diff --git a/src/core/application.cpp b/src/core/application.cpp
index 8c94289a..d99f99f1 100644
--- a/src/core/application.cpp
+++ b/src/core/application.cpp
@@ -3428,10 +3428,15 @@ void Application::loadOnlineWorldTerrain(uint32_t mapId, float x, float y, float
     glm::vec3 spawnCanonical = core::coords::serverToCanonical(glm::vec3(x, y, z));
     glm::vec3 spawnRender = core::coords::canonicalToRender(spawnCanonical);
 
-    // Set camera position
+    // Set camera position and facing from server orientation
     if (renderer->getCameraController()) {
+        float yawDeg = 0.0f;
+        if (gameHandler) {
+            float canonicalYaw = gameHandler->getMovementInfo().orientation;
+            yawDeg = 180.0f - glm::degrees(canonicalYaw);
+        }
         renderer->getCameraController()->setOnlineMode(true);
-        renderer->getCameraController()->setDefaultSpawn(spawnRender, 0.0f, -15.0f);
+        renderer->getCameraController()->setDefaultSpawn(spawnRender, yawDeg, -15.0f);
         renderer->getCameraController()->reset();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/game/game_handler.cpp b/src/game/game_handler.cpp
index 5ff720b3..c8dba11f 100644
--- a/src/game/game_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/game/game_handler.cpp
@@ -8814,16 +8814,16 @@ void GameHandler::checkAreaTriggers() {
 
         bool inside = false;
         if (at.radius > 0.0f) {
-            // Sphere trigger — small minimum so player must be near the portal
-            float effectiveRadius = std::max(at.radius, 12.0f);
+            // Sphere trigger — use actual radius, with small floor for very tiny triggers
+            float effectiveRadius = std::max(at.radius, 3.0f);
             float dx = px - at.x;
             float dy = py - at.y;
             float dz = pz - at.z;
             float distSq = dx * dx + dy * dy + dz * dz;
             inside = (distSq <= effectiveRadius * effectiveRadius);
         } else if (at.boxLength > 0.0f || at.boxWidth > 0.0f || at.boxHeight > 0.0f) {
-            // Box trigger — small minimum so player must walk into the portal area
-            float boxMin = 16.0f;
+            // Box trigger — use actual size, with small floor for tiny triggers
+            float boxMin = 4.0f;
             float effLength = std::max(at.boxLength, boxMin);
             float effWidth = std::max(at.boxWidth, boxMin);
             float effHeight = std::max(at.boxHeight, boxMin);
diff --git a/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp b/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
index 925c020b..0998694a 100644
--- a/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
@@ -1116,9 +1116,24 @@ bool M2Renderer::loadModel(const pipeline::M2Model& model, uint32_t modelId) {
         // Ground clutter (grass/pebbles/detail cards) should never block camera/movement.
         gpuModel.collisionNoBlock = true;
     }
-    // Spell effect models: particle-dominated with minimal geometry (e.g. LevelUp.m2)
-    gpuModel.isSpellEffect = hasParticles && model.vertices.size() <= 200 &&
-                              model.particleEmitters.size() >= 3;
+    // Spell effect / pure-visual models: particle-dominated with minimal geometry,
+    // or named effect models (light shafts, portals, emitters, spotlights)
+    bool effectByName =
+        (lowerName.find("lightshaft") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("volumetriclight") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("instanceportal") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("mageportal") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("worldtreeportal") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("particleemitter") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("bubbles") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("spotlight") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("hazardlight") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("lavasplash") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("lavabubble") != std::string::npos) ||
+        (lowerName.find("wisps") != std::string::npos);
+    gpuModel.isSpellEffect = effectByName ||
+                              (hasParticles && model.vertices.size() <= 200 &&
+                               model.particleEmitters.size() >= 3);
     // Water vegetation: cattails, reeds, bulrushes, kelp, seaweed, lilypad near water
     gpuModel.isWaterVegetation =
         (lowerName.find("cattail") != std::string::npos) ||
@@ -2381,8 +2396,14 @@ void M2Renderer::render(VkCommandBuffer cmd, VkDescriptorSet perFrameSet, const
 
             // Select pipeline based on blend mode
             uint8_t effectiveBlendMode = batch.blendMode;
-            if (model.isSpellEffect && (effectiveBlendMode == 4 || effectiveBlendMode == 5)) {
-                effectiveBlendMode = 3;
+            if (model.isSpellEffect) {
+                // Effect models: force additive blend for opaque/cutout batches
+                // so the mesh renders as a transparent glow, not a solid object
+                if (effectiveBlendMode <= 1) {
+                    effectiveBlendMode = 3;  // additive
+                } else if (effectiveBlendMode == 4 || effectiveBlendMode == 5) {
+                    effectiveBlendMode = 3;
+                }
             }
             if (forceCutout) {
                 effectiveBlendMode = 1;