diff --git a/app/assets/index.html b/app/assets/index.html
index 2ebd22dcf..b558ff66f 100644
--- a/app/assets/index.html
+++ b/app/assets/index.html
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
   <script>
     // Additional JS functions here
     window.fbAsyncInit = function() {
-      Backbone.Mediator.publish('fbapi-loaded')
+      Backbone.Mediator.publish('fbapi-loaded');
       FB.init({
         appId      : document.location.origin === 'http://localhost:3000' ? '607435142676437' : '148832601965463', // App ID
         channelUrl : document.location.origin +'/channel.html', // Channel File
diff --git a/app/lib/LevelLoader.coffee b/app/lib/LevelLoader.coffee
index 34ff1bafb..0cc871d54 100644
--- a/app/lib/LevelLoader.coffee
+++ b/app/lib/LevelLoader.coffee
@@ -232,4 +232,4 @@ module.exports = class LevelLoader extends CocoClass
     Backbone.Mediator.publish 'level-loader:progress-changed', progress: @progress()
     @initWorld() if @allDone()
     @trigger 'progress'
-    @trigger 'loaded-all' if @progress() is 1
\ No newline at end of file
+    @trigger 'loaded-all' if @progress() is 1
diff --git a/app/lib/scripts/ScriptManager.coffee b/app/lib/scripts/ScriptManager.coffee
index 69ef4427c..4fbcde254 100644
--- a/app/lib/scripts/ScriptManager.coffee
+++ b/app/lib/scripts/ScriptManager.coffee
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ module.exports = ScriptManager = class ScriptManager extends CocoClass
     @originalScripts = options.scripts
     @view = options.view
     @session = options.session
+    @debugScripts = @view.getQueryVariable 'dev'
     @initProperties()
     @addScriptSubscriptions()
 
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ module.exports = ScriptManager = class ScriptManager extends CocoClass
       continue unless @scriptPrereqsSatisfied(script)
       continue unless scriptMatchesEventPrereqs(script, event)
       # everything passed!
-      console.log "SCRIPT: Running script '#{script.id}'"
+      console.log "SCRIPT: Running script '#{script.id}'" if @debugScripts
       script.lastTriggered = new Date().getTime()
       @triggered.push(script.id) unless alreadyTriggered
       noteChain = @processScript(script)
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ module.exports = ScriptManager = class ScriptManager extends CocoClass
     @notifyScriptStateChanged()
     @scriptInProgress = true
     @currentTimeouts = []
-    console.log "SCRIPT: Starting note group '#{nextNoteGroup.name}'"
+    console.log "SCRIPT: Starting note group '#{nextNoteGroup.name}'" if @debugScripts
     for module in nextNoteGroup.modules
       @processNote(note, nextNoteGroup) for note in module.startNotes()
     if nextNoteGroup.script.duration
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ module.exports = ScriptManager = class ScriptManager extends CocoClass
     @ignoreEvents = true
     for noteGroup, i in @noteGroupQueue
       break unless noteGroup.skipMe
-      console.log "SCRIPT: Skipping note group '#{noteGroup.name}'"
+      console.log "SCRIPT: Skipping note group '#{noteGroup.name}'" if @debugScripts
       @processNoteGroup(noteGroup)
       for module in noteGroup.modules
         notes = module.skipNotes()
@@ -267,7 +268,7 @@ module.exports = ScriptManager = class ScriptManager extends CocoClass
     return if @ending # kill infinite loops right here
     @ending = true
     return unless @currentNoteGroup?
-    console.log "SCRIPT: Ending note group '#{@currentNoteGroup.name}'"
+    console.log "SCRIPT: Ending note group '#{@currentNoteGroup.name}'" if @debugScripts
     clearTimeout(timeout) for timeout in @currentTimeouts
     for module in @currentNoteGroup.modules
       @processNote(note, @currentNoteGroup) for note in module.endNotes()
diff --git a/app/locale/ru.coffee b/app/locale/ru.coffee
index c204c0ba0..e250ac0e7 100644
--- a/app/locale/ru.coffee
+++ b/app/locale/ru.coffee
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ module.exports = nativeDescription: "русский", englishDescription: "Russi
     opensource_description_center: "и посодействуйте, если вам понравилось! CodeCombat построен на десятках проектов с открытым кодом, и мы любим их. Загляните в "
     archmage_wiki_url: "наш вики-портал для Архимагов"
     opensource_description_suffix: ", чтобы увидеть список программного обеспечения, делающего игру возможной."
-    practices_title: "Почтительные лучшие практики"
+    practices_title: "Уважаемые лучшие практики"
     practices_description: "Это наши обещания тебе, игроку, менее юридическим языком."
     privacy_title: "Конфиденциальность"
     privacy_description: "Мы не будем продавать какой-либо личной информации. Мы намерены заработать деньги с помощью рекрутинга в конечном счёте, но будьте уверены, мы не будем распространять вашу личную информацию заинтересованным компаниям без вашего явного согласия."
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ module.exports = nativeDescription: "русский", englishDescription: "Russi
     introduction_desc_github_url: "исходный код CodeCombat полностью открыт"
     introduction_desc_suf: ", и мы стремимся предоставить как можно больше способов, чтобы вы могли принять участие и сделать этот проект настолько же вашим, как и нашим."
     introduction_desc_ending: "Мы надеемся, что вы присоединитесь к нашей команде!"
-    introduction_desc_signature: "- Ник, Джордж, Скотт, Михаэль, Джереми и лощина"
+    introduction_desc_signature: "- Ник, Джордж, Скотт, Михаэль, Джереми и Глен"
     alert_account_message_intro: "Привет!"
     alert_account_message_pref: "Чтобы подписаться на email-ы для классов, вам необходимо сначала "
     alert_account_message_suf: "."
diff --git a/app/styles/play/ladder.sass b/app/styles/play/ladder.sass
index c1c2fd374..e1df78f63 100644
--- a/app/styles/play/ladder.sass
+++ b/app/styles/play/ladder.sass
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@
     margin-bottom: 5px
 
