FAQ/Walkthrough: #### ###+ ##### ##### ###+##,##- #### #+ #### ########; #### ### +#####. ######+ ##### ### ######## #### =### ##X =##### ###### . +##, ### ###### ###X ### ## =- ###x ##= #### ####= ###### #### ###- =############# ######## ### ##=+### #### -### ### ######+ ############# #### ### ####. ###=, ### ##+#### # ## ## ## #####= - ;# =### =## #; ### ## ##x#### ###### ## #### =#### x### +## ###### (You can read that, can't you? It says Whiplash.) By Kiopa the weird tanuki/weasel.. thing. This very very funny game. I could try to bribe you into renting/buying it by saying there's nudity (ahemofweaselsandrabbitscough), but if you're reading this, you've probably already rented/bought it. In fact, if you've come here, you're probably so frustrated that you've broken your TV. One person told me they ripped their hair out. I think Eidos owes them a wig. Naughty. Copyright Issues: This FAQ may not be reproduced, sold, or copied, under copyright conditions. Whiplash, Redmond, Spanx, robo-weasels, etc. are property of Eidos and Crystal Dynamics. If you wish to use information in this FAQ on another site, e-mail Kiopa (kiyo@nuwisha.zzn.com), but you may not plagiarize the characters or events of this game without the consent of Eidos Incorporated. I am in no way affiliated with Eidos Incorporated. (Thanks to Pokomoonshine for reminding me of Enos' name!) ******** To use this FAQ effectively, use ctrl + f to use your browser's 'find' option, then type in the keyword of what you need! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01/25/04 Updates: -Like most quitters, I stopped answering email. Sorry! A big thankyou to those who thanked me :> -Before reading the FAQ, scroll down a little to the decontamination question.. -Realized that Whiplash is one of the cruddiest- programmed games in history. Did anybody even beta test this thing past the 30% completion...? THE INDEX FAQs 1:1: Questions and Answers 1:2: Controls & Meters 1:3: Stuff You Need 1:3-1: Boons & Combos 1:3-2: Powerups 1:3-3: Items 1:4: Breaking for Bankruptcy 1:5: Enemies 1:6: Allies & Rescues 1:7: Glitches to Avoid Walkthrough 2:0 Player Icons 2:1: Showcase Dept. 2:2 Main Hub 2:3: Endurance Dept. 2:4: Robotics Dept. 2:5: Power Dept. 2:6: Ventilation Hub 2:7: Security Hub 2:8: Genetics Dept. 2:9: Shipping Dept. 2:10: Waste Dept. 2:11: Medical Dept. 2:12: Security Key Cards 2:12:1: Shipping 2:12:2: Robotics 2:12:3: Endurance 2:12:4: Power 2:12:5: Genetics 2:12:1: Waste 2:13: Executive Dept. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ !!!!BEFORE EMAILING ME!!!! The BIGGEST question of all: DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION How to get into it???? My automated e-mail response: In the main hub, use the vent to float up to the second floor (?) where the fusion/toxic tank is. Use the toxic charge and go the door next to it (the one with the green light). In order to get it to open, you have to move around under the light while pushing A (or X) over and over, because the programmers did a really bad job with it. Eventually you'll hit the right spot where it will trigger the door to open. Hope this helps. DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION - DECONTAMINATION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ +++ FAQ +++ 1:1: QUESTIONS & ANSWERS *What's this game like? Should I rent it or buy it? What's it like compared to (insert game here)? This is a platformer. You know, hop around, solve puzzley things? Whiplash is a pretty original piece of work, so it really can't be compared to any other platform game. The controls are a lot more wily than Crash or Jak, the two characters level up and learn new abilities, and there's a lot of weasel jokes. If you're not sure if you'll like it or not, rent it first. *What in the world is this game about? You control a twitchy long-tailed weasel named Spanx who has gone through many electro-shock sessions at a lab called Genron. He is chained to a rabbit named Redmond who has endured so many hairspray tests that he has permenant armor, and together they are sent off to the new toy of Genron, a Genetic Recombinator. Now you must escape using Redmond as a "Swiss army bunny"... sweep and throw him like a morning star, stick him into gears, blow him up like a balloon, or just take out all your hate on the chatty rabbit. You're also encouraged to break everything you can to cost the company lots of money, and save other animals while doing so. *What's the good and the bad about Whiplash? Too many people are distracted by the newness of the game, but I found it very fun and refreshing to play, and I love being able to