diff --git a/client/entities/barrier_manager.cpp b/client/entities/barrier_manager.cpp
index 0287701..4bf86e1 100644
--- a/client/entities/barrier_manager.cpp
+++ b/client/entities/barrier_manager.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #include "barrier_manager.hpp"
 
 void BarrierManager::DrawTo(SDL_Renderer* const dest, Sint16 x, Sint16 y, double scaleX, double scaleY) {
-	for (auto& it : barrierMap) {
+	for (auto& it : elementMap) {
 		it.second.DrawTo(dest, x, y);
 	}
 }
@@ -47,26 +47,38 @@ void BarrierManager::UnloadTemplateImages() {
 }
 
 BaseBarrier* BarrierManager::Create(int index) {
-	barrierMap.emplace(index, BaseBarrier(baseImage, templateImages));
-	return &barrierMap[index];
+	elementMap.emplace(index, BaseBarrier(baseImage, templateImages));
+	return &elementMap[index];
 }
 
 void BarrierManager::Unload(int i) {
-	barrierMap.erase(i);
+	elementMap.erase(i);
 }
 
 void BarrierManager::UnloadAll() {
-	barrierMap.clear();
+	elementMap.clear();
+}
+
+void BarrierManager::UnloadIf(std::function<bool(std::pair<const int, BaseBarrier const&>)> fn) {
+	std::map<int, BaseBarrier>::iterator it = elementMap.begin();
+	while (it != elementMap.end()) {
+		if (fn(*it)) {
+			it = elementMap.erase(it);
+		}
+		else {
+			++it;
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 int BarrierManager::Size() {
-	return barrierMap.size();
+	return elementMap.size();
 }
 
 BaseBarrier* BarrierManager::Find(int i) {
-	std::map<int, BaseBarrier>::iterator it = barrierMap.find(i);
+	std::map<int, BaseBarrier>::iterator it = elementMap.find(i);
 
-	if (it == barrierMap.end()) {
+	if (it == elementMap.end()) {
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 
@@ -74,7 +86,7 @@ BaseBarrier* BarrierManager::Find(int i) {
 }
 
 std::map<int, BaseBarrier>* BarrierManager::GetContainer() {
-	return &barrierMap;
+	return &elementMap;
 }
 
 std::map<std::string, Image>* BarrierManager::GetTemplateContainer() {
diff --git a/client/entities/barrier_manager.hpp b/client/entities/barrier_manager.hpp
index c458820..dcbbb27 100644
--- a/client/entities/barrier_manager.hpp
+++ b/client/entities/barrier_manager.hpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ public:
 	BaseBarrier* Create(int index);
 	void Unload(int i);
 	void UnloadAll();
+	void UnloadIf(std::function<bool(std::pair<const int, BaseBarrier const&>)> fn);
 
 	int Size();
 
@@ -52,5 +53,5 @@ public:
 private:
 	Image baseImage;
 	std::map<std::string, Image> templateImages;
-	std::map<int, BaseBarrier> barrierMap;
+	std::map<int, BaseBarrier> elementMap;
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/scenes/world.cpp b/client/scenes/world.cpp
index 8aad428..42b84f8 100644
--- a/client/scenes/world.cpp
+++ b/client/scenes/world.cpp
@@ -185,7 +185,27 @@ void World::Update() {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	//TODO: (1) regular query interval
+	//TODO: (0) regular query interval
+	if (Clock::now() - queryTime > std::chrono::seconds(3)) {
+		queryTime = Clock::now();
+		//query the world state (room)
+		CharacterPacket characterPacket;
+		memset(&characterPacket, 0, MAX_PACKET_SIZE);
+		characterPacket.type = SerialPacketType::QUERY_CHARACTER_EXISTS;
+		characterPacket.roomIndex = roomIndex;
+		network.SendTo(Channels::SERVER, &characterPacket);
+
+		CreaturePacket creaturePacket;
+		creaturePacket.type = SerialPacketType::QUERY_CREATURE_EXISTS;
+		creaturePacket.roomIndex = roomIndex;
+		network.SendTo(Channels::SERVER, &creaturePacket);
+
+		BarrierPacket barrierPacket;
+		barrierPacket.type = SerialPacketType::QUERY_BARRIER_EXISTS;
+		barrierPacket.roomIndex = roomIndex;
+		network.SendTo(Channels::SERVER, &barrierPacket);
+	}
+
 	//cull creatures
 	for (std::map<int, BaseCreature>::iterator it = creatureMap.begin(); it != creatureMap.end(); /* */) {
 		if ( (localCharacter->GetOrigin() - it->second.GetOrigin()).Length() > INFLUENCE_RADIUS) {
@@ -196,7 +216,10 @@ void World::Update() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	//TODO: cull barriers
+	//cull barriers
+	barrierMgr.UnloadIf([&](std::pair<const int, BaseBarrier const&> barrierIt) -> bool {
+		return (localCharacter->GetOrigin() - barrierIt.second.GetOrigin()).Length() > INFLUENCE_RADIUS;
+	});
 
