diff --git a/src/commands/default/player.py b/src/commands/default/player.py
index 009ea4b98f..51c8f1c479 100644
--- a/src/commands/default/player.py
+++ b/src/commands/default/player.py
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ class CmdWho(MuxPlayerCommand):
                                session.protocol_key,
                                isinstance(session.address, tuple) and session.address[0] or session.address])
         else:
-            table = prettytable.PrettyTable(["{wPlayer name", "{wOn for", "{Idle"])
+            table = prettytable.PrettyTable(["{wPlayer name", "{wOn for", "{wIdle"])
             for session in session_list:
                 if not session.logged_in: continue
                 delta_cmd = time.time() - session.cmd_last_visible
diff --git a/src/commands/default/system.py b/src/commands/default/system.py
index fe4b56bfeb..da57382afe 100644
--- a/src/commands/default/system.py
+++ b/src/commands/default/system.py
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ class CmdPlayers(MuxCommand):
     """
     key = "@players"
     aliases = ["@listplayers"]
-    locks = "cmd:perm(listplayers) or perm(Admins)"
+    locks = "cmd:perm(listplayers) or perm(Wizards)"
     def func(self):
         "List the players"
 
diff --git a/src/objects/models.py b/src/objects/models.py
index 7fcb0d7684..d536ce7165 100644
--- a/src/objects/models.py
+++ b/src/objects/models.py
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ class ObjectDB(TypedObject):
                 break
         return cmdhandler.cmdhandler(_GA(self, "typeclass"), raw_string, callertype="object", sessid=sessid)
 
-    def msg(self, msg=None, from_obj=None, data=None, sessid=0):
+    def msg(self, text=None, **kwargs):#from_obj=None, data=None, sessid=0):
         """
         Emits something to a session attached to the object.
 
@@ -672,13 +672,13 @@ class ObjectDB(TypedObject):
         """
         if _GA(self, 'player'):
             # note that we must call the player *typeclass'* msg(), otherwise one couldn't overload it.
-            if sessid == 0:
+            if kwargs.get("sessid",0) == 0:
                 sessid = None
-                if from_obj and hasattr(from_obj, "sessid"):
-                    sessid = from_obj.sessid
+                if "from_obj" in kwargs and hasattr(kwargs["from_obj"], "sessid"):
+                    kwargs["sessid"] = from_obj.sessid
                 elif hasattr(self, "sessid"):
-                    sessid = self.sessid
-            _GA(_GA(self, 'player'), "typeclass").msg(msg, from_obj=from_obj, data=data, sessid=sessid)
+                    kwargs["sessid"] = self.sessid
+            _GA(_GA(self, 'player'), "typeclass").msg(text=text, **kwargs)#from_obj=from_obj, data=data, sessid=sessid)
 
     def emit_to(self, message, from_obj=None, data=None):
         "Deprecated. Alias for msg"
diff --git a/src/objects/objects.py b/src/objects/objects.py
index a6b74c664c..2eea10dc86 100644
--- a/src/objects/objects.py
+++ b/src/objects/objects.py
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ class Object(TypeClass):
         """
         return self.dbobj.execute_cmd(raw_string, sessid=sessid)
 
-    def msg(self, message, from_obj=None, data=None, sessid=0):
+    def msg(self, text=None, **kwargs):#message, from_obj=None, data=None, sessid=0):
         """
         Emits something to any sessions attached to the object.
 
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ class Object(TypeClass):
         sessid: optional session target. If sessid=0, the session will
                 default to self.sessid or from_obj.sessid.
         """
-        self.dbobj.msg(message, from_obj=from_obj, data=data, sessid=0)
+        self.dbobj.msg(text=text, **kwargs)#message, from_obj=from_obj, data=data, sessid=0)
 
     def msg_contents(self, message, exclude=None, from_obj=None, data=None):
         """
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ class Object(TypeClass):
         """
         pass
 
-    def at_msg_receive(self, msg, from_obj=None, data=None):
+    def at_msg_receive(self, text=None, **kwargs):#from_obj=None, data=None):
         """
         This hook is called whenever someone
         sends a message to this object.
@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@ class Object(TypeClass):
         """
         return True
 
