diff --git a/source/blood/src/blood.cpp b/source/blood/src/blood.cpp
index a8336a6d8..f9874c995 100644
--- a/source/blood/src/blood.cpp
+++ b/source/blood/src/blood.cpp
@@ -389,7 +389,6 @@ void StartLevel(MapRecord *level)
         }
     }
     bVanilla = false;
-    enginecompatibility_mode = ENGINECOMPATIBILITY_19960925;//bVanilla;
     memset(xsprite,0,sizeof(xsprite));
     memset(sprite,0,kMaxSprites*sizeof(spritetype));
     //drawLoadingScreen();
@@ -704,13 +703,14 @@ void GameInterface::app_init()
 
     Printf(PRINT_NONOTIFY, "Initializing network users\n");
     netInitialize(true);
-    videoInit();
     Printf(PRINT_NONOTIFY, "Initializing sound system\n");
     sndInit();
     registerosdcommands();
 
     gChoke.sub_83ff0(518, sub_84230);
     UpdateDacs(0, true);
+
+    enginecompatibility_mode = ENGINECOMPATIBILITY_19960925;//bVanilla;
 }
 
 static void gameInit()
diff --git a/source/blood/src/view.cpp b/source/blood/src/view.cpp
index 6160c986d..0e253e7f0 100644
--- a/source/blood/src/view.cpp
+++ b/source/blood/src/view.cpp
@@ -322,7 +322,6 @@ void viewInit(void)
     FontSet(2, 4288, 1);
     FontSet(3, 4384, 1);
     FontSet(4, 4480, 0);
-    enginePostInit(); // This must not be done earlier!
 
     lensdata = fileSystem.LoadFile("lens.dat");
     dassert(lensdata.Size() == kLensSize * kLensSize * sizeof(int));
diff --git a/source/core/d_net.cpp b/source/core/d_net.cpp
index 7eee62175..ae879ce35 100644
--- a/source/core/d_net.cpp
+++ b/source/core/d_net.cpp
@@ -1745,10 +1745,10 @@ bool D_CheckNetGame (void)
 
 	if (myconnectindex != Net_Arbitrator && doomcom.numnodes > 1)
 	{
-		Printf("Arbitrator selected " TEXTCOLOR_BLUE "%s" TEXTCOLOR_NORMAL " networking mode.\n", NetMode == NET_PeerToPeer ? "peer to peer" : "packet server");
+		Printf(PRINT_NONOTIFY, "Arbitrator selected " TEXTCOLOR_BLUE "%s" TEXTCOLOR_NORMAL " networking mode.\n", NetMode == NET_PeerToPeer ? "peer to peer" : "packet server");
 	}
 
-	if (!batchrun) Printf ("player %i of %i (%i nodes)\n",
+	if (!batchrun) Printf (PRINT_NONOTIFY, "player %i of %i (%i nodes)\n",
 			myconnectindex+1, doomcom.numplayers, doomcom.numnodes);
 	
 	return true;
diff --git a/source/core/gamecontrol.cpp b/source/core/gamecontrol.cpp
index d6d42d02b..8bf083cc4 100644
--- a/source/core/gamecontrol.cpp
+++ b/source/core/gamecontrol.cpp
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ void DrawFullscreenBlends();
 void MainLoop();
 
 
-bool AppActive;
+bool AppActive = true;
 
 FString currentGame;
 FString LumpFilter;
@@ -862,9 +862,11 @@ int RunGame()
 
 	SetupGameButtons();
 	gi->app_init();
+	enginePostInit(); // This must not be done earlier!
+	videoInit();
 
 	// Duke has transitioned to the new main loop, the other games haven't yet.
-	if (g_gameType & GAMEFLAG_DUKE | GAMEFLAG_RRALL | GAMEFLAG_NAM | GAMEFLAG_NAPALM | GAMEFLAG_WW2GI)
+	if (g_gameType & (GAMEFLAG_DUKE | GAMEFLAG_RRALL | GAMEFLAG_NAM | GAMEFLAG_NAPALM | GAMEFLAG_WW2GI))
 	{
 		D_CheckNetGame();
 		MainLoop();
@@ -1150,6 +1152,7 @@ void S_SetSoundPaused(int state)
 			}
 		}
 	}
+#if 0
 	if (!netgame
 #if 0 //def _DEBUG
 		&& !demoplayback
@@ -1158,7 +1161,7 @@ void S_SetSoundPaused(int state)
 	{
 		pauseext = !state;
 	}
-
+#endif
 }
 
 FString G_GetDemoPath()
diff --git a/source/core/mainloop.cpp b/source/core/mainloop.cpp
index 227aed0b3..9b7ab160e 100644
--- a/source/core/mainloop.cpp
+++ b/source/core/mainloop.cpp
@@ -229,7 +229,8 @@ void Display()
 		gi->DrawBackground();
 		break;
 
-	case GS_FINALE:
+	case GS_INTRO:
+	case GS_INTERMISSION:
 		// screen jobs are not bound by the game ticker so they need to be ticked in the display loop.
 		RunScreenJobFrame();
 		break;
@@ -248,12 +249,15 @@ void Display()
 
