diff --git a/internal/app/game_view.go b/internal/app/game_view.go
index a390096..2d3b92a 100644
--- a/internal/app/game_view.go
+++ b/internal/app/game_view.go
@@ -10,12 +10,8 @@ import (
 
 type gameView struct {
 	*blammo.Log
-	roomName    string
-	width       int
-	height      int
-	me          wire.Entity
-	allRooms    map[string]wire.Room
-	allEntities map[int]wire.Entity
+	room *wire.Room
+	me   *wire.Entity
 }
 
 func (v *gameView) handleEvent(ui *UI, e tcell.Event) bool {
@@ -40,59 +36,42 @@ func (v *gameView) handleEvent(ui *UI, e tcell.Event) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func (v *gameView) notify(wv wire.Value) {
-	v.Error("ignoring notifications at the moment: %v", wv)
-	switch z := wv.(type) {
-	case *wire.UpdateEntity:
-		if z.Room == v.roomName {
-			v.Info("we want to read this one: %v", z)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func (v *gameView) move(ui *UI, dx, dy int) {
 	reply, err := ui.client.Send(sim.Move{dx, dy})
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	e := reply.Body.(*wire.UpdateEntity)
-	// ughhhhhh
-	v.me = wire.Entity{
-		ID:       e.ID,
-		Position: e.Position,
-		Glyph:    e.Glyph,
-	}
-	v.allEntities[e.ID] = v.me
-	// jfc this sucks
-	v.allRooms[v.roomName].Entities[e.ID] = v.me
+	e := reply.Body.(*wire.Entity)
+	v.room.Entities[e.ID] = e
+	v.me = e
 }
 
 func (v *gameView) draw(ui *UI) {
 	offset := point{1, 1}
 
 	// fill in background dots first
-	for x := 0; x < v.width; x++ {
-		for y := 0; y < v.height; y++ {
+	for x := 0; x < v.room.Width(); x++ {
+		for y := 0; y < v.room.Height(); y++ {
 			ui.screen.SetContent(x+offset.x, y+offset.y, '·', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
 		}
 	}
 
 	// frame it
 	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x-1, offset.y-1, '┌', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.width, offset.y-1, '┐', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x-1, offset.y+v.height, '└', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.width, offset.y+v.height, '┘', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-	for x := 0; x < v.width; x++ {
+	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.room.Width(), offset.y-1, '┐', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x-1, offset.y+v.room.Height(), '└', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+	ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.room.Width(), offset.y+v.room.Height(), '┘', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+	for x := 0; x < v.room.Width(); x++ {
 		ui.screen.SetContent(x+offset.x, offset.y-1, '─', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-		ui.screen.SetContent(x+offset.x, offset.y+v.height, '─', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+		ui.screen.SetContent(x+offset.x, offset.y+v.room.Height(), '─', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
 	}
-	for y := 0; y < v.height; y++ {
+	for y := 0; y < v.room.Height(); y++ {
 		ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x-1, y+offset.y, '│', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
-		ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.width, y+offset.y, '│', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
+		ui.screen.SetContent(offset.x+v.room.Width(), y+offset.y, '│', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
 	}
 
-	for _, e := range v.allRooms[v.roomName].Entities {
+	for _, e := range v.room.Entities {
 		pos := e.Position.Add(math.Vec{1, 1})
 		ui.screen.SetContent(pos.X, pos.Y, e.Glyph, nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/app/ui.go b/internal/app/ui.go
index ac02718..cba5cc7 100644
--- a/internal/app/ui.go
+++ b/internal/app/ui.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ type UI struct {
 	PlayerName string
 	screen     tcell.Screen
 	view       view
+	room       *wire.Room
 	client     *wire.Client
 }
 
@@ -39,20 +40,11 @@ func (ui *UI) Run() {
 	ui.Info("welcome: %v", welcome)
 	meta := welcome.Players[ui.PlayerName]
 	room := welcome.Rooms[meta.Room]
-	allEntities := make(map[int]wire.Entity)
-	for _, r := range welcome.Rooms {
-		for id, e := range r.Entities {
-			allEntities[id] = e
-		}
-	}
+	ui.room = &room
 	ui.view = &gameView{
-		Log:         ui.Child("game-view"),
-		roomName:    room.Name,
-		width:       room.Width(),
-		height:      room.Height(),
-		me:          room.Entities[meta.Avatar],
-		allRooms:    welcome.Rooms,
-		allEntities: allEntities,
+		Log:  ui.Child("game-view"),
+		room: &room,
+		me:   room.Entities[meta.Avatar],
 	}
 
 	ui.Info("running ui")
@@ -107,10 +99,10 @@ func (ui *UI) clearTerminal() {
 
 func (ui *UI) handleNotifications(c <-chan wire.Response) {
 	for n := range c {
-		ui.Info("ignoring notification: %v", n)
-		ui.view.notify(n.Body)
-		ui.view.draw(ui)
-		ui.screen.Show()
+		if ui.handleNotification(n.Body) {
+			ui.view.draw(ui)
+			ui.screen.Show()
+		}
 	}
 	ui.Info("notifications channel is closed so we must be done")
 	ui.Info("clearing and finalizing screen from notifications goroutine")
@@ -119,6 +111,19 @@ func (ui *UI) handleNotifications(c <-chan wire.Response) {
 	ui.Info("screen finalized")
 }
 
