at some point you gotta stop saying vaguely evocative shit and making me rorschach test it into something of value
and actually show me something of value
barring a few sleights of hand in the presentation, this is a borderline waste of time. and if you want sleights of hand, you would probably be better off making ur way through satoshi kon's actual oeuvre. or anything by yuasa. the only thing this gains out of being a videogame is... weirdly long chunks of time getting lost in a huge archvis greybox doing random fetch quests with minimally helpful markers and no map?
and actually show me something of value
barring a few sleights of hand in the presentation, this is a borderline waste of time. and if you want sleights of hand, you would probably be better off making ur way through satoshi kon's actual oeuvre. or anything by yuasa. the only thing this gains out of being a videogame is... weirdly long chunks of time getting lost in a huge archvis greybox doing random fetch quests with minimally helpful markers and no map?
This review contains spoilers
hair to hair
It would be unfair, reductive and inaccurate to categorize "1000XRESIST" as a walking simulator. The experience of playing it is more akin to having a person's thoughts and feelings laid bare for you to voyeuristically pick through then subsequently clasping their hand and leaping into the unknown. I won't pretend to understand the full intent or meaning that "1000XRESIST" presents, but that's okay. The backpack can't fit everything. But it spoke to me and it has a lot to say. This game feels like it is made for everyone but more intently for those like Iris or her parents.
"To be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens."
The amount of consideration placed in the construction of the world, its inhabitants and how it relates both presently and as a cautionary future to our modern time is staggering. Gentle pleasantries are appropriated or twisted to become ammo for fascist powers. Good natures are exploited to further the agendas of those that would stop at nothing to get what they desire. Even your own actions and understandings are rewritten through farcical performances that distort the truth into something you can't even recognize, despite having seen it happen.
Expressive lighting, posing and framing convey so much more than traditional animated performances might permit. There is so much implied and inferred through the minimalism on screen, that it would detract to have more articulated motions occurring while the weight of the story is delivered. This minimal approach also means that the world quickly imprints itself on you and more readily presents its changes as events progress. Easier to appreciate the subtle and sweeping ways the world has altered when you can observe it.
The subway system design and the ever-changing appearance of the Orchard beautifully weave together with the various eras of the story threads. The sterile, far-future look juxtaposed with the familiar contemporary school and home life of Iris feels like traveling back to a forgotten time. How long has life been this way? What have we lost along the way that we don't even remember having? This is most powerfully felt during the more active parts of the game when Watcher is soaring through the exploded dioramas of Iris' world, being flung from one vignette to another in rapid succession. A life disrupted by catastrophic events that we can only see reach their inevitable conclusions.
"To converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings."
From the very beginning, you are invited to participate in this world through words that you don't appreciate or understand. They are familiar but ethereal. Lacking context to put them into perspective. You latch onto their ideas and soon find them repeated back at you. The selected words stayed with Watcher. And myself. Never choosing to deviate, despite given ample opportunity. The world just impresses upon you so confidently its pieces and your place that it is easy to become these characters and feel the words evolve despite never changing.
You are not simply walking or reading or watching. You are building. Watcher and yourself are building a frame of reference, an understanding or this world. How did this place come to be and why are the people and ideas in it as they are? You are building a point of view. Speaking with the inhabitants is enthralling because of how narrow a space they exist within, boiling their lives down to a function, but how broad they are within that sliver through such rich shades of performance and personality. Building an outcome through choices that feel like your own, but upon reflection, were unavoidable steps in the progress of its story. It certainly doesn't feel that way in the moment, and that is one of its greatest accomplishments in making you want those actions.
And those actions are radical change to upend the status quo and create a better world that protects and values the lives of the people. To choose forgiveness and give it, despite being incredibly difficult. To right the wrongs by your own hand and those that were inherited from those long before you in the world.
The function of all sisters appears straight forward, but the function of Watcher is out of place. Were the intended purpose of Watcher at face value to simply observe Iris/ALLMOTHER's past, that could suffice through Knower. The crucial difference between knowing and watching is the experience. Knowing something and being there to live it are vastly different, and this experience is what pushes Watcher and us to need things to change. It is all too easy to passively hear statistics of atrocities or read a headline of suffering in the world, but when faced with the inescapable truth of pain, you should no longer be able to compartmentalize it.
