Game Update 63: SKYSHRINE Launches April 17, 2012!
SOE has laid their cards on the table for Game Update 63. First up, a level cap raise to level 92. No, that’s not a typo. As of April 17th, players will be able to gain 2 more levels, as well as a new form of player advancement called ‘prestige points’. GU63 brings the promised Destiny of Velious content of new group and raid instances, a variety of solo content includind a new overland zone and more! Also Age of Discovery owners will be able to tame new Beastlord warder types.
Game Update 63 hits Test on Thursday, March 15, 2012!
From the EQ2 Forums:
The Destiny of Velious saga continues! Adventurers breach the barriers of the Withered Lands, seeking entrance to Skyshrine, the glorious, ancient dragon city!
The great citadel of Skyshrine has long housed the Claws of Veeshan behind its massive walls and arcane protections. Now, the unthinkable has happened — Skyshrine is under siege! Battle and befriend dragons and their wurmkin in the forbidden city of Dracur. Explore the past to unravel the mysterious events that transformed the formidable draconic city into a battlefield full of daunting challenges, terrifying foes and unimaginable treasures!
Far below Skyshrine a different battle rages on. Once known as the Wakening Lands, a majestic valley touched by the Plane of Growth, today oddly overgrown and overrun by a sickly magic… and now known as the Withered Lands. This strange corruption has affected not only the land, but has touched and twisted many of the creatures that once thrived here, including the legendary caretakers of the forest. Now turned to a dark purpose, the caretakers cultivate the afflicted plants and animals. In the deepest regions of the creeping woods, chaotic storms drench the forest and singe the gnarled treetops, where an angry dragon flies menacingly overhead!
Save the forest from corruption, aid the armies of Norrath in reaching Skyshrine, explore the intrigues of dragonkind and save their embattled city!
Destiny of Velious Content Updates Include: *
- Level cap raised to 92
- Withered Lands outdoor zone with over 100 quests and solo, small group, and raid content
- Play YOUR way in Skyshrine instances with solo, normal and challenge group modes
- Experience endgame storyline events with Heroic Group and Raid instances
- Earn prestige class talents to build the power of your character
- All new tradeskill quests and items woven into the story arc
- New Drake mount
Age of Discovery Additions:**
- Poet’s Palace Dungeon Maker theme and items
- New Dungeon Maker adventurers
- Tradeskill apprentices with new recipes (one Elite!)
- Elite mercenary
- New warders to tame for Beastlords
*Requires Destiny of Velious expansion
**Requires Age of Discovery expansion
Tags: game update 63
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Comments (51)
Kruzzen
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Just watch out, the forums mods have there panties in a twist and are already removing posts if you say anything they construe as bad. I swear china has more freedom of speech then the forum mods allow.
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Drumstix42
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If they manage a good Game Update that is free for people already owning said expansions, and then go back and fix any current content that people are still working on, they might be in a good position. I have plenty of doubts on most of this though.
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Karith
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@Drumstix42
For a long time I’ve become really pessimistic about EQ2 and it’s development. Recently I’ve changed my tune, I think if we get enough people into testing of this content and give DETAILED real feedback on exactly why things aren’t or are fun then we can see the game prosper. I think they have a set of developers, artists, and management that care about the games progression. I could be over-hopeful and wrong, but I’m going to give this game 2 more updates to see if they can pan out raid progression and PVP.
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Halz
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Sounds interesting, but a 92 cap serves what purpose exactly? Oh I know, they are going to give out quest gear that is equivalent to HM EoW, awesome! /sarcasm
Guess they need more people buying unlockers since they instituted the F2P model, haha
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Necromancer
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Increasing the level cap to 92 is absolutely stupid. I would gladly accept 95 or 100…but 92? What’s the purpose/point behind it? It’s going to throw gear balance and content balance even more out of sync than it already is.
