diff --git a/Attorney_Online_remake.pro b/Attorney_Online_remake.pro
index 45d0ea7..7136939 100644
--- a/Attorney_Online_remake.pro
+++ b/Attorney_Online_remake.pro
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ SOURCES += main.cpp\
     hardware_functions.cpp \
     aoscene.cpp \
     aomovie.cpp \
-    aocharselect.cpp \
-    misc_functions.cpp
+    misc_functions.cpp \
+    aocharmovie.cpp
 
 HEADERS  += lobby.h \
     aoimage.h \
@@ -53,5 +53,5 @@ HEADERS  += lobby.h \
     hardware_functions.h \
     aoscene.h \
     aomovie.h \
-    aocharselect.h \
-    misc_functions.h
+    misc_functions.h \
+    aocharmovie.h
diff --git a/aocharmovie.cpp b/aocharmovie.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff5e64c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aocharmovie.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#include "aocharmovie.h"
+
+#include "misc_functions.h"
+#include "file_functions.h"
+#include "aoapplication.h"
+
+AOCharMovie::AOCharMovie(QWidget *p_parent, AOApplication *p_ao_app) : QLabel(p_parent)
+{
+  ao_app = p_ao_app;
+
+  m_movie = new QMovie(this);
+
+  this->setMovie(m_movie);
+
+  connect(m_movie, SIGNAL(frameChanged(int)), this, SLOT(frame_change(int)));
+}
+
+void AOCharMovie::set(QString p_char, QString p_pre, QString p_gif)
+{
+  m_char = p_char;
+  m_pre = p_pre;
+  m_gif = p_gif;
+}
+
+void AOCharMovie::play_pre()
+{
+  m_movie->stop();
+
+  QString pre_path = ao_app->get_character_path(m_char) + m_pre.toLower() + ".gif";
+  QString placeholder_path = ao_app->get_theme_path() + "placeholder.gif";
+
+  if (file_exists(pre_path))
+    m_movie->setFileName(pre_path);
+  else
+    m_movie->setFileName(placeholder_path);
+
+  this->show();
+  m_movie->start();
+}
+
+void AOCharMovie::play_talking()
+{
+  m_movie->stop();
+
+  QString talking_path = ao_app->get_character_path(m_char) + "(b)" + m_gif.toLower() + ".gif";
+  QString placeholder_path = ao_app->get_theme_path() + "placeholder.gif";
+
+  if (file_exists(talking_path))
+    m_movie->setFileName(talking_path);
+  else
+    m_movie->setFileName(placeholder_path);
+
+  this->show();
+  m_movie->start();
+}
+
+void AOCharMovie::play_idle()
+{
+  m_movie->stop();
+
+  QString idle_path = ao_app->get_character_path(m_char) + "(a)" + m_gif.toLower() + ".gif";
+  QString placeholder_path = ao_app->get_theme_path() + "placeholder.gif";
+
+  if (file_exists(idle_path))
+    m_movie->setFileName(idle_path);
+  else
+    m_movie->setFileName(placeholder_path);
+
+  this->show();
+  m_movie->start();
+}
+
+void AOCharMovie::stop()
+{
+  //for all intents and purposes, stopping is the same as hiding. at no point do we want a frozen gif to display
+  m_movie->stop();
+  this->hide();
+}
+
+void AOCharMovie::combo_resize(int w, int h)
+{
+  QSize f_size(w, h);
+  this->resize(f_size);
+  m_movie->setScaledSize(f_size);
+}
+
+void AOCharMovie::frame_change(int n_frame)
+{
+  if (n_frame == (m_movie->frameCount() - 1))
+  {
+    //we need this or else the last frame wont show
+    delay(m_movie->nextFrameDelay());
+
+    //signal connected to courtroom object, let it figure out what to do
+    done();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/aocharmovie.h b/aocharmovie.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0aff95a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aocharmovie.h
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#ifndef AOCHARMOVIE_H
+#define AOCHARMOVIE_H
+
+#include <QMovie>
+#include <QLabel>
+
+class AOApplication;
+
+class AOCharMovie : public QLabel
+{
+  Q_OBJECT
+
+public:
+  AOCharMovie(QWidget *p_parent, AOApplication *p_ao_app);
+
+  void set(QString p_char, QString p_pre, QString p_gif);
+
+  void play_pre();
+  void play_talking();
+  void play_idle();
+
+  void stop();
+
+  void combo_resize(int w, int h);
+
+private:
+  AOApplication *ao_app;
+
+  QMovie *m_movie;
+
+  QString m_char = "null";
+  QString m_pre;
+  QString m_gif;
+
+signals:
+  void done();
+
+private slots:
+  void frame_change(int n_frame);
+};
+
+#endif // AOCHARMOVIE_H
diff --git a/aocharselect.cpp b/aocharselect.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 1921e67..0000000
--- a/aocharselect.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-#include "aocharselect.h"
-
-AOCharSelect::AOCharSelect()
-{
-
-}
diff --git a/aocharselect.h b/aocharselect.h
deleted file mode 100644
index be57dde..0000000
--- a/aocharselect.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef AOCHARSELECT_H
-#define AOCHARSELECT_H
-
-#include <QLabel>
-
-class AOCharSelect : public QLabel
-{
-public:
-  AOCharSelect();
-};
-
-#endif // AOCHARSELECT_H
diff --git a/aomovie.cpp b/aomovie.cpp
index 2c848c4..7d3e1ba 100644
--- a/aomovie.cpp
+++ b/aomovie.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ AOMovie::AOMovie(QWidget *p_parent, AOApplication *p_ao_app) : QLabel(p_parent)
 