We're all thankful to have been Watcher, but we all wish to be Blue.
"To cause to combine or coalesce; unite."
Trauma has devastated the world in so many ways. It has shaped the behaviors of those we hold dear, removing so much from them. Deleted cultures, foods, identities. We should not allow these to continue unabated. We can and should try to do better, for those directly affected and future generations. Like Iris' parents conclude- better to have failed and history show that we tried than to have idly allow it to happen.
Empathy builds action, and action builds empathy.
It is truly incredible how the buried memories of Hong Kong land. Nothing of true significance, just daily life and textures. A car ride, watching lights roll by from a window. It pierces deeply how fragile and fleeting it all can be. There is a reason the final object we leave behind is that of an image. We can't just watch and not be affected.
"1000XRESIST" is a call to action to never stop building our perspectives through the people and world around us and to never stop building toward a better tomorrow. Here is hoping that I and we can live up to that challenge.
hair to hair
It would be unfair, reductive and inaccurate to categorize "1000XRESIST" as a walking simulator. The experience of playing it is more akin to having a person's thoughts and feelings laid bare for you to voyeuristically pick through then subsequently clasping their hand and leaping into the unknown. I won't pretend to understand the full intent or meaning that "1000XRESIST" presents, but that's okay. The backpack can't fit everything. But it spoke to me and it has a lot to say. This game feels like it is made for everyone but more intently for those like Iris or her parents.
"To be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens."
The amount of consideration placed in the construction of the world, its inhabitants and how it relates both presently and as a cautionary future to our modern time is staggering. Gentle pleasantries are appropriated or twisted to become ammo for fascist powers. Good natures are exploited to further the agendas of those that would stop at nothing to get what they desire. Even your own actions and understandings are rewritten through farcical performances that distort the truth into something you can't even recognize, despite having seen it happen.
Expressive lighting, posing and framing convey so much more than traditional animated performances might permit. There is so much implied and inferred through the minimalism on screen, that it would detract to have more articulated motions occurring while the weight of the story is delivered. This minimal approach also means that the world quickly imprints itself on you and more readily presents its changes as events progress. Easier to appreciate the subtle and sweeping ways the world has altered when you can observe it.
The subway system design and the ever-changing appearance of the Orchard beautifully weave together with the various eras of the story threads. The sterile, far-future look juxtaposed with the familiar contemporary school and home life of Iris feels like traveling back to a forgotten time. How long has life been this way? What have we lost along the way that we don't even remember having? This is most powerfully felt during the more active parts of the game when Watcher is soaring through the exploded dioramas of Iris' world, being flung from one vignette to another in rapid succession. A life disrupted by catastrophic events that we can only see reach their inevitable conclusions.
"To converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings."
From the very beginning, you are invited to participate in this world through words that you don't appreciate or understand. They are familiar but ethereal. Lacking context to put them into perspective. You latch onto their ideas and soon find them repeated back at you. The selected words stayed with Watcher. And myself. Never choosing to deviate, despite given ample opportunity. The world just impresses upon you so confidently its pieces and your place that it is easy to become these characters and feel the words evolve despite never changing.
You are not simply walking or reading or watching. You are building. Watcher and yourself are building a frame of reference, an understanding or this world. How did this place come to be and why are the people and ideas in it as they are? You are building a point of view. Speaking with the inhabitants is enthralling because of how narrow a space they exist within, boiling their lives down to a function, but how broad they are within that sliver through such rich shades of performance and personality. Building an outcome through choices that feel like your own, but upon reflection, were unavoidable steps in the progress of its story. It certainly doesn't feel that way in the moment, and that is one of its greatest accomplishments in making you want those actions.
And those actions are radical change to upend the status quo and create a better world that protects and values the lives of the people. To choose forgiveness and give it, despite being incredibly difficult. To right the wrongs by your own hand and those that were inherited from those long before you in the world.
The function of all sisters appears straight forward, but the function of Watcher is out of place. Were the intended purpose of Watcher at face value to simply observe Iris/ALLMOTHER's past, that could suffice through Knower. The crucial difference between knowing and watching is the experience. Knowing something and being there to live it are vastly different, and this experience is what pushes Watcher and us to need things to change. It is all too easy to passively hear statistics of atrocities or read a headline of suffering in the world, but when faced with the inescapable truth of pain, you should no longer be able to compartmentalize it.
