diff --git a/common/src/assets/mod.rs b/common/src/assets/mod.rs
index e982ee366e..e3737728b6 100644
--- a/common/src/assets/mod.rs
+++ b/common/src/assets/mod.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use std::{
     path::PathBuf,
     sync::{Arc, RwLock},
 };
-use tracing::{trace, error};
+use tracing::{error, trace};
 
 /// The error returned by asset loading functions
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
diff --git a/voxygen/src/logging.rs b/voxygen/src/logging.rs
index ab6b0e2949..7f53f2a1f5 100644
--- a/voxygen/src/logging.rs
+++ b/voxygen/src/logging.rs
@@ -5,21 +5,30 @@ use crate::settings::Settings;
 use tracing::{error, info};
 use tracing_subscriber::{filter::LevelFilter, prelude::*, registry, EnvFilter};
 
-const VOXYGEN_LOG_ENV: &str = "VOXYGEN_LOG";
+const RUST_LOG_ENV: &str = "RUST_LOG";
 
-/// Initialise tracing and logging fro the settings.
+/// Initialise tracing and logging for the settings.
 ///
 /// This function will attempt to set up both a file and a terminal logger,
 /// falling back to just a terminal logger if the file is unable to be created.
 ///
-/// The logging level is by deafult set to `INFO`, to change this for any
-/// particular crate or module you must use the `VOXYGEN_LOG` environment
+/// The logging level is by default set to `INFO`, to change this for any
+/// particular crate or module you must use the `RUST_LOG` environment
 /// variable.
 ///
 /// For example to set this crate's debug level to `TRACE` you would need the
 /// following in your environment.
+/// `RUST_LOG="veloren_voxygen=trace"`
 ///
-/// `VOXYGEN_LOG="veloren_voxygen=trace"`
+/// more complex tracing can be done by concatenating with a `,` as seperator:
+///  - warn for `uvth`, `tiny_http`, `dot_vox`, `gfx_device_gl::factory,
+///    `gfx_device_gl::shade` trace for `veloren_voxygen`, info for everything
+///    else
+/// `RUST_LOG="uvth=warn,tiny_http=warn,dot_vox::parser=warn,gfx_device_gl::
+/// factory=warn,gfx_device_gl::shade=warn,veloren_voxygen=trace,info"`
+///
+/// By default a few directives are set to `warn` by default, until explicitly
+/// overwritten! e.g. `RUST_LOG="uvth=debug"`
 pub fn init(settings: &Settings) -> Vec<impl Drop> {
     // To hold the guards that we create, they will cause the logs to be
     // flushed when they're dropped.
@@ -28,14 +37,30 @@ pub fn init(settings: &Settings) -> Vec<impl Drop> {
     // We will do lower logging than the default (INFO) by INCLUSION. This
     // means that if you need lower level logging for a specific module, then
     // put it in the environment in the correct format i.e. DEBUG logging for
-    // this crate with would be veloren_voxygen=debug.
-    let filter = EnvFilter::from_env(VOXYGEN_LOG_ENV)
-        .add_directive("dot_vox::parser=warn".parse().unwrap())
-        .add_directive("gfx_device_gl::factory=warn".parse().unwrap())
-        .add_directive("gfx_device_gl::shade=warn".parse().unwrap())
-        .add_directive("uvth=warn".parse().unwrap())
-        .add_directive("tiny_http=warn".parse().unwrap())
-        .add_directive(LevelFilter::INFO.into());
+    // this crate would be veloren_voxygen=debug.
+
+    let filter = match std::env::var_os(RUST_LOG_ENV).map(|s| s.into_string()) {
+        Some(Ok(env)) => {
+            let mut filter = EnvFilter::new("dot_vox::parser=warn")
+                .add_directive("gfx_device_gl=warn".parse().unwrap())
+                .add_directive("uvth=warn".parse().unwrap())
+                .add_directive("tiny_http=warn".parse().unwrap())
+                .add_directive(LevelFilter::INFO.into());
+            for s in env.split(',').into_iter() {
+                match s.parse() {
+                    Ok(d) => filter = filter.add_directive(d),
+                    Err(err) => println!("WARN ignoring log directive: `{}`: {}", s, err),
+                };
+            }
+            filter
+        },
+        _ => EnvFilter::from_env(RUST_LOG_ENV)
+            .add_directive("dot_vox::parser=warn".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive("gfx_device_gl=warn".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive("uvth=warn".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive("tiny_http=warn".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive(LevelFilter::INFO.into()),
+    };
 
     // Create the terminal writer layer.
     let (non_blocking, _stdio_guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(std::io::stdout());
diff --git a/voxygen/src/window.rs b/voxygen/src/window.rs
index 7603b02bf4..26fe048c97 100644
--- a/voxygen/src/window.rs
+++ b/voxygen/src/window.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use hashbrown::HashMap;
 use crossbeam::channel;
 use serde_derive::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::fmt;
-use tracing::{error, warn};
+use tracing::{error, info, warn};
 use vek::*;
 
 /// Represents a key that the game recognises after input mapping.
@@ -429,6 +429,18 @@ impl Window {
             )
             .map_err(|err| Error::BackendError(Box::new(err)))?;
 
+        let vendor = device.get_info().platform_name.vendor;
+        let renderer = device.get_info().platform_name.renderer;
+        let opengl_version = device.get_info().version;
+        let glsl_version = device.get_info().shading_language;
+        info!(
+            ?vendor,
+            ?renderer,
+            ?opengl_version,
+            ?glsl_version,
+            "selected graphics device"
+        );
+
         let keypress_map = HashMap::new();
 
         let gilrs = match Gilrs::new() {
diff --git a/world/src/civ/mod.rs b/world/src/civ/mod.rs
index 2a5998f5b8..28d0982a4f 100644
--- a/world/src/civ/mod.rs
+++ b/world/src/civ/mod.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ use fxhash::{FxHasher32, FxHasher64};
 use hashbrown::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use rand::prelude::*;
 use rand_chacha::ChaChaRng;
-use tracing::{info, warn};
+use tracing::{debug, info, warn};
 use vek::*;
 
 const INITIAL_CIV_COUNT: usize = (crate::sim::WORLD_SIZE.x * crate::sim::WORLD_SIZE.y * 3) / 65536; //48 at default scale
@@ -77,11 +77,12 @@ impl Civs {
         let mut ctx = GenCtx { sim, rng };
 
         for _ in 0..INITIAL_CIV_COUNT {
-            info!("Creating civilisation...");
+            debug!("Creating civilisation...");
             if this.birth_civ(&mut ctx.reseed()).is_none() {
                 warn!("Failed to find starting site for civilisation.");
             }
         }
+        info!(?INITIAL_CIV_COUNT, "all civilisations created");
 
         for _ in 0..INITIAL_CIV_COUNT * 3 {
             attempt(5, || {
@@ -160,7 +161,9 @@ impl Civs {
         }
 
         // Place sites in world
+        let mut cnt = 0;
         for site in this.sites.iter() {
+            cnt += 1;
             let wpos = site
                 .center
                 .map2(Vec2::from(TerrainChunkSize::RECT_SIZE), |e, sz: u32| {
@@ -187,8 +190,9 @@ impl Civs {
                     .get_mut(pos)
                     .map(|chunk| chunk.sites.push(world_site.clone()));
             }
-            info!(?site.center, "Placed site at location");
+            debug!(?site.center, "Placed site at location");
         }
+        info!(?cnt, "all sites placed");
 
         //this.display_info();