GM Policies Made Public

From Sage Sundi, Global Online Producer:

New Policies


We are proud to announce that we are making our GM policies public and accessible to everyone. This decision was arrived at after much deliberation between our development team, global branches and other departments using input we received from players through Allakhazam.com and numerous GM calls. As a result, we decided to make the GM policies public, and in order to provide an even higher standard of GM service, to reassess what it is that GMs do.

Now that the GM Policies and Online Conduct are public, we’d like to point out major changes and clarify parts that may have caused confusion in the past.

What are Game Masters (GMs) for?

GMs are customer service professionals in FINAL FANTASY XI that possess a rich knowledge of our games. Their goal is to directly connect players within the game to our services, acting as the first line in our service front. They aim to help you achieve the best gaming environment possible and to help solve any problems that you may have. Only people with passion and an understanding of these goals can become GMs.

Lofty it may sound, but every GM in FINAL FANTASY XI shares these goals. And to foster better understanding, we have decided to release our Online Conduct and GM Policies to the public.

Restoring Items

We often receive calls about lost items. After investigating, sometimes we find user error was the cause of the loss. Regrettably, we could not return lost items to their owners.

While some lost items are of extremely high value, we realized that many players had a great sentimental attachment to items of relatively low worth. The value of those memories is unique to each player, and we cannot attach a price tag to make up for such a loss. Taking this into account, we sat down and thought about what our GMs could do to help in this situation.

We are happy to announce that we have decided to empower our GMs with the ability to restore items, regardless of reason, so long as we are able to confirm that they were indeed lost.

However, as written in our GM policies, players can only take advantage of this feature a limited number of times. This is necessary to prevent abuse of the system and to maintain fair game play. Currently there is a limit of one reimbursement ticket per account.

As outlined above, if you lose something important to you, you have the option of using this ticket to get your item back. However, we ask that you act immediately. If you delay for more than a week, we will become unable to confirm the item loss and restore your item.

Also, we intentionally left the number of tickets ambiguous ("limited number"), since we feel that in the months and years to follow, there may be a need to increase this number at some point in time. This decision was made to allow changes as needed in the future without having to announce them. If you ever lose an item that is important to you, please report the issue to a GM immediately.

Restoring Lost Experience Points Due to Technical Difficulties

Since we provide service throughout the year (24/7, 365 days a year), sometimes the servers for FINAL FANTASY XI encounter technical difficulties. This is our responsibility, and our number one concern has always been restoring service, as soon as possible. In addition, we have decided to start reimbursing players who have lost experience once an area is up and running again.

We’re sure that some of you have come back to the game after a server problem, and after logging in, find yourself in front of an “Incredibly Tough” enemy and then KO’d. A GM will broadcast an area-wide message asking for players who need their assistance. If you are one of these players, send the GM a tell and wait in your KO’d state. A GM should arrive shortly to move you to a safe place and revive your character. We will then restore your lost experience points.

Of course, you can always choose to forgo this option if you would rather quickly return to your home point, or have another player raise you instead. However, please be aware that we will be unable to compensate any lost experience once the above happens.

We plan to implement this policy in the next update because the GM functions have to be upgraded to accommodate this feature.

Will This Really Improve the GMs’ Standing?

"GMs don’t listen to what we have to say," "All they’re good for is getting us out of a stuck situation," and "It’s not worth it to call it in, you’ll just get punished instead" are just several examples of opinions we’ve heard voiced on the forums.

Our team’s primary goal is to change the perception of our GMs by helping our players understand what our GMs do. Some have said that making our policy public would cause great harm to our support staff. Even within our team, there was much opposition to allowing GMs to make themselves visible. However, we believe that unless this and other policy changes happen, we would be unable to demonstrate that we are here to support you, our players. Without these changes. our GMs' reputation would remain poor, and we could no longer take pride in our service.

We are aware that GMs are held in low regard because, their role in handing out punishment clashes with the image they project in other support tasks. Punishment is unfortunately necessary to protect our players in Vana`diel. Indeed, the image of meting out punishment for harassment and improper behavior contrasts sharply with the friendly, accessible GM that you normally encounter. Furthermore, GMs must keep confidential the results of our investigations in order to maintain the privacy of both parties involved. This adds to mistrust in GMs.

