diff --git a/common/src/main/scala/net/psforever/packet/game/HotSpotUpdateMessage.scala b/common/src/main/scala/net/psforever/packet/game/HotSpotUpdateMessage.scala
index ec0f4f45..4c520e53 100644
--- a/common/src/main/scala/net/psforever/packet/game/HotSpotUpdateMessage.scala
+++ b/common/src/main/scala/net/psforever/packet/game/HotSpotUpdateMessage.scala
@@ -10,11 +10,14 @@ import scodec.codecs._
   * <br>
   * The origin point is the lowest left corner of the map grid.
   * The coordinates of the hotspot do not match up to the map's internal coordinate system - what you learn using the `/loc` command.
-  * Hotspot coordinates ranges across from 0 (`000`) to 4096 (`FFF`) on both axes.
-  * The scale is typically set as 128 (`80000`) but can also be made smaller or even made absurdly big.
-  * @param unk1 na
+  * Hotspot coordinates range across from 0 (`000`) to 4096 (`FFF`) on both axes.
+  * The scale is typically set as 128 (`80000`) but can also be made smaller or even made absurdly big.<br>
+  * <br>
+  * Exploration:<br>
+  * Are those really unknown values or are they just extraneous spacers between the components of the coordinates?
+  * @param unk1 na; always zero?
   * @param x the x-coord of the center of the hotspot
-  * @param unk2 na
+  * @param unk2 na; always zero?
   * @param y the y-coord of the center of the hotspot
   * @param scale how big the hotspot explosion icon appears
   */
@@ -25,23 +28,24 @@ final case class HotSpotInfo(unk1 : Int,
                              scale : Int)
 
 /**
-  * A list of data for creating hotspots on a continental map.<br>
+  * A list of data for creating hotspots on a continental map.
+  * Hotspots indicate player activity, almost always some form of combat or aggressive encounter.<br>
   * <br>
-  * The hotspot system is a forgetful all-or-nothing affair.
-  * The packet that is always initially sent during server login clears any would-be hotspots from the map.
-  * Each time a hotspot packet is received for a zone, all of the previous hotspots for that zone are forgotten.
-  * To simply add a hotspot, the next packet has to contain information that re-explains the packets that were originally rendered.<br>
+  * The hotspot system is an all-or-nothing affair.
+  * The received packet indicates the hotspots to display and the map will display only those hotspots.
+  * Inversely, if the received packet indicates no hotspots, the map will display no hotspots at all.
+  * This "no hotspots" packet is always initially sent during zone setup during server login.
+  * To clear away only some hotspots, but retains others, a continental `List` would have to be pruned selectively for the client.<br>
   * <br>
-  * Exploration 1:<br>
+  * Exploration:<br>
   * The unknown parameter has been observed with various non-zero values such as 1, 2, and 5.
   * Visually, however, `unk` does not affect anything.
+  * (Originally, I thought it might be a layering index but that is incorrect.)
   * Does it do something internally?
   * @param continent_guid the zone (continent)
   * @param unk na
-  * @param spots a List of HotSpotInfo, or `Nil` if empty
+  * @param spots a List of HotSpotInfo
   */
-// TODO need aligned/padded list support
-// TODO test with sendRawResponse(hex"9F 0D00 5 02 0 00 D07 00 8CA 00020 00 BEA 00 4C4 40000")
 final case class HotSpotUpdateMessage(continent_guid : PlanetSideGUID,
                                       unk : Int,
                                       spots : List[HotSpotInfo] = Nil)
@@ -59,6 +63,17 @@ object HotSpotInfo extends Marshallable[HotSpotInfo] {
       ("y" | uintL(12)) ::
       ("scale" | uintL(20))
   }.as[HotSpotInfo]
+
+  /**
+    * This alternate constructor ignores the unknown values.
+    * @param x the x-coord of the center of the hotspot
+    * @param y the y-coord of the center of the hotspot
+    * @param scale how big the hotspot explosion icon appears
+    * @return valid HotSpotInfo
+    */
+  def apply(x : Int, y : Int, scale : Int) : HotSpotInfo = {
+    HotSpotInfo(0, x, 0 ,y, scale)
+  }
 }
 
 object HotSpotUpdateMessage extends Marshallable[HotSpotUpdateMessage] {
diff --git a/common/src/test/scala/GamePacketTest.scala b/common/src/test/scala/GamePacketTest.scala
index 457791c5..1490b5b2 100644
--- a/common/src/test/scala/GamePacketTest.scala
+++ b/common/src/test/scala/GamePacketTest.scala
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import org.specs2.mutable._
 import net.psforever.packet._
 import net.psforever.packet.game._
 import net.psforever.types._
+import scodec.Attempt
 import scodec.Attempt.Successful
 import scodec.bits._
 
@@ -915,6 +916,34 @@ class GamePacketTest extends Specification {
       }
     }
 
+    "HotSpotInfo" should {
+      val string = hex"00 D0 70 08 CA 80 00 00" // note: completing that last byte is required to avoid it being placed at the start of the vector
+      "decode" in {
+        HotSpotInfo.codec.decode(string.toBitVector) match {
+          case Attempt.Successful(decoded) =>
+            decoded.value.x mustEqual 2000
+            decoded.value.y mustEqual 2700
+            decoded.value.scale mustEqual 128
+          case _ =>
+            ko
+        }
+      }
+
+      "encode (long-hand)" in {
+        val msg = HotSpotInfo(0, 2000, 0, 2700, 128)
+        val pkt = HotSpotInfo.codec.encode(msg).require.toByteVector
+
+        pkt mustEqual string
+      }
+
+      "encode (short-hand)" in {
+        val msg = HotSpotInfo(2000, 2700, 128)
+        val pkt = HotSpotInfo.codec.encode(msg).require.toByteVector
+
+        pkt mustEqual string
+      }
+    }
+
     "HotSpotUpdateMessage" should {
       val stringClear = hex"9F 0500 1 00 0"
       val stringOne = hex"9F 0500 1 01 0 00 2E9 00 145 80000 0"