   .connect-buttons
-    margin-bottom: 10px
+    margin-bottom: 15px
     .btn
-      margin-left: 5px
+      margin-right: 5px
   
   .friend-entry img
     float: left
diff --git a/app/styles/play/level/tome/spell.sass b/app/styles/play/level/tome/spell.sass
index 5e480661c..aca71b8c8 100644
--- a/app/styles/play/level/tome/spell.sass
+++ b/app/styles/play/level/tome/spell.sass
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@
       .executing, .executed, .problem-marker-info, .problem-marker-warning, .problem-marker-error
         position: absolute
     .executing
-      background-color: rgba(50, 255, 80, 0.35)
+      // https://github.com/codecombat/codecombat/issues/6
+      background-color: rgba(50, 255, 80, 0.65)
       @include gradient-striped()
     .executed
       background-color: rgba(110, 110, 110, 0.12)
@@ -113,3 +114,8 @@
 
     .ace_text-layer .ace_comment
       color: darken(rgb(103, 164, 200), 5%)
+
+    .ace_text-layer .ace_variable
+      // https://github.com/codecombat/codecombat/issues/6
+      color: rgb(145, 48, 50)
+
diff --git a/app/templates/play/ladder/ladder_tab.jade b/app/templates/play/ladder/ladder_tab.jade
index 4c5bf58e3..16ab8e17e 100644
--- a/app/templates/play/ladder/ladder_tab.jade
+++ b/app/templates/play/ladder/ladder_tab.jade
@@ -47,31 +47,27 @@ div#columns.row
         a(data-toggle="coco-modal", data-target="modal/signup") Sign up to play with your friends!
     
     else
-      if !onFacebook
+      if !onFacebook || !onGPlus
         div.connect-buttons
-          | Connect:
+          | Connect and play against your friends!
+          br
           if !onFacebook
             button.btn.btn-sm.connect-facebook Facebook
-          //button.btn.btn-sm.connect-google-plus Google+
-      
-      if !!friends
-        
-        if friends.length
-          for friend in friends
-            p.friend-entry
-              img(src="http://graph.facebook.com/#{friend.facebookID}/picture").img-thumbnail
-              span= friend.creatorName + ' (' + friend.facebookName + ')'
-              br
-              span= Math.round(friend.totalScore * 100)
-              span : 
-              span= friend.team
-              br
-              a(href="/play/level/#{level.get('slug') || level.id}/?team=#{friend.otherTeam}&opponent=#{friend._id}")
-                span(data-i18n="ladder.fight") Fight!
-  
-  
-        else
-          p Invite your friends to join you in battle!
-            
+          if !onGPlus
+            button.btn.btn-sm.connect-google-plus Google+
+
+      if friends.length
+        for friend in friends
+          p.friend-entry
+            img(src=friend.imageSource).img-thumbnail
+            span= friend.creatorName + ' (' + friend.name + ')'
+            br
+            span= Math.round(friend.totalScore * 100)
+            span : 
+            span= friend.team
+            br
+            a(href="/play/level/#{level.get('slug') || level.id}/?team=#{friend.otherTeam}&opponent=#{friend._id}")
+              span(data-i18n="ladder.fight") Fight!
+
       else
-        p Connect to social networks to play with your friends!
+        p Invite your friends to join you in battle!
diff --git a/app/views/account/wizard_settings_view.coffee b/app/views/account/wizard_settings_view.coffee
index 9a5e20e9c..1458f78de 100644
--- a/app/views/account/wizard_settings_view.coffee
+++ b/app/views/account/wizard_settings_view.coffee
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module.exports = class WizardSettingsView extends CocoView
     @wizardThangType = new ThangType()
     @wizardThangType.url = -> '/db/thang.type/wizard'
     @wizardThangType.fetch()
-    @wizardThangType.once 'sync', @initCanvas, @
+    @listenToOnce(@wizardThangType, 'sync', @initCanvas)
 