skitter around on rails and in ventilation ducts. The graphics are crisp and simple, and the animals various expressions and movements are smooth. Sadly, this game is lacking in many many ways. The music, for one, you don't notice it is there and when you do, it sounds like an old keyboard riff. Sometimes it's reminescent of the old Ren & Stimpy games, but there is one little beat that reminds me slightly of Brave Fencer Musashi's temple theme. The worst part of this game is that they seem to have forgotten to ask their beta testers to go more than 30% through the game. IT IS GLITCHY! I will warn you of these glitches when the time comes. Also, you will grow tired of Redmond's continuous babble and the scientists' "Slow down! You move too swift for my legs!" The camera angle can be distracting, too. 1:2: CONTROLS & METERS Button-mashing is fine at the beginning, but it will only get you so far. Try to get your combos down, and use the smash button a lot. - To move around, use the left thumbstick. - Jump with A. Double-jump by pushing A twice. - Swing Redmond around using X. You can do a hard hit with B. - To use elevators, lifts, or to stuff Redmond into an object, use Y. Hint: When stuffing Redmond into gears, just pull back on the thumbstick. You can wiggle it around to move it faster, but this can be difficult and you'll have to start all over again if you fail. - Weasel-scurry to move faster or cling to rails with the left trigger. - When you catch a robomouse, use the left trigger to bend down and let the mouse go with Y. - You can latch onto blue orbs (or overhead ziplines) with X. Push the left trigger back and forth to get Spanx to swing the direction you want, then let go with X when you are swinging toward your goal. Hint: When grabbing onto ziplines, you can let go of X. You'll need your fingers to be free when you hit the end of the line so that you can jump if needed. Then quickly push X again to latch onto the next orb. If Spanx is swinging too eratically, let go of the trigger and let him slowly stop, or push against the direction that he is swinging. - Start toggles a handy-dandy menu that gives you map, stat, & mission information. - The back button shows the map. The map is weird. - The black button toggles the camera angle. The camera angle is weird. - The white button will display/undisplay your meters. Meters are good. Speaking of Meters... -In the top left corner you will find Spanx's meter. The weasel has a health meter - be sure to watch it during battles - and a meter that measures his endurance. When you skitter with the left trigger, Spanx can only go for so long (unless he is on a rail, then it is indefinite) so when he tires out, he will zigzag warily. Stop pressing the trigger a moment and give the weasel a short break. As you level up, health and endurance goes up for Spanx. -In the top right corner you will see Redmond's meter. Redmond is one immortal rabbit. When you whack somebody with the bunny, you will see his meter jump.. after enduring so much pain, the rabbit will go into Hyper Bunny mode, smashing things at a powerful and fast rate. When you stuff Redmond into a Fusion Barrel (electric, etc), a meter will pop up showing how long he will continue to be charged up. -For each mission, a counter will pop up in the central left of the screen. The symbol in the box will remind you what type of mission you are on (a paw for freeing animals, a smashed bottle for breaking stuff, and so on). -The bottom left displays how many robomice and keys you have. Keys are useful because they let you restart at a checkpoint instead of a save point. -A large box with a number, like $4,566,308 will appear at the bottom of the screen. This is how much the company is still worth. When you break stuff, this figure drops (the cost of what you have broken will pop up right above this box). -In the bottom right you will see a combo counter and a released animals counter. 