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miragian
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I believe the 92 level limit is related to the prestige classes if I had to guess. (which is all I have at the moment)
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melpheos
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haven’t they said the would NOT and could NOT increase the level for technical reasons ? Must have been in a dream…
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badcat
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Why in the world such an odd raise in level limit why not 95 or 99. That makes no since.
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Kruzzen
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from everything I have seen on the boards, the 92 lvl would allow lvl 100 mobs. This would give progression without making current content completely obsolete. There are still way to many that are trying to clear current content and that will allow it to happen easier. Of course that is all conjecture. 🙂
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Tbiggs
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When Soe increases levels they have to create spells and abilities for 25 classes and character traits and what not to support them. Also in this mix is level 92 items that have to be released with them. What would you like, New abilities with the 2 extra levels or 5, 10 levels where you just get the levels and nothing else works.
-B-
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Anaogi
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Level 92.
Orange level 100 mobs.
Lord Nagafen.
Soon.
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Striinger
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The ONLY part of that that has me holding in a ‘concerned’ pattern is:
“•Earn prestige class talents to build the power of your character•”
Okay, last I recall…ANYTHING prestige meant SC purchased. So, I’m REALLY hoping that we don’t have to SC stuff to reach our character’s maximum power potential. Maybe you can EARN it OR purchase?
From SJ’s commentary on F2P conversion, I get the sense that the move is also a focus away from long term customers/players and more toward entertainment customers (as in, get your fix…leave…play other games, watch movies, listen to or watch you iThing…). Let’s face it, the best possible business model is where people pay you for a service they don’t consume (gym’s that I’ve joined lately ring true on that one).
I really wish I had a crystal ball that works. 🙂
On an aside, if you can just buy whatever you can earn…doesn’t it stop being a ‘game’, or more like collecting baseball cards?
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Eschia
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I understand (based on above posts) why it’s only 2 additional levels, but still 2 seems like a peculiar number to increase by. Oh well if they have good content I may come back to the game to get those 2 levels. I hope they will have a upgrade to my verdant whisper (warden group cure).
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Dune
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So the FREE upgrades are now dependent on the expansion pack? hmmmmm if i where to own a tinfoil hat i would think that this is stuff that wasnt ready for the so called xpack when it did launch but which is now ready.
Would explain alot, but its all to little to late (at least for me)
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Dune
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Gah, good thing i dont have a tinfoil hat, cuz i cant read footnotes it would seem lol
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milliebii
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92 makes existing content easier but not trivial
92 is the level at which level 90 “Master Crafted Armor” would be wearable.
92 allows orange level 100 mobs, they already told us they cant do level 101 or higher(was not allowed for in original design).
92 gives them just enough headroom to do it again and charge us for one more (non-)expansion like AoD before the game goes into maintenance mode with the release of EQnext.
Much of this may have been intended to release with AoD but they had to bring that forward and push this back (probably financial reasons for AoD and technical reasons for this increase).
Remember by releasing AoD before the ProSiebenSat deal the lions share of revenue for the (non-)expansion went to SOE and did not have to be shared with ProSiebenSat.
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kal
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Maintenance mode? c’mon, even EQ1 still has expansions – 7 years into its sequel.
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Abatha
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Wouldn’t it be nice to have a progression server for EQ2 like they do for EQ. It would allow players that would like to “progress” without having to worry about OH I have to get to X level so I can get X gear. The progression would be totally laid out.
JMHO
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milliebii
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EQ1 is a special case and SOE was financially sound back then.
Do not expect EQ2 to play out the same way, it is a troubled product with dying revenues brought to us by a loss making division of a loss making parent which is part of a financially troubled group.
IF the game is still up on April 15th (two weeks after the change of management at the top of Sony) and no closure has been announced then you can breath a sigh of relief and hope for another 12 months of EQ2. But from then on it will be month by month. EQ1 may last a little longer but it too will close before the end of 2014 …. probably much earlier.
