diff --git a/engine/src/main/battlecode/world/GameWorld.java b/engine/src/main/battlecode/world/GameWorld.java
index c7df9643..a5f2b0f2 100644
--- a/engine/src/main/battlecode/world/GameWorld.java
+++ b/engine/src/main/battlecode/world/GameWorld.java
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ public GameWorld(LiveMap gm, RobotControlProvider cp, GameMaker.MatchMaker match
         // Write match header at beginning of match
         this.matchMaker.makeMatchHeader(this.gameMap);
 
+        this.allRuinsByLoc = gm.getRuinArray();
+        this.allRuins = new ArrayList<MapLocation>();
+        for (int i = 0; i < numSquares; i++){
+            if (this.allRuinsByLoc[i]){
+                this.allRuins.add(indexToLocation(i));
+            }
+        }
+
         this.patternArray = gm.getPatternArray();
         this.resourcePatternCenters = new ArrayList<MapLocation>();
         this.resourcePatternCentersByLoc = new Team[numSquares];
@@ -107,21 +115,11 @@ public GameWorld(LiveMap gm, RobotControlProvider cp, GameMaker.MatchMaker match
             setPaint(indexToLocation(i), initialPaint[i]);
         }
 
-        this.allRuinsByLoc = gm.getRuinArray();
-        this.allRuins = new ArrayList<MapLocation>();
-        for (int i = 0; i < numSquares; i++){
-            if (this.allRuinsByLoc[i]){
-                this.allRuins.add(indexToLocation(i));
-            }
-        }
 
-        for (MapLocation ruin : this.allRuins){
-            this.allRuinsByLoc[locationToIndex(ruin)] = true;
-        }
       
         RobotInfo[] initialBodies = gm.getInitialBodies(); 
         this.towerLocations = new ArrayList<MapLocation>();
-        this.towersByLoc = new Team[numSquares]; //idk if both of these are used but I instantiated for now
+        this.towersByLoc = new Team[numSquares]; 
         for (int i = 0; i < numSquares; i++){
             towersByLoc[i] = Team.NEUTRAL;  
         }
@@ -407,6 +405,7 @@ public boolean getWall(MapLocation loc) {
     }
 
     public void setPaint(MapLocation loc, int paint) {
+        if (!isPaintable(loc)) return;
         if (teamFromPaint(this.colorLocations[locationToIndex(loc)]) != Team.NEUTRAL){
         this.getTeamInfo().addPaintedSquares(-1, teamFromPaint(this.colorLocations[locationToIndex(loc)]));
         }
@@ -432,6 +431,7 @@ public int getMarker(Team team, MapLocation loc) {
     }
 
     public void setMarker(Team team, MapLocation loc, int marker) {
+        if (!isPaintable(loc)) return;
         if (marker == 0){
             this.matchMaker.addUnmarkAction(loc);
         }
@@ -444,13 +444,9 @@ public void setMarker(Team team, MapLocation loc, int marker) {
     public void markPattern(int pattern, Team team, MapLocation center, int rotationAngle, boolean reflect, boolean isTowerPattern) {
         for (int dx = -GameConstants.PATTERN_SIZE / 2; dx < (GameConstants.PATTERN_SIZE + 1) / 2; dx++) {
             for (int dy = -GameConstants.PATTERN_SIZE / 2; dy < (GameConstants.PATTERN_SIZE + 1) / 2; dy++) {
-                // don't try marking a center ruin
-                if (dx == 0 && dy == 0 && isTowerPattern)
-                    continue;
                 int symmetry = 4 * (reflect ? 1 : 0) + rotationAngle;
                 int dx2;
                 int dy2;
-
                 switch (symmetry) {
                     case 0:
                         dx2 = dx;
@@ -565,6 +561,10 @@ public boolean isPassable(MapLocation loc) {
         return !(this.walls[locationToIndex(loc)] || this.hasRuin(loc));
     }
 
+    public boolean isPaintable(MapLocation loc){
+        return isPassable(loc);
+    }
+
     public ArrayList<MapLocation> getRuinArray() {
         return allRuins;
     }
diff --git a/engine/src/main/battlecode/world/InternalRobot.java b/engine/src/main/battlecode/world/InternalRobot.java
index a3cb48bb..f7806762 100644
--- a/engine/src/main/battlecode/world/InternalRobot.java
+++ b/engine/src/main/battlecode/world/InternalRobot.java
@@ -344,7 +344,8 @@ public void soldierAttack(MapLocation loc, boolean useSecondaryColor) {
             }
         } else { // otherwise, maybe paint
             // If the tile is empty or same team paint, paint it
-            if(this.gameWorld.getPaint(loc) == 0 || this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(paintType) == this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(this.gameWorld.getPaint(loc))) {
+            if(this.gameWorld.isPaintable(loc) && 
+            (this.gameWorld.getPaint(loc) == 0 || this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(paintType) == this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(this.gameWorld.getPaint(loc)))) {
                 this.gameWorld.setPaint(loc, paintType);
                 this.gameWorld.getMatchMaker().addPaintAction(loc, useSecondaryColor);
             }
@@ -375,6 +376,7 @@ public void splasherAttack(MapLocation loc, boolean useSecondaryColor) {
                 }
             } else { // otherwise, maybe paint
                 // If the tile is empty or same team paint, paint it
+                if (!this.gameWorld.isPaintable(loc)) continue;
                 if(this.gameWorld.getPaint(loc) == 0 || this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(paintType) == this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(this.gameWorld.getPaint(loc))) {
                     this.gameWorld.setPaint(loc, paintType);
                     this.gameWorld.getMatchMaker().addPaintAction(loc, useSecondaryColor);
@@ -411,7 +413,7 @@ public void mopperAttack(MapLocation loc, boolean useSecondaryColor) {
         }
         
         // Either way, mop this tile if it has enemy paint
-        if(this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(paintType) != this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(this.gameWorld.getPaint(loc))) {
+        if(this.gameWorld.isPaintable(loc) && this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(paintType) != this.gameWorld.teamFromPaint(this.gameWorld.getPaint(loc))) {
             this.gameWorld.setPaint(loc, 0);
             this.gameWorld.getMatchMaker().addUnpaintAction(loc);
         }
diff --git a/example-bots/src/main/examplefuncsplayer/RobotPlayer.java b/example-bots/src/main/examplefuncsplayer/RobotPlayer.java
index ebcbf94d..8f842064 100644
--- a/example-bots/src/main/examplefuncsplayer/RobotPlayer.java
+++ b/example-bots/src/main/examplefuncsplayer/RobotPlayer.java
@@ -153,8 +153,9 @@ public static void runSoldier(RobotController rc) throws GameActionException{
             Direction dir = rc.getLocation().directionTo(targetLoc);
             if (rc.canMove(dir))
                 rc.move(dir);
-            // Mark the pattern we need to draw to build a tower here.
-            if (curRuin.getMark() == PaintType.EMPTY && rc.canMarkTowerPattern(targetLoc)){
+            // Mark the pattern we need to draw to build a tower here if we haven't already.
+            MapLocation shouldBeMarked = curRuin.getMapLocation().subtract(dir);
+            if (rc.senseMapInfo(shouldBeMarked).getMark() == PaintType.EMPTY && rc.canMarkTowerPattern(targetLoc)){
                 rc.markTowerPattern(UnitType.LEVEL_ONE_PAINT_TOWER, targetLoc);
                 System.out.println("Trying to build a tower at " + targetLoc);
             }