   initCanvas: ->
     @startsLoading = false
diff --git a/app/views/editor/thang/colors_tab_view.coffee b/app/views/editor/thang/colors_tab_view.coffee
index b1ba229dc..ed438fb46 100644
--- a/app/views/editor/thang/colors_tab_view.coffee
+++ b/app/views/editor/thang/colors_tab_view.coffee
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ module.exports = class ColorsTabView extends CocoView
   offset: 0
 
   constructor: (@thangType, options) ->
-    @thangType.once 'sync', @tryToBuild, @
-    @thangType.schema().once 'sync', @tryToBuild, @
+    @listenToOnce(@thangType, 'sync', @tryToBuild)
+    @listenToOnce(@thangType.schema(), 'sync', @tryToBuild)
     @colorConfig = { hue: 0, saturation: 0.5, lightness: 0.5 }
     @spriteBuilder = new SpriteBuilder(@thangType)
     f = =>
diff --git a/app/views/kinds/CocoView.coffee b/app/views/kinds/CocoView.coffee
index 0c13c5f8d..780743391 100644
--- a/app/views/kinds/CocoView.coffee
+++ b/app/views/kinds/CocoView.coffee
@@ -196,12 +196,12 @@ module.exports = class CocoView extends Backbone.View
 
   # Utilities
 
-  getQueryVariable: (param) ->
+  getQueryVariable: (param, defaultValue) ->
     query = document.location.search.substring 1
     pairs = (pair.split("=") for pair in query.split "&")
-    for pair in pairs
-      return decodeURIComponent(pair[1]) if pair[0] is param
-    null
+    for pair in pairs when pair[0] is param
+      return {"true": true, "false": false}[pair[1]] ? decodeURIComponent(pair[1])
+    defaultValue
 
   getRootView: ->
     view = @
diff --git a/app/views/play/ladder/ladder_tab.coffee b/app/views/play/ladder/ladder_tab.coffee
index 389f41335..db4eff8ad 100644
--- a/app/views/play/ladder/ladder_tab.coffee
+++ b/app/views/play/ladder/ladder_tab.coffee
@@ -22,19 +22,25 @@ module.exports = class LadderTabView extends CocoView
 
   events:
     'click .connect-facebook': 'onConnectFacebook'
+    'click .connect-google-plus': 'onConnectGPlus'
 
   subscriptions:
-    'fbapi-loaded': 'onFacebookAPILoaded'
-    'gapi-loaded': 'onGPlusAPILoaded'
+    'fbapi-loaded': 'checkFriends'
+    'gapi-loaded': 'checkFriends'
     'facebook-logged-in': 'onConnectedWithFacebook'
+    'gplus-logged-in': 'onConnectedWithGPlus'
 
   constructor: (options, @level, @sessions) ->
     super(options)
     @teams = teamDataFromLevel @level
     @leaderboards = {}
     @refreshLadder()
+    @checkFriends()
 
   checkFriends: ->
+    return if @checked or (not window.FB) or (not window.gapi)
+    @checked = true
+
     @loadingFacebookFriends = true
     FB.getLoginStatus (response) =>
       @facebookStatus = response.status
@@ -46,24 +52,14 @@ module.exports = class LadderTabView extends CocoView
     else
       @gplusSessionStateLoaded()
 
-  apiLoaded: ->
-    return unless @fbAPILoaded and @gplusAPILoaded
-    @checkFriends()
   # FACEBOOK
 
-  onFacebookAPILoaded: ->
-    @fbAPILoaded = true
-    @apiLoaded()
-  # Connect button pressed
-
   onConnectFacebook: ->
     @connecting = true
     FB.login()
 
   onConnectedWithFacebook: -> location.reload() if @connecting
 
-  # Load friends
-
   loadFacebookFriendSessions: ->
     FB.api '/me/friends', (response) =>
       @facebookData = response.data
@@ -79,18 +75,22 @@ module.exports = class LadderTabView extends CocoView
     friendsMap = {}
     friendsMap[friend.id] = friend.name for friend in @facebookData
     for friend in result
-      friend.facebookName = friendsMap[friend.facebookID]
+      friend.name = friendsMap[friend.facebookID]
       friend.otherTeam = if friend.team is 'humans' then 'ogres' else 'humans'
-    @facebookFriends = result
+      friend.imageSource = "http://graph.facebook.com/#{friend.facebookID}/picture"
+    @facebookFriendSessions = result
     @loadingFacebookFriends = false
     @renderMaybe()
 
