...Whatever. Let's Play Final Fantasy VIII [SSLP]

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Silver Falcon: Dec 5, 2005; Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and barbecue your own drumsticks!

quote:

First time I played this game, I put Irvine on the missile team for exactly that reason, and then I felt super bad about it. :smith:

I also couldn't even get past the boss for the longest time because I was still summoning GFs to kill everything like an idiot. I was really, really bad at this game.

Silegna posted:

Okay, the first three I give you. But Irvine wouldn't have missed if we didn't make Edea think something was up when we dropped the gates. His shot was right on target.

That was only after he wouldn't have taken the shot at all if Squall hadn't been there for psyche him up. But that may be more Carraway's fuckup for sending a sniper with a reputation for choking under pressure on such a crucial mission.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 15:25

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# ? Jun 1, 2024 16:30

stump collector: May 28, 2007

This game can be difficult if you ever prioritize summoning GFs. I feel like all of them are incredibly anemic, even with perfect boost and the 30% summon damage increase. All they are useful for is refining magic and learning mug/enc-none.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 16:19

morallyobjected: Nov 3, 2012

exethan posted:

This game can be difficult if you ever prioritize summoning GFs. I feel like all of them are incredibly anemic, even with perfect boost and the 30% summon damage increase. All they are useful for is refining magic and learning mug/enc-none.

You are clearly forgetting the best GF. Which is understandable, given the entirely obscure requirements to get it.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 16:24

Simply Simon: Nov 6, 2010; 📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔

morallyobjected posted:

not to mention he managed to bend the bullet around space-time to hit her in the head when the float was facing the opposite direction.

they did turn off the missiles. the captain/leader they thought they incapacitated managed to crawl to the console and turn the launch back on after they left the room and set the sequence, before he completely passed out and died. I know you hate FF8 and all but come on.

I thought that guy locked them in/activated the death robot? He's not even in the same room as the control console!

Unless the fine-control (aka missile accuracy/target) is somewhere completely different from the "just shoot the loving missiles" console.

Again, I don't even mind this sequence at all in a vacuum, it's absolutely tolerably silly to me, but to me, there was never a contest that the missiles would get launched regardless (also considering that Selphie is reluctant to just smash the console the party uses, thinking that might activate the missiles. THAT console, not the one the dying guy pushes button on).

# ? Jul 2, 2015 17:24

stump collector: May 28, 2007

morallyobjected posted:

You are clearly forgetting the best GF. Which is understandable, given the entirely obscure requirements to get it.

Ah, you're right, I must have lost my train of thought

# ? Jul 2, 2015 17:27

Cool Ghost: Apr 13, 2012; MORE YOU SWEAT、
LESS YOU BLEED。
MORE YOU WEEP、
LESS GAME OVERS。
...OVER

Simply Simon posted:

I thought that guy locked them in/activated the death robot? He's not even in the same room as the control console!

Unless the fine-control (aka missile accuracy/target) is somewhere completely different from the "just shoot the loving missiles" console.

Again, I don't even mind this sequence at all in a vacuum, it's absolutely tolerably silly to me, but to me, there was never a contest that the missiles would get launched regardless (also considering that Selphie is reluctant to just smash the console the party uses, thinking that might activate the missiles. THAT console, not the one the dying guy pushes button on).

Selphie doesn't want to smash the targeting console. The actual launch console is in the command room, right next to where you beat those guys up. She stops the launch and then the soldier restarts it right before he dies.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 17:40

Gnoman: Feb 12, 2014; Come, all you fair and tender maids
Who flourish in your pri-ime
Beware, take care, keep your garden fair
Let Gnoman steal your thy-y-me
Le-et Gnoman steal your thyme

The console in the hallway is apparently used to interface directly with the missiles (a step up from a lot of real-world long-range missiles, which IIRC required you to open a hatch on the missile itself and insert a program directly). The launch controls (and probably where the targeting data is generated) are in the control room where you fought the base commander, who you didn't manage to finish off and launched after you set the self-destruct and left.

Also, in case it was forgotten, this sequence was foreshadowed in Timber - an article on the wall of the Owl's base (I can't find the exact update to quote it) talks about "Apart from Esthar, Galbadia possesses the world's only long-range missiles."