Since this is the perfect time for us to discuss this, I'd like to make the following clear. The support staff are here to support you in the role-playing game that you, the players, enjoy. They (the GM staff) will never mix support and role-playing. Part of the reason we decided that our GM staff should make themselves visible was to make this distinction clear.

Though it may seem to some of you that there is a misunderstanding within the Japanese MMO market as to what MMOs are about, special cases aside, GMs are never in a position to role-play. GMs who role-play during weddings only do so as a specific task. After their task at the event is complete, they still have other responsibilities which can include punishing players. Oftentimes this may come immediately after the event in which they were previously role-playing. One thing we would like to make clear is that we feel any role-playing that coincides with normal support tasks is inappropriate. Unfortunately, not everyone who provides service in this industry shares this view, and some services choose a different standard. These services unfortunately tarnish the professional image that GMs deserve.

In order to ensure a positive image within FINAL FANTASY XI, our valued players will always receive the following service from our GMs.

  • Our GMs will make themselves visible as much as possible
  • While we will not role-play, we will be as friendly as possible and never be rude
  • We will ALWAYS give you an answer in some form to your questions
  • We place the satisfaction of you, our players above everything else
  • We will take a much harsher stance against disruptive game play

In other words, you will never be punished when making a call, no matter how trivial it may be. But if a call is intended to obstruct our service, then our GMs will have no choice but to take action against the caller, because it prevents us from giving other players the support they need. As long as nothing inappropriate is done, our GMs will always be friendly and forthcoming when communicating with you.


Global Online Producer
Sage Sundi

Comments

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from the new policy
# Dec 12 2006 at 11:14 AM Rating: Decent
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688 posts
From the new GM Policy posted on playonline.com

Quote:
Question
What kinds of items can I have reimbursed?

Answer

Items reported lost within one week and which meet one or more of the following conditions can be reimbursed.
*) Items mistakenly destroyed
*) Items mistakenly thrown
*) Items mistakenly eaten


That last bit made me laugh. XD
repost.....
# Dec 12 2006 at 11:00 AM Rating: Decent
sorry, I reposted =\

Edited, Dec 12th 2006 2:10pm by GentlemenJimStacey
Most of you are expecting too much...
# Dec 12 2006 at 10:59 AM Rating: Decent
This is annoying, just because they say they're going to make GM service **better** doesn't mean they're going to make the game **Easiier**. Just b.c you didn't claim a certain mob or didn't get that certain item you've been farming for 1year's+ on, doesn't mean that they will start babying you about it. That would lessen the value of the item of itself, and would, in the players' eyes, ruin the "sentimentality" associated with it. So guys, honestly, quit ********* they're simply saying they're making adjustments to make a better GM service, not allow for your 999999 Sleepga 2 to hit (that's just called whining b/c you've spent hours on lvling it and now you see no difference in the spell), for the Japanese players to be less competitive/ruthless than you already may percieve to be (personally I have np with them), nor will they try to get you a girlfriend =p.
#REDACTED, Posted: Dec 12 2006 at 10:46 AM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) All right! im gonna say i lost a kraken club and try to scam it out of SE LOL.
raised noobs
# Dec 12 2006 at 10:29 AM Rating: Decent
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366 posts
why is it that i think a bunch of noobs will be calling the GMs to be raised -_-;
the bs of the "changes"
# Dec 12 2006 at 10:00 AM Rating: Default
ocne people in my ls were jailed () and released later after another ls took) for holding a mob in atowa chasm... well it was tiamat... the gm said kill it in like 5 minutes or be jailed.... well the gm had no idea how hard the mob was... so dont believe this bullsheet they feed you about gms beiong profesionals at the game... they just hire friendly people to be nice to you w.


