diff --git a/common/makefile b/common/makefile
index e2d1029..9fe752a 100644
--- a/common/makefile
+++ b/common/makefile
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ all:
 	$(MAKE) -C graphics
 	$(MAKE) -C map
 	$(MAKE) -C network
-	$(MAKE) -C ui
+#	$(MAKE) -C ui
 	$(MAKE) -C utilities
diff --git a/common/map/makefile b/common/map/makefile
index 2020f4a..03a0db8 100644
--- a/common/map/makefile
+++ b/common/map/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #config
-INCLUDES+=. ../utilities
+INCLUDES+=. ../graphics
 LIBS+=
 CXXFLAGS+=-std=c++11 $(addprefix -I,$(INCLUDES))
 
diff --git a/common/map/region.hpp b/common/map/region.hpp
index 68511be..da919cb 100644
--- a/common/map/region.hpp
+++ b/common/map/region.hpp
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ public:
 
 	std::bitset<REGION_WIDTH*REGION_HEIGHT>* GetSolidBitset();
 private:
+	friend class TileSheet;
+
 	const int x;
 	const int y;
 
diff --git a/common/map/region_pager_lua.cpp b/common/map/region_pager_lua.cpp
index 4e0a973..66771c9 100644
--- a/common/map/region_pager_lua.cpp
+++ b/common/map/region_pager_lua.cpp
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@
 
 #include <stdexcept>
 
-//DOCS: Load, Save and Create fail unless the lua function has been set
-//DOCS: UnloadIf and UnloadAll will still continue without the function set
-
 RegionPagerLua::~RegionPagerLua() {
 	//unload all regions
 	UnloadAll();
@@ -44,6 +41,7 @@ Region* RegionPagerLua::LoadRegion(int x, int y) {
 	//check if this function is available
 	if (lua_isnil(lua, -1)) {
 		lua_pop(lua, 1);
+		//signal that there is no load function
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 
@@ -57,17 +55,20 @@ Region* RegionPagerLua::LoadRegion(int x, int y) {
 	}
 
 	//check the return value, success or failure
-	if (lua_toboolean(lua, -1)) {
+	if (lua_isboolean(lua, -1) && lua_toboolean(lua, -1)) {
 		lua_pop(lua, 1);
+		//push and return the loaded region
 		regionList.push_front(tmpRegion);
 		return &regionList.front();
 	}
 	else {
 		lua_pop(lua, 1);
+		//signal a failure
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 }
 
+//NOTE: this return value seems strange; could replace it with a boolean
 //return the saved region, or nullptr on failure
 Region* RegionPagerLua::SaveRegion(int x, int y) {
 	//get the pager's function from the registry
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ Region* RegionPagerLua::SaveRegion(int x, int y) {
 	//check if this function is available
 	if (lua_isnil(lua, -1)) {
 		lua_pop(lua, 1);
+		//signal that the region wasn't saved
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ Region* RegionPagerLua::SaveRegion(int x, int y) {
 	Region* ptr = FindRegion(x, y);
 	if (!ptr) {
 		lua_pop(lua, 1);
+		//signal that there is no save function
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 	lua_pushlightuserdata(lua, ptr);
@@ -93,17 +96,20 @@ Region* RegionPagerLua::SaveRegion(int x, int y) {
 	}
 
 	//check the return value, success or failure
-	if (lua_toboolean(lua, -1)) {
+	if (lua_isboolean(lua, -1) && lua_toboolean(lua, -1)) {
 		lua_pop(lua, 1);
+		//return the specified region that was saved
 		return ptr;
 	}
 	else {
 		lua_pop(lua, 1);
+		//signal a failure
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 }
 
-//return the created region, or nullptr on failure
+//DOCS: since this method is the last ditch call from GetRegion, it must return a valid region object, even if the create function hasn't been set.
+//return a new region, throwing an error on failure
 Region* RegionPagerLua::CreateRegion(int x, int y) {
 	if (FindRegion(x, y)) {
 		throw(std::logic_error("Cannot overwrite an existing region"));
@@ -115,7 +121,9 @@ Region* RegionPagerLua::CreateRegion(int x, int y) {
 	//check if this function is available
 	if (lua_isnil(lua, -1)) {
 		lua_pop(lua, 1);
-		return nullptr;
+		//return an empty region object
+		regionList.emplace_front(x, y);
+		return &regionList.front();
 	}
 