# ? Jul 2, 2015 18:53

morallyobjected: Nov 3, 2012

Gnoman posted:

The console in the hallway is apparently used to interface directly with the missiles (a step up from a lot of real-world long-range missiles, which IIRC required you to open a hatch on the missile itself and insert a program directly). The launch controls (and probably where the targeting data is generated) are in the control room where you fought the base commander, who you didn't manage to finish off and launched after you set the self-destruct and left.

Also, in case it was forgotten, this sequence was foreshadowed in Timber - an article on the wall of the Owl's base (I can't find the exact update to quote it) talks about "Apart from Esthar, Galbadia possesses the world's only long-range missiles."

From the bulletin board:

Anarchist Monthly Final Issue!!! posted:

With the exception of Esthar, the Galbadian Military possesses the world's only long range missiles. Although never used in combat, their existence has become a worldwide threat. It is said that the missiles have the ability to hit any target with astounding accuracy even without using radio signals. Will the time come for the president to push the button!? When the time comes, Ti... (The print is blurred on the last part.)

# ? Jul 2, 2015 19:45

Gnoman: Feb 12, 2014; Come, all you fair and tender maids
Who flourish in your pri-ime
Beware, take care, keep your garden fair
Let Gnoman steal your thy-y-me
Le-et Gnoman steal your thyme

Thanks. This game gets a lot of flack for "things coming out of nowhere" that were actually foreshadowed really early (so you'd have forgotten about them), in easy to miss notes or background details, or both.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 20:30

Lavender menace: Nov 7, 2012; by Lowtax

morallyobjected posted:

From the bulletin board:

I suppose it requires some suspension of disbelief to find that anything but hilarious considering how there are few places on the world map and most of them are pretty small and quiet. What winihill doesn't have ICBM's how about the port town of Balamb. I know we haven't been to Esthar yet but then if anything the statement becomes funnier.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 20:34

morallyobjected: Nov 3, 2012

Lavender menace posted:

I suppose it requires some suspension of disbelief to find that anything but hilarious considering how there are few places on the world map and most of them are pretty small and quiet. What winihill doesn't have ICBM's how about the port town of Balamb. I know we haven't been to Esthar yet but then if anything the statement becomes funnier.

I think it's mostly that they are supposed to maybe be a pretty new development. The world has had magic for a long time and they've developed a lot of transportation/communication infrastructure, but no one aside from Galbadia and Esthar have seen fit to develop the war tech.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 21:11

Mans: Sep 14, 2011; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

You'd think that a base that had a self-destruct switch would also have some sort of dead-man switch that would immediatly send all missiles to their designated coordinates. But this is one of the best parts of the game so it's all good. I really like how Galbadian soldiers are portrayed as regular conscripted humans doing a job during the play it cool phase. Everyone's just bored and doesn't really want to rush into throwing another hellfire against some place they probably never heard of.

Silver Falcon posted:

But that may be more Carraway's fuckup for sending a sniper with a reputation for choking under pressure on such a crucial mission.

how do you even maintain a career as a sniper if you get that kind of reputation

Lavender menace posted:

I suppose it requires some suspension of disbelief to find that anything but hilarious considering how there are few places on the world map and most of them are pretty small and quiet. What winihill doesn't have ICBM's how about the port town of Balamb. I know we haven't been to Esthar yet but then if anything the statement becomes funnier.

It makes more sense if you assume Galbadia is the hegemonic power of the world that's building up their military due to propaganda\fear about what's going on in the massive parts of the world no one has any idea about while everyone else are just small states who can't do much other than raise local defense forces.

Basically if Euroasia suddendly entered an impenetrable blackout and the United States was left with the military might of Haiti and El Salvador to compare with while also fearing what's happening on the other side of the atlantic.

