have to give orders for next 2 laps. Clearly seperated and without conditional clauses. For example; you can't say "pit if my tyre hp drops below %x in the 2nd lap". A good example of a command is just like this:
1st Lap
Schumacher easy/medium
Barrichello steady/low
2nd Lap
Schumacher steady/high use ERS
Barrichello safe/low pit for hard tyres and refuel to 120 lt
LIST OF PACES
(From Safe to Give all, the speed increases, wear increases, mistake chances increase.)
Give all
Push
Aggressive
Steady
Easy
Safe (Driver refrains from fighting for position on track)
Focus (Not available by default, the driver should have focus training, limited usage)
LIST OF REVS
High - Faster, but heats up the engine
Medium - Normal, heats up the engine, but not as much as high
Low - Cools down the engine, but slower compared to higher ones
LIST OF DRIVER ABILITIES (Driver abilities can be used only for ONCE in each race. They affect only a single lap. They can't be used in Qualifying laps.)
Play Safe - Driver drives more carefully in that lap.
Pace Up - Driver gets faster in that lap.
Hunt Them - Driver becomes better in overtaking/defending in that lap.
Care Tyres - Driver wears their tyres less in that lap.
Cool Down - Driver's engine is cooled a bit in that lap.
Intimidate - Driver in front of the driver gets a bit nervous in that lap. (You have to be at least 0.25 close to the car in front to be able to use it.)
Save Fuel - Sort of an emergency move that limits the fuel usage in that lap to avoid running out of fuel. In order words, your fuel can't drop below 1 in that lap.
HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR TEAM?
After a race ends, you will get prize money from your finishing position and sponsors. With this money, you can buy items from the marketplace and this way develop your team. Marketplace and Supplier lists below give details on what things you can buy.
Tyres and engines are developed through testings. Manufacturer engines which surpassed certain performance levels have a chance of increased failure at testings to balance their power. Manufacturer upgrades are more effective when bought directly by the manufacturer.
SETUP SYSTEM
Please look at the calendar list in the end of this post and notice the five parameters: Downforce, Top Speed, Braking, Cornering, Shifting. The numbers below those parameters signify how effective those setups are for the track they are shown. At the beginning of the season, you make your setup for both of your drivers. They can be different from each other. You have 100 points and you distribute them between Downforce, Top Speed, Braking, Cornering, Shifting and Wet Track. Wet Track setting is not related to track characteristics, but gets effective the more wet a track gets. Each setting becomes effective as much as the track parameters' number. High number means that setting effects the speed more than other parameters for that track.
You can adjust each of your cars' setups by 10 at the mid-season testings. Otherwise, you can conduct tests with your test driver and adjust your setup by 10 that way at each marketplace period.
If your test driver replaces one of your racing drivers, they get the setup of the replaced driver.
SEASON-START DRIVER BIDDING SYSTEM
At the beginning of each season, teams have no drivers. For this reason, managers would want to get the best skilled drivers on the drivers list. A bidding war takes place before the managers buy anything or sign supplier contracts. Each manager will send me (VIA PM, not public) five bids for five drivers like this:
1- Alonso - 3000
2- Schumacher - 2300
3 - Fisichella - 2000
4 - John - 600
5 - Micheal - 600
(Minimum bid is 600 credits, there is no maximum limit)
After I get all the bids from the managers, I will compare the 1st bids. The highest ones get the drivers. Then the 2nd bids, then the 3rds and so forth... If the driver was yours in the previous season, your bid gets a (500+Relationship Points) credits bonus. (For example, if you bid 1000 credits for your previous driver, and another manager bids him 1400, you still get him for 1000 as you have that 500 bonus.) In case of a draw at biddings, the driver prefers his previous team. If the bidders are not previous teams, he picks the more succesful one in the previous season. If they are both new teams, then he picks his team randomly.
HOW TO INCREASE RELATIONSHIP WITH A DRIVER
There are special marketplace items for that. Also finishing on podium and scoring points give certain points:
Podium: 50 points
Points Finish: 10 points
Each Driver Skill Purchase: 50 points
SAFETY CAR
When 3 or more cars retire in a single lap (for whatever reasons), the SC comes out. It does not affect the lap it begins immediately. The next two laps are affected. After two laps, it gets green again. You can pit in the SC period. But careful that convoy is formed in the 2nd lap of SC, not in the first one. So it is better to pit in the first lap quickly before the convoy is formed. Every driver switches to SAFE/LOW automatically in the SC period. They can't use other paces or revs in those two laps. ERS is disabled.
RED FLAG
If 8 or more cars retire in a single lap (for whatever reasons), the race gets stopped. If the %75 amount of the race is not completed, a restart takes place before which managers can fit new tyres, fix the cars fully and adjust the fuel loads freely. If the %75 is completed, the race ends and drivers are awarded full points.
FAVORITE TRACK
Each team picks a favorite track from the calendar. Australia can't be picked as it is the first race. The favorite track brings speed boost in the qualifying and race.
MID SEASON TESTINGS
There is a mid-season testings on the calendar, each supplier gets a new random upgrade at that testings. You can also adjust your car setups by 10 points after those tests.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO ALL ENGINE MANUFACTURERS and CUSTOMERS
- Default deal is that all customer teams will pay 100 (50 per car) credits to their manufacturer team.
- As a manufacturer, you can supply maximum 4 teams (including your own team).
SISTER TEAMS
You can found a sister team with 3500 credits. You can have maximum 1 sister team. Running them is completely same as your main team. But they have a limitation: They can only use Cosworth/Renault/Ferrari/Mercedes engines. Sister teams can't manufacture their own engines.
