diff --git a/lib/src/maps/elements/level.rs b/lib/src/maps/elements/level.rs
index 1e4034f..4835771 100644
--- a/lib/src/maps/elements/level.rs
+++ b/lib/src/maps/elements/level.rs
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ pub struct Background {
     #[name = "offsetY"]
     pub offset_y: Float,
     #[name = "innerText"]
+    #[rle]
     pub inner_text: Option<String>,
 }
 
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ pub struct Solids {
     #[name = "offsetY"]
     pub offset_y: Float,
     #[name = "innerText"]
+    #[rle]
     pub inner_text: Option<String>,
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/maps/mod.rs b/lib/src/maps/mod.rs
index 7a5af76..e8d26c9 100644
--- a/lib/src/maps/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/src/maps/mod.rs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ pub struct RawMap {
 }
 
 impl RawMap {
-    fn from_bytes(bytes: Vec<u8>) -> Result<Self, MapReadError> {
+    pub fn from_bytes(bytes: Vec<u8>) -> Result<Self, MapReadError> {
         let mut reader = MapReader::new(bytes);
 
         let check_string = reader.read_string()?;
@@ -284,20 +284,20 @@ impl<T: MapElement> ErasedMapElement for T {
 // It'll probably be fine because of monomorphization
 // so Option<u8> and Option<u16> are different
 // BUT still doesn't make sense to allow this when parsing dyn elements
-impl<T: MapElement> MapElement for Option<T> {
-    const NAME: &'static str = T::NAME;
+// impl<T: MapElement> MapElement for Option<T> {
+//     const NAME: &'static str = T::NAME;
 
-    fn from_raw(parser: MapParser) -> Result<Self, MapElementParsingError>
-    where Self: Sized {
-        Ok(parser.parse_element::<T>().ok())
-    }
+//     fn from_raw(parser: MapParser) -> Result<Self, MapElementParsingError>
+//     where Self: Sized {
+//         Ok(parser.parse_element::<T>().ok())
+//     }
 
-    fn to_raw(&self, encoder: &mut MapEncoder) {
-        if let Some(t) = self {
-            t.to_raw(encoder)
-        }
-    }
-}
+//     fn to_raw(&self, encoder: &mut MapEncoder) {
+//         if let Some(t) = self {
+//             t.to_raw(encoder)
+//         }
+//     }
+// }
 
 /// A dynamic element, if a parser for the element was registered it will be parsed into that struct, otherwise it is a [RawMapElement]
 ///
@@ -443,13 +443,7 @@ impl MapManager {
     }
 
     /// Writes the stored map data as binary into the provided writer
-    ///
-    /// This makes [ResolvableString]s unresolved so you should run [RawMap::resolve_strings]
-    /// if you intend to further edit the `RawMap` directly.
     pub fn write_map(&mut self, writer: &mut impl Write) -> std::io::Result<()> {
-        // unresolve strings, just in case people are editing the RawMap directly
-        self.map.unresolve_strings();
-
         writer.write_all(&self.map.to_bytes()?)
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/src/maps/var_types.rs b/lib/src/maps/var_types.rs
index 965a1fc..7c6481a 100644
--- a/lib/src/maps/var_types.rs
+++ b/lib/src/maps/var_types.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ impl EncodedVar {
             EncodedVar::Float(f) => format!("{f}_f32"),
             EncodedVar::LookupIndex(i) => lookup_table[*i].clone(),
             EncodedVar::String(s) => s.clone(),
-            EncodedVar::LengthEncodedString(s) => s.clone(),
+            EncodedVar::LengthEncodedString(s) => format!("RLE {s}"),
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/maps/writer.rs b/lib/src/maps/writer.rs
index 8d99597..5daa644 100644
--- a/lib/src/maps/writer.rs
+++ b/lib/src/maps/writer.rs
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ impl MapWriter {
         let mut cur_char = char_iter.next().unwrap();
         let mut cur_char_count = 1;
 
