diff --git a/app/models/SuperModel.coffee b/app/models/SuperModel.coffee
index eb9fc5b82..ea8058f79 100644
--- a/app/models/SuperModel.coffee
+++ b/app/models/SuperModel.coffee
@@ -295,10 +295,27 @@ class ModelResource extends Resource
     @model = modelOrCollection
     @fetchOptions = fetchOptions
     @jqxhr = @model.jqxhr
+    @loadsAttempted = 0
 
   load: ->
-    @markLoading()
-    @fetchModel()
+    timeToWait = 5000
+    tryLoad = =>
+      return if this.isLoaded
+      if @loadsAttempted > 4
+        @markFailed()
+        return @
+      @markLoading()
+      if @loadsAttempted > 0
+        console.log "Didn't load model in #{timeToWait}ms (attempt ##{@loadsAttempted}), trying again: ", this
+      @fetchModel()
+      @listenTo @model, 'error', (levelComponent, request) ->
+        if request.status isnt 504
+          clearTimeout(@timeoutID)
+      clearTimeout(@timeoutID) if @timeoutID
+      @timeoutID = setTimeout(tryLoad, timeToWait)
+      @loadsAttempted += 1
+      timeToWait *= 1.5
+    tryLoad()
     @
 
   fetchModel: ->
diff --git a/app/views/play/level/PlayLevelView.coffee b/app/views/play/level/PlayLevelView.coffee
index c844e720f..733e4c059 100644
--- a/app/views/play/level/PlayLevelView.coffee
+++ b/app/views/play/level/PlayLevelView.coffee
@@ -217,9 +217,10 @@ module.exports = class PlayLevelView extends RootView
     # TODO: Update terminology to always be opponentSession or otherSession
     # TODO: E.g. if it's always opponent right now, then variable names should be opponentSession until we have coop play
     @otherSession = @levelLoader.opponentSession
-    @worldLoadFakeResources = []  # first element (0) is 1%, last (99) is 100%
-    for percent in [1 .. 100]
-      @worldLoadFakeResources.push @supermodel.addSomethingResource 1
+    unless @level.isType('game-dev')
+      @worldLoadFakeResources = []  # first element (0) is 1%, last (99) is 100%
+      for percent in [1 .. 100]
+        @worldLoadFakeResources.push @supermodel.addSomethingResource 1
     @renderSelectors '#stop-real-time-playback-button'
 
   onWorldLoadProgressChanged: (e) ->
@@ -570,7 +571,7 @@ module.exports = class PlayLevelView extends RootView
     ModalClass = CourseVictoryModal if @isCourseMode() or me.isSessionless()
     if @level.isType('course-ladder')
       ModalClass = CourseVictoryModal
-      options.courseInstanceID = @getQueryVariable 'league'
+      options.courseInstanceID = @getQueryVariable 'course-instance' or @getQueryVariable 'league'
     ModalClass = PicoCTFVictoryModal if window.serverConfig.picoCTF
     victoryModal = new ModalClass(options)
     @openModalView(victoryModal)
diff --git a/app/views/play/level/modal/CourseVictoryModal.coffee b/app/views/play/level/modal/CourseVictoryModal.coffee
index 1e320698f..2b52e999e 100644
--- a/app/views/play/level/modal/CourseVictoryModal.coffee
+++ b/app/views/play/level/modal/CourseVictoryModal.coffee
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module.exports = class CourseVictoryModal extends ModalView
 
   initialize: (options) ->
     @courseID = options.courseID
-    @courseInstanceID = options.courseInstanceID
+    @courseInstanceID = options.courseInstanceID or @getQueryVariable 'course-instance' or @getQueryVariable 'league'
     @views = []
 
     @session = options.session
diff --git a/scripts/mongodb/updateCourses.js b/scripts/mongodb/updateCourses.js
index 90e2355d2..1e92d7cf7 100644
--- a/scripts/mongodb/updateCourses.js
+++ b/scripts/mongodb/updateCourses.js
@@ -64,10 +64,8 @@ var courses =
     slug: "game-dev-1",
     campaignID: ObjectId("5789236960deed1f00ec2ab8"),
     description: "Learn to create your owns games which you can share with your friends.",
-    duration: NumberInt(5),
+    duration: NumberInt(1),
     free: false,
-    //screenshot: "/images/pages/courses/105_info.png",
-    adminOnly: true, // Until we finish transitioning to releasePhase
     releasePhase: 'beta'
   },
   {
@@ -75,10 +73,8 @@ var courses =
     slug: "web-dev-1",
     campaignID: ObjectId("578913f2c8871ac2326fa3e4"),
     description: "Learn the basics of web development in this introductory HTML & CSS course.",
-    duration: NumberInt(5),
+    duration: NumberInt(1),
     free: false,
-    //screenshot: "/images/pages/courses/105_info.png",
-    adminOnly: true, // Until we finish transitioning to releasePhase
     releasePhase: 'beta'
   },
   {
@@ -86,10 +82,17 @@ var courses =
     slug: "web-dev-2",
     campaignID: ObjectId("57891570c8871ac2326fa3f8"),
     description: "Learn more advanced web development, including scripting to make interactive webpages.",
-    duration: NumberInt(5),
+    duration: NumberInt(2),
+    free: false,
+    releasePhase: 'beta'
+  },
+  {
+    name: "JS Primer",
+    slug: "js-primer",
+    campaignID: ObjectId("579a5f37843ad12000e6d4c7"),
+    description: "Learn JavaScript after you already know another programming language like Python.",
+    duration: NumberInt(1),
     free: false,
-    //screenshot: "/images/pages/courses/105_info.png",
-    adminOnly: true, // Until we finish transitioning to releasePhase
     releasePhase: 'beta'
   }
 ];