 	//something to work on
diff --git a/common/map/region_pager_lua.hpp b/common/map/region_pager_lua.hpp
index 0b64b0a..bf2c039 100644
--- a/common/map/region_pager_lua.hpp
+++ b/common/map/region_pager_lua.hpp
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include <functional>
 #include <string>
 
+//DOCS: set the lua hook before use
+
 class RegionPagerLua : public RegionPagerBase {
 public:
 	RegionPagerLua() = default;
diff --git a/common/graphics/tile_sheet.cpp b/common/map/tile_sheet.cpp
similarity index 77%
rename from common/graphics/tile_sheet.cpp
rename to common/map/tile_sheet.cpp
index 137b77a..2b458ca 100644
--- a/common/graphics/tile_sheet.cpp
+++ b/common/map/tile_sheet.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 */
 #include "tile_sheet.hpp"
 
+#include <stdexcept>
+
 TileSheet& TileSheet::operator=(TileSheet const& rhs) {
 	//don't screw yourself
 	if (this == &rhs) {
@@ -81,25 +83,41 @@ void TileSheet::Free() {
 }
 
 void TileSheet::DrawLayerTo(SDL_Renderer* const renderer, Region* const region, int layer, int camX, int camY, double scaleX, double scaleY) {
-	//TODO: empty
+	//TODO: (2) empty
 }
 
 void TileSheet::DrawRegionTo(SDL_Renderer* const renderer, Region* const region, int camX, int camY, double scaleX, double scaleY) {
-	//TODO: (2) make TileSheet a friend class of Region
+	//NOTE: TileSheet is a friend class of Region
+	//reimplementing DrawTo() to improve performance (less indirection)
+	if (!texture) {
+		throw(std::logic_error("No image texture to draw"));
+	}
+
+	//the local variables
+	SDL_Rect sclip = {0, 0, clip.w, clip.h};
+	SDL_Rect dclip = {0, 0, Uint16(clip.w * scaleX), Uint16(clip.h * scaleY)};
 	Region::type_t tile = 0;
+
+	//for each tile
 	for (register int i = 0; i < REGION_WIDTH; ++i) {
 		for (register int j = 0; j < REGION_HEIGHT; ++j) {
 			for (register int k = 0; k < REGION_DEPTH; ++k) {
-				tile = region->GetTile(i, j, k);
+				//get the value to skip expensive lookups
+				tile = region->tiles[i][j][k];
+
 				//0 is invisible
 				if (tile == 0) continue;
-				clip.x = (tile-1) % countX * clip.h;
-				clip.y = (tile-1) / countX * clip.w;
-				//TODO: (2) raw rendering; improve preformance
-				Image::DrawTo(renderer,
-					(region->GetX() + i) * clip.w - camX,
-					(region->GetY() + j) * clip.h - camY,
-					scaleX, scaleY);
+
+				//set the sclip
+				sclip.x = (tile-1) % countX * clip.h;
+				sclip.x = (tile-1) / countX * clip.w;
+
+				//set the dclip
+				dclip.x = ((region->x + i) * clip.w - camX) * scaleX;
+				dclip.y = ((region->y + j) * clip.h - camY) * scaleY;
+
+				//draw
+				SDL_RenderCopy(renderer, texture, &sclip, &dclip);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/common/graphics/tile_sheet.hpp b/common/map/tile_sheet.hpp
similarity index 98%
rename from common/graphics/tile_sheet.hpp
rename to common/map/tile_sheet.hpp
index f327151..74affdf 100644
--- a/common/graphics/tile_sheet.hpp
+++ b/common/map/tile_sheet.hpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public:
 	void DrawRegionTo(SDL_Renderer* const renderer, Region* const region, int camX, int camY, double scaleX = 1.0, double scaleY = 1.0);
 
 	//accessors
-	//DOCS: reuse Image::clip for tile sizes
+	//DOCS: Reuse Image::clip for tile sizes
 	int GetCountX() { return countX; }
 	int GetCountY() { return countY; }
 	int GetTileW() { return clip.w; }