diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs b/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
index 0ccefb7f4d..ca823ea92f 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			renderer.SetPalette(new HardwarePalette(renderer.Device, map));
 			terrain = new TerrainRenderer(renderer, map, TileMix);
 
-			world = new World(renderer.Device);
+			world = new World(renderer);
 			treeCache = new TreeCache(renderer.Device, map, TileMix);
 
 			foreach (TreeReference treeReference in map.Trees)
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
index f83704779b..66b9cea50a 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
@@ -22,12 +22,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		{
 			techTree.CurrentRace = race;
 			techTree.Build("FACT", true);
-			//techTree.Build("POWR");
-			//techTree.Build("BARR");
-			//techTree.Build("PROC");
-			//techTree.Build("WEAP");
-			//techTree.Build("DOME");
-			spriteRenderer = new SpriteRenderer(renderer);
+			spriteRenderer = new SpriteRenderer(renderer, false);
 
 			package = new Package("../../../hires.mix");
 			LoadSprites("../../../buildings.txt");
@@ -47,7 +42,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 
 		void DrawSprite(Sprite s, ref PointF p)
 		{
-			spriteRenderer.DrawSprite(s, p);
+			spriteRenderer.DrawSprite(s, p, 0);
 			p.Y += 48;
 		}
 
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/SpriteRenderer.cs b/OpenRa.Game/SpriteRenderer.cs
index f3b7b36b02..82b47abb50 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/SpriteRenderer.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/SpriteRenderer.cs
@@ -19,20 +19,23 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		List<ushort> indicies = new List<ushort>();
 		Sheet currentSheet = null;
 		int sprites = 0;
+		ShaderQuality quality;
 
-		public SpriteRenderer(Renderer renderer)
+		public SpriteRenderer(Renderer renderer, bool allowAlpha)
 		{
 			this.renderer = renderer;
 
 			vertexBuffer = new FvfVertexBuffer<Vertex>(renderer.Device, 4 * spritesPerBatch, Vertex.Format);
 			indexBuffer = new IndexBuffer(renderer.Device, 6 * spritesPerBatch);
+
+			quality = allowAlpha ? ShaderQuality.High : ShaderQuality.Low;
 		}
 
 		public void Flush()
 		{
 			if (sprites > 0)
 			{
-				renderer.DrawWithShader(ShaderQuality.Low, delegate
+				renderer.DrawWithShader(quality, delegate
 				{
 					vertexBuffer.SetData(vertices.ToArray());
 					indexBuffer.SetData(indicies.ToArray());
@@ -49,13 +52,13 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			}
 		}
 
-		public void DrawSprite(Sprite s, PointF location)
+		public void DrawSprite(Sprite s, PointF location, int palette)
 		{
 			if (s.sheet != currentSheet)
 				Flush();
 
 			currentSheet = s.sheet;
-			Util.CreateQuad(vertices, indicies, location, s, 0);
+			Util.CreateQuad(vertices, indicies, location, s, palette);
 
 			if (++sprites >= spritesPerBatch)
 				Flush();
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/World.cs b/OpenRa.Game/World.cs
index 361b969100..c879d6b1cf 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/World.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/World.cs
@@ -9,41 +9,18 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 {
 	class World
 	{
-		const int spritesPerBatch = 1024;
-
 		List<Actor> actors = new List<Actor>();
-		FvfVertexBuffer<Vertex> vb;
-		IndexBuffer ib;
-		GraphicsDevice device;
+		SpriteRenderer spriteRenderer;
 
-		public World(GraphicsDevice device)
+		public World(Renderer renderer)
 		{
-			this.device = device;
-			this.vb = new FvfVertexBuffer<Vertex>(device, spritesPerBatch * 4, Vertex.Format);
-			this.ib = new IndexBuffer(device, spritesPerBatch * 6);
+			spriteRenderer = new SpriteRenderer(renderer, true);
 		}
 
-		public void Add(Actor a)
-		{
-			actors.Add(a);	//todo: protect from concurrent modification
-		}
-
-		// assumption: its not going to hurt, to draw *all* units.
-		// in reality, 500 tanks is going to hurt our perf.
-
-		// assumption: we dont skip around between sheets much. otherwise, our perf is going to SUCK.
-		// this can be fixed by pooling vertex/index lists, except that breaks z-ordering
-		// across sheets.
-
-		// assumption: when people fix these items, they might update the warning comment?
+		public void Add(Actor a) { actors.Add(a); }
 
 		public void Draw(Renderer renderer, Range<float> xr, Range<float> yr)
 		{
-			int sprites = 0;
-			List<Vertex> vertices = new List<Vertex>();
-			List<ushort> indices = new List<ushort>();
-			Sheet sheet = null;
-
 			foreach (Actor a in actors)
 			{
 				Sprite[] images = a.CurrentImages;
@@ -58,47 +35,10 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 					continue;
 
 				foreach (Sprite image in images)
-				{
-					if( image.sheet != sheet && sprites > 0 && sheet != null )
-					{
-						DrawBatch( vertices, indices, renderer, sheet );
-
-						vertices = new List<Vertex>();
-						indices = new List<ushort>();
-						sprites = 0;
-					}
-
-					sheet = image.sheet;
-					Util.CreateQuad(vertices, indices, a.location, image, a.palette);
-
-					if (++sprites >= spritesPerBatch)
-					{
-						DrawBatch(vertices, indices, renderer, sheet);
-
-						vertices = new List<Vertex>();
-						indices = new List<ushort>();
-						sprites = 0;
-					}
-				}
+					spriteRenderer.DrawSprite(image, a.location, a.palette);
 			}
 
-			if (sprites > 0)
-				DrawBatch(vertices, indices, renderer, sheet);
-		}
-
-		void DrawBatch(List<Vertex> vertices, List<ushort> indices, Renderer renderer, Sheet sheet)
-		{
-			vb.SetData(vertices.ToArray());
-			ib.SetData(indices.ToArray());
-
-			renderer.DrawWithShader(ShaderQuality.High,
-				delegate
-				{
-					renderer.DrawBatch(vb, ib,
-						new Range<int>(0, vertices.Count),
-						new Range<int>(0, indices.Count),
-						sheet.Texture);
-				});
+			spriteRenderer.Flush();
 		}
 	}
 }