So yea basically another ls said we were holding a mob, which as i said was tiamat... gm threatened and later jailed our tanks.... who were later removed from jail because gm "didnt know mobs strength" as stated... so yea if you want to buy any of the bs posted above... be my guest, the gm description does not fit the description of a gm w.
GMs are worthless
# Dec 12 2006 at 9:34 AM Rating: Default
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216 posts
I'll belive this when I see some damn action. GM's are worthless and not once have I seen them do anything useful. I once did a KSNM 30, I was playing as RDM and I had 5 other BLMs with me. My job was to Sleepga ofcourse... So as a RDM75,
302 Enfeebling magic, I Elemental Seal + Sleepga... Needless to say it stuck, it even showed in the battle log that they were asleep... And yet somehow, they kept on coming towards me and managed to wiped us all. So I called a GM and his response was, "I'm sorry, but we can't return your Kindred Seals as we have never heard of any problems with a ODS KSNM" "Sorry for your misfurtune, Is there anything else I can help you with?"... That's just one of my encounters with a GM that I recieved no help with... Thank you GMs... for nothing. Just wanted you guys to know my hate for GMs.
O-kote NM
# Dec 12 2006 at 8:10 AM Rating: Good
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188 posts
Well, perhaps this will restore your faith in GM.

A while ago I decided to camp Mee deggi, soon I realized he was RMT ownage. However, they were bots... ( anyone surprised?) Not only would they have a bot to do warp claims, they also have a bot to be able to engage from a great distance w/o actually touching the mob and yet having it claimed >.> Mee deggi pops, /cheer he was like a 2 second walk from me, nobody around. Then all of a sudden, 2 RMT pop in front of me, who were clearly standing on the higher space of the area... They claimed, I was furious, this just isn't fair... So I called a GM^^ I explained everything, he/she was really kind and asked for time of this event etc.

A few days later a ls mate tells he's camping Mee deggi and he claimed him. I was all like wtf how did he beat warp claimers. I do a /sea area x and see no RMT. A week later still no RMT. A few weeks later RMT pop again, but those slow RMT who don't use bots, just camp it 24/7 the legit way. You can beat these : D Was so happy, wondered if my action was persuasive for the GM to perma ban them^^
O-kote NM
# Dec 12 2006 at 9:54 AM Rating: Decent
need to change the discription of a gm... my ls had a call saying we were holding a mob... well the mob was tiasmat... and since we didnt kill it in like 2 minutes we had people jailed... yea "proffesionals... my rear end... they dont even know what tiamat is or how hard it is... they are noobs being payed to be friendly in regards to the game
Interesting.
# Dec 12 2006 at 7:21 AM Rating: Decent
I wonder if I could take this new item opportunity to get my bibiki seashell back. I'm such a idiot for using the wrong macro > <.

Edit: http://x9c.xanga.com/6fcd73016073694925999/z66355245.jpg

Man... and it seemed like it was geared directly towards this problem too...

Edited, Dec 13th 2006 11:59am by captainjdog
Griefing
# Dec 12 2006 at 5:47 AM Rating: Decent
42 posts
I highly doubt they'll do anything in the "stealing" of potential bst pets situation. While I find the whole scenario you presented deplorable since the JP clearly knew you were using the eyes vs Hakutaku, having done the fight myself as 2x bst + 1 support, it does take 2hrs/kill. For the sake of argument we'll round it down to 1.5hrs for 3x bst. That's still 4.5hrs to get all your hats, so you can't blame them for not wanting to wait that long, especially if they had the standard alliance that steadily bleeds members for even 15min kills.
my 2 cents
# Dec 12 2006 at 5:47 AM Rating: Decent
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125 posts
I used to play EverQuest soon after the first one was released. You used to always see GM's. They had their names all special and all that you knew they were GM's. They would be out doing quest's and all kinds of things, partying with other normal people. Just playing the game. If someone had a problem they would stop what they were doing and help you. Then they would contiune on with their play. If you saw a GM in your area you could ingage them in normal conversation or ask about the effects of a certain "staff of invisibility +1" or directions to the next town. They acted more like superpowerd mentors then demigods.

