diff --git a/client/client_application.cpp b/client/client_application.cpp
index 06f0bc6..95f529c 100644
--- a/client/client_application.cpp
+++ b/client/client_application.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <chrono>
+#include <iostream>
 
 //-------------------------
 //Scene headers
@@ -44,24 +45,71 @@
 //-------------------------
 
 void ClientApplication::Init(int argc, char** argv) {
+	std::cout << "Beginning " << argv[0] << std::endl;
+
 	//load the prerequisites
 	config.Load("rsc\\config.cfg");
 
+	//-------------------------
+	//Initialize the APIs
+	//-------------------------
+
 	//initialize SDL
 	if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO)) {
 		throw(std::runtime_error("Failed to initialize SDL"));
 	}
-	int w = config.Int("client.screen.w");
-	int h = config.Int("client.screen.h");
-	int f = config.Bool("client.screen.f") ? SDL_HWSURFACE|SDL_DOUBLEBUF|SDL_FULLSCREEN : SDL_HWSURFACE|SDL_DOUBLEBUF;
-
-	BaseScene::SetScreen(w ? w : 800, h ? h : 600, 0, f);
+	std::cout << "Initialized SDL" << std::endl;
 
 	//initialize SDL_net
 	if (SDLNet_Init()) {
 		throw(std::runtime_error("Failed to initialize SDL_net"));
 	}
 	network.Open(0);
+	std::cout << "Initialized SDL_net" << std::endl;
+
+	//-------------------------
+	//Setup the screen
+	//-------------------------
+
+	int w = config.Int("client.screen.w");
+	int h = config.Int("client.screen.h");
+	int f = config.Bool("client.screen.f") ? SDL_HWSURFACE|SDL_DOUBLEBUF|SDL_FULLSCREEN : SDL_HWSURFACE|SDL_DOUBLEBUF;
+
+	BaseScene::SetScreen(w ? w : 800, h ? h : 600, 0, f);
+	std::cout << "Initialized the screen" << std::endl;
+
+	//-------------------------
+	//debug output
+	//-------------------------
+
+	//TODO: enable/disable these with a switch
+#define DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(x) std::cout << "\t" << #x << ": " << x << std::endl;
+
+	std::cout << "Internal sizes:" << std::endl;
+
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(sizeof(Region::type_t));
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(sizeof(Region));
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(REGION_WIDTH);
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(REGION_HEIGHT);
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(REGION_DEPTH);
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(REGION_SOLID_FOOTPRINT);
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(REGION_FOOTPRINT);
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(PACKET_BUFFER_SIZE);
+	DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(MAX_PACKET_SIZE);
+
+#undef DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR
+
+	//-------------------------
+	//finalize the startup
+	//-------------------------
+
+	std::cout << "Startup completed successfully" << std::endl;
+
+	//-------------------------
+	//debugging
+	//-------------------------
+
+	//...
 }
 
 void ClientApplication::Proc() {
@@ -100,9 +148,11 @@ void ClientApplication::Proc() {
 }
 
 void ClientApplication::Quit() {
+	std::cout << "Shutting down" << std::endl;
 	network.Close();
 	SDLNet_Quit();
 	SDL_Quit();
+	std::cout << "Clean exit" << std::endl;
 }
 
 //-------------------------
diff --git a/client/main.cpp b/client/main.cpp
index 9ec652c..156adff 100644
--- a/client/main.cpp
+++ b/client/main.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 using namespace std;
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
-	cout << "Beginning client" << endl;
 	try {
 		ClientApplication app;
 		app.Init(argc, argv);
@@ -38,6 +37,5 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 		cerr << "Fatal exception thrown: " << e.what() << endl;
 		return 1;
 	}
-	cout << "Clean exit" << endl;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/server/main.cpp b/server/main.cpp
index 288e10f..5c01971 100644
--- a/server/main.cpp
+++ b/server/main.cpp
@@ -21,15 +21,12 @@
 */
 #include "server_application.hpp"
 
-#include "SDL/SDL.h"
-
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <iostream>
 
 using namespace std;
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
-	cout << "Beginning server" << endl;
 	try {
 		ServerApplication app;
 		app.Init(argc, argv);
@@ -37,9 +34,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 		app.Quit();
 	}
 	catch(exception& e) {
-		cerr << "Fatal error: " << e.what() << endl;
+		cerr << "Fatal exception thrown: " << e.what() << endl;
 		return 1;
 	}
-	cout << "Clean exit" << endl;
 	return 0;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/server_application.cpp b/server/server_application.cpp
index 0a4ebc0..99179c4 100644
--- a/server/server_application.cpp
+++ b/server/server_application.cpp
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@
 
 void ServerApplication::Init(int argc, char** argv) {
 	//NOTE: I might need to rearrange the init process so that lua & SQL can interact with the map system as needed.
-	std::cout << "Beginning startup" << std::endl;
+	std::cout << "Beginning " << argv[0] << std::endl;
 
-	//initial setup
+	//load the prerequisites
 	config.Load("rsc\\config.cfg");
 
 	//-------------------------
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ void ServerApplication::Init(int argc, char** argv) {
 	//debug output
 	//-------------------------
 
-	//TODO: put these outputs into the client too
 	//TODO: enable/disable these with a switch
 #define DEBUG_OUTPUT_VAR(x) std::cout << "\t" << #x << ": " << x << std::endl;
 
@@ -179,7 +178,7 @@ void ServerApplication::Quit() {
 	SDLNet_Quit();
 	SDL_Quit();
 
-	std::cout << "Shutdown finished" << std::endl;
+	std::cout << "Clean exit" << std::endl;
 }
 
 //-------------------------