We're all thankful to have been Watcher, but we all wish to be Blue.
"To cause to combine or coalesce; unite."
Trauma has devastated the world in so many ways. It has shaped the behaviors of those we hold dear, removing so much from them. Deleted cultures, foods, identities. We should not allow these to continue unabated. We can and should try to do better, for those directly affected and future generations. Like Iris' parents conclude- better to have failed and history show that we tried than to have idly allow it to happen.
Empathy builds action, and action builds empathy.
It is truly incredible how the buried memories of Hong Kong land. Nothing of true significance, just daily life and textures. A car ride, watching lights roll by from a window. It pierces deeply how fragile and fleeting it all can be. There is a reason the final object we leave behind is that of an image. We can't just watch and not be affected.
"1000XRESIST" is a call to action to never stop building our perspectives through the people and world around us and to never stop building toward a better tomorrow. Here is hoping that I and we can live up to that challenge.
hair to hair
I was engrossed in this one sisters! Hekki ALLMO 🙏
Very interesting walking sim with a tight narrative full of themes that are explored in interesting ways. If you're like me and enjoy a good story and running around talking to everyone in between plot tasks for more lore, then this is for you.
If there's anything that would stick out as a complaint, it would be the voice acting, which can be a bit hit and miss at times.
Highly recommend if you're in the market for a good sci-fi story.
Very interesting walking sim with a tight narrative full of themes that are explored in interesting ways. If you're like me and enjoy a good story and running around talking to everyone in between plot tasks for more lore, then this is for you.
If there's anything that would stick out as a complaint, it would be the voice acting, which can be a bit hit and miss at times.
Highly recommend if you're in the market for a good sci-fi story.
I see other people listing 'Hong Kong stuff' as a con, but for me it's one of the main reasons this game is so special. Not every video game should be shy and abstract.
There are games you finish and don't know what to say because they are so unremarkable, and then there are games like 1000x resist where I sit at my computer inmediately after thinking how exactly I could do the game justice without just playing it again whilst taking notes.
I'll try to be brief, but what 1000x resist's sci fi narrative adventure game brings to the table is that its not only dense as hell plot and theme wise, feeling almost like an adaptation of some acclaimed novel, whilst also having stylistic flourishes that are both impressive and also feel purposeful in a way that a higher budget game probably wouldn't. They made a game this visually striking with what feels like cardboard sets and a few unity shaders. The starkness of the environment design and the various shifts of perspective from over the shoulder to first person to top down to side scroller in a way that feels elegant rather than whiplash to the extreme.
The credits have the usual indie game thing where one guy was Modeler, Texturer, Writer, Designer, Costum Designer, Chef, Lawyer and Defender of the Innocent. The game is so impressive as someone who does 3D modelling myself, I have taken a bunch of screenshots of the game simply because I love how they look. One small ass team somehow puts most AAA games I've played to shame in the visual department.
Thats not to say the game's budget or lack thereof doesn't become apparent with the lack of facial animation. Of course the game understands this to some extent, hence the choice of making the sisters require masks to breathe and be clones of each other (hence, only like 5 or so models had to be rigged up) but thats what taking advantage of your limitations is all about.
Story wise, its again hard for me to really comment because its dense but in a way that all great narratives are, like say, Moby Dick or The Truman show, which are enjoyable both at surface level and on a deeper read of the symbolism. Not everything worked for me, and the resolutions of the endings could have perhaps been more elegant, as well as all the Hong Kong stuff carrying the stench of liberalism about it (Incidentally the cops of the provisional government being called the Red Guard was really on the nose) but the game is otherwise so engaging that I don't mind. Strong personal contender for GOTY, it and Extreme Evolution : Drive to Divinity are the front-runners for me.
I'll try to be brief, but what 1000x resist's sci fi narrative adventure game brings to the table is that its not only dense as hell plot and theme wise, feeling almost like an adaptation of some acclaimed novel, whilst also having stylistic flourishes that are both impressive and also feel purposeful in a way that a higher budget game probably wouldn't. They made a game this visually striking with what feels like cardboard sets and a few unity shaders. The starkness of the environment design and the various shifts of perspective from over the shoulder to first person to top down to side scroller in a way that feels elegant rather than whiplash to the extreme.