-    def at_msg_send(self, msg, to_obj=None, data=None):
+    def at_msg_send(self, text=None, **kwargs):#msg, to_obj=None, data=None):
         """
         This is a hook that is called when /this/ object
         sends a message to another object with obj.msg()
diff --git a/src/players/models.py b/src/players/models.py
index 79eecd043b..2e38cc4d0b 100644
--- a/src/players/models.py
+++ b/src/players/models.py
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ class PlayerDB(TypedObject, AbstractUser):
     # PlayerDB class access methods
     #
 
-    def msg(self, outgoing_string, from_obj=None, data=None, sessid=None):
+    def msg(self, text=None, **kwargs):#outgoing_string, from_obj=None, data=None, sessid=None):
         """
         Evennia -> User
         This is the main route for sending data back to the user from the server.
@@ -262,25 +262,27 @@ class PlayerDB(TypedObject, AbstractUser):
                  a command on a Character, the character automatically stores and
                  handles the sessid).
         """
+        from_obj = kwargs.pop("from_obj", None)
+        sessid = kwargs.pop("sessid", 0)
         if from_obj:
             # call hook
             try:
-                _GA(from_obj, "at_msg_send")(outgoing_string, to_obj=self, data=data)
+                _GA(from_obj, "at_msg_send")(text=text, to_obj=self, data=data)
             except Exception:
                 pass
-        outgoing_string = utils.to_str(outgoing_string, force_string=True)
+        outgoing_string = utils.to_str(text, force_string=True)
 
         session = _MULTISESSION_MODE == 2 and sessid and _GA(self, "get_session")(sessid) or None
         if session:
             obj = session.puppet
-            if obj and not obj.at_msg_receive(outgoing_string, from_obj=from_obj, data=data):
+            if obj and not obj.at_msg_receive(text, **kwargs):
                 # if hook returns false, cancel send
                 return
-            session.msg(outgoing_string, data)
+            session.msg(text=text, **kwargs)
         else:
             # if no session was specified, send to them all
             for sess in _GA(self, 'get_all_sessions')():
-                sess.msg(outgoing_string, data)
+                sess.msg(text=text, **kwargs)
 
     def inmsg(self, ingoing_string, session):
         """
diff --git a/src/players/player.py b/src/players/player.py
index 89db5db450..6f1c4c8b58 100644
--- a/src/players/player.py
+++ b/src/players/player.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class Player(TypeClass):
 
     ## methods inherited from database model
 
-    def msg(self, outgoing_string, from_obj=None, data=None, sessid=None):
+    def msg(self, text=None, **kwargs):#outgoing_string, from_obj=None, data=None, sessid=None):
         """
         Evennia -> User
         This is the main route for sending data back to the user from the server.
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class Player(TypeClass):
                  a command on a Character, the character automatically stores and
                  handles the sessid).
                  """
-        self.dbobj.msg(outgoing_string, from_obj=from_obj, data=data, sessid=sessid)
+        self.dbobj.msg(text=text, **kwargs)#outgoing_string, from_obj=from_obj, data=data, sessid=sessid)
 
     def swap_character(self, new_character, delete_old_character=False):
         """
diff --git a/src/server/oobhandler.py b/src/server/oobhandler.py
index ca91e8632f..e6467fa64f 100644
--- a/src/server/oobhandler.py
+++ b/src/server/oobhandler.py
@@ -126,6 +126,14 @@ class OOBHandler(object):
         self.tracked = defaultdict(dict)
         self.oobstrings = ""
 
+    def parse_commanddict(self, dic):
+        """
+        The command dict is on the form
+         {functionname:((args), {kwargs}), ...}
+        It is stored in text form as a pickle.
+        """
+
+
 
     def _make_hash(self, callback_key, hashkey):
         """
diff --git a/src/server/serversession.py b/src/server/serversession.py
index 2626eb008e..ff0dbbbcd5 100644
--- a/src/server/serversession.py
+++ b/src/server/serversession.py
@@ -183,11 +183,11 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
         self.update_session_counters()
     execute_cmd = data_in # alias
 