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Cuteypie of Permafrost
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I seem to be required to say something optimistic…
I think that EQ2 is a great game (yes, it could be better, but what use is there to complain if the boss don’t listen?) and it will survive a good bit longer. Maybe I’m deluded, but I have to say: I have been riveted and starving for the lore and magic that Norrath has to offer. This is a fantastic world, and instead of whining about more bugs and issues (there’s bound to be many) let’s talk about happier things…
NAGGY IS NOW ORANGE!!!!! YIPPEEEE! One step closer to hugging my favorite dragon!
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thait
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The tinfoil hat wearers have been proclaiming the death of EQ1 and EQ2 for years and years Kal, they won’t stop now. Though since EQ1 has lasted so long many have stopped claiming ‘death’ and yap on about ‘maintenance mode’ instead.
Strangly they all vanish when the timeframe for the ‘death’ or ‘maintenance mode’ passes and it doesnt happen.
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Jrel
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Qeynos update…. umm where?
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Feldon
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Qeynos update…. umm August 2012.
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milliebii
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Sony shares are trading in the low $20 range today, up from $16.16 in December, probably buoyed by the incoming tough talking new CEO. But well down on +$50 range of five years ago. They where down this low in 2009, but before that it was the early 1990’s. The pundits are predicting the stock to finish around $24 in twelve months time.
…. and that tough talking CEO, “no division is sacred”.
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milliebii
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… and of course SOE would not be one of his targets because it is such a well managed highly performing division. With a horde of ecstatically happy customers.
Even though they have just revised the US$1.4 billion loss announcement of three months ago to US$3 billion. The forth year in a row of losses.
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Daffodil
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This implies firstly that the onus is on the paying customers to test and debug the product; it isn’t, we’re already paying SOE to do that. Secondly, it implies that the bug reports and feedback sent by the voluntary testers isn’t good enough, that they’re not doing their unpaid jobs properly. Whilst I agree that there has been a dwindling in the number of dedicated people spending their own time and money on isolating and describing the problems, this is largely due to them feeling that their efforts are wasted. When one has spent hours in narrowing down the incidence of a bug and written the report as clearly and cohesively as possible, only to see the bug appearing on live without even an acknowledgement by SOE that it exists, one is not inspired to continue making such efforts.
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Murfalad
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More dungeons and raids would be welcome, the whole level structure of EQ2 (and all other MMO’s) does depress me though. I think its been a long time since anyone has been excited by the number of levels in a game, and as the game goes on the increasing levels just cause more and more problems.
I’m hoping that with the release of PS2 we’ll see devs freed up for a real revamp of EQ2 (since SJ already said EQNext would be a very different game), something more like a reset would be tasty. As right now I’m not seeing any viable alternatives to it being released…
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Feldon
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Unsubstantiated rumors from someone who’s been “right” in the past suggest that EQNext is targeting the 18-25 Facebook crowd. I hope all the folks awaiting EQNext as the salvation of the EverQuest franchise aren’t betting on the wrong horse.
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Kralus
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if SoE has been spending 4+ years working on a facebook game I will eat my shoe. Smed already said that shit was false.
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Kwill
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Would you need the new Forgelight engine for a Facebook game? They certainly were touting the amazing new graphics and engine in the past.
However, the trend is mobile and web-based games, folks, and appealing to a crowd much younger than what seems to be the 25-35+ bracket, or at least the casual gamer, entertainment-seeking crowd, is the trend, so the rumors may not be all wrong.
There is probably no way SOE is making another WoW-killer, behemoth sub-based MMMORPG because I think SOE firmly believes there is no longer any revenue from that model. If Georgeson is presenting at GDC about how great it’s going, then you know management thinks it’s working out brilliantly.
For the people who suggest EQ2 will shut down, if Vanguard is still around, there’s no way EQ2 is going anywhere. Plus, they are going to give the FTP thing at least a year or two to prove itself.
