diff --git a/source/common/engine/serializer.h b/source/common/engine/serializer.h
index b4342ae6c..4797ca20d 100644
--- a/source/common/engine/serializer.h
+++ b/source/common/engine/serializer.h
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ FSerializer &Serialize(FSerializer &arc, const char *key, FSoundID &sid, FSoundI
 FSerializer &Serialize(FSerializer &arc, const char *key, FString &sid, FString *def);
 FSerializer &Serialize(FSerializer &arc, const char *key, NumericValue &sid, NumericValue *def);
 
-template<class T>
+template <typename T/*, typename = std::enable_if_t<std::is_base_of_v<DObject, T>>*/>
 FSerializer &Serialize(FSerializer &arc, const char *key, T *&value, T **)
 {
 	DObject *v = static_cast<DObject*>(value);
diff --git a/source/core/coreactor.h b/source/core/coreactor.h
index a34da0b9f..951e31bbe 100644
--- a/source/core/coreactor.h
+++ b/source/core/coreactor.h
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "build.h"
 #include "iterators.h"
-#include "serializer.h"
 
 class DCoreActor
 {
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ extern TArray<walltype> wall;
 enum EHitBits
 {
     kHitNone = 0,
-	kHitTypeHitscan = 1,	// hitscan results are not exclusive
     kHitTypeMask = 0xC000,
     kHitTypeMaskSW = 0x1C000, // SW has one more relevant bit
     kHitIndexMask = 0x3FFF,
@@ -78,15 +76,16 @@ inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, DCoreActor*
 // Not all utilities use all variables.
 struct HitInfoBase
 {
-    int type;
+    //int type;
 	vec3_t hitpos;
 	sectortype* hitSector;
 	walltype* hitWall;
     DCoreActor* hitActor;
 
-	HitInfoBase() = default;
-    explicit HitInfoBase(int legacyval) { setFromEngine(legacyval); }
+	//HitInfoBase() = default;
+    //explicit HitInfoBase(int legacyval) { setFromEngine(legacyval); }
 
+#if 0
 	void invalidate()
 	{
 		*this = {};
@@ -164,6 +163,7 @@ struct HitInfoBase
 		else setNone();
 		return type;
 	}
+#endif
 
 	void clearObj()
 	{
@@ -173,6 +173,11 @@ struct HitInfoBase
 	}
 };
 
+template<class T>
+struct THitInfo : public HitInfoBase
+{
+	T* actor() { return static_cast<T*>(hitActor); }
+};
 
 // Iterator wrappers that return an actor pointer, not an index.
 template<class TActor>
@@ -299,6 +304,5 @@ inline int hitscan(const vec3_t& start, const sectortype* startsect, const vec3_
 	hitinfo.hitSector = hd.sect == -1? nullptr : &sector[hd.sect];
 	hitinfo.hitWall = hd.wall == -1? nullptr : &wall[hd.wall];
 	hitinfo.hitActor = hd.sprite == -1? nullptr : actorArray[hd.sprite];
-	hitinfo.type = kHitTypeHitscan;
 	return res;
 }
diff --git a/source/core/savegamehelp.h b/source/core/savegamehelp.h
index 561c71d03..8dbd9ce43 100644
--- a/source/core/savegamehelp.h
+++ b/source/core/savegamehelp.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "resourcefile.h"
 #include "build.h"
 #include "gamefuncs.h"
+#include "coreactor.h"
 
 extern FixedBitArray<MAXSPRITES> activeSprites;
 
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ void M_Autosave();
 #define SAVEGAME_EXT ".dsave"
 
 
-inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, spritetype*& w, spritetype** def)
+template<> inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, spritetype*& w, spritetype** def)
 {
 	int ndx = w ? int(w - sprite) : -1;
 	arc(keyname, ndx);
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, spritetype*
 	return arc;
 }
 
-inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, sectortype*& w, sectortype** def)
+template<> inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, sectortype*& w, sectortype** def)
 {
 	int ndx = w ? sectnum(w) : -1;
 	arc(keyname, ndx);
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, sectortype*
 	return arc;
 }
 
-inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, walltype*& w, walltype** def)
+template<> inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, walltype*& w, walltype** def)
 {
 	int ndx = w ? wallnum(w) : -1;
 	arc(keyname, ndx);
@@ -47,3 +48,19 @@ inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, walltype*&
 	return arc;
 }
 
