diff --git a/chameleonic.p8 b/chameleonic.p8
index aabe1c0..8688ebf 100644
--- a/chameleonic.p8
+++ b/chameleonic.p8
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ function player:update()
   end
 
   if kbd:btn(4) then
-   if kbd:btnp(4) and self.rope!=nil then 
+   if kbd:btnp(4) and self.rope then 
     self.rope:destroy()
     kbd:release(4)
    end
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ function player:update()
     
     self.todo={{
      update=function()
-      return self.rope==nil or self.rope:latched()
+      return not self.rope or self.rope:latched()
      end
     }}
    elseif kbd:btnp(5) then
@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@ function player:draw()
 
  if self.rope then
   local rx_adj,ry_adj=self.rope:affected_src_xy(rx,ry)
-  if rx_adj!=nil then
+  if rx_adj then
    local drx,dry=rx_adj-rx,ry_adj-ry
    rx,ry=rx+drx,ry+dry
    px,py=px+drx,py+dry
@@ -832,10 +832,7 @@ function rope:update()
  elseif self.state.name=="latched" then
   if (self.latch==nil) wrongbleep:bleep(5) self:destroy() return
 
-  if 
-   self.latch!=nil and
-   self.latch.rec!=nil 
-  then
+  if self.latch and self.latch.rec then
    self:drag_src(
     self.latch.rec.mx+0.5+self.latch.ax_offset,
     self.latch.rec.my+0.5+self.latch.ay_offset
@@ -897,11 +894,10 @@ end
 
 function rope:draw(artificial_px,artificial_py)
  local points,highlight=self:_tug(true)
- if (self.state.name=="done") return
- local perc_to_show=1.0
- local from_end=false
- if (self.state.name=="cast") perc_to_show=self.state.frame/2
- if (self.state.name=="destroy") perc_to_show=(1.0-self.state.frame/8)^2
+ local n,perc_to_show,from_end = self.state.name,1.0,false
+ if (n=="done") return
+ if (n=="cast") perc_to_show=self.state.frame/2
+ if (n=="destroy") perc_to_show=(1.0-self.state.frame/8)^2
  if (self.state.reelin) from_end=true
 
  points[#points]={x=artificial_px,y=artificial_py}
@@ -1190,7 +1186,7 @@ function rope:be_pushed_by(anchor,ax_old,ay_old)
  local ax_new,ay_new=anchor.ax,anchor.ay
  while true do
   n1=n0.next
-  if (n1==nil) return
+  if (not n1) return
 
   local nx0,ny0=n0.ax,n0.ay
   local nx1,ny1=n1.ax,n1.ay
@@ -1317,7 +1313,7 @@ function _stepfrom(x0,x1)
  local done=false
  if x0==x1 then
   return function() 
-   if (done) return nil
+   if (done) return
    done=true return x0
   end
  end