 	//get the collidable boxes
 	std::list<BoundingBox> boxList = GenerateCollisionGrid(localCharacter, tileSheet.GetTileW(), tileSheet.GetTileH());
@@ -727,6 +750,9 @@ void World::hCharacterCreate(CharacterPacket* const argPacket) {
 	if (character->GetOwner() == accountIndex) {
 		localCharacter = static_cast<LocalCharacter*>(character);
 
+		//reset queries
+		queryTime = Clock::now() - std::chrono::seconds(4); //back 4 seconds to trigger automatically
+
 		//focus the camera on this character's sprite
 		camera.marginX = (camera.width / 2 - localCharacter->GetSprite()->GetClipW() / 2);
 		camera.marginY = (camera.height/ 2 - localCharacter->GetSprite()->GetClipH() / 2);
@@ -734,23 +760,6 @@ void World::hCharacterCreate(CharacterPacket* const argPacket) {
 		//focus on this character's info
 		characterIndex = argPacket->characterIndex;
 		roomIndex = argPacket->roomIndex;
-
-		//query the world state (room)
-		CharacterPacket characterPacket;
-		memset(&characterPacket, 0, MAX_PACKET_SIZE);
-		characterPacket.type = SerialPacketType::QUERY_CHARACTER_EXISTS;
-		characterPacket.roomIndex = roomIndex;
-		network.SendTo(Channels::SERVER, &characterPacket);
-
-		CreaturePacket creaturePacket;
-		creaturePacket.type = SerialPacketType::QUERY_CREATURE_EXISTS;
-		creaturePacket.roomIndex = roomIndex;
-		network.SendTo(Channels::SERVER, &creaturePacket);
-
-		BarrierPacket barrierPacket;
-		barrierPacket.type = SerialPacketType::QUERY_BARRIER_EXISTS;
-		barrierPacket.roomIndex = roomIndex;
-		network.SendTo(Channels::SERVER, &barrierPacket);
 	}
 
 	//debug
@@ -791,12 +800,12 @@ void World::hCharacterUnload(CharacterPacket* const argPacket) {
 void World::hQueryCharacterExists(CharacterPacket* const argPacket) {
 	//prevent a double message about this player's character
 	//TODO: why is this commented out?
-//	if (argPacket->accountIndex == accountIndex) {
-//		return;
-//	}
+	if (argPacket->accountIndex == accountIndex) {
+		return;
+	}
 
 	//ignore characters in a different room (sub-optimal)
-	if (argPacket->roomIndex != roomIndex) {
+	if (argPacket->roomIndex != roomIndex || (localCharacter->GetOrigin() - argPacket->origin).Length() > INFLUENCE_RADIUS) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -913,10 +922,12 @@ void World::hCreatureUnload(CreaturePacket* const argPacket) {
 }
 
 void World::hQueryCreatureExists(CreaturePacket* const argPacket) {
-	std::cout << "Creature Query" << std::endl;
+	if (!localCharacter) {
+		return;
+	}
 
 	//ignore creatures in a different room (sub-optimal)
-	if (argPacket->roomIndex != roomIndex) {
+	if (argPacket->roomIndex != roomIndex || (localCharacter->GetOrigin() - argPacket->origin).Length() > INFLUENCE_RADIUS) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -1021,10 +1032,12 @@ void World::hBarrierUnload(BarrierPacket* const argPacket) {
 }
 
 void World::hQueryBarrierExists(BarrierPacket* const argPacket) {
-	std::cout << "Barrier Query" << std::endl;
+	if (!localCharacter) {
+		return;
+	}
 
 	//ignore barriers in a different room (sub-optimal)
-	if (argPacket->roomIndex != roomIndex) {
+	if (argPacket->roomIndex != roomIndex || (localCharacter->GetOrigin() - argPacket->origin).Length() > INFLUENCE_RADIUS) {
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/client/scenes/world.hpp b/client/scenes/world.hpp
index 311d1fc..f317e7a 100644
--- a/client/scenes/world.hpp
+++ b/client/scenes/world.hpp
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ private:
 	//TODO: (2) Heartbeat needs it's own utility
 	typedef std::chrono::steady_clock Clock;
 	Clock::time_point lastBeat = Clock::now();
+	Clock::time_point queryTime = Clock::now() - std::chrono::seconds(4); //back 4 seconds to trigger automatically
 	int attemptedBeats = 0;
 
 	//ugly references; I hate this