Also, like you read on the Timber article, the missiles have never been used. Balamb might finance terrorists but they'll do their best not to go overboard because they know ICBMs might come their way.

morallyobjected posted:

I think it's mostly that they are supposed to maybe be a pretty new development. The world has had magic for a long time and they've developed a lot of transportation/communication infrastructure, but no one aside from Galbadia and Esthar have seen fit to develop the war tech.

tbh you'd think the massive thunderstorm explosion and the gigantic fireball from hell would do comparable damage to a Galbadian missile from looks alone.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 21:28

SpookyLizard: Feb 17, 2009

Those things are awesome, but they lack the True Power, which is the power of cutscenes.

A deadman's switch on your kickass awesome "gently caress the entire world up" military base would be kind of a smart idea, in the MAD sense, however, since these aren't nukes and it's a self destruct, you wouldn't necessarily want to fire your poo poo on self destruct, because you're probably firing the self destruct off because you've been compromised by a superior military force. They don't just add self destruct mechanisms so the plucky heroes can blow up the base, yanno.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 21:56

Istvun: Apr 20, 2007; A better world is just $69.69 away.; Soiled Meat

morallyobjected posted:

not to mention he managed to bend the bullet around space-time to hit her in the head when the float was facing the opposite direction.

Right, they needed to lower the gates so Irvine could ricochet the bullet off of the far bars to hit Edea in the face. It's like you've never sniped before.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 22:29

Pennfalath: Sep 10, 2011; Why are these teenagers not at home studying their Latin vocabulary?

If you haven't seen the missile base easter egg yet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepuGwpvsso

# ? Jul 2, 2015 22:41

Silegna: Aug 20, 2013; Hey, heads up. I'm about to unleash my rage.

I started to play ff8 for the first time today. Already where we are in the LP. I noticed something about shooting Edea. We aren't shooting the front. She turned around because the gate behind her dropped.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 05:06

Hunter Noventa: Apr 21, 2010

Silegna posted:

I started to play ff8 for the first time today. Already where we are in the LP. I noticed something about shooting Edea. We aren't shooting the front. She turned around because the gate behind her dropped.

But she had a big-rear end chair behind her that's everywhere but the shooting cutscene it seems.

# ? Jul 4, 2015 00:53

Silegna: Aug 20, 2013; Hey, heads up. I'm about to unleash my rage.

Hunter Noventa posted:

But she had a big-rear end chair behind her that's everywhere but the shooting cutscene it seems.

Keep in mind, the sniper nest is the highest point. Irvine could probably see over it

# ? Jul 4, 2015 03:31

Vil: Sep 10, 2011

Cool Ghost posted:

Blind is still a great spell for boosting crisis level. If you're going to limit spam and you're using Squall or one of the women, you want Blind on at all times.

If you're exclusively going to limit spam, you can blind whoever the hell you want, even the guys not named Squall. Limits skip the standard accuracy check and will just plain always hit (barring things like enemy immunity to instant death, percentage HP damage, certain elements, etc. where appropriate).

ApplesandOranges posted:

-You get a Game Over against BGH251F2 if you don't set the error ratio to maximum.

Not exactly. You get your Game Over just before you would have fought it normally, for reasons that are apparent in context. I'll wait to see if Cool Ghost shows off this outcome; if not, I'll go into more detail.

# ? Jul 4, 2015 08:24

morallyobjected: Nov 3, 2012

Silegna posted:

Keep in mind, the sniper nest is the highest point. Irvine could probably see over it

either way, the cutscene clearly shows her deflecting it from in front of her

# ? Jul 4, 2015 17:39

Quantum Toast: Feb 13, 2012

Vil posted:

If you're exclusively going to limit spam, you can blind whoever the hell you want, even the guys not named Squall. Limits skip the standard accuracy check and will just plain always hit (barring things like enemy immunity to instant death, percentage HP damage, certain elements, etc. where appropriate).

I'm choosing to believe that this is how Irvine pulled off that shot.

# ? Jul 4, 2015 18:51

A Frosty Witch: Apr 21, 2005; I was just looking at it and I suddenly got this urge to get inside. No, not just an urge - more than that. It was my destiny to be here; in the box.

Quantum Toast posted:

I'm choosing to believe that this is how Irvine pulled off that shot.

I would love that scene if he fired one shot and Edea deflected it, and then he just starts rapid firing and striking amazing quick draw poses.