When I started playing FFXI I often wondered why I never saw a GM. Since this was the first MMO I have played since back in my everquest days. I noticed people did seem to be a little scared to use the GM function here in FFXI. For fear of knowing if you actually have a ligitamit claim or not. When did GM'ing become such a lofty position? Isn't it better to be in game mingaling with customers, ingaging in casual banter? This is definintly a step in the right direction but it seems you could take it a little further.
Quote:
Even within our team, there was much opposition to allowing GMs to make themselves visible.

Why dont you want your customers to see gm's?
Quote:
Since we provide service throughout the year (24/7, 365 days a year)

Quote:
if a call is intended to obstruct our service, then our GMs will have no choice but to take action against the caller, because it prevents us from giving other players the support they need.

FFXI has been out for 4 years and your still backed up on the GM waiting list? What do you have the GM's doing for 24/7? People are still finding gliches that effect gameplay 4 years in? Or you have every GM hired on the RMT task force. I just cant imagine that a GM's time is SO precious that they can't take time out to just go walk around Jeuno and answer "stupid noob" questions for 15 min every couple hours.
Sorry I don't know where this post is going now I'm kinda starting to just ramble on. ^^ Anyway ah.... Keep fighting the good fight! Peace (least you be a filthy beastman)



Edited, Dec 12th 2006 8:56am by TinuvialDaGreat

Edited, Dec 12th 2006 8:57am by TinuvialDaGreat
Griefing
# Dec 12 2006 at 5:47 AM Rating: Decent
42 posts
I highly doubt they'll do anything in the "stealing" of potential bst pets situation. While I find the whole scenario you presented deplorable since the JP clearly knew you were using the eyes vs Hakutaku, having done the fight myself as 2x bst + 1 support, it does take 2hrs/kill. For the sake of argument we'll round it down to 1.5hrs for 3x bst. That's still 4.5hrs to get all your hats, so you can't blame them for not wanting to wait that long, especially if they had the standard alliance that steadily bleeds members for even 15min kills.
LOLGM
# Dec 12 2006 at 4:50 AM Rating: Default
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409 posts
Quote:
Our GMs will make themselves visible as much as possible

Very dangerous because then players will see that they aren't doing anything to stop harassment and mpk attempts by RMT's

Quote:
While we will not role-play, we will be as friendly as possible and never be rude

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. If you get claim against a GM's bot farm, they will more than likely still get "a litle rude".

Quote:
We will ALWAYS give you an answer in some form to your questions

Yeah "We will look into the matter, thank you for contacting us" That's an answer right?

Quote:
We place the satisfaction of you, our players above everything else

You mean the RMT players right?? Afterall, they probably make up the majority of players now on alot of servers. Gotta keep them happy.

Quote:
We will take a much harsher stance against disruptive game play

/Sigh... Believe it when I see it.
What can GMs do about RMT, again?
# Dec 12 2006 at 3:39 AM Rating: Decent
Excellent. I'll now spam GM calls, guilt-free, until they do something about the RMT hive in Gusgen Mines and Oldton Movalpolos. I've seen the same RMT in there for a year, and the number of 'em makes actually mining in either place virtually useless. Then there's the whole magically disappearing mining points that couldn't have been spawned for more than a minute, and the RMT miners abandoning a point mid-spawn and moving on to the next one only for me to break a few pickaxes figuring out they left because they "knew" nothing valuable was left.

The problem that players had with GMs isn't their "secretive" nature, it's that GMs seem damn near impotent when you have the same botting campers staring up Yagudos' asses all day (every day) in Castle O for the last year, hoping for Mee to poke his head out.

I mean, come on, Squenix. Come on, man. You don't really think you've created a vibrant world for us players only to have an odd gaggle of Rank 1 60BLM/[blank] sit in Gusgen Mines all the time for their sh*ts and giggles, do you?

Beyond that mini-rant deriving from my impotence in making gil in places I *want* to mine, I patiently await my semi-delicious halved casting times on Absorb spells...and stuff...