The credits have the usual indie game thing where one guy was Modeler, Texturer, Writer, Designer, Costum Designer, Chef, Lawyer and Defender of the Innocent. The game is so impressive as someone who does 3D modelling myself, I have taken a bunch of screenshots of the game simply because I love how they look. One small ass team somehow puts most AAA games I've played to shame in the visual department.
Thats not to say the game's budget or lack thereof doesn't become apparent with the lack of facial animation. Of course the game understands this to some extent, hence the choice of making the sisters require masks to breathe and be clones of each other (hence, only like 5 or so models had to be rigged up) but thats what taking advantage of your limitations is all about.
Story wise, its again hard for me to really comment because its dense but in a way that all great narratives are, like say, Moby Dick or The Truman show, which are enjoyable both at surface level and on a deeper read of the symbolism. Not everything worked for me, and the resolutions of the endings could have perhaps been more elegant, as well as all the Hong Kong stuff carrying the stench of liberalism about it (Incidentally the cops of the provisional government being called the Red Guard was really on the nose) but the game is otherwise so engaging that I don't mind. Strong personal contender for GOTY, it and Extreme Evolution : Drive to Divinity are the front-runners for me.
Es difícil poner en palabras una experiencia que aun tu cerebro esta procesando y asimilando.
Quizás eso ya diga mucho del juego: 1000xResist es uno de esos juegos que dejan poso, que dejan su huella y te acompañan durante mucho tiempo.
1000xResist es una aventura narrativa, lo que viene a ser una novela gráfica con pasos extras, increíblemente bella con una gran puesta en escena (se nota que parte del equipo desarrollador hay gente que viene del teatro) e increíblemente bien actuada (al menos en una gran parte).
Lo único malo es la parte "juego" que presenta que a veces es increíblemente tediosa (navegar por la laberíntica zona principal para poder hablar con todos los personajes en varios momentos del juego) o simplemente innecesarias como la secciones donde saltamos de un punto a otro para llegar al siguiente marcador.
Una pequeña e insignificante mancha para el que es sin duda uno de los juegos del año.
Quizás eso ya diga mucho del juego: 1000xResist es uno de esos juegos que dejan poso, que dejan su huella y te acompañan durante mucho tiempo.
1000xResist es una aventura narrativa, lo que viene a ser una novela gráfica con pasos extras, increíblemente bella con una gran puesta en escena (se nota que parte del equipo desarrollador hay gente que viene del teatro) e increíblemente bien actuada (al menos en una gran parte).
Lo único malo es la parte "juego" que presenta que a veces es increíblemente tediosa (navegar por la laberíntica zona principal para poder hablar con todos los personajes en varios momentos del juego) o simplemente innecesarias como la secciones donde saltamos de un punto a otro para llegar al siguiente marcador.
Una pequeña e insignificante mancha para el que es sin duda uno de los juegos del año.
Holy fuck
Hoooooly fuck
This might just be one of the best games of all time. Such beautiful writing.
Hoooooly fuck
This might just be one of the best games of all time. Such beautiful writing.
1000xResist is one of those sleeper indie games I picked up because of the seemingly out of nowhere cult favoritism and fanfare they've gotten, thinking I may be in the running for a hidden gem and possible memorable sleeper hit. What I quickly found out as I made my way through this visual-novel esque piece of abstract was that you are intended to revel and take in the confusion as a piece of endearment towards this media and not as a detraction. The scope of the narrative is entirely obscure and reminiscent of an amalgamation of futuristic and philosophical pieces of work that I've experienced in the past like Nier: Automata, Land of the Lustrous, and strangely enough Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. I'm all for the out-there when it comes to penning a story, but there has to be a level of grounding for me to have a buy-in. Nier: Automata's abstractism and grandiose questioning of Philip K Dickian ponderings works because it has an immediate pressing storyline to help carry on the deeper and more intrinsic philosophies. Where 1000xResist separates for me is that you as the player are immediately thrust into a cavernously deep thought-focused plot with no real endeavor made to either coat it under an easier to parse coat of paint or giving it a guiding light. I'm not saying that it needed to be spoken to the player like they were out of Idiocracy or something, but Moreso that levelling out a ten or so hour experience in abstract and only making it more confusing and... abstract leads to a story that never really sticks for me.
