diff --git a/dGame/dComponents/RenderComponent.cpp b/dGame/dComponents/RenderComponent.cpp
index 44663a17..6f32dd79 100644
--- a/dGame/dComponents/RenderComponent.cpp
+++ b/dGame/dComponents/RenderComponent.cpp
@@ -60,33 +60,35 @@ void RenderComponent::Serialize(RakNet::BitStream* outBitStream, bool bIsInitial
 	outBitStream->Write<uint32_t>(m_Effects.size());
 
 	for (Effect* eff : m_Effects) {
-		// Check that the effect is non-null
-		assert(eff);
+		// we still need to write 0 as the size for name if it is a nullptr
+		if (!eff) {
+			outBitStream->Write<uint8_t>(0);
+			continue;
+		}
 
 		outBitStream->Write<uint8_t>(eff->name.size());
-		for (const auto& value : eff->name)
-			outBitStream->Write<uint8_t>(value);
+		// if there is no name, then we don't write anything else
+		if (eff->name.empty()) continue;
+
+		for (const auto& value : eff->name) outBitStream->Write<uint8_t>(value);
 
 		outBitStream->Write(eff->effectID);
 
 		outBitStream->Write<uint8_t>(eff->type.size());
-		for (const auto& value : eff->type)
-			outBitStream->Write<uint16_t>(value);
+		for (const auto& value : eff->type) outBitStream->Write<uint16_t>(value);
 
-		outBitStream->Write<float_t>(eff->scale);
+		outBitStream->Write<float_t>(eff->priority);
 		outBitStream->Write<int64_t>(eff->secondary);
 	}
 }
 
-Effect* RenderComponent::AddEffect(const int32_t effectId, const std::string& name, const std::u16string& type) {
+Effect* RenderComponent::AddEffect(const int32_t effectId, const std::string& name, const std::u16string& type, const float priority) {
 	auto* eff = new Effect();
 
 	eff->effectID = effectId;
-
 	eff->name = name;
-
 	eff->type = type;
-
+	eff->priority = priority;
 	m_Effects.push_back(eff);
 
 	return eff;
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ void RenderComponent::PlayEffect(const int32_t effectId, const std::u16string& e
 
 	GameMessages::SendPlayFXEffect(m_Parent, effectId, effectType, name, secondary, priority, scale, serialize);
 
-	auto* effect = AddEffect(effectId, name, effectType);
+	auto* effect = AddEffect(effectId, name, effectType, priority);
 
 	const auto& pair = m_DurationCache.find(effectId);
 
diff --git a/dGame/dComponents/RenderComponent.h b/dGame/dComponents/RenderComponent.h
index 24cfd16d..54c0da25 100644
--- a/dGame/dComponents/RenderComponent.h
+++ b/dGame/dComponents/RenderComponent.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class Entity;
  * here.
  */
 struct Effect {
-	Effect() { scale = 1.0f; }
+	Effect() { priority = 1.0f; }
 
 	/**
 	 * The ID of the effect
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ struct Effect {
 	std::u16string type = u"";
 
 	/**
-	 * How scaled (enlarged) the effect is
+	 * The importantness of the effect
 	 */
-	float scale = 1.0f;
+	float priority = 1.0f;
 
 	/**
 	 * Some related entity that casted the effect
@@ -69,9 +69,10 @@ public:
 	 * @param effectId the ID of the effect
 	 * @param name the name of the effect
 	 * @param type the type of the effect
+	 * @param priority the priority of the effect
 	 * @return if successful, the effect that was created
 	 */
-	Effect* AddEffect(int32_t effectId, const std::string& name, const std::u16string& type);
+	Effect* AddEffect(int32_t effectId, const std::string& name, const std::u16string& type, const float priority);
 
 	/**
 	 * Removes an effect for this entity
@@ -109,15 +110,15 @@ public:
 	 * if it has the animation assigned to its group.  If it does, the animation is echo'd
 	 * down to all clients to be played and the duration of the played animation is returned.
 	 * If the animation did not exist or the function was called in an invalid state, 0 is returned.
-	 * 
+	 *
 	 * The logic here matches the exact client logic.
-	 * 
+	 *
 	 * @param self The entity that wants to play an animation
 	 * @param animation The animation_type (animationID in the client) to be played.
 	 * @param sendAnimation Whether or not to echo the animation down to all clients.
 	 * @param priority The priority of the animation.  Only used if sendAnimation is true.
 	 * @param scale	The scale of the animation.  Only used if sendAnimation is true.
-	 * 
+	 *
 	 * @return The duration of the animation that was played.
 	 */
 	static float DoAnimation(Entity* self, const std::string& animation, bool sendAnimation, float priority = 0.0f, float scale = 1.0f);