1:3-1: COMBOS: A cyborg owl, Lincoln, grants boons every few stages or so, offering three things: a new combo, a hypersnacks level, and map downloads. I recommend getting your combos first. Air Smash - While in air, hold B and then release on target Chain Combo Charge - X, X, X Charged Smash - Hold B and then release on target Continuous Sweep - hold down B + L Glide - A, A (hold down) Hyper Dash - With Hyper Bunny, push B Juggle Combo - X, X, X, A Smash Combo - X, X, X, B Sweep Combo - B + L 1:3-2: POWERUPS: Powerups are slowly unlocked as you pass through stages. Sometimes its not really obvious what these things are for: Fire - Good for setting enemies on fire, but not that useful. In one boss battle, you will need it. Electric - Needed for charging up the blue orbs that aren't lit up. Shocks some enemies into submission. Helium - Blows up the bunny (no, not really, but you wish) with helium so that you can float. Use the right trigger to slow your descent, or use your tail as a rudder with X. Ice - Freeze enemies. If you keep hitting them while frozen, they will break and disappear (see Glitch section, though). Toxic - This is is how you're SUPPOSED to get into decontamination, but... 1:3-3: ITEMS: Bandages - Look for medkits (same as any game) hanging on the walls. They're almost guaranteed in most main offices and in bathrooms. You will find red bandages just lying around. They don't heal you as much, but they help. Hypersnacks - Basically experience. Collect them to level up. In your menu, the option to distribute exp. between Redmond & Spanx is checked, but you can select the option to distribute yourself. Leveling up Spanx gives you more health and leveling up Redmond gives you a higher attack. Keys - Resume the game from the last checkpoint instead of your saved game. Keys usually aren't used if you die at a dire point, like jumping on high rotating platforms (since you'll probably die a lot). Key Cards - They don't even come into play until later. Robomice - Bombchus that can't climb. They're cute, though. Use the left or right trigger and push Y to release one. 1:4: BREAKING FOR BANKRUPTCY This is going to be a biiiig list... when I get around to it, I'll add more. Beaker Set -- $2000 Binoculenses Model -- $2000 Box -- $1000 Cafeteria Buffet -- $1200 Cafeteria Sign -- $2000 C.E.0 Statue -- $50200 Clipboard -- $5 Coffee Pot -- $100 Computer Panel -- $5000 Control Panel -- $5000 Cup -- $5 Fan -- $400 Fatress300 Model -- $2000 Fern -- $200 Fire Extinguisher -- $900 Glass Pane -- $300 Glass Panel (Railed) -- $200 Lighted Ad Panels -- $300 Locker Door -- $100 Machine with Crank -- $5000 Monitor -- $100 Museum Display Signs -- $2000 PC -- $100 PC Monitor -- $500 Phone -- $100 Picture (Burt Boon) -- $100 Picture (Dr. Stickler) -- $100 Picture (F.D. Mann) -- $100 Picture (Sophia Brooks) -- $100 Picture (Tom Shoenhair) -- $100 Picture (Wendy Wachowski) -- $100 Plaque (Burt Boon) -- $100 Plaque (Dr. Stickler) -- $100 Plaque (F.D. Mann) -- $100 Plaque (Sophia Brooks) -- $100 Plaque (Tom Shoenhair) -- $100 Plaque (Wendy Wachowski) -- $100 Red Beaker -- $10 Robo Weasel Model -- $2000 Security Computer -- $400 Security Monitor -- $200 Self of 2000 Model -- $2000 Spring Things -- $2000 Tall Tropical Plant -- $50 Trash Can -- $100 Vent -- $100 Ventilation System (Sm) -- $5000 Wall Security Panel -- $100 Yellow Beaker -- $10 1:5: ENEMIES (aka, the Strategy Section) A hint for human enemies: there are two stages of unconsciousness. First they will be dazed (stars around the head). Keep whacking them or jump on their bellies to put them down for even longer (ZZZ's around the head). Beaker Scientist - Knock them out before jumping on platforms. The beakers they throw will knock you down from places. And tell you to stay in school. Cafeteria Machine - Scurry up to the top of the rail, glide over to the machine. Your goal is to break the four goo containers. Its fairly simple, but you'll probably fall a lot. Don't get discouraged. Cafeteria Lady - Scurry up to her, glide and whack her with the bunny. Danger Room Spider - Ugh... listen closely. During the first round, the robot spider will clamber around and shoot electric at you. There are three spiraled electric generators; hide behind them one-at-a-time. When his electric shot hits each one, they charge up. They will time out. When they're all charged up, scurry to the ballistic chicken launcher (heehee) and zap at him. You can hold down X, but I found it easier to tap it. The higher you juggle the spider, the more damage. During the next few rounds, the spider won't throw electric at you if you're hiding anymore - you'll have to dash around until he starts shooting the bolts and then hope that he'll hit the spiral. Don't get frustrated - this boss can be a pain. Hazmat - Be careful with the people in the suits. They will try to grab Redmond from you. Their electric and toxic guns can be annoying, but they can be difficult to knock out. Don't bother sweeping - just smash, smash, smash! Jack - Weird bulky guy, actually pretty tough. I do a lot of button-mashing with this character and it gets me through his barrage of punting fairly well. He will grab your bunny if you use too much X-whacking. Janitor - They make more messes than they clean. Do a lot of air attacks to avoid the toxic, electric, or firy crud