END OF SEASON
At the end of the season, tyre upgrades will be reverted back and their stats will be changed randomly. Your drivers will leave the team. Engine upgrades will remain. Chassis, qualifying, and durability upgrades will be reverted back too. That is to provide a more equal ground in the next seasons. Driver will lose %20 of their skills randomly. If they have less than 5 skills, they won't lose any. There will be prize credits given according to your finishing positions in constructors and drivers championships. All drivers will be free after the season. You can carry over maximum 10.000 credits to the next season. Remember to spend any extra credits you have before the final race as there is no marketplace period after the 10th race of the season.
IMPORTANT RULES and INFORMATION (Updated with questions from the managers)
- Maximum Drivers you can have: 3 (3rd driver becomes the Test Driver.)
- Weather forecast is not %100 reliable. Just like real-life.
- There is a luck factor, please don't flame me if you get unlucky at some occasions.
- Each pitstop repairs a certain amount of damage/wear. You can make a longer pitstop to repair more car wear.
- You have to give your orders directly in the thread. Only thing you can hide from your rivals is your starting pace, rev, fuel load, and tyre compound in the qualifying session (You hide it by PMing me directly)
- Updates will usually be around 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00 GMT.
- New tyre and engine supplier brands might appear in the further seasons. Some new rules, regulations and tools might be introduced as well. In some seasons, refuelling might get banned, or even new systems like DRS might be introduced etc.. The game is not in it's final form.
- Team orders are allowed. But you can't give orders regarding other teams. You can't give orders between the drivers of your sister teams.
- You can change sponsors between the Grand Prix weekends, but not in the process of a Grand Prix weekend. Unless you have a PR expert.
- More rules and information will be added with the questions of the managers.
- In qualifying, engine failure is disabled. But your drivers can make mistakes. Crashing is also not possible.
- Sponsorship prizes are calculated to each of your drivers seperately.
- Maximum grid size is 40 cars. If we get more than 40 drivers, there will be pre-qualifying sessions in which a single all-out lap (All soft tyres, 50 lt, give all-high, qualifying upgrade will not be effective) determines the fastest 40 drivers which will advance into the qualifying. DNQ drivers will get credits for compensation.
- A player-manufactured engine can be used by maximum 4 teams.
FAQ
-About driver abilities: Can we use each ability once in the race, or we select one only?
You select only one. You can't use all of them.
-Another question regarding driver abilities, do we have to decide for one per driver each season, or can we change the one we use from race to race?
You can choose any one of them each race. You don't have to decide which one you will use before the race.
-Question about supplying engines to other teams: In case of an upgrade to the engine, do I get to race it first for one race before supplying others or will each team get the upgrades at the same time?
They get the same upgrades
-Can i sell my drivers?
You can if another manager is willing to buy them. Otherwise, you have to release them. If you sell your driver to another manager, you will get the half-price as credits. You can do this between sister teams, but the selling team does not get any money. The buyer has to pay at least 600 credits.
-What if i fail to give my orders for the qualifying or in the race?
Your drivers go on default levels. Default pace is steady, revs is low. The default tyre is hard compound. Car is %100 fueled.
-Do i have to give orders each turn?
Your pace and rev choices are carried over from the turn before. Others are not. So it is up to you.
-Can i use ERS in qualifying?
ERS is not available in the qualifying.
-Can my drivers pit in the same lap?
Drivers can pit at the same lap. But if there is not an enough gap between them (around 5.00), the latter one has to wait and loses plenty of time.
-Can we take fuel out of the car in pitstops. Let's say can we decrease a 30 lt fueled car to 10 with a pitstop?
No, it is not possible. If you tell me to refuel from the amount lower than the current fuel, it is an invalid command and your fuel level will remain the same.
-Can i found more than one sister team?
No.
-What if i go AWOL a bit?
In the course of a race, going awol has no penalties other than the fact that your cars will retire with either fuel or chassis problems. If you miss the contract-renewal period after the 5th race, you will not be able to race without any tyre and engine though.
-Can I pull my drivers out of a race?
You can't. They have to retire naturally. Only if the managers wants to quit the game for good, their drivers can be pulled out mid-race.
-Can I give the ownership of my own-manufactured engine to another player?
If a manager wishes to take-over a player-manufactured engine, they have to win a bidding war against the other interested parties. Winner becomes the new owner of the engine. The old owner gets the half-price as credits. If a manufactured engine's player goes AWOL, a bidding war takes place to pick a new owner. (1000 cr is the minimum price)
-Can I edit my marketplace purchases?
As long as there is not a technical mistake, you can't refund/remove purchases after you make your post. But if you have money left, you can buy more things before the marketplace gets closed.
-Can my budget go negative?
You can only go negative if you have to buy your first driver or get an engine/tyre supplier. In other terms, you can't go below 0 by over-spending. You can't buy player-manufactured engines if you have 0 credits or less, because you are supposed to pay to the player.
-Driver Testing skills give bonus at which tests?
Only in tyre/engine supplier tests conducted by the team itself, not by sponsors or partnership.
-What happens to the relationship points after a driver is hired?
They are removed and the relationship should be rebuild from 500 points again.
-Can I swap the positions of my drivers behind the safety car?
You can only order them to change positions if they both pit in the same lap.
CALENDAR
MARKETPLACE LIST
SPONSORS LIST
REWARDS and POINTS ALLOCATION
*This page is subject to change with updates*
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