diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/client/ParlorDirector.java b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/client/ParlorDirector.java
index 1557a3919..454040f64 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/client/ParlorDirector.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/client/ParlorDirector.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ParlorDirector.java,v 1.7 2001/10/03 03:43:14 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ParlorDirector.java,v 1.8 2001/10/06 00:25:29 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.parlor.client;
 
@@ -191,26 +191,10 @@ public class ParlorDirector
      * player is ready to begin.
      *
      * @param gameOid the object id of the game object.
-     * @param config the configuration information for the started game.
      */
-    public void handleGameReadyNotification (int gameOid, GameConfig config)
+    public void handleGameReadyNotification (int gameOid)
     {
-        Log.info("Handling game ready [goid=" + gameOid +
-                 ", config=" + config + "].");
-
-        try {
-            // create the game controller for this game
-            GameController ctrl = (GameController)
-                config.getControllerClass().newInstance();
-
-            // initialize it and get things underway
-            ctrl.init(_ctx, gameOid, config);
-
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            Log.warning("Unable to instantiate game controller " +
-                        "[goid=" + gameOid + ", config=" + config +
-                        ", error=" + e + "].");
-        }
+        Log.info("Handling game ready [goid=" + gameOid + "].");
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameConfig.java b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameConfig.java
index 8e9c46389..0220efa31 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameConfig.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameConfig.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: GameConfig.java,v 1.4 2001/10/03 03:43:37 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: GameConfig.java,v 1.5 2001/10/06 00:25:29 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.parlor.data;
 
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.DataInputStream;
 import java.io.DataOutputStream;
 
-import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.io.Streamable;
+import com.threerings.cocktail.party.data.PlaceConfig;
 
 /**
  * The game config class encapsulates the configuration information for a
@@ -31,34 +31,16 @@ import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.io.Streamable;
  * information and overriding {@link #writeTo} and {@link #readFrom} to
  * provide code to serialize and unserialize the additional fields.
  */
-public abstract class GameConfig implements Streamable
+public abstract class GameConfig extends PlaceConfig
 {
     /** Indicates whether or not this game is rated. */
     public boolean rated = false;
 
-    /**
-     * Returns the class that should be used to create a controller for
-     * this game. The controller class must derive from {@link
-     * com.threerings.parlor.client.GameController}.
-     */
-    public abstract Class getControllerClass ();
-
-    /**
-     * Returns the name of the class that should be used to create a
-     * manager for this game. The manager class must derive from {@link
-     * com.threerings.parlor.server.GameManager}. <em>Note:</em> this
-     * method differs from {@link #getControllerClass} because we want to
-     * avoid compile time linkage of the game config object (which is used
-     * on the client) to server code. This allows a code optimizer (DashO
-     * Pro, for example) to remove the server code from the client,
-     * knowing that it is never used.
-     */
-    public abstract String getManagerClassName ();
-
     // documentation inherited
     public void writeTo (DataOutputStream out)
         throws IOException
     {
+        super.writeTo(out);
         out.writeBoolean(rated);
     }
 
@@ -66,33 +48,14 @@ public abstract class GameConfig implements Streamable
     public void readFrom (DataInputStream in)
         throws IOException
     {
+        super.readFrom(in);
         rated = in.readBoolean();
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Generates a string representation of this object by calling the
-     * overridable {@link #toString(StringBuffer)} which builds up the
-     * string in a manner friendly to derived classes.
-     */
-    public String toString ()
-    {
-        StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer();
-        buf.append("[");
-        toString(buf);
-        buf.append("]");
-        return buf.toString();
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * An extensible mechanism for generating a string representation of
-     * this object. Derived classes should override this method, calling
-     * super and then appending their own data to the supplied string
-     * buffer. The regular {@link #toString} function will call this
-     * derived function to generate its string.
-     */
+    // documentation inherited
     protected void toString (StringBuffer buf)
     {
-        buf.append("type=").append(getClass().getName());
+        super.toString(buf);
         buf.append(", rated=").append(rated);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameController.java b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameController.java
index 3e93662d8..53f19b6b4 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameController.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameController.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: GameController.java,v 1.1 2001/10/01 06:19:15 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: GameController.java,v 1.2 2001/10/06 00:25:29 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.parlor.client;
 
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
 import com.samskivert.swing.Controller;
 
 import com.threerings.cocktail.cher.dobj.*;
+import com.threerings.cocktail.party.client.PlaceController;
+import com.threerings.cocktail.party.data.PlaceConfig;
+import com.threerings.cocktail.party.util.PartyContext;
 
 import com.threerings.parlor.Log;
 import com.threerings.parlor.data.GameConfig;
@@ -24,7 +27,8 @@ import com.threerings.parlor.util.ParlorContext;
  * subscription to the game object and dispatch of commands and
  * distributed object events.
  */
-public class GameController extends Controller implements Subscriber
+public abstract class GameController
+    extends PlaceController implements Subscriber
 {
     /**
      * Initializes this game controller with the game configuration that
@@ -33,21 +37,17 @@ public class GameController extends Controller implements Subscriber
      * game-specific configuration parameters but they should be sure to
      * call <code>super.init</code> in such cases.
      *
-     * @param gameOid the object id of the game object for the game we are
-     * intended to control.
+     * @param ctx the client context.
      * @param config the configuration of the game we are intended to
      * control.
      */
-    public void init (ParlorContext ctx, int gameOid, GameConfig config)
+    public void init (PartyContext ctx, PlaceConfig config)
     {
-        // keep a reference to our context
-        _ctx = ctx;
+        super.init(ctx, config);
 