   # GOOGLE PLUS
 
-  onGPlusAPILoaded: ->
-    @gplusAPILoaded = true
-    @apiLoaded()
+  onConnectGPlus: ->
+    @connecting = true
+    @listenToOnce application.gplusHandler, 'logged-in', @onConnectedWithGPlus
+    application.gplusHandler.reauthorize()
 
+  onConnectedWithGPlus: -> location.reload() if @connecting
+    
   gplusSessionStateLoaded: ->
     if application.gplusHandler.loggedIn
       @loadingGPlusFriends = true
@@ -110,9 +110,16 @@ module.exports = class LadderTabView extends CocoView
     }
 
   onGPlusFriendSessionsLoaded: (result) =>
+    friendsMap = {}
+    friendsMap[friend.id] = friend for friend in @gplusData
+    for friend in result
+      friend.name = friendsMap[friend.gplusID].displayName
+      friend.otherTeam = if friend.team is 'humans' then 'ogres' else 'humans'
+      friend.imageSource = friendsMap[friend.gplusID].image.url
+    @gplusFriendSessions = result
     @loadingGPlusFriends = false
     @renderMaybe()
-
+    
   # LADDER LOADING
 
   refreshLadder: ->
@@ -130,7 +137,7 @@ module.exports = class LadderTabView extends CocoView
     @renderMaybe()
 
   renderMaybe: ->
-    return if @loadingFacebookFriends or @loadingLeaderboards
+    return if @loadingFacebookFriends or @loadingLeaderboards or @loadingGPlusFriends
     @startsLoading = false
     @render()
 
@@ -141,11 +148,18 @@ module.exports = class LadderTabView extends CocoView
     ctx.teams = @teams
     team.leaderboard = @leaderboards[team.id] for team in @teams
     ctx.levelID = @levelID
-    ctx.friends = @facebookFriends
+    ctx.friends = @consolidateFriends()
     ctx.onFacebook = @facebookStatus is 'connected'
     ctx.onGPlus = application.gplusHandler.loggedIn
     ctx
 
+  consolidateFriends: ->
+    allFriendSessions = (@facebookFriendSessions or []).concat(@gplusFriendSessions or [])
+    sessions = _.uniq allFriendSessions, false, (session) -> session._id
+    sessions = _.sortBy sessions, 'totalScore'
+    sessions.reverse()
+    sessions
+
 class LeaderboardData
   constructor: (@level, @team, @session) ->
     _.extend @, Backbone.Events
diff --git a/app/views/play/level/modal/victory_modal.coffee b/app/views/play/level/modal/victory_modal.coffee
index adf75f0d6..3eb7d21f5 100644
--- a/app/views/play/level/modal/victory_modal.coffee
+++ b/app/views/play/level/modal/victory_modal.coffee
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ module.exports = class VictoryModal extends View
     @feedback = new LevelFeedback()
     @feedback.url = -> url
     @feedback.fetch()
-    @feedback.once 'sync', => @onFeedbackLoaded()
-    @feedback.once 'error', => @onFeedbackNotFound()
+    @listenToOnce(@feedback, 'sync', -> @onFeedbackLoaded())
+    @listenToOnce(@feedback, 'error', -> @onFeedbackNotFound())
 
   onFeedbackLoaded: ->
     @feedback.url = -> '/db/level.feedback/' + @id
diff --git a/app/views/play/level/tome/tome_view.coffee b/app/views/play/level/tome/tome_view.coffee
index 140336419..205b66ded 100644
--- a/app/views/play/level/tome/tome_view.coffee
+++ b/app/views/play/level/tome/tome_view.coffee
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ module.exports = class TomeView extends View
         spellKey = pathComponents.join '/'
         @thangSpells[thang.id].push spellKey
         unless method.cloneOf
-          skipProtectAPI = @getQueryVariable("skip_protect_api") is "true" or @options.levelID isnt 'brawlwood'
-          skipProtectAPI = false if @options.levelID is 'dungeon-arena'
-          skipFlow = @getQueryVariable("skip_flow") is "true" or @options.levelID is 'brawlwood'
+          skipProtectAPI = @getQueryVariable "skip_protect_api", not @options.ladderGame
+          skipFlow = @getQueryVariable "skip_flow", @options.levelID is 'brawlwood'
+          console.log 'skip protect api', skipProtectAPI, 'skip flow', skipFlow
           spell = @spells[spellKey] = new Spell programmableMethod: method, spellKey: spellKey, pathComponents: pathPrefixComponents.concat(pathComponents), session: @options.session, supermodel: @supermodel, skipFlow: skipFlow, skipProtectAPI: skipProtectAPI, worker: @worker
     for thangID, spellKeys of @thangSpells
       thang = world.getThangByID thangID