I was able to understand the loose goings-ons of things as they happened and the messages placed throughout the game, but it never really struck with me as a critically important or thought provoking piece of media. This is the same gripe I had with the last six episodes of Neon Genesis: Evangelion that gets me in hot water with friends of mine as we discuss the hallmark and legendary anime. As the creator delved further into the conceptional of Shinji's mind and enemies at large and further and further into psychological mysticism, I fell out of favor with the show. It felt like it was trying to "think too much" and not "say enough." That is ultimately my qualm with 1000xResist, there is a lot being done in weird ways that are meant to be symbolic and interesting but ultimately fell flat because of the persistence to non-linear and ambiguous storytelling.
On top of qualms with the way the story was told, there are some slight issues I had with this game that don't really chalk up to much of a real con-list: voice acting I felt could have been greatly improved to create a more passionate tale, and the hub world that you revisit quite a bit is maze-like and annoying to traverse.
Pick this up if you want a mildly interesting (basically) visual novel that jumps heavily into science fiction themes, but if you want a game that will stick with you and make you think, this was not it.
I was able to understand the loose goings-ons of things as they happened and the messages placed throughout the game, but it never really struck with me as a critically important or thought provoking piece of media. This is the same gripe I had with the last six episodes of Neon Genesis: Evangelion that gets me in hot water with friends of mine as we discuss the hallmark and legendary anime. As the creator delved further into the conceptional of Shinji's mind and enemies at large and further and further into psychological mysticism, I fell out of favor with the show. It felt like it was trying to "think too much" and not "say enough." That is ultimately my qualm with 1000xResist, there is a lot being done in weird ways that are meant to be symbolic and interesting but ultimately fell flat because of the persistence to non-linear and ambiguous storytelling.
On top of qualms with the way the story was told, there are some slight issues I had with this game that don't really chalk up to much of a real con-list: voice acting I felt could have been greatly improved to create a more passionate tale, and the hub world that you revisit quite a bit is maze-like and annoying to traverse.
Pick this up if you want a mildly interesting (basically) visual novel that jumps heavily into science fiction themes, but if you want a game that will stick with you and make you think, this was not it.
"Hekki Grace, Sister."
Quase todo ano tem pelo menos um jogo que me faz lembrar do porque eu amo vídeo-joguinhos, eu sei que essa é uma frase jogada quase o tempo todo por gente que está sempre falando "a indústria está morta, não há mais jogos bons" mas não tem uma melhor para descrever como eu me sinto nesse momento. Em adição a isso também me faz lembrar do quanto eu quero criar experiências como 1000xResist ou Signalis, arte que mesmo com suas limitações utiliza sua mídia ao máximo para quebrar suas expectativas de novo e de novo.
"Hair to Hair, Sister."
Há muito a se falar sobre 1000xResist, o seu texto, simbolismos e personagens são tão ricos e com tantos significados diferentes que eu poderia ficar por horas discutindo sobre, sobre os protestos de Hong Kong principalmente, mas sinto que quanto menos quem for jogar saber mais interessante vai ser a experiência. Uma das coisas mais curiosas desse jogo para mim é como ele parece uma peça de teatro, o uso de luz, poses e exageros para comunicar emoções de formas diferentes por toda a campanha; já que o jogo é basicamente um talking simulator com alguns simples e fáceis puzzles (não há combate) toda a diversidade vem dos visuais e em diferentes mudanças na forma em que a narrativa é contada, e em todos esses momentos a criatividade/expertise dos desenvolvedores são EVIDENTES.
(Os desenvolvedores aparentemente trabalharam com teatro e similares, faz sentido)
Eu demorei um pouco mais de 10 horas para zerar 1000xResist e é surpreendente que um jogo independente com tanto texto e diferentes personagens está completamente atuado, e ainda mais surpreendente: com incríveis atuações no geral.
A parte mais fraca de 1000xResist é na sua fidelidade gráfica, é aparente que o jogo foi desenvolvido para Nintendo Switch e o port para PC possuí diversos problemas com mudança de controles, performance e falta de customização (que provavelmente é a causa de tais problemas de performance), mas nada disso tirou a beleza teatral do jogo para mim.
