diff --git a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/groups.zig b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/groups.zig
index 8a76b43..d2ff8f6 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/groups.zig
+++ b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/groups.zig
@@ -7,71 +7,65 @@ const SparseSet = @import("sparse_set.zig").SparseSet;
 const Entity = @import("registry.zig").Entity;
 
 /// BasicGroups do not own any components
-pub fn BasicGroup(comptime n_includes: usize, comptime n_excludes: usize) type {
-    return struct {
-        const Self = @This();
-
-        entity_set: *SparseSet(Entity),
-        registry: *Registry,
-        type_ids: [n_includes]u32,
-        exclude_type_ids: [n_excludes]u32,
-
-        pub const Iterator = struct {
-            group: *Self,
-            index: usize = 0,
-            entities: *const []Entity,
-
-            pub fn init(group: *Self) Iterator {
-                return .{
-                    .group = group,
-                    .entities = group.entity_set.data(),
-                };
-            }
-
-            pub fn next(it: *Iterator) ?Entity {
-                if (it.index >= it.entities.len) return null;
-
-                it.index += 1;
-                return it.entities.*[it.index - 1];
-            }
-
-            // Reset the iterator to the initial index
-            pub fn reset(it: *Iterator) void {
-                it.index = 0;
-            }
-        };
+pub const BasicGroup = struct {
+    const Self = @This();
 
-        pub fn init(entity_set: *SparseSet(Entity), registry: *Registry, type_ids: [n_includes]u32, exclude_type_ids: [n_excludes]u32) Self {
-            return Self{
-                .entity_set = entity_set,
-                .registry = registry,
-                .type_ids = type_ids,
-                .exclude_type_ids = exclude_type_ids,
-            };
-        }
+    registry: *Registry,
+    group_data: *Registry.GroupData,
 
-        pub fn len(self: Self) usize {
-            return self.entity_set.len();
-        }
+    pub const Iterator = struct {
+        group: *Self,
+        index: usize = 0,
+        entities: *const []Entity,
 
-        /// Direct access to the array of entities
-        pub fn data(self: Self) *const []Entity {
-            return self.entity_set.data();
+        pub fn init(group: *Self) Iterator {
+            return .{
+                .group = group,
+                .entities = group.group_data.entity_set.data(),
+            };
         }
 
-        pub fn get(self: *Self, comptime T: type, entity: Entity) *T {
-            return self.registry.assure(T).get(entity);
-        }
+        pub fn next(it: *Iterator) ?Entity {
+            if (it.index >= it.entities.len) return null;
 
-        pub fn getConst(self: *Self, comptime T: type, entity: Entity) T {
-            return self.registry.assure(T).getConst(entity);
+            it.index += 1;
+            return it.entities.*[it.index - 1];
         }
 
-        pub fn iterator(self: *Self) Iterator {
-            return Iterator.init(self);
+        // Reset the iterator to the initial index
+        pub fn reset(it: *Iterator) void {
+            it.index = 0;
         }
     };
-}
+
+    pub fn init(registry: *Registry, group_data: *Registry.GroupData) Self {
+        return Self{
+            .registry = registry,
+            .group_data = group_data,
+        };
+    }
+
+    pub fn len(self: Self) usize {
+        return self.group_data.entity_set.len();
+    }
+
+    /// Direct access to the array of entities
+    pub fn data(self: Self) *const []Entity {
+        return self.group_data.entity_set.data();
+    }
+
+    pub fn get(self: *Self, comptime T: type, entity: Entity) *T {
+        return self.registry.assure(T).get(entity);
+    }
+
+    pub fn getConst(self: *Self, comptime T: type, entity: Entity) T {
+        return self.registry.assure(T).getConst(entity);
+    }
+
+    pub fn iterator(self: *Self) Iterator {
+        return Iterator.init(self);
+    }
+};
 
 pub const OwningGroup = struct {
     registry: *Registry,
diff --git a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/registry.zig b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/registry.zig
index 3411c00..cfd7089 100644
--- a/zig-ecs/src/ecs/registry.zig
+++ b/zig-ecs/src/ecs/registry.zig
@@ -453,21 +453,28 @@ pub const Registry = struct {
         return MultiView(includes.len, excludes.len);
     }
 
-    /// creates an optimized group for iterating components. Note that types are ORDER DEPENDENDANT for now, so always pass component
-    /// types in the same order.
-    pub fn group(self: *Registry, comptime owned: var, comptime includes: var, comptime excludes: var) GroupType(owned, includes, excludes) {
+    /// creates an optimized group for iterating components
+    pub fn group(self: *Registry, comptime owned: var, comptime includes: var, comptime excludes: var) (if (owned.len == 0) BasicGroup else OwningGroup) {
         std.debug.assert(@typeInfo(@TypeOf(owned)) == .Struct);
         std.debug.assert(@typeInfo(@TypeOf(includes)) == .Struct);
         std.debug.assert(@typeInfo(@TypeOf(excludes)) == .Struct);
         std.debug.assert(owned.len + includes.len > 0);
         std.debug.assert(owned.len + includes.len + excludes.len > 1);
 
