diff --git a/plugins/ruby/README b/plugins/ruby/README
index 62a622843..b9ea35f95 100644
--- a/plugins/ruby/README
+++ b/plugins/ruby/README
@@ -112,4 +112,4 @@ really a Pointer (with no 'pos' method).
 Todo
 ----
 
-Correct c++ object (de)allocation (call ctor etc)
+Correct c++ object (de)allocation (call ctor etc) ; ability to call vtable methods
diff --git a/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl b/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
index 340b8acc5..f0373cd8b 100755
--- a/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
+++ b/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
@@ -258,6 +258,12 @@ sub render_item_number {
     my ($item, $pns) = @_;
 
     my $subtype = $item->getAttribute('ld:subtype');
+    my $initvalue = $item->getAttribute('init-value');
+
+    $initvalue = 1 if ($initvalue and $initvalue eq 'true');
+    # XXX needs pre-declaration of the enum...
+    $initvalue = rb_ucase($item->getAttribute('type-name')) . '::' . $initvalue if ($subtype and $subtype eq 'enum' and $initvalue =~ /[a-zA-Z]/);
+
     $subtype = $item->getAttribute('base-type') if (!$subtype or $subtype eq 'enum' or $subtype eq 'bitfield');
     $subtype = 'int32_t' if (!$subtype);
 
@@ -279,9 +285,12 @@ sub render_item_number {
         push @lines_rb, 'number 8, true';
     } elsif ($subtype eq 's-float') {
         push @lines_rb, 'float';
+        return;
     } else {
         print "no render number $subtype\n";
+        return;
     }
+    $lines_rb[$#lines_rb] .= ", $initvalue" if ($initvalue);
 }
 
 sub render_item_compound {
diff --git a/plugins/ruby/ruby-memstruct.rb b/plugins/ruby/ruby-memstruct.rb
index cb24b19a4..d5f6aad32 100644
--- a/plugins/ruby/ruby-memstruct.rb
+++ b/plugins/ruby/ruby-memstruct.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ class MemStruct
 	attr_accessor :_memaddr
 	def _at(addr) ; d = dup ; d._memaddr = addr ; d ; end
 	def _get ; self ; end
+	def _cpp_init ; end
 	def inspect ; _get.inspect ; end
 end
 
@@ -25,8 +26,8 @@ class Compound < MemStruct
 			end
 		end
 
-		def number(bits, signed)
-			Number.new(bits, signed)
+		def number(bits, signed, initvalue=nil)
+			Number.new(bits, signed, initvalue)
 		end
 		def float
 			Float.new
@@ -101,22 +102,13 @@ class Compound < MemStruct
 				DFHack.memory_write_int32(ptr, vt)
 				# TODO call constructor
 			end
-			new._at(ptr)._cpp_init
+			o = new._at(ptr)
+			o._cpp_init
+			o
 		end
 	end
 	def _cpp_init
-		_fields.each { |n, o, s|
-			case s
-			when StlString
-				DFHack.memory_stlstring_init(@_memaddr+o)
-			when StlVector32
-				# englobes all vectors
-				DFHack.memory_vector_init(@_memaddr+o)
-			when Compound
-				send(n)._cpp_init
-			end
-		}
-		self
+		_fields_ancestors.each { |n, o, s| s._at(@_memaddr+o)._cpp_init }
 	end
 	def _set(h) ; h.each { |k, v| send("_#{k}=", v) } ; end
 	def _fields ; self.class._fields.to_a ; end
@@ -152,10 +144,11 @@ class Compound < MemStruct
 end
 
 class Number < MemStruct
-	attr_accessor :_bits, :_signed
-	def initialize(bits, signed)
+	attr_accessor :_bits, :_signed, :_initvalue
+	def initialize(bits, signed, initvalue)
 		@_bits = bits
 		@_signed = signed
+		@_initvalue = initvalue
 	end
 
 	def _get
@@ -177,6 +170,10 @@ class Number < MemStruct
 		when 64; DFHack.memory_write_int32(@_memaddr, v & 0xffffffff) ; DFHack.memory_write_int32(@memaddr+4, v>>32)
 		end
 	end
+
+	def _cpp_init
+		_set(@_initvalue) if @_initvalue
+	end
 end
 class Float < MemStruct
 	# _get/_set defined in ruby.cpp
@@ -187,6 +184,10 @@ class Float < MemStruct
 	def _set(v)
 		DFHack.memory_write_float(@_memaddr, v)
 	end
+
+	def _cpp_init
+		_set(0.0)
+	end
 end
 class BitField < MemStruct
 	attr_accessor :_shift, :_len
@@ -308,6 +309,9 @@ class StaticArray < MemStruct
 	def _set(a)
 		a.each_with_index { |v, i| self[i] = v }
 	end
+	def _cpp_init
+		_length.times { |i| _tgat(i)._cpp_init }
+	end
 	alias length _length
 	alias size _length
 	def _tgat(i)
@@ -334,6 +338,7 @@ class StaticArray < MemStruct
 			to_a.inspect
 		end
 	end
+	def flatten ; map { |e| e.respond_to?(:flatten) ? e.flatten : e }.flatten ; end
 end
 class StaticString < MemStruct
 	attr_accessor :_length
@@ -373,6 +378,10 @@ class StlVector32 < MemStruct
 		v.each_with_index { |e, i| self[i] = e }	# patch entries
 	end
 
+	def _cpp_init
+		DFHack.memory_vector_init(@_memaddr)
+	end
+
 	def clear
 		delete_at(length-1) while length > 0
 	end
@@ -475,6 +484,10 @@ class StlString < MemStruct
 	def _set(v)
 		DFHack.memory_write_stlstring(@_memaddr, v)
 	end
+
+	def _cpp_init
+		DFHack.memory_stlstring_init(@_memaddr)
+	end
 end
 class StlDeque < MemStruct
 	attr_accessor :_tglen, :_tg
@@ -496,6 +509,7 @@ class DfFlagarray < MemStruct
 	def length
 		DFHack.memory_bitarray_length(@_memaddr)
 	end
+	# TODO _cpp_init
 	def size ; length ; end
 	def resize(len)
 		DFHack.memory_bitarray_resize(@_memaddr, len)
@@ -538,6 +552,7 @@ class DfArray < Compound
 
 	def length ; _length ; end
 	def size ; _length ; end
+	# TODO _cpp_init
 	def _tgat(i)
 		@_tg._at(_ptr + i*@_tglen) if i >= 0 and i < _length
 	end
diff --git a/plugins/ruby/ruby.rb b/plugins/ruby/ruby.rb
index 9a5ab0288..eec66d56b 100644
--- a/plugins/ruby/ruby.rb
+++ b/plugins/ruby/ruby.rb
@@ -228,12 +228,12 @@ module DFHack
 
         # add an announcement
         # color = integer, bright = bool
-        def add_announcement(str, color=7, bright=false)
+        def add_announcement(str, color=nil, bright=nil)
             cont = false
             while str.length > 0
                 rep = Report.cpp_new
-                rep.color = color
-                rep.bright = ((bright && bright != 0) ? 1 : 0)
+                rep.color = color if color
+                rep.bright = ((bright && bright != 0) ? 1 : 0) if bright != nil
                 rep.year = cur_year
                 rep.time = cur_year_tick
                 rep.flags.continuation = cont