"Sphere to Square"
Eu não sei se este jogo terá o mesmo Cult-Following que Signalis e outros similares tiveram ao passar dos anos, já que apesar de tudo que eu disse ainda é praticamente uma visual novel e nem todo mundo curte isso, mas se você já tinha algum interesse ou tem gostos para arte similares aos meus, por favor jogue 1000xResist, vai te chocar, vai te fazer chorar, vai te fazer rir, vai te assustar, e mais importante de tudo: Te lembrará que não conseguimos colocar tudo em nossas mochilas, por mais que queremos.
1000xResist é meu jogo do ano até o momento e acho difícil algo tirar, mas vai que o Miyazaki cozinhou um The Old Hunters² ai, nunca se sabe.
Quase todo ano tem pelo menos um jogo que me faz lembrar do porque eu amo vídeo-joguinhos, eu sei que essa é uma frase jogada quase o tempo todo por gente que está sempre falando "a indústria está morta, não há mais jogos bons" mas não tem uma melhor para descrever como eu me sinto nesse momento. Em adição a isso também me faz lembrar do quanto eu quero criar experiências como 1000xResist ou Signalis, arte que mesmo com suas limitações utiliza sua mídia ao máximo para quebrar suas expectativas de novo e de novo.
"Hair to Hair, Sister."
Há muito a se falar sobre 1000xResist, o seu texto, simbolismos e personagens são tão ricos e com tantos significados diferentes que eu poderia ficar por horas discutindo sobre, sobre os protestos de Hong Kong principalmente, mas sinto que quanto menos quem for jogar saber mais interessante vai ser a experiência. Uma das coisas mais curiosas desse jogo para mim é como ele parece uma peça de teatro, o uso de luz, poses e exageros para comunicar emoções de formas diferentes por toda a campanha; já que o jogo é basicamente um talking simulator com alguns simples e fáceis puzzles (não há combate) toda a diversidade vem dos visuais e em diferentes mudanças na forma em que a narrativa é contada, e em todos esses momentos a criatividade/expertise dos desenvolvedores são EVIDENTES.
(Os desenvolvedores aparentemente trabalharam com teatro e similares, faz sentido)
Eu demorei um pouco mais de 10 horas para zerar 1000xResist e é surpreendente que um jogo independente com tanto texto e diferentes personagens está completamente atuado, e ainda mais surpreendente: com incríveis atuações no geral.
A parte mais fraca de 1000xResist é na sua fidelidade gráfica, é aparente que o jogo foi desenvolvido para Nintendo Switch e o port para PC possuí diversos problemas com mudança de controles, performance e falta de customização (que provavelmente é a causa de tais problemas de performance), mas nada disso tirou a beleza teatral do jogo para mim.
"Sphere to Square"
Eu não sei se este jogo terá o mesmo Cult-Following que Signalis e outros similares tiveram ao passar dos anos, já que apesar de tudo que eu disse ainda é praticamente uma visual novel e nem todo mundo curte isso, mas se você já tinha algum interesse ou tem gostos para arte similares aos meus, por favor jogue 1000xResist, vai te chocar, vai te fazer chorar, vai te fazer rir, vai te assustar, e mais importante de tudo: Te lembrará que não conseguimos colocar tudo em nossas mochilas, por mais que queremos.
1000xResist é meu jogo do ano até o momento e acho difícil algo tirar, mas vai que o Miyazaki cozinhou um The Old Hunters² ai, nunca se sabe.
damn. didn't really expect that right after Land of the Lustrous (a singular manga and one of my all-time favorites) ended, an indie game would pop up operating on the same level, about many of the same themes, in its own incredible and singular way. a bit speechless. also very validating proof that we can (and should) demand more of games on a narrative level.
really struggling with star reviews. i used star reviews on letterboxd for a few years before opting for heart/no heart which is also troubled but in general feels better. happy to have another crack at it but it feels weird to not give this 5 stars, but i will stand by how i'm doing things for now at least... (5 stars being the all time top of the top of the top, which this also might be! need to sit on it for a minute)
really struggling with star reviews. i used star reviews on letterboxd for a few years before opting for heart/no heart which is also troubled but in general feels better. happy to have another crack at it but it feels weird to not give this 5 stars, but i will stand by how i'm doing things for now at least... (5 stars being the all time top of the top of the top, which this also might be! need to sit on it for a minute)