# ? Jul 5, 2015 01:57

Cool Ghost: Apr 13, 2012; MORE YOU SWEAT、
LESS YOU BLEED。
MORE YOU WEEP、
LESS GAME OVERS。
...OVER

I've checked my save files, and I do still have a save at the missile base, so I will be able to show off the easter eggs/what happens if you get caught/failure conditions.

# ? Jul 5, 2015 04:00

Kalenn Istarion: Nov 2, 2012; Maybe Senpai will finally notice me now that I've dropped :fivebux: on this snazzy av

Simply Simon posted:

Had to look it up:

code:

Infinite Rosetta Stones:
------------------------
The idea is to get to the card player within a very specific time frame, so that
we can then manipulate the way FF VIII checks its random number generator. You
don't have a very big margin of time to spill, I believe it's approximately
0.4 seconds. It sounds harder than it is, however.

[check the source for deets on the process if you want to replicate it!!!]

code:

What you must do now is challenge (and decline) to play the card player for a
total of 54 times, then play and win the card game to receive a Rosetta Stone.

Note: If the Queen of Cards is in Deling City, challenge the player 140 times.

No biggie then.

code:

If you want to get another Rosetta Stone, follow steps 1-7 again (including
saving your game, AND doing a Hard Reset to completely reset the game's random
number generator).

Tip: If you feel like you're going too slow, you can try to challenge the card
     player 53 times instead.  Keep in mind that practice makes perfect, and
     that you might soon enough be able to make a perfect run (and thus need
     to challenge the card player 54 times).

      Video (by _Red___XIII_): [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKEdmyK-z8[/url]

Tip: For practical purposes, after getting enough Rosetta Stones for your liking
     to get the 4x Ability, you might want to consider getting just a few more
     Rosetta Stones. As it turns out, you can refine these into Shaman Stones,
     and in turn these can be refined in LuvLuvG (both with Siren's Tool-RF).
     The LuvLuvG item boosts all GF compatibility for one person by +20, so a
     few doses can do wonders. Of course, if you have the patience to wait
     until the end of disc 2, you can instantly get 100 of them, solving your
     compatibility problems for good..

Waiting for A WHOLE DISC? drat I don't have the patience for that, let's faff about for another 10 hours in this godforsaken rear end-place instead.

code:

Tip: You can also get the HP Up with 100% success by using this method. Instead
     of 54 challenges, how about trying 62 challenges exactly?  Boomshakalaka.
     Only one HP-Up can be obtained from the card player, however.


Suggestions (PERFECT GAME ONLY):
--------------------------------
If you are doing a Perfect Game, first collect a few Rosetta Stones to teach
some of your GF's the amazing 4x Ability. After that, get your stack of 100
Rosetta Stones and 100 Shaman Stones (refined from Rosetta Stones with Tool-RF).
A typical run takes about 5 minutes, so it's a lot faster that farming curse
spikes later in the game (for which it takes a little less than 25 minutes to
make a Dark Matter).

Getting 100 Rosetta Stones and 100 Shaman Stones might be testing your patience
too much (it would take about 17 hours roughly). An hour a day advances you
slowly but surely, too. Otherwise, you might just want to rely on Angelo
Searching to net you Hungry Cookpots (which can be refined in both Rosetta
Stones and Shaman Stones), and it can be done automated.. It's your call!

Automation is seriously boring, let's do it for over two weeks (an hour a day!) instead. It's not like I have anything better to do with my life.

Autism.txt

Nihilarian posted:

JRPGs have a long and storied tradition of giving the protagonist ridiculous names. Squall Leonheart isn't too bad.

EDGE MAVERICK

# ? Jul 6, 2015 15:50

chiasaur11: Oct 22, 2012

Kalenn Istarion posted:

EDGE MAVERICK

DAMMIT EDGE! YOU'RE A LOOSE CANNON, BUT DAMMIT YOU GET SOME drat RESULTS.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 20:17

Silegna: Aug 20, 2013; Hey, heads up. I'm about to unleash my rage.

chiasaur11 posted:

DAMMIT EDGE! YOU'RE A LOOSE CANNON, BUT DAMMIT YOU GET SOME drat RESULTS.