+template<class T>
+inline FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, THitInfo<T>& w, THitInfo<T>* def)
+{
+	if (arc.BeginObject(keyname))
+	{
+		arc("sect", w.hitSector)
+			("sprite", w.hitActor)
+			("wall", w.hitWall)
+			("x", w.hitpos.x)
+			("y", w.hitpos.y)
+			("z", w.hitpos.z)
+			.EndObject();
+	}
+	return arc;
+}
+
diff --git a/source/games/blood/src/actor.h b/source/games/blood/src/actor.h
index f7bdde833..ec73f35ba 100644
--- a/source/games/blood/src/actor.h
+++ b/source/games/blood/src/actor.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 BEGIN_BLD_NS
 
 class DBloodActor;
-struct HitInfo;
+using HitInfo = THitInfo<DBloodActor>;
 
 enum DAMAGE_TYPE {
     kDamageFall = 0,
diff --git a/source/games/blood/src/bloodactor.h b/source/games/blood/src/bloodactor.h
index 3c5e047d9..3d0e3b861 100644
--- a/source/games/blood/src/bloodactor.h
+++ b/source/games/blood/src/bloodactor.h
@@ -244,13 +244,6 @@ extern DBloodActor bloodActors[kMaxSprites];
 inline DBloodActor* DBloodActor::base() { return bloodActors; }
 
 // subclassed to add a game specific actor() method
-struct HitInfo : public HitInfoBase
-{
-	DBloodActor* actor() const
-	{
-		return static_cast<DBloodActor*>(hitActor);
-	}
-};
 
 extern HitInfo gHitInfo;
 
diff --git a/source/games/blood/src/loadsave.cpp b/source/games/blood/src/loadsave.cpp
index bc618e97c..212c3eb95 100644
--- a/source/games/blood/src/loadsave.cpp
+++ b/source/games/blood/src/loadsave.cpp
@@ -642,21 +642,6 @@ FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, XSPRITE& w, XSPRIT
 	return arc;
 }
 
-FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, HitInfo& w, HitInfo* def)
-{
-	if (arc.BeginObject(keyname))
-	{
-		arc("sect", w.hitSector)
-			("sprite", w.hitActor)
-			("wall", w.hitWall)
-			("x", w.hitpos.x)
-			("y", w.hitpos.y)
-			("z", w.hitpos.z)
-			.EndObject();
-	}
-	return arc;
-}
-
 FSerializer& Serialize(FSerializer& arc, const char* keyname, GAMEOPTIONS& w, GAMEOPTIONS* def)
 {
 	if (arc.BeginObject(keyname))
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/types.h b/source/games/duke/src/types.h
index 046eb47ab..1f7819299 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/types.h
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/types.h
@@ -103,13 +103,7 @@ extern DDukeActor hittype[MAXSPRITES + 1];
 inline DDukeActor* DDukeActor::array() { return hittype; }
 
 // subclassed to add a game specific actor() method
-struct HitInfo : public HitInfoBase
-{
-	DDukeActor* actor() const
-	{
-		return static_cast<DDukeActor*>(hitActor);
-	}
-};
+using HitInfo = THitInfo<DDukeActor>;
 
 struct animwalltype
 {
diff --git a/source/games/exhumed/src/exhumedactor.h b/source/games/exhumed/src/exhumedactor.h
index 800cf57fd..c3c35e3de 100644
--- a/source/games/exhumed/src/exhumedactor.h
+++ b/source/games/exhumed/src/exhumedactor.h
@@ -141,13 +141,7 @@ inline int Collision::actorIndex(DExhumedActor* a)
 inline DExhumedActor* DExhumedActor::base() { return exhumedActors; }
 
 // subclassed to add a game specific actor() method
-struct HitInfo : public HitInfoBase
-{
-	DExhumedActor* actor() const
-	{
-		return static_cast<DExhumedActor*>(hitActor);
-	}
-};
+using HitInfo = THitInfo<DExhumedActor>;
 
 // Iterator wrappers that return an actor pointer, not an index.
 class ExhumedStatIterator : public StatIterator
diff --git a/source/games/sw/src/game.h b/source/games/sw/src/game.h
index 573a28654..d2864a074 100644
--- a/source/games/sw/src/game.h
+++ b/source/games/sw/src/game.h
@@ -1917,7 +1917,8 @@ inline bool FAF_ConnectArea(sectortype* sect)
 bool PlayerCeilingHit(PLAYERp pp, int zlimit);
 bool PlayerFloorHit(PLAYERp pp, int zlimit);
 
-struct HitInfo;
+class DSWActor;
+using HitInfo = THitInfo<DSWActor>;
 
 void FAFhitscan(int32_t x, int32_t y, int32_t z, sectortype* sectnum,
     int32_t xvect, int32_t yvect, int32_t zvect,
diff --git a/source/games/sw/src/swactor.h b/source/games/sw/src/swactor.h
index 0adf3ec79..251e39fb6 100644
--- a/source/games/sw/src/swactor.h
+++ b/source/games/sw/src/swactor.h
@@ -47,13 +47,6 @@ extern DSWActor swActors[MAXSPRITES];
 inline DSWActor* DSWActor::base() { return swActors; }
 
 // subclassed to add a game specific actor() method
-struct HitInfo : public HitInfoBase
-{
-	DSWActor* actor() const
-	{
-		return static_cast<DSWActor*>(hitActor);
-	}
-};
 
 // Iterator wrappers that return an actor pointer, not an index.
 class SWStatIterator : public StatIterator