Edit: Oh, hey, just a quick question, but when are you going to finish Xenogears? (I had to throw this up, just for the Hell of it. :D)

Edited, Dec 12th 2006 8:13pm by firefeng
:/
# Dec 12 2006 at 2:38 AM Rating: Good
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158 posts
@Gawane: What are you talking about? A BST can't charm NMs.

@Pandyserv: I think killing pets is just as harmful as "dropping" pets next to people which will then attack the others (even tho that's hard to do after MPK patch). So I think the GMs will hear your grief. Or at least they should.
#REDACTED, Posted: Dec 12 2006 at 2:17 AM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) I am a Mentor on Odin and I have watched BST charm NM's and go lvl in an area. So if you are using none NM monsters then I would say they would more then likely side with a BST. BUT, if you charm am NM then no I think they'd side in the negative. but thats just my 2 cents
ok I'll make this one clear
# Dec 12 2006 at 10:00 AM Rating: Decent
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928 posts
Quote:
I am a Mentor on Odin and I have watched BST charm NM's and go lvl in an area. So if you are using none NM monsters then I would say they would more then likely side with a BST. BUT, if you charm am NM then no I think they'd side in the negative. but thats just my 2 cents



What... the... hell... O.o
ok I'll make this one clear
# Dec 12 2006 at 9:57 AM Rating: Decent
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928 posts
What... the... hell... O.o
Griefing
# Dec 12 2006 at 2:01 AM Rating: Good
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789 posts
Quote:
We will take a much harsher stance against disruptive game play


I would like better explination on this point.

Mostly due to an incident that happened to my LS the other night.

We went down to the Den of Rancor to get some O Hats. A group of Japanese players shoed up and asked how many we had left to get. We told them 3 more.

They offered to join one of their parties with our group. (btw we were a BST group so did not have a full alliance)

As things went on with the fight we were on it became appearant that they did not want to wait to get theirs and broke from our alliance.

Now then in this case we knew that if we continued and got the next pop in they would most likely start killing our pets and cause us to wipe.

We left as no one wanted to risk loosing their cluster.

The answer I would like is, as a BST group (or even in solo activites) if someone is obviously killing our pets to try and run us out/ cause us to wipe/ steal our Mob will a GM side w/ us for "griefing" or will we get the same vanilla response of "any unclaimed mob is fair game" even though it is being done to purposly harm us in some fasion?
Griefing
# Dec 12 2006 at 8:05 AM Rating: Good
Wow! When I started reading this, I thought, wow, thats very nice of them. But when they disband, and then you proceeded to talk about what could happen, it made me realize how much a BST relies on a unclaim mob in the area. To me thats evil intent to do harm. Not acceptable.

Issues like this needs to be addressed in Players Etiquette. If people can't play to help each other in there goals then they shouldn't play this game. HELPING is the FOUNDATION of this game PERIOD.

As far as what can be done about these kinds of situations, I don't see how they can be. Because, if they did make a area/halo around a area where BST level/etc. then, they would use that against other players, and that would be evil intent. So it comes back to [Players Etiquette].

Maybe if a person run into this kind of situation, call a GM. Have the GM watch the situation and rule accordingly. Evil intent or not.

Rules can change.

Griefing
# Dec 12 2006 at 2:43 AM Rating: Decent
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6,424 posts
Pandyserv wrote:
The answer I would like is, as a BST group (or even in solo activites) if someone is obviously killing our pets to try and run us out/ cause us to wipe/ steal our Mob will a GM side w/ us for "griefing" or will we get the same vanilla response of "any unclaimed mob is fair game" even though it is being done to purposly harm us in some fasion?


Well, any unclaimed mob IS fair game, although it's rude to take away future pets which are used only against a popped NM.

I don't know how your tactic works, but if it takes longer then average, AND you want to do 3 more runs, then I can understand that they kill charm mobs. They want to get the same thing done, and probably can do it faster.

Perhaps you should have alternated pops.

Griefing
# Dec 12 2006 at 10:08 AM Rating: Good
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789 posts
Seedling wrote:
I don't know how your tactic works, but if it takes longer then average, AND you want to do 3 more runs, then I can understand that they kill charm mobs. They want to get the same thing done, and probably can do it faster.