Ceodore. Why. That name doesn't even FIT with FF4s naming scheme of (mostly) normal names!

# ? Jul 6, 2015 22:18

Vil: Sep 10, 2011

It's a combo of Cecil and Theodore, the latter being Golbez's retconned original name (shown in one or another of FF4's many remakes, sequels, and remakes of sequels) before he went Zemus mind screwy.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 22:52

Silegna: Aug 20, 2013; Hey, heads up. I'm about to unleash my rage.

Vil posted:

It's a combo of Cecil and Theodore, the latter being Golbez's retconned original name (shown in one or another of FF4's many remakes, sequels, and remakes of sequels) before he went Zemus mind screwy.

I...yeah. The EU of ff4 can buzz off. After Years was bad, had a nonplot, and I couldn't give two craps about the new characters bar the sage girl.

# ? Jul 7, 2015 06:26

Silver Falcon: Dec 5, 2005; Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and barbecue your own drumsticks!

Silegna posted:

I...yeah. The EU of ff4 can buzz off. After Years was bad, had a nonplot, and I couldn't give two craps about the new characters bar the sage girl.

Hey, the Theodore thing was in FFIVDS, thank you very much, and that game doesn't deserve to be lumped in with The After Years. :colbert:

# ? Jul 7, 2015 12:30

VagueRant: May 24, 2012

The game that added a scene of Cecil looking at the sky and screaming "NOOOOOO!" all cheesy like?

Which by the way, they are definitely going to do with Aerith n the FFVII reimagining.

# ? Jul 7, 2015 12:43

Silegna: Aug 20, 2013; Hey, heads up. I'm about to unleash my rage.

Silver Falcon posted:

Hey, the Theodore thing was in FFIVDS, thank you very much, and that game doesn't deserve to be lumped in with The After Years.

Oh yeah. Forgot that. I remember that lp. Was great. I wanna replay ffiv Ds but yeah, no. Too difficult.

# ? Jul 7, 2015 16:55

Leave: Feb 7, 2012; Taking the term "Koopaling" to a whole new level since 2016.

Silegna posted:

Oh yeah. Forgot that. I remember that lp. Was great. I wanna replay ffiv Ds but yeah, no. Too difficult.

That LP is my favorite way to experience FF4DS again.

Much like this LP is my favorite way to experience FF8 again.

Leave fucked around with this message at 20:50 on Jul 7, 2015

# ? Jul 7, 2015 19:12

Silegna: Aug 20, 2013; Hey, heads up. I'm about to unleash my rage.

Leavemywife posted:

That LP is my favorite way to experience FF4DS again.

Much like this LP is my favorite way to experience FF8 again.

I remember it also had the GBA version. My first ff. Love that lp to death. Kim the murderous.

# ? Jul 8, 2015 01:24

Cool Ghost: Apr 13, 2012; MORE YOU SWEAT、
LESS YOU BLEED。
MORE YOU WEEP、
LESS GAME OVERS。
...OVER

Part Thirty-Nine: Going Home

On the other side of the ocean, Squall's made it back to Garden.

There's a little bit of dramatic irony in the line here, since we know that the missiles are just delayed.

Thankfully, Squall's not stupid.

: We have to report to the headmaster. Come on.

We'll have to evacuate the Garden, at least for a while, just to make sure that the missiles really aren't coming.

There shouldn't be any problems.

What the hell is this?

This line initially reads as stupid, but I think it's a pretty realistic response to seeing everyone freak out when you know about an emergency.

Garden Faculty: Go!

Seems like Cid's become persona non grata with the faculty.

: (What!?)

Shouldn't be any problems.

You know what?

No. I don't need this today.

gently caress this, gently caress you.

I'm goin' to town.

This must be a new New Assistant, since the New Assistant we met last time talked to Zell directly.

Man, Zell isn't just a major stud, he's the major stud.

I don't think this old man really hates Zell, I think he's funnin'. It's kinda depressing, though, considering.

While I'm in town, I grab new weapons for Squall and Quistis (no upgrades are available for Rinoa). Weapons are dirt cheap in this game, the only hard part is getting the materials. I think they could multiply those prices by 10 and there'd be no problems.

