GUECS now doesn't have the facts feature from DinkyECS and instead you refer to the whole area with gui.MAIN. This is an entity that's at 0 and represents the whole grid. Background is placed there.

boss_fight_ui.cpp

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ namespace gui {
 
     $boss_background = textures::get(boss.background);
     $boss_background.sprite->setPosition({BOSS_VIEW_X, BOSS_VIEW_Y});
-    $status.set_the<Background>({$status.$parser});
+    $status.set<Background>($status.MAIN, {$status.$parser});
 
     if(boss.stage) {
       $boss_has_stage = true;

combat_ui.cpp

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ namespace gui {
   }
 
   void CombatUI::init() {
-    $gui.set_the<Background>({$gui.$parser, ColorValue::DARK_MID});
+    $gui.set<Background>($gui.MAIN, {$gui.$parser, ColorValue::DARK_MID});
     auto& the_belt = $level.world->get_the<ritual::Belt>();
 
     for(int slot = 0; slot < the_belt.max_slots; slot++) {

guecs.cpp

@@ -182,11 +182,6 @@ namespace guecs {
   }
 
   void UI::init() {
-    if(has_the<Background>()) {
-      auto& bg = get_the<Background>();
-      bg.init();
-    }
-
     query<Background>([](auto, auto& bg) {
         bg.init();
     });
@@ -232,9 +227,8 @@ namespace guecs {
   }
 
   void UI::render(sf::RenderWindow& window) {
-    if(has_the<Background>()) {
-      auto& bg = get_the<Background>();
-      window.draw(*bg.shape);
+    if(auto bg = get_if<Background>(MAIN)) {
+      window.draw(*(bg->shape));
     }
 
     query<Effect>([&](auto, auto& shader) {

guecs.hpp

@@ -150,11 +150,10 @@ namespace guecs {
 
   class UI {
     public:
-      unsigned long entity_count = 0;
+      Entity MAIN = 0;
+      unsigned long entity_count = 1;
       std::unordered_map<std::type_index, EntityMap> $components;
-      std::unordered_map<std::type_index, std::any> $facts;
       std::unordered_map<std::type_index, std::any> $component_storages;
-
       std::unordered_map<string, Entity> $name_ents;
       shared_ptr<sf::Font> $font = nullptr;
       lel::Parser $parser;
@@ -212,31 +211,6 @@ namespace guecs {
           return $components[std::type_index(typeid(Comp))];
         }
 
-
-      template <typename Comp>
-        bool has_the() {
-          auto comp_id = std::type_index(typeid(Comp));
-          return $facts.contains(comp_id);
-        }
-
-      template <typename Comp>
-        void set_the(Comp val) {
-          $facts.insert_or_assign(std::type_index(typeid(Comp)), val);
-        }
-
-      template <typename Comp>
-        Comp &get_the() {
-          auto comp_id = std::type_index(typeid(Comp));
-          dbc::check($facts.contains(comp_id),
-              fmt::format("!!!! ATTEMPT to access world fact that hasn't "
-                "been set yet: {}",
-                typeid(Comp).name()));
-
-          // use .at to get std::out_of_range if fact not set
-          std::any &res = $facts.at(comp_id);
-          return std::any_cast<Comp &>(res);
-        }
-
       template <typename Comp>
         void set(Entity ent, Comp val) {
           EntityMap &map = entity_map_for<Comp>();

status_ui.cpp

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ namespace gui {
   }
 
   void StatusUI::init() {
-    $gui.set_the<Background>({$gui.$parser});
+    $gui.set<Background>($gui.MAIN, {$gui.$parser});
 
     for(auto& [name, cell] : $gui.cells()) {
       if(name == "log_view") {