-        for c in str.chars() {
+        for c in char_iter {
             if c != cur_char || cur_char_count == 255 {
                 buf.push(cur_char_count);
-                buf.push(c as u8);
+                buf.push(cur_char as u8);
 
                 cur_char = c;
                 cur_char_count = 1;
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ impl MapWriter {
             }
         }
 
+        buf.push(cur_char_count);
+        buf.push(cur_char as u8);
+
         self.write_short(buf.len() as i16);
         self.buf.extend(&buf);
     }
diff --git a/macros/src/entity.rs b/macros/src/entity.rs
index 99e1100..2b206f6 100644
--- a/macros/src/entity.rs
+++ b/macros/src/entity.rs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ pub(super) fn entity_derive(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream, Error> {
     let encoders = fields.iter().map(|(name, field_type)| match field_type {
         FieldType::Normal(expr) => quote! {encoder.attribute(#expr, self.#name.clone())},
         FieldType::Optional(expr) => quote! {encoder.optional_attribute(#expr, &self.#name)},
-        FieldType::Node(true, false) => quote! {encoder.child(&self.#name)},
+        FieldType::Node(true, false) => quote! {if let Some(v) = &self.#name { encoder.child(v) }},
         FieldType::Node(false, false) => quote! {encoder.child(&self.#name)},
         FieldType::Node(_, true) => quote! {encoder.children(&self.#name)},
     });
diff --git a/macros/src/lib.rs b/macros/src/lib.rs
index 42aaf39..248c190 100644
--- a/macros/src/lib.rs
+++ b/macros/src/lib.rs
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ pub fn root_tag(
     .into()
 }
 
-#[proc_macro_derive(MapElement, attributes(child, name, dyn_child))]
+#[proc_macro_derive(MapElement, attributes(child, name, dyn_child, rle))]
 pub fn map_element_derive(input: proc_macro::TokenStream) -> proc_macro::TokenStream {
     let input = parse_macro_input!(input as DeriveInput);
 
diff --git a/macros/src/map_element.rs b/macros/src/map_element.rs
index a07f205..a8c8221 100644
--- a/macros/src/map_element.rs
+++ b/macros/src/map_element.rs
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ use quote::quote;
 use syn::{spanned::Spanned, Data, DeriveInput, Error, Expr, Meta, Type};
 
 enum FieldType {
-    Normal(Expr),
-    Optional(Expr),
+    Normal(Expr, bool),
+    Optional(Expr, bool),
     Child(bool, bool, bool),
 }
 
@@ -47,7 +47,18 @@ pub(super) fn map_element_derive(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream, Erro
     let mut found_dyn_child = false;
 
     for field in &struct_data.fields {
+        let mut found_rle = false;
         let mut found_attr = false;
+
+        for attr in &field.attrs {
+            if let Meta::Path(path) = &attr.meta {
+                if path.is_ident("rle") {
+                    found_attr = true;
+                    found_rle = true;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         for attr in &field.attrs {
             match &attr.meta {
                 Meta::Path(path) =>
@@ -59,6 +70,13 @@ pub(super) fn map_element_derive(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream, Erro
                             ));
                         }
 
+                        if found_rle {
+                            return Err(Error::new(
+                                path.span(),
+                                "Can't have both rle and child on a field",
+                            ));
+                        }
+
                         found_attr = true;
                         found_child = true;
 