Been a while since we pulled off this.

Let's visit the Zell'sneighbourses.

Aw jeez.

This is bummin' me out.

He's, uh, he's good. Doin' great.

...Yeah.

This is pretty rough. Let's lighten up.

Classic pranks never get old.

The sea next to Balamb is, like, super blue.

Personally, I never really liked crayons. I preferred coloured pencils. That's just a bit of trivia for ya.

We definitely discussed that the last time we were in town. People in Balamb don't actually have new lines for after the Missile Base, it just depends on if Zell's in your party or not.

Here's the inn. No reason to be here, so I left immediately.

This girl's been playing with her dog.

She's got a nice little story to tell us.

Speaking of dogs, Rinoa's has learned a new trick. Invincible Moon is a great limit break, and if you game the system enough, you can get it to fire off reliably - any time Rinoa is at Crisis Level 3, she'll fire it off; you can make her use it at Crisis Level 4, too, if you never learn the ability that comes above it on the list. Combine looks random if you don't know about Crisis Level, but it's not, per se. The random element of Crisis Level does make it a bit more difficult to get exactly what you want all the time, though.

I get the feeling that Quistis really liked being an instructor, and did her best.

I'm going to play cards with this guy. There's something special about this guy.

He doesn't use any rules when he plays. This makes him useful for clearing out rules you've spread by accident. I've never actually put the time in, but I think this guy is instrumental if you want to abolish all rules globally.

The only rule I like is Open, and he doesn't use it. This actually means this is the hardest game of cards I've played all game.

The guy also doesn't say anything when you finish the game.

The ol' Cure Draw Point in the ocean is still around.

You know what? I have a lot of gil.

Let's rent a van.

Aww yeah.

I wonder how long the car will stay on the map if I ditch it here.

Next time: we care of whatever the hell this is.

# ? Jul 8, 2015 03:28

AdmiralViscen: Nov 2, 2011

This part of the game is always what kills repeat playthroughs for me. The Prison area is a slog and I hate the Missle Base too. It starts to pick up again around now, thankfully - but I think I've only made it this far once or twice.

# ? Jul 8, 2015 05:40

ApplesandOranges: Jun 22, 2012; Thankee kindly.

AdmiralViscen posted:

This part of the game is always what kills repeat playthroughs for me. The Prison area is a slog and I hate the Missle Base too. It starts to pick up again around now, thankfully - but I think I've only made it this far once or twice.

Why would you hate a Selphie-centric mission?

Quistis and Zell getting extra lines is pretty nice. Rinoa also gets a few (though not as much as you'd think, his dad doesn't even respond if you bring Rinoa back to him), but Selphie and Irvine are practically invisible as far as NPCs are concerned.

# ? Jul 8, 2015 06:37

morallyobjected: Nov 3, 2012

ApplesandOranges posted:

Why would you hate a Selphie-centric mission?

plus, the missile base is like the opposite of the prison, because it's relatively short with a bunch of character (those guards :allears:

)

# ? Jul 8, 2015 06:50

VagueRant: May 24, 2012

And (optionally) very few battles to boot.

# ? Jul 8, 2015 08:38

Senior Woodchuck: Aug 29, 2006; When you're lost out there and you're all alone, a light is waiting to carry you home

Cool Ghost posted:

I'm going to play cards with this guy. There's something special about this guy.

He doesn't use any rules when he plays. This makes him useful for clearing out rules you've spread by accident. I've never actually put the time in, but I think this guy is instrumental if you want to abolish all rules globally.

Son. Of. A. BITCH. They couldn't put this in the strategy guide?

# ? Jul 8, 2015 13:25

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Jun 1, 2024 16:30

AdmiralViscen: Nov 2, 2011

It just strikes (or struck) me as a whole lot of running back and forth hitting X to either talk to a guy or hit a switch. I'd rather be finding items, earning AP, and finding new areas that aren't a series of blue hallways.

Until you get to Squall the plot isn't really being moved forward either.

# ? Jul 8, 2015 14:29

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > ...Whatever. Let's Play Final Fantasy VIII [SSLP]

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