+func (ui *UI) handleNotification(v wire.Value) bool {
+	switch n := v.(type) {
+
+	case *wire.Entity:
+		ui.room.Entities[n.ID] = n
+		return true
+
+	default:
+		ui.Info("ignoring notification: %v", n)
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 // writeString writes a string in the given style from left to right beginning
 // at the location (x, y). Writing of the screen just fails silently so don't
 // do that.
diff --git a/internal/app/view.go b/internal/app/view.go
index 65ae7c0..dec353e 100644
--- a/internal/app/view.go
+++ b/internal/app/view.go
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ package app
 
 import (
 	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
-	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/wire"
 )
 
 type view interface {
 	handleEvent(*UI, tcell.Event) bool
-	notify(wire.Value)
 	draw(*UI)
 }
diff --git a/internal/server/sim/player.go b/internal/server/sim/player.go
index b26af61..ce1add2 100644
--- a/internal/server/sim/player.go
+++ b/internal/server/sim/player.go
@@ -36,11 +36,10 @@ func (m *Move) exec(r *room, p *player, seq int) result {
 
 	currentTile.here, nextTile.here = nil, p.avatar
 	p.avatar.Position = target
-	e := wire.UpdateEntity{
-		Room:     r.name,
+	e := wire.Entity{
 		ID:       p.avatar.ID,
 		Position: p.avatar.Position,
-		Glyph:    '@',
+		Glyph:    p.avatar.Glyph,
 	}
 	return result{reply: e, announce: e}
 }
@@ -89,9 +88,9 @@ func (s *SpawnPlayer) exec(r *room, _ *player, seq int) result {
 		Rooms:   make(map[string]wire.Room),
 		Players: make(map[string]wire.Player),
 	}
-	ents := make(map[int]wire.Entity)
+	ents := make(map[int]*wire.Entity)
 	for id, e := range r.allEntities() {
-		ents[id] = wire.Entity{
+		ents[id] = &wire.Entity{
 			ID:       id,
 			Position: e.Position,
 			Glyph:    e.Glyph,
diff --git a/internal/server/sim/room.go b/internal/server/sim/room.go
index 1f39882..912358e 100644
--- a/internal/server/sim/room.go
+++ b/internal/server/sim/room.go
@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@ func (r *room) update(dt time.Duration) {
 		for _, req := range p.pending {
 			res := req.Wants.exec(r, p, req.Seq)
 			p.outbox <- wire.Response{Re: req.Seq, Body: res.reply}
-			for _, p2 := range r.players {
-				if p2 == p {
-					continue
+			if res.announce != nil {
+				for _, p2 := range r.players {
+					if p2 == p {
+						continue
+					}
+					p2.outbox <- wire.Response{Body: res.announce}
 				}
-				p2.outbox <- wire.Response{Body: res.reply}
 			}
 		}
 		p.pending = p.pending[0:0]
diff --git a/internal/wire/entity.go b/internal/wire/entity.go
index 17cb33b..b29947c 100644
--- a/internal/wire/entity.go
+++ b/internal/wire/entity.go
@@ -12,16 +12,6 @@ type Entity struct {
 
 func (Entity) NetTag() string { return "entity" }
 
-type UpdateEntity struct {
-	Room     string   `json:"room"`
-	ID       int      `json:"id"`
-	Position math.Vec `json:"position"`
-	Glyph    rune     `json:"glyph"`
-}
-
-func (UpdateEntity) NetTag() string { return "entity/updated" }
-
 func init() {
 	Register(func() Value { return new(Entity) })
-	Register(func() Value { return new(UpdateEntity) })
 }
diff --git a/internal/wire/room.go b/internal/wire/room.go
index 01706ee..6684aa3 100644
--- a/internal/wire/room.go
+++ b/internal/wire/room.go
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ import (
 
 // Room represents a 2-dimensional coordinate space.
 type Room struct {
-	Name     string         `json:"name"`
-	Bounds   math.Bounds    `json:"bounds"`
-	Entities map[int]Entity `json:"entities"`
+	Name     string          `json:"name"`
+	Bounds   math.Bounds     `json:"bounds"`
+	Entities map[int]*Entity `json:"entities"`
 }
 
 func (r Room) Width() int  { return r.Bounds.Width() }