-        var owned_arr: [owned.len]u32 = undefined;
-        inline for (owned) |t, i| {
-            _ = self.assure(t);
-            owned_arr[i] = utils.typeId(t);
+        // create a unique hash to identify the group so that we can look it up
+        comptime const hash = comptime hashGroupTypes(owned, includes, excludes);
+
+        for (self.groups.items) |grp| {
+            if (grp.hash == hash) {
+                if (owned.len == 0) {
+                    return BasicGroup.init(self, grp);
+                }
+                var first_owned = self.assure(owned[0]);
+                return OwningGroup.init(self, grp, &first_owned.super);
+            }
         }
 
+        // gather up all our Types as typeIds
         var includes_arr: [includes.len]u32 = undefined;
         inline for (includes) |t, i| {
             _ = self.assure(t);
@@ -480,33 +487,17 @@ pub const Registry = struct {
             excludes_arr[i] = utils.typeId(t);
         }
 
-        // create a unique hash to identify the group
-        var maybe_group_data: ?*GroupData = null;
-        comptime const hash = comptime hashGroupTypes(owned, includes, excludes);
-
-        for (self.groups.items) |grp| {
-            if (grp.hash == hash) {
-                maybe_group_data = grp;
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-
-        // do we already have the GroupData?
-        if (maybe_group_data) |group_data| {
-            // non-owning groups
-            if (owned.len == 0) {
-                return BasicGroup(includes.len, excludes.len).init(&group_data.entity_set, self, includes_arr, excludes_arr);
-            } else {
-                var first_owned = self.assure(owned[0]);
-                return OwningGroup.init(self, group_data, &first_owned.super);
-            }
+        var owned_arr: [owned.len]u32 = undefined;
+        inline for (owned) |t, i| {
+            _ = self.assure(t);
+            owned_arr[i] = utils.typeId(t);
         }
 
-        const size = owned.len + includes.len + excludes.len;
+        // we need to create a new GroupData
+        var new_group_data = GroupData.initPtr(self.allocator, self, hash, owned_arr[0..], includes_arr[0..], excludes_arr[0..]);
 
         // before adding the group we need to do some checks to make sure there arent other owning groups with the same types
         if (std.builtin.mode == .Debug and owned.len > 0) {
-            std.debug.warn("\n", .{});
             for (self.groups.items) |grp| {
                 if (grp.owned.len == 0) continue;
 
@@ -523,14 +514,11 @@ pub const Registry = struct {
                     if (std.mem.indexOfScalar(u32, &excludes_arr, grp_exclude)) |_| sz += 1;
                 }
 
-                const check = overlapping == 0 or ((sz == size) or (sz == grp.size));
+                const check = overlapping == 0 or ((sz == new_group_data.size) or (sz == grp.size));
                 std.debug.assert(check);
             }
         }
 
-        // we need to create a new GroupData
-        var new_group_data = GroupData.initPtr(self.allocator, self, hash, owned_arr[0..], includes_arr[0..], excludes_arr[0..]);
-
         var maybe_valid_if: ?*GroupData = null;
         var discard_if: ?*GroupData = null;
 
@@ -555,7 +543,7 @@ pub const Registry = struct {
             // update super on all owned Storages to be the max of size and their current super value
             inline for (owned) |t| {
                 var storage = self.assure(t);
-                storage.super = std.math.max(storage.super, size);
+                storage.super = std.math.max(storage.super, new_group_data.size);
             }
         }
 
@@ -586,19 +574,13 @@ pub const Registry = struct {
         }
 
         if (owned.len == 0) {
-            return BasicGroup(includes.len, excludes.len).init(&new_group_data.entity_set, self, includes_arr, excludes_arr);
+            return BasicGroup.init(self, new_group_data);
         } else {
             var first_owned_storage = self.assure(owned[0]);
             return OwningGroup.init(self, new_group_data, &first_owned_storage.super);
         }
     }
 
-    /// returns the Type that a view will be, based on the includes and excludes
-    fn GroupType(comptime owned: var, comptime includes: var, comptime excludes: var) type {
-        if (owned.len == 0) return BasicGroup(includes.len, excludes.len);
-        return OwningGroup;
-    }
-
     /// given the 3 group Types arrays, generates a (mostly) unique u64 hash. Simultaneously ensures there are no duped types between
     /// the 3 groups.
     inline fn hashGroupTypes(comptime owned: var, comptime includes: var, comptime excludes: var) u64 {