diff --git a/game/game.cpp b/game/game.cpp
index 8931b37..26224b8 100644
--- a/game/game.cpp
+++ b/game/game.cpp
@@ -15,11 +15,16 @@ Game::Game()
     m_state = new game::State();
     m_state->init();
 
+    // XXX
+    // one dummy ship for testing
+#ifdef QUICK_TEST
+    m_state->addPlayer();
+#endif
 }
 
 bool Game::cycle(float dt)
 {
-#if 0
+#ifdef QUICK_TEST
     // XXX the following is just testing code to do things
 
     static float total = 0.0;
@@ -33,12 +38,11 @@ bool Game::cycle(float dt)
     //        m_state->players[0]->addCommand(new game::ShootCommand(a));
     //    }
     //}
-    m_state->addPlayer();
 
     acc   += dt;
     total += dt;
 
-    float spawnInterval = 0.1;
+    float spawnInterval = 1.0;
     while (acc > spawnInterval) {
         acc -= spawnInterval;
 
diff --git a/game/renderer_polygon_3d/polygon_model.hpp b/game/renderer_polygon_3d/polygon_model.hpp
index 41fc799..70e751b 100644
--- a/game/renderer_polygon_3d/polygon_model.hpp
+++ b/game/renderer_polygon_3d/polygon_model.hpp
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ class PolygonModel {
             }
 
             size_t totalBytes = 3*m_numVertices*sizeof(float);
-            std::cout<<"[polygonmodel] loaded " << m_numVertices << " vertices ("
+            std::cout<<"[polygonmodel] loaded file " << m_filename
+                << " with "  << m_numVertices << " vertices ("
                 << totalBytes << " bytes)" << std::endl;
 
             return true;
diff --git a/game/renderer_polygon_3d/renderer_polygon_3d.cpp b/game/renderer_polygon_3d/renderer_polygon_3d.cpp
index 77ec48f..8c35370 100644
--- a/game/renderer_polygon_3d/renderer_polygon_3d.cpp
+++ b/game/renderer_polygon_3d/renderer_polygon_3d.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 
 #include "glm/gtc/type_ptr.hpp"
+#include <glm/gtc/matrix_transform.hpp>
 
 #include "polygon_model.hpp"
 
@@ -38,6 +39,9 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
             "}\n"
             ;
 
+            //"uniform mat4 model;\n"
+            //"  vec3 p = position + scale*(model*vec4(gl_Vertex.xyz, 0.0));\n"
+
         std::string vss_game_objects =
             "#version 120\n"
             "uniform vec3 position;\n"
@@ -45,10 +49,9 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
             "varying vec3 vertex;\n"
             "void main()\n"
             "{\n"
-            "  vec3 p = scale*gl_Vertex.xyz;\n"
-            "  p += position;\n"
+            "  vec3 p = position + scale*gl_Vertex.xyz;\n"
             "  gl_Position = vec4(p, gl_Vertex.w);\n"
-            "  vertex = p;\n"
+            "  vertex = p.xyz;\n"
             "}\n"
             ;
 
@@ -85,11 +88,13 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
 
         // TODO :Z?
 
+        glm::mat4 model(1.0f);
+        glUniformMatrix3fv(m_shader.location("model"), 1, GL_FALSE, glm::value_ptr(model));
+
         renderPlanets(state);
         renderShips(state);
         renderMissiles(state);
 
-
         //glColor3f(1.0, 0.0, 0.0);
         //glBegin(GL_QUADS);
         //glVertex2f(-1.0f, -1.0f);
@@ -124,9 +129,18 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
                 glm::vec3 c = glm::vec3(1.0, 1.0, 0.3);
                 const auto &p = missile->position;
 
+                glm::mat4 model(1.0f);
+
+                static float a = 0.0;
+                a += 2.0*M_PI * 0.1;
+
+                model = glm::rotate(model, a, glm::vec3(0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f));
+
                 glUniform3f(m_shader.location("position"), p.x, p.y, 0.0);
                 glUniform3f(m_shader.location("color"),    c.x, c.y, c.z);
-                glUniform1f(m_shader.location("scale"),    1.0);
+                glUniform1f(m_shader.location("scale"),    0.05);
+
+                glUniformMatrix3fv(m_shader.location("model"), 1, GL_FALSE, glm::value_ptr(model));
 
                 m_missileModel->render();
             }
@@ -151,7 +165,7 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
 
     void RendererPolygon3d::addModel(const std::string &filename, PolygonModel **dest)
     {
-        std::cout<<"adding a model: " << filename << std::endl;
+        //std::cout<<"adding a model: " << filename << std::endl;
 
         *dest = new PolygonModel(filename);
         if (!(*dest)->import()) {