-    def data_out(self, msg, data=None):
+    def data_out(self, text=None, **kwargs):
         """
         Send Evennia -> Player
         """
-        self.sessionhandler.data_out(self, msg, data)
+        self.sessionhandler.data_out(self, text=text, **kwargs)
 
     def oob_data_in(self, data):
         """
@@ -276,9 +276,9 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
     #def disconnect(self):
     #    "alias for session_disconnect"
     #    self.session_disconnect()
-    def msg(self, string='', data=None):
+    def msg(self, text='', **kwargs):
         "alias for at_data_out"
-        self.data_out(string, data=data)
+        self.data_out(text=text, **kwargs)
 
 
     # Dummy API hooks for use during non-loggedin operation
diff --git a/src/server/sessionhandler.py b/src/server/sessionhandler.py
index eaa76c7d9a..7dc40cb832 100644
--- a/src/server/sessionhandler.py
+++ b/src/server/sessionhandler.py
@@ -15,7 +15,14 @@ There are two similar but separate stores of sessions:
 import time
 from django.conf import settings
 from src.commands.cmdhandler import CMD_LOGINSTART
-from src.utils.utils import variable_from_module
+from src.utils.utils import variable_from_module, to_str
+try:
+    import cPickle as pickle
+except ImportError:
+    import pickle
+
+dumps = lambda data: to_str(pickle.dumps(data, pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL))
+loads = lambda data: pickle.loads(to_str(data))
 
 # delayed imports
 _PlayerDB = None
@@ -350,20 +357,21 @@ class ServerSessionHandler(SessionHandler):
         for sess in self.sessions.values():
             self.data_out(sess, message)
 
-    def data_out(self, session, string="", data=""):
+    def data_out(self, session, text="", **kwargs):
         """
         Sending data Server -> Portal
         """
         self.server.amp_protocol.call_remote_MsgServer2Portal(sessid=session.sessid,
-                                                              msg=string,
-                                                              data=data)
-    def data_in(self, sessid, string="", data=""):
+                                                              msg=text,
+                                                              data=kwargs)
+    def data_in(self, sessid, text="", data=""):
         """
         Data Portal -> Server
         """
         session = self.sessions.get(sessid, None)
         if session:
-            session.data_in(string)
+            kwargs = data if data else {}
+            session.data_in(text, **kwargs)
 
         # ignore 'data' argument for now; this is otherwise the place
         # to put custom effects on the server due to data input, e.g.
diff --git a/src/typeclasses/models.py b/src/typeclasses/models.py
index 6e624e54c4..4c939e5f40 100644
--- a/src/typeclasses/models.py
+++ b/src/typeclasses/models.py
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ class Attribute(SharedMemoryModel):
     attributes, rather than making different classes for each object type and
     storing them directly. The added benefit is that we can add/remove
     attributes on the fly as we like.
-
     The Attribute class defines the following properties:
       key - primary identifier
       lock_storage - perm strings
diff --git a/src/utils/dbserialize.py b/src/utils/dbserialize.py
index 44c1d36a1d..cb0b81f4a6 100644
--- a/src/utils/dbserialize.py
+++ b/src/utils/dbserialize.py
@@ -251,9 +251,10 @@ def from_pickle(data, db_obj=None):
     to a form that may contain database objects again. Note that if a database
     object was removed (or changed in-place) in the database, None will be returned.
 
-    db_obj - this is the model instance (normally an Attribute) that Saver*-type
-             iterables will save to when they update. It must have a 'value'
-             property that saves assigned data to the database.
+    db_obj - this is the model instance (normally an Attribute) that _Saver*-type
+             iterables (_SaverList etc) will save to when they update. It must have a 'value'
+             property that saves assigned data to the database. Skip if not serializing onto
+             a given object.
 
     If db_obj is given, this function will convert lists, dicts and sets to their
     _SaverList, _SaverDict and _SaverSet counterparts.
@@ -338,3 +339,10 @@ def do_pickle(data):
 def do_unpickle(data):
     "Retrieve pickle from pickled string"
     return loads(to_str(data))
+
+def dbserialize(data):
+    "Serialize to pickled form in one step"
+    return do_pickle(to_pickle(data))
+def dbunserialize(data, db_obj=None):
+    "Un-serialize in one step. See from_pickle for help db_obj."
+    return do_unpickle(from_pickle(data, db_obj=db_obj))