Perhaps you should have alternated pops.


The BST strat is basicly throw Million Eyes at Haku till he dies.

We had enough 75s there to make the fight last about 30-45 Min.

If we had some SMN w/ us it could be done in 20 min easy. But we were unable to to find any to come with us.

As far as alternating pops, they spoke very poor "Engrish" and made it appearant that they wanted theirs "fast" and could not wait.

Oh well, another run was planed for last night, I was unable to get on so I hope all went well.
Griefing
# Dec 12 2006 at 2:55 PM Rating: Decent
My only advice, as crappy as it may be... if you know you're gonna die and they'll take the NM out from under you, Call for Help before you go down and blow the camp for them, too.
Griefing
# Dec 13 2006 at 12:20 AM Rating: Decent
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789 posts
Yeah, we had one guy say he thought hat if they took away our pets that he thought that is would qualify as a GM call.

Problem in the past has been that anytime a BST has called a GM on same scenario (pets being taken in order to hinder/kill/ run out the BST) is that GMs have always given the same scripted response of "any unclaimed mob is fair game to anyone" Even when it is very obvious that they were doing for the purpose of harming the BST in some fasion.

This has been brought up many times in almost every BST forum.

We understand the reasoning behind this policy but I have never once heard of a case where the GM acknowledged the fact that the BST was being treated unfairly by other players.

Anywho, I hope that this GM revamp brings more fair and equal judgements and less scripted, "black & White" responces.

/soapbox off

/beer

GM
# Dec 12 2006 at 1:46 AM Rating: Default
Oh wow I can see 1 guy who wont be happy about the GM items thing [GM]Dave
Hmm
# Dec 12 2006 at 1:44 AM Rating: Default
Oh wow I can see one guy who wont be happy about the GM items thing [GM]Dave
GM Update
# Dec 12 2006 at 1:33 AM Rating: Decent
This will be interesting.
GM Update
# Dec 12 2006 at 2:01 PM Rating: Default
omg omg LOST MY THF'S KNIFE AND SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS IN MY MAILNOX DOES THAT MEAN i CAN GET IT BACK????? OMG OMG i HAVE BEEM TRYING TO GET THAT THING BACK FOR MONTHS i GOT IT ON THE SECOND DROP AND KNOW i AM 0/25. OMG i AM CALLING THE MINUTE i GET OF WORK! WISH ME LUCK i WILL TELL YOU HOW IT GOES.
GM Update
# Dec 12 2006 at 2:01 PM Rating: Default
omg omg LOST MY THF'S KNIFE AND SECERAL OTHER ITEMS IN MY MAILNOX DOES THAT MEAN i CAN GET IT BACK????? OMG OMG i HAVE BEEM TRYING TO GET THAT THING BACK FOR MONTHS i GOT IT ON THE SECOND DROP AND KNOW i AM 0/25. OMG i AM CALLING THE MINUTE i GET OF WORK! WISH ME LUCK i WILL TELL YOU HOW IT GOES.
GM Update
# Dec 13 2006 at 8:24 AM Rating: Default
GMs becoming visible is def a good thing, Gil sellers are scared of them, they really are. And I think it would have a positive impact of the ffxi community. In RL people wont break rules if a ***** Cop is right in front of them, therefor in game most ppl wont break rules if a GM would take the time to show him self.

GMs should also bot check by tellin players to type <t>, botters cant type <t> because all that will show up is the NM name(dead or alive) or the last thing they targeted.

I also think GMs should take the time to use 3rd party apps for learning purposes, to help them know what to watch for... its not that ***** hard to spot RMT.. I dont see why they cant just be like "hey thats obviously RMT, DELETE!" RMT should not have the chance to be proven, GMs should not have to look for evidence.

Thats what most peeps are pissed @ GMs about, Obvious RMT and obvious bots.. they should have to take the time to prove that sh*t.

After the big RMT bust there was like hella fish bots all over the nations. Would the GMs please just explain why they take so long to take action against these players? you should not have to prove the obvious.

im not tryna rag on them really, just want answers so I can put my trust in them.

thank you
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