diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
index 20849fefd1..814c9524d1 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Game.cs
@@ -400,9 +400,41 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 
 		public static void StartGame()
 		{
-			// todo: spawn starting units for everyone
+			var available = SpawnPoints.ToList();
+			var taken = new List<int2>();
 
+			foreach (var client in LobbyInfo.Clients)
+			{
+				// todo: allow players to choose their own spawn points.
+				// only select a point for them if they didn't.
+
+				// todo: spawn more than one unit, in most cases!
+
+				var sp = ChooseSpawnPoint(available, taken);
+				world.Add(new Actor("mcv", sp, players[client.Index]));
+			}
+
+			Game.viewport.GoToStartLocation();
 			orderManager.StartGame();
 		}
+
+		static int2 ChooseSpawnPoint(List<int2> available, List<int2> taken)
+		{
+			if (available.Count == 0)
+				throw new InvalidOperationException("No free spawnpoint.");
+
+			var n = taken.Count == 0 
+				? Game.SharedRandom.Next(available.Count)
+				: available			// pick the most distant spawnpoint from everyone else
+					.Select((k,i) => Pair.New(k,i))
+					.OrderByDescending(a => taken.Sum(t => (t - a.First).LengthSquared))
+					.Select(a => a.Second)
+					.First();
+			
+			var sp = available[n];
+			available.RemoveAt(n);
+			taken.Add(sp);
+			return sp;
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
index d3f741d546..f7a161b071 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		{
 			if( useAftermath )
 				AllRules = new IniFile(
-					FileSystem.Open( "session.ini" ),
 					FileSystem.Open( mapFileName ),
 					FileSystem.Open("aftermathUnits.ini"),
 					FileSystem.Open("units.ini"),
@@ -38,7 +37,6 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 					FileSystem.Open("trees.ini"));
 			else
 				AllRules = new IniFile(
-					FileSystem.Open("session.ini"),
 					FileSystem.Open(mapFileName),
 					FileSystem.Open("units.ini"),
 					FileSystem.Open("rules.ini"),
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Shroud.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Shroud.cs
index 35c6f6abec..cd8ccd0911 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Shroud.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Shroud.cs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 		bool[,] explored = new bool[128, 128];
 		Sprite[] shadowBits = SpriteSheetBuilder.LoadAllSprites("shadow");
 		Sprite[,] sprites = new Sprite[128, 128];
-		bool dirty;
+		bool dirty = true;
 		bool hasGPS = false;
 		
 		float gapOpaqueTicks = (int)(Rules.General.GapRegenInterval * 25 * 60);