 	NetUpdate();			// send out any new accumulation
 
-	// Draw overlay elements
-	CT_Drawer();
-	C_DrawConsole();
-	M_Drawer();
-	FStat::PrintStat(twod);
-	DrawRateStuff();
+	if (gamestate != GS_INTRO) // do not draw overlays on the intros
+	{
+		// Draw overlay elements
+		CT_Drawer();
+		C_DrawConsole();
+		M_Drawer();
+		FStat::PrintStat(twod);
+		DrawRateStuff();
+	}
 
 	videoShowFrame(0);
 }
diff --git a/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.cpp b/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.cpp
index 1176f3be3..5f86d8b7a 100644
--- a/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.cpp
+++ b/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ void uploadCinemaPalettes();
 int32_t registerosdcommands(void);
 void InitFonts();
 
-int htimer = 0;
 int EndLevel = false;
 
 
@@ -86,9 +85,6 @@ void InstallEngine()
     uploadCinemaPalettes();
     LoadPaletteLookups();
     InitFonts();
-    videoInit();
-
-    enginecompatibility_mode = ENGINECOMPATIBILITY_19950829;
 }
 
 void RemoveEngine()
@@ -628,11 +624,6 @@ void ExitGame()
     throw CExitEvent(0);
 }
 
-void InitTimer()
-{
-    htimer = 1;
-}
-
 void GameInterface::app_init()
 {
     int i;
@@ -673,22 +664,18 @@ void GameInterface::app_init()
         Printf(PRINT_NONOTIFY, "Definitions file \"%s\" loaded in %d ms.\n", defsfile, etime - stime);
     }
 
-
-    enginePostInit();
-
     InitView();
     InitFX();
     seq_LoadSequences();
     InitStatus();
-    InitTimer();
-
+    
     for (i = 0; i < kMaxPlayers; i++) {
         nPlayerLives[i] = kDefaultLives;
     }
-
-    ResetEngine();
-    ResetView();
+    resettiming();
     GrabPalette();
+
+    enginecompatibility_mode = ENGINECOMPATIBILITY_19950829;
 }
 
 void mychangespritesect(int nSprite, int nSector)
diff --git a/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.h b/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.h
index b68612191..12aaabf6e 100644
--- a/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.h
+++ b/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.h
@@ -106,8 +106,6 @@ extern int GameAction;
 
 extern int nNetPlayerCount;
 
-extern int htimer;
-
 extern int nNetTime;
 
 extern short nTotalPlayers;
diff --git a/source/exhumed/src/sequence.cpp b/source/exhumed/src/sequence.cpp
index 10f4b1574..579ed3213 100644
--- a/source/exhumed/src/sequence.cpp
+++ b/source/exhumed/src/sequence.cpp
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ void seq_LoadSequences()
         }
     }
 
+#if 0
     FILE* f = fopen("seq.dump", "wb");
 
     fwrite(SeqBase, 1, sizeof(SeqBase), f);
@@ -326,6 +327,7 @@ void seq_LoadSequences()
     fwrite(ChunkPict, 1, sizeof(ChunkPict), f);
     fwrite(ChunkFlag, 1, sizeof(ChunkFlag), f);
     fclose(f);
+#endif
 
     nShadowPic = seq_GetFirstSeqPicnum(kSeqShadow);
     nShadowWidth = tilesiz[nShadowPic].x;
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/game.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/game.cpp
index 6ffba1433..ae071be8c 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/game.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/game.cpp
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ static void initTiles()
 //
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-static void Startup(void)
+void GameInterface::app_init()
 {
 	if (isRR()) C_SetNotifyFontScale(0.5);
 	ud.god = 0;
@@ -313,8 +313,6 @@ static void Startup(void)
 
 	OnEvent(EVENT_INIT);
 
-	enginecompatibility_mode = ENGINECOMPATIBILITY_19961112;
-
 	if (engineInit())
 		G_FatalEngineError();
 
@@ -348,21 +346,7 @@ static void Startup(void)
 	}
 
 	ud.last_level = -1;
-}
-
-//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-//
-// main entry point, sets up the game module and the engine, then enters the main loop
-//
-//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-void GameInterface::app_init()
-{
-	Startup();
-	enginePostInit();
-	videoInit();
 	enginecompatibility_mode = ENGINECOMPATIBILITY_19961112;//bVanilla;
 }
 
-
 END_DUKE_NS
diff --git a/source/sw/src/game.cpp b/source/sw/src/game.cpp
index 083bfd86f..7dc9ddbad 100644
--- a/source/sw/src/game.cpp
+++ b/source/sw/src/game.cpp
@@ -237,8 +237,6 @@ void GameInterface::app_init()
  
     if (!loaddefinitionsfile(G_DefFile())) Printf(PRINT_NONOTIFY, "Definitions file loaded.\n");
 	userConfig.AddDefs.reset();
-    enginePostInit();
-    videoInit();
     InitFX();
 }