they plop on the floor. Lasers - When blue, they won't hurt. Trigger them, they turn red and hurt you. Be careful, enemies can trigger the alarms, too. When the alarms go off, more enemies arrive. Mutants/Tentacles - Mmm, mmm, mutants. Can't be beat, so don't bother. Just avoid them. Ninja Women/Nurses - So annoying! They will jump-kick you down from high places. Take care of them before following through with platformy stuff. They will try blocking a lot, so try to get charged or fusion attacks on them. Rabid Redmonds - Cute, but full of sharp teeth. To get away from these slavering hoppers, run behind the wires. This 'boss' stage is pretty simple, though - just break the glass tube containers as they pop up from the floor. Robo Weasel - Air smashes are great for destroying the mechanical mustelids. They will evade a lot, so be persistant. Robot Spider - Sweeping them bounces them around. When you get your air smash, you can kill them instantly. Scientist - Big pushovers. Just whack 'em. Security Guards - They will block a lot, but they are really terrible at throwing punches. Don't bother sweeping, just let 'em have it with continuous whacks from the X or B button. Toxic Muck Monster - Around the room, there are fusion tanks with fire. Start at any one. As you charge up, a pilot flame flares up between you and the monster. Run up beside the flame. As the monster tries to smash you, he hits the flame instead and shakes his hand. Then as he bends his face forward to blow out the flame, pelt him with your flaming bunny. It helps to double-jump and hit X instead of smashing. If you fall, there is a rail along the wall to scurry up. Repeat this pattern over and over. Of course, the monster will try to make it more difficult for you, but he's relatively easy to beat. You only have five minutes, though. Venus Flytraps - Don't hit them lightly - they will grab your bunny, unless he's on fire... otherwise, smash them. 1:6: ALLIES & RESCUES Carol Ann - Undercover nurse helping you to free animals. Lincoln the Owl - Friendly robotic owl who "prattles on about boons." The Master - Teeny little pile of poo. Really. Enos - I can't remember his name right now.. but he's the "voice of God" that you sometimes hear on the intercom. Seems to have some gross interspecies thing going on with Carol Ann. Integral part of the story. The Freaks - A gorilla with palm leaves growing out of his fur, a chimp with distorted limbs - yeah. These guys are there to help you. Alligators - Usually kept too far from enemies to help. Free by doing missions. Beaver - Free him from the ice by pushing the ice cubed critter up the ramp to the conveyor belt and he will help you beat up on the scientists. Chihuahua - Free him from the ice by pushing the ice cubed critter up the ramp to the conveyor belt and he will help you beat up on the scientists. Chimps - Will mutiny scientists for you. Free by breaking surrounding machinery or through missions. Frogs - Will jump around on enemies with radioactive goo. Free these guys by breaking metal barrels. Hamsters - Cute, but of no help. Free through missions. Platypus - Don't seem to do anything. Break glass to free. Raccoon - Free him from the ice by pushing the ice cubed critter up the ramp to the conveyor belt and he will help you beat up on the scientists. Skunks - Will help you out by spraying enemies. Break glass to free. 1:7: GLITCHES TO AVOID * As tempting as it is, breaking frozen enemies is too glitchy. For example, if you break a frozen security guard, when the timer is up that he would usually become conscious again, his flashlight will start floating around and you'll hear his, uh, ghost talking. You'll see this will scientists that hold clipboards, too. So far, I haven't seen a downside to it, except that in elevators there is sometimes a floating flashlight. * In the ventilation hub, do not glide off to the side of the room; there is a ventilation duct that is actually a box. If you fall into it, there is no escape and you will have to load your last save. * Be extra careful when jumping on the boxes in shipping. Usually you're able to scurry out of the tight spaces between them, but there's always the chance you'll become stuck. * When men in suits shoot electric at you, it sometimes goes through floors and platforms. If it hits the fusion tank in the main hub, it will become too electrified to use. Leave the room and come back. * In the main hub by the fusion tank, sometimes the screen will black out and you can see all placed objects in the entire hub. You can also walk into the wall if you enter the corner of the doorway at the door with the green spotlight. * In the security hub, be careful not to get caught half-on the grated platform as it moves up and down. The same goes for the small platform in the ventilation hub. * In one cut scene in the shipping section, the widescreen panels don't turn off, so you can't see your meters very well. Just ignore it the best you can; they'll go away shortly when you leave the area and encounter another short cut scene. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ +++ WALKTHROUGH +++ 2:0 PLAYER ICONS To begin a new game, go to login and click on an empty slot. Here are the player icons from top left-to-right, then bottom left-to-right (they're sorta hard to make out, so that's why I added this section): Spanx Redmond Hypersnacks Terrier/Bulldog Scientist Mascot Thingy C.E.0 Chimp Hazmat Guy Goodguy Bunny Logo Beaker Scientist 2:1 SHOWCASE DEPARTMENT First, a cinema scene. Yes, the C.E.O has a gilded weasel skull on his cane... icky. At the beginning, there is a computer that you'll push Y at to see a short cinema clip. Then proceed down a long hallway. To avoid the red security light, you can cling onto the chainlink at the sides of the hall. The door won't open for you, so turn to the right, break the vent and the fan, and go on your merry little way. Don't run into steam, it hurts. Appliance Testing Room: Beat up the scientist, then break stuff. Go up the stairs in the corner to get a robomouse. To rescue the chimp, jump across the water, jump and grab the blue orb with X, and swing. Let go with A. Beat up the scientists, go overboard on him to get your first hypersnacks. Dodge the security light and head into another fan duct. Scurry and grapple along. Set your bunny on fire in the next room to trigger the emergency door. Proceed to the room with velcro hamsters! Adhesives Testing Room/Gauntlet Room: Run to the end of the room and short the fusebox with Y to free the hammies. Double back and go through the room where you saw the scientists. Go up the stairs, trigger the switch, then return to the testing site. The door will open and alarms will go off. Scurry onward to the Gauntlet Hallway. To avoid being detected by the red beams, hide under the computer tables. You'll meet your first security guard. Beat him up, break the locker doors to get a key. Trigger a switch to raise the security computers and open a door right around the corner from the room you're in. Stuff the bunny in the gadget near the door with Y. Museum Hallway: When you see a flying contraption, jump up at its side or back and whack it. Jump through the glass of the Fatress display and go wild. Go over the security lasers and jump through the Binoculenses display. Go down to the next set of lasers and jump over them. Proceed down hall, through Self of 2000 display, down past more lasers... as you come to the Robo Weasel display, a Robo Weasel will jump through the glass and attack. Jump smash him and then whack him. Jump through the Robo Weasel display. Down the hall and to the right you will find a security room - break all of the cameras, etc. Proceed to the gears at the end of the hall, throw Redmond in with Y, and proceed to... Showcase Room: Explore the room. You'll find a robomouse roaming the floor, a save point, and a map download computer. Then locate the floating blue orbs. Double jump, latch on, swing, go on up to the platform. Break the vent grate and skitter through the ducts. You'll have circled upward to the top of the room. Look to the left. There will be platforms dangling there; these can be tricky later on in the game. Stand on the opposite end of the platform that you'll be jumping from, because you'll weigh down one end and give yourself more height to jump from. Jump from platform to platform until you come to a glass pane at the edge of the last platform. Use X to break the window with Redmond, or just jump through it. Reak havoc on the control panels, pushing a button that pops out more platforms spiraling up the center to the globe. Jump up and push X to grab onto the zipline above you (or somewhere nearby) to return to the platform where you can doublejump to the stairs without dealing with security guards. At the top of the spiraling staircase leading to the globe, there are floating orbs. When it is closest to you, latch on. Jump off at the next platform. Jump up to the bottom of the globe and scurry up the rail. Above the globe, latch onto orbs as they come close and do your platformer stuff, jumping from globe to platforms and onto the bridges. At the end of bridges, whack the tethers attached to the globe. Keep track of which tethers you have broken. After you've snapped three, a helium fusion tank is uncovered. Get past the Hazmat guys, blow up your bunny, and aim for the target at the top of the room. If you're not confident in your helium skills, then use the right trigger to slow your descent. Once Redmond pops and you land on the bridge, run to the end and snap the last tether. Cinema. Proceed through a long hallway with lots of lasers and spiders. If you get too low on health, just outrun the spiders. 