diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/FieldLoader.cs b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/FieldLoader.cs
index dc5107be51..55731a6445 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/FieldLoader.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/FieldLoader.cs
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.GameRules
 			}
 		}
 
+		public static void Load(object self, MiniYaml my)
+		{
+			foreach (var x in my.Nodes)
+			{
+				var field = self.GetType().GetField(x.Key.Trim());
+				field.SetValue(self, GetValue(field.FieldType, x.Value.Value.Trim()));
+			}
+		}
+
 		public static void CheckYaml( object self, Dictionary<string, MiniYaml> d )
 		{
 			//foreach( var x in d )
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/NewUnitInfo.cs b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/NewUnitInfo.cs
index dd37e7115c..4b660ad71d 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/NewUnitInfo.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/NewUnitInfo.cs
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using OpenRa.FileFormats;
+using OpenRa.Game.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRa.Game.GameRules
 {
 	class NewUnitInfo
 	{
 		public readonly string Parent;
-		public readonly Dictionary<string, MiniYaml> Traits = new Dictionary<string, MiniYaml>();
+		public readonly Dictionary<string, ITraitInfo> Traits;
 
 		public NewUnitInfo( MiniYaml node )
 		{
@@ -18,7 +19,22 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.GameRules
 				Parent = inherit.Value;
 				node.Nodes.Remove( "Inherits" );
 			}
-			Traits = node.Nodes;
+
+			Traits = node.Nodes.ToDictionary( 
+				a => a.Key, 
+				a => LoadTraitInfo( a.Key, a.Value ));
+		}
+
+		static ITraitInfo LoadTraitInfo(string traitName, MiniYaml my)
+		{
+			var fullTypeName = typeof(ITraitInfo).Namespace + "." + traitName + "Info";
+			var info = (ITraitInfo)typeof(ITraitInfo).Assembly.CreateInstance(fullTypeName);
+
+			if (info == null)
+				throw new NotImplementedException("Missing traitinfo type `{0}`".F(fullTypeName));
+
+			FieldLoader.Load(info, my);
+			return info;
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
index ae9bf199f7..46a53ee424 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ using System.Linq;
 using IjwFramework.Types;
 using OpenRa.FileFormats;
 using OpenRa.Game.GameRules;
+using OpenRa.Game.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRa.Game
 {
@@ -97,10 +98,6 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			NewUnitInfo = new Dictionary<string, NewUnitInfo>();
 			foreach( var kv in MiniYaml.FromFile( "ra.yaml" ) )
 				NewUnitInfo.Add( kv.Key.ToLowerInvariant(), new NewUnitInfo( kv.Value ) );
-
-			foreach( var unit in NewUnitInfo )
-				foreach( var trait in unit.Value.Traits.Values )
-					FieldLoader.CheckYaml( UnitInfo[ unit.Key.ToLowerInvariant() ], trait.Nodes );
 		}
 
 		static void LoadCategories(params string[] types)
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/UnitInfo.cs b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/UnitInfo.cs
index 6054874fe0..1b13fa1883 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/UnitInfo.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/UnitInfo.cs
@@ -67,16 +67,16 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.GameRules
 		public UnitInfo(string name) { Name = name; }
 	}
 
-	public class MobileInfo : UnitInfo
+	public class LegacyMobileInfo : UnitInfo
 	{
 		public readonly int Speed = 0;
 		public readonly bool NoMovingFire = false;
 		public readonly string Voice = "GenericVoice";
 
-		public MobileInfo(string name) : base(name) { }
+		public LegacyMobileInfo(string name) : base(name) { }
 	}
 
-	public class InfantryInfo : MobileInfo
+	public class InfantryInfo : LegacyMobileInfo
 	{
 		public readonly bool C4 = false;
 		public readonly bool FraidyCat = false;
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.GameRules
 		public InfantryInfo(string name) : base(name) { }
 	}
 
-	public class VehicleInfo : MobileInfo
+	public class VehicleInfo : LegacyMobileInfo
 	{
 		public readonly bool Tracked = false;
 
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Sound.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Sound.cs
index 537d4b59f6..84c637fa02 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Sound.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Sound.cs
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		{
 			if (voicedUnit == null) return;
 
-			var mi = voicedUnit.Info as MobileInfo;
+			var mi = voicedUnit.Info as LegacyMobileInfo;
 			if (mi == null) return;
 
 			var vi = Rules.VoiceInfo[mi.Voice];
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Mobile.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Mobile.cs
index de1f0dca25..7645d36cab 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Mobile.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Mobile.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ using OpenRa.Game.GameRules;
 
 namespace OpenRa.Game.Traits
 {
+	class MobileInfo : ITraitInfo
+	{
+		public readonly int Sight;
+		public readonly int ROT;
+		public readonly int Speed;
+		public object Create(Actor self) { return new Mobile(self); }
+	}
+
 	class Mobile : IIssueOrder, IResolveOrder, IOccupySpace, IMovement
 	{
 		readonly Actor self;
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/TraitsInterfaces.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/TraitsInterfaces.cs
index 849679042b..7a6c05611b 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/TraitsInterfaces.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/TraitsInterfaces.cs
@@ -69,4 +69,6 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.Traits
 		public Renderable WithZOffset(int newOffset) { return new Renderable(Sprite, Pos, Palette, newOffset); }
 		public Renderable WithPos(float2 newPos) { return new Renderable(Sprite, newPos, Palette, ZOffset); }
 	}
+
+	interface ITraitInfo { object Create(Actor self); }
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Util.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Util.cs
index fa918b337d..3a71fb98ae 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Util.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Util.cs
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game.Traits
 
 		public static float GetEffectiveSpeed(Actor self)
 		{
-			var mi = self.Info as MobileInfo;
+			var mi = self.Info as LegacyMobileInfo;
 			if (mi == null) return 0f;
 
 			var modifier = self.traits