@@ -85,9 +103,18 @@ pub(super) fn map_element_derive(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream, Erro
                                 "dyn_child field must be the only child field",
                             ));
                         }
+
+                        if found_rle {
+                            return Err(Error::new(
+                                path.span(),
+                                "Can't have both rle and child on a field",
+                            ));
+                        }
+
                         found_attr = true;
                         found_child = true;
                         found_dyn_child = true;
+
                         fields.push((
                             field.ident.clone().unwrap(),
                             FieldType::Child(true, false, true),
@@ -101,12 +128,12 @@ pub(super) fn map_element_derive(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream, Erro
                             if p.path.segments.first().is_some_and(|p| p.ident == "Option") {
                                 fields.push((
                                     field.ident.clone().unwrap(),
-                                    FieldType::Optional(name_value.value.clone()),
+                                    FieldType::Optional(name_value.value.clone(), found_rle),
                                 ))
                             } else {
                                 fields.push((
                                     field.ident.clone().unwrap(),
-                                    FieldType::Normal(name_value.value.clone()),
+                                    FieldType::Normal(name_value.value.clone(), found_rle),
                                 ))
                             }
                         }
@@ -123,9 +150,11 @@ pub(super) fn map_element_derive(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream, Erro
         }
     }
 
+    let celeste_rs = super::celeste_rs();
+
     let parsers = fields.iter().map(|(name, field_type)| match field_type {
-        FieldType::Normal(expr) => quote! {#name: parser.get_attribute(#expr)?,},
-        FieldType::Optional(expr) => quote! {#name: parser.get_optional_attribute(#expr),},
+        FieldType::Normal(expr, _) => quote! {#name: parser.get_attribute(#expr)?,},
+        FieldType::Optional(expr, _) => quote! {#name: parser.get_optional_attribute(#expr),},
         FieldType::Child(false, true, _) => quote! {#name: parser.parse_element().ok(),},
         FieldType::Child(false, false, _) => quote! {#name: parser.parse_element()?,},
         FieldType::Child(true, _, false) => quote! {#name: parser.parse_all_elements()?, },
@@ -133,14 +162,15 @@ pub(super) fn map_element_derive(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream, Erro
     });
 
     let encoders = fields.iter().map(|(name, field_type)| match field_type {
-        FieldType::Normal(expr) => quote! {encoder.attribute(#expr, self.#name.clone())},
-        FieldType::Optional(expr) => quote! {encoder.optional_attribute(#expr, &self.#name)},
-        FieldType::Child(false, ..) => quote! {encoder.child(&self.#name)},
+        FieldType::Normal(expr, false) => quote! {encoder.attribute(#expr, self.#name.clone())},
+        FieldType::Normal(expr, true) => quote! {encoder.attribute(#expr, #celeste_rs::maps::EncodedVar::new_rle_str(&self.#name))},
+        FieldType::Optional(expr, false) => quote! {encoder.optional_attribute(#expr, &self.#name)},
+        FieldType::Optional(expr, true) => quote! {encoder.optional_attribute(#expr, &self.#name.as_ref().map(#celeste_rs::maps::EncodedVar::new_rle_str))},
+        FieldType::Child(false, false, _) => quote! {encoder.child(&self.#name)},
+        FieldType::Child(false, true, _) => quote! {if let Some(v) = &self.#name {encoder.child(v);}},
         FieldType::Child(true, ..) => quote! {encoder.children(&self.#name)},
     });
 
-    let celeste_rs = super::celeste_rs();
-
     Ok(quote! {
         impl MapElement for #struct_ident {
             const NAME: &'static str = #struct_name;
diff --git a/macros/src/trigger.rs b/macros/src/trigger.rs
index a85203f..347c778 100644
--- a/macros/src/trigger.rs
+++ b/macros/src/trigger.rs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ pub(super) fn trigger_derive(input: DeriveInput) -> Result<TokenStream, Error> {
     let encoders = fields.iter().map(|(name, field_type)| match field_type {
         FieldType::Normal(expr) => quote! {encoder.attribute(#expr, self.#name.clone())},
         FieldType::Optional(expr) => quote! {encoder.optional_attribute(#expr, &self.#name)},
-        FieldType::Node(true, false) => quote! {encoder.child(&self.#name)},
+        FieldType::Node(true, false) => quote! {if let Some(v) = &self.#name { encoder.child(v) }},
         FieldType::Node(false, false) => quote! {encoder.child(&self.#name)},
         FieldType::Node(_, true) => quote! {encoder.children(&self.#name)},
     });