2:2: MAIN HUB Take a good look - you'll be spending a lot of your game in this room. Explore the floor, break some stuff... then locate the exit elevator. Here you will meet Lincoln for the first time and you'll get a boon to learn the ability to glide! Now run over to the ventilation shaft near the entrance to the cafeteria (the one that is blowing up steam). A hint for this part - don't be too hasty. Double jump while hitting the steam, stay in the updraft for a few moments until you float above the platform across from you. Then push toward the platform and drop in. There will be a lightbulb-like fixture with 'powerflies' in them. Break it and follow the little zappers. Keep a close eye on them - every time you touch them, they fly to a new spot. Keep chasing them to the orbs and quickly latch onto them as the bugs light them up. At the end of the chase, they will thank you and give you hypersnacks. Continue on to another bulb full of powerflies. Pursue them back to the ground floor, around the rail, and to the cafeteria door. Be careful not to fatigue Spanx by scurrying too much! Cafeteria: The door will now open. Head to the elevator and push Y. The lunch lady (with a nasty manly voice!) will now shoot chili dogs at you from inside of a security console thing. Your goal is to break the four radioactive- looking containers at the machine's midsection. Climb the rails toward the elevator, then glide to the machine. Jump and glide down to break the containers. More strategy tips in the enemy section (section 1:5) above. When the machine is broken, the lunch lady will have at you. You have to jump up and glide (swinging Redmond around) to hurt her. She's pretty easy to beat, just avoid her spatula swatting. After you beat the lunch lady, run to the chocolate goo spout and douse your bunny. Then return to the main hub and get spotted by guard by going toward the elevator. Hop on the elevator and access the bridge opened by the guard. Head to the guard's quarters, ruin his things, and push a button to give you access to another bridge leading to Endurance (an area covered by the demo of the game). 2:3: ENDURANCE To be continued... until I get around to writing more for this section, here's some... HINTS! *If it doesn't seem like you're doing the right thing, you're probably not. Don't waste your time jumping over and over and over and over to a wire or a rail that just doesn't seem like it's in range. Look for rising platforms, buttons to raise platforms, or an overhead zipline (I once spent a few minutes trying to continuously scurry on a line that was actually a zipline). *If you're lost, open your menu and access the map. Study the global map that lists various locations and then browse through the missions for each map. Sometimes these will give a clue on where you should be. *Cruising through the ducts in the shipping department, your poor li'l finger might get tired from walking against the conveyor belt while waiting for the lasers to disappear again. Just hop into the corner (usually above a blue light) to rest until the lasers go away. *When scurrying through the electrical areas in the power department, you may accidentally fall off from the mid-rail and be shocked while trying to recover. If this happens, you can usually hug the wall and scurry until you can get to the platform at the end of the hall. *Ignore the yellow orbs until later in the game, when Redmond is (ahem) upgraded with a chip that allows him to conduct the right kind of energy to the yellow ones. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A Happy Li'l Fact: Neither weasels nor rabbits are rodents; weasels are in the mustelid family, which are carnivorous animals related to badgers and bears. Rabbits are in the lagomorph family, which consists of short-tailed hopping herbivores like hares and pikas. Both families have their domesticated versions (ferrets are weasels, and house rabbits are... well, rabbits) that make great pets for responsible people. Contacts: E-mail: kiyo@nuwisha.zzn.com Telnet MUCKmail: Kiopa; After Hokkaido MUCK (muck.prides.org:3333) ------------------------------------------------------------------------