diff --git a/app/lib/LevelLoader.coffee b/app/lib/LevelLoader.coffee
index cbf7bc450..b277030e5 100644
--- a/app/lib/LevelLoader.coffee
+++ b/app/lib/LevelLoader.coffee
@@ -173,10 +173,9 @@ module.exports = class LevelLoader extends CocoClass
     else if session is @opponentSession
       @consolidateFlagHistory() if @session.loaded
     if @level.get('type', true) in ['course'] # course-ladder is hard to handle because there's 2 sessions
-      heroConfig = me.get('heroConfig')
-      console.log "Course mode, loading custom hero: ", heroConfig if LOG
-      return if not heroConfig
-      url = "/db/thang.type/#{heroConfig.thangType}/version"
+      heroThangType = me.get('heroConfig')?.thangType or ThangType.heroes.captain
+      console.log "Course mode, loading custom hero: ", heroThangType if LOG
+      url = "/db/thang.type/#{heroThangType}/version"
       if heroResource = @maybeLoadURL(url, ThangType, 'thang')
         console.log "Pushing resource: ", heroResource if LOG
         @worldNecessities.push heroResource
diff --git a/app/lib/world/world.coffee b/app/lib/world/world.coffee
index 070e9b143..af7e2b65b 100644
--- a/app/lib/world/world.coffee
+++ b/app/lib/world/world.coffee
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ module.exports = class World
       shouldUpdateProgress = @shouldUpdateRealTimePlayback t2
       shouldDelayRealTimeSimulation = not shouldUpdateProgress and @shouldDelayRealTimeSimulation t2
     else
-      shouldUpdateProgress = t2 - t1 > PROGRESS_UPDATE_INTERVAL
+      shouldUpdateProgress = t2 - t1 > PROGRESS_UPDATE_INTERVAL# and (@frames.length - @framesSerializedSoFar >= @frameRate or t2 - t1 > 1000)
       shouldDelayRealTimeSimulation = false
     return true unless shouldUpdateProgress or shouldDelayRealTimeSimulation
     # Stop loading frames for now; continue in a moment.
diff --git a/app/models/Level.coffee b/app/models/Level.coffee
index dad6f3106..13c8a66ff 100644
--- a/app/models/Level.coffee
+++ b/app/models/Level.coffee
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ module.exports = class Level extends CocoModel
 
     # Load the user's chosen hero AFTER getting stats from default char
     if /Hero Placeholder/.test(levelThang.id) and @get('type', true) in ['course']
-      heroThangType = me.get('heroConfig')?.thangType
+      heroThangType = me.get('heroConfig')?.thangType or ThangType.heroes.captain
       levelThang.thangType = heroThangType if heroThangType
 
   sortSystems: (levelSystems, systemModels) ->