 void AOMovie::play(QString p_gif)
 {
+  m_movie->stop();
+
   QString gif_path = ao_app->get_theme_path() + p_gif;
   QString default_path = ao_app->get_default_theme_path() + p_gif;
 
diff --git a/courtroom.cpp b/courtroom.cpp
index 6600c34..2c941b8 100644
--- a/courtroom.cpp
+++ b/courtroom.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "hardware_functions.h"
 #include "file_functions.h"
 #include "datatypes.h"
+#include "debug_functions.h"
 
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QScrollBar>
@@ -20,8 +21,9 @@ Courtroom::Courtroom(AOApplication *p_ao_app) : QMainWindow()
   ui_background = new AOImage(this, ao_app);
 
   ui_vp_background = new AOScene(this);
-  ui_vp_player_char = new AOMovie(this, ao_app);
+  ui_vp_player_char = new AOCharMovie(this, ao_app);
   ui_vp_desk = new AOScene(this);
+  ui_vp_legacy_desk = new AOScene(this);
   ui_vp_chatbox = new AOImage(this, ao_app);
   ui_vp_showname = new QLabel(this);
   ui_vp_message = new QPlainTextEdit(this);
@@ -427,9 +429,7 @@ void Courtroom::set_size_and_pos(QWidget *p_widget, QString p_identifier)
     if (design_ini_result.width < 0 || design_ini_result.height < 0)
     {
       //at this point it's pretty much game over
-      //T0D0: add message box
-      qDebug() << "CRITICAL ERROR: NO SUITABLE DATA FOR SETTING " << p_identifier;
-      ao_app->quit();
+      call_error(" could not find \"" + p_identifier + "\" in courtroom_design.ini");
     }
   }
 
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ void Courtroom::append_server_chatmessage(QString f_message)
 
 void Courtroom::handle_chatmessage(QStringList *p_contents)
 {
-  QString f_message = p_contents->at(2) + ": " + p_contents->at(4) + '\n';
+  QString f_message = p_contents->at(CHAR_NAME) + ": " + p_contents->at(MESSAGE) + '\n';
 
   const QTextCursor old_cursor = ui_ic_chatlog->textCursor();
   const int old_scrollbar_value = ui_ic_chatlog->verticalScrollBar()->value();
@@ -614,6 +614,9 @@ void Courtroom::handle_chatmessage(QStringList *p_contents)
 
   ui_vp_background->set_image("defenseempty.png");
 
+  ui_vp_player_char->set(p_contents->at(CHAR_NAME), p_contents->at(EMOTE), p_contents->at(PRE_EMOTE));
+  ui_vp_player_char->play_talking();
+
   //D3BUG END
 }
 
@@ -631,7 +634,6 @@ void Courtroom::handle_wtce(QString p_wtce)
     QUrl wt_sfx(QUrl::fromLocalFile(wt_path));
 
     sfx_player->stop();
-    ui_vp_wtce->stop();
     sfx_player->setSource(wt_sfx);
 
     sfx_player->play();
@@ -644,7 +646,6 @@ void Courtroom::handle_wtce(QString p_wtce)
     QUrl ce_sfx(QUrl::fromLocalFile(ce_path));
 
     sfx_player->stop();
-    ui_vp_wtce->stop();
     sfx_player->setSource(ce_sfx);
 
     sfx_player->play();
diff --git a/courtroom.h b/courtroom.h
index 63e83e3..a290297 100644
--- a/courtroom.h
+++ b/courtroom.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "aopacket.h"
 #include "aoscene.h"
 #include "aomovie.h"
+#include "aocharmovie.h"
 #include "datatypes.h"
 
 #include <QMainWindow>
@@ -89,8 +90,9 @@ private:
   AOImage *ui_background;
 
   AOScene *ui_vp_background;
-  AOMovie *ui_vp_player_char;
+  AOCharMovie *ui_vp_player_char;
   AOScene *ui_vp_desk;
+  AOScene *ui_vp_legacy_desk;
   AOImage *ui_vp_chatbox;
   QLabel *ui_vp_showname;
   QPlainTextEdit *ui_vp_message;
diff --git a/path_functions.cpp b/path_functions.cpp
index 1458649..b1fd116 100644
--- a/path_functions.cpp
+++ b/path_functions.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 QString AOApplication::get_base_path(){
 
 #ifdef OMNI_DEBUG
-  return "/media/omnitroid/Data/winshare/AO/client/base/";
+  return "/media/omnitroid/Data/winshare/AO/client/4chan_base/";
 #else
   return (QDir::currentPath() + "/base/");
 #endif