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Feldon
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Where? 🙂
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Kwill
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This is what that post is based on:
http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=514423
Justin (Random dude) asking John Smedley the following on twitter:
John Smedley’s response to the two proposed builds of Everquest Next:
Justin then retweets Smedley’s above response:
(Justin sharing the tweet that John smedley sent him in response to his above question).
John Smedley’s Response to the comment asking for EQ to be on steroids:
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Feldon
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Kwill,
Thanks! Your Twitter-fu is better than mine. I tried to slog back through Justin’s tweets and got tired of scrolling before I even got to January. 😉
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Kwill
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Why can’t Smedley just come out with a more detailed annoucement saying it won’t be a facebook based game, then? I find twitter to be less than helpful when you want actual information. /grump
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camelotcrusade
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Fascinating. I wonder how instances which you can solo or full-group will work out. So far, in my opinion, scaling zones are worse than the static zones, at least at max level. The loot is always subpar and the mob power a bit erratic. It will be interesting to see if they use the same icky formulas and add solo difficulty as a new low, or if they retool the whole thing (which I hope they do).
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Kralus
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Thanks for digging up what I typed in that thread. =p Yes, I am Iad.
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Drumstix42
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Perhaps the reason for 92 is that they plan to increase the cap again with the next major “DoV/AoD” content update. They could do two levels every 6-8 months and hit level 100 in… well you do the math cause I’m lazy!
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Kosovos
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Smedley lied to us before.
*coughcoughStationCashcough*
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Daalilama
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Or perhaps the level cap increase is also a way to mitigate the removal of crit mit with existing raid mobs who knows their coding is junk so I dont really know anymore
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Maesyn
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Just remember the rumor is they are targeting the 18-25 facebook crowd, not making a facebook game. I think Feldons right here. It’ll use Forgelight and probably look great, but the CONTENT will be targeting the F2P facebook demographic, i.e., instant gratification, push button get bacon type gameplay.
Why else would SJ be running it? It’s the very type of game Smed brought him on for. For some reason Smed thinks FreeRealms with a little older spin based in Norrath will rake in the money.
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Onorem
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Mmm…bacon. I’ll FTP for that.
EQnext…no thanks. If SJ has any influence on the development of the game at all, I have no interest.
I’ve got WoW halfway downloaded now…as much as I hated it the first time I tried it. At the rate I’m losing guildmates to how horribly this game is being run, I’ll play a bad game with friends instead of this game alone.
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badcat
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Yes they said eqnext is going to be a different game. So don’t go expecting it will look like the eq1,eq2 that we know. I expect something like a browser game.
But with the many lies that both Smedley and SJ have told us over the years you best take a wait and see attitude because when their lips are moving and their fingers are typing they are more than likely telling a big one.
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Kralus
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which company doesn’t lie? I’d love to know one.
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milliebii
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@KWILL you misread me if you think I said EQ2 would be singled out for closure. My point is that the whole of SOE may be sold, shutdown or dramatically slashed.
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skippydippy
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I’d be amazed if EQNext is NOT like free realms/clone wars type game they have the tech so why not use it i think we’re deluding ourselves to say its going to big a big budget bonanza written from the ground up just for the PC
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Charn
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New Drake Mount . . . coming to a Station Store near you! Unless EVERYone (who already owns DoV) gets the new, touted “FREE” content . . .
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Achilios
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Any time frame on when this will be on test? I see thursday the 15th but an actual time? Thank you for your time.
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Feldon
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Game Update 63, or parts of it, are already on Test.
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Achilios
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Thanks. I was trying to log into test and all it says is downloading 0b/0b and wont let me do anything else. Lets me switch back to the US servers just fine. Any idea?
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Achilios
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Nevermind. Its just running really slowly and im very impatient with this kind of stuff = D
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Surgen
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So I get to be max level for two whole weeks! That said, as a solo player, if I can get new MC armour at 92 as well as the bonus of the two extra levels, it means DoV content becomes a realistic prospect for me.
/cheer SoE
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