-        // subscribe to the game object
-        _ctx.getDObjectManager().subscribeToObject(gameOid, this);
-
-        // keep the config around for later
-        _config = config;
+        // cast our references
+        _ctx = (ParlorContext)ctx;
+        _config = (GameConfig)config;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -57,21 +57,21 @@ public class GameController extends Controller implements Subscriber
      */
     public boolean handleAction (ActionEvent action)
     {
-        return false;
+        return super.handleAction(action);
     }
 
     // documentation inherited
     public void objectAvailable (DObject object)
     {
-        // keep a reference around to the game object
-        _gobj = (GameObject)object;
+        Log.warning("Got call to objectAvailable()?! " +
+                    "[object=" + object + "].");
     }
 
     // documentation inherited
     public void requestFailed (int oid, ObjectAccessException cause)
     {
-        Log.warning("Unable to subscribe to game object!? [oid=" + oid +
-                    ", cause=" + cause + "].");
+        Log.warning("Got call to requestFailed()?! " +
+                    "[oid=" + oid + ", cause=" + cause + "].");
     }
 
     // documentation inherited
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameManager.java
index f8d0466a4..f4fd3f79d 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/game/GameManager.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: GameManager.java,v 1.3 2001/10/03 03:44:27 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: GameManager.java,v 1.4 2001/10/06 00:25:29 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.parlor.server;
 
@@ -24,27 +24,34 @@ import com.threerings.parlor.data.GameObject;
 public class GameManager
     extends PlaceManager implements ParlorCodes
 {
+    protected Class getPlaceObjectClass ()
+    {
+        return GameObject.class;
+    }
+
+    // documentation inherited
+    protected void didInit ()
+    {
+        super.didInit();
+
+        // cast our configuration object (do we need to do this?)
+        _gconfig = (GameConfig)_config;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Initializes the game manager with the supplied game configuration
      * object. This happens before startup and before the game object has
      * been created.
      *
-     * @param config the game configuration.
      * @param players the usernames of all of the players in this game or
      * null if the game has no specific set of players.
      */
-    public void init (GameConfig config, String[] players)
+    public void setPlayers (String[] players)
     {
         // keep this info for later
-        _config = config;
         _players = players;
     }
 
-    protected Class getPlaceObjectClass ()
-    {
-        return GameObject.class;
-    }
-
     // documentation inherited
     protected void didStartup ()
     {
@@ -55,7 +62,7 @@ public class GameManager
         // we have a specific set of players)
         if (_players != null) {
             Object[] args = new Object[] {
-                new Integer(_gameobj.getOid()), _config };
+                new Integer(_gameobj.getOid()) };
             for (int i = 0; i < _players.length; i++) {
                 BodyObject bobj = PartyServer.lookupBody(_players[i]);
                 // deliver a game ready notification to the player
@@ -76,7 +83,7 @@ public class GameManager
     }
 
     /** A reference to our game configuration. */
-    protected GameConfig _config;
+    protected GameConfig _gconfig;
 
     /** The usernames of the players of this game. */
     protected String[] _players;
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/server/ParlorManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/server/ParlorManager.java
index f7f501d3a..598507e69 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/server/ParlorManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/server/ParlorManager.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ParlorManager.java,v 1.5 2001/10/03 03:45:16 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ParlorManager.java,v 1.6 2001/10/06 00:25:29 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.parlor.server;
 
@@ -168,9 +168,6 @@ public class ParlorManager
     protected void processAcceptedInvitation (Invitation invite)
     {
         try {
-            Class gmclass =
-                Class.forName(invite.config.getManagerClassName());
-
 //              Log.info("Creating game manager [invite=" + invite +
 //                       ", class=" + gmclass.getName() + "].");
 
@@ -180,12 +177,12 @@ public class ParlorManager
             // started up (which is done by the place registry once the
             // game object creation has completed)
             GameManager gmgr = (GameManager)
-                PartyServer.plreg.createPlace(gmclass);
+                PartyServer.plreg.createPlace(invite.config);
 
             // provide the game manager with some initialization info
             String[] players = new String[] {
                 invite.invitee.username, invite.inviter.username };
-            gmgr.init(invite.config, players);
+            gmgr.setPlayers(players);
 
         } catch (Exception e) {
             Log.warning("Unable to create game manager [invite=" + invite +
diff --git a/tests/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/TestController.java b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/TestController.java
index f0041b104..67c00c3a1 100644
--- a/tests/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/TestController.java
+++ b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/parlor/TestController.java
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 //
-// $Id: TestController.java,v 1.1 2001/10/03 03:45:44 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: TestController.java,v 1.2 2001/10/06 00:25:29 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.parlor.test;
 
+import com.threerings.cocktail.party.client.PlaceView;
 import com.threerings.parlor.client.GameController;
 
 public class TestController extends GameController
 {
-    // nothing doing
+    public PlaceView createPlaceView ()
+    {
+        // nothing doing
+        return null;
+    }
 }