diff --git a/lib/data.ex b/lib/data.ex
index 7ffe1db..239e33a 100644
--- a/lib/data.ex
+++ b/lib/data.ex
@@ -18,21 +18,55 @@ defmodule Amethyst.Minecraft.Write do
   import Bitwise
 
   @moduledoc """
-  This module contains functions for writing certain Minecraft data types which are more complex
-  than simple binary data.
+  This module contains functions for writing Minecraft data.
+
+  Each function in this module takes in an input of the proper type and returns a binary
+  of the encoded data.
   """
 
-  def uuid(uuid) do
+  def uuid(uuid) when is_binary(uuid) do
     UUID.string_to_binary!(uuid)
   end
 
-  def bool(value) do
+  def bool(value) when is_boolean(value) do
     case value do
       true -> <<0x01::8>>
       false -> <<0x00::8>>
     end
   end
 
+  def byte(value) when value in -128..127 do
+    <<value::8-signed-big>>
+  end
+
+  def ubyte(value) when value in 0..255 do
+    <<value::8-unsigned-big>>
+  end
+
+  def short(value) when value in -32_768..32_767 do
+    <<value::16-signed-big>>
+  end
+
+  def ushort(value) when value in 0..65_535 do
+    <<value::16-unsigned-big>>
+  end
+
+  def int(value) when value in -2_147_483_648..2_147_483_647 do
+    <<value::32-signed-big>>
+  end
+
+  def long(value) when value in -9_223_372_036_854_775_808..9_223_372_036_854_775_807 do
+    <<value::64-signed-big>>
+  end
+
+  def float(value) when is_number(value) do
+    <<value::32-float>>
+  end
+
+  def double(value) when is_number(value) do
+    <<value::64-float>>
+  end
+
   def varint(value) when value in -2_147_483_648..2_147_483_647 do
     <<value::32-unsigned>> = <<value::32-signed>> # This is a trick to allow the arithmetic shift to act as a logical shift
     varnum("", value)
@@ -73,13 +107,12 @@ defmodule Amethyst.Minecraft.Read do
   import Bitwise
 
   @moduledoc """
-  This module contains functions for reading Minecraft data. Unlike Amethyst.Minecraft.Write, this
-  includes all supported data types in order to make the interface more consistent.
+  This module contains functions for reading Minecraft data.
 
   These functions allow you to chain them into eachother, at the end they will produce a list of all the
   values they have read.
 
-  You may use the helper function Amethyst.Minecraft.Read.start/1 to start the chain with a binary buffer.
+  You may use the helper function `Amethyst.Minecraft.Read.start/1` to start the chain with a binary buffer.
   The return value of the chain is a tuple containing the list of values and the remaining binary buffer.
 
       iex> alias Amethyst.Minecraft.Read
@@ -87,9 +120,15 @@ defmodule Amethyst.Minecraft.Read do
       {[true, 999, 64], ""}
   """
 
+  @doc """
+  This function structures an input binary to be used by the functions in `Amethyst.Minecraft.Read`.
+  """
   def start(binary) do
     {[], binary, :reversed}
   end
+  @doc """
+  This function structures the result of the functions in `Amethyst.Minecraft.Read` to be used in the same order they were read.
+  """
   def stop({acc, rest, :reversed}) do
     {Enum.reverse(acc), rest}
   end
@@ -139,6 +178,9 @@ defmodule Amethyst.Minecraft.Read do
     {[data | acc], rest, :reversed}
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Reads a varint. `read` tracks the number of bytes read and `nacc` tracks the number being read.
+  """
   def varint(tuple, read \\ 0, nacc \\ 0)
   def varint({acc, <<1::1, value::7, rest::binary>>, :reversed}, read, nacc) when read < 5 do
     varint({acc, rest, :reversed}, read + 1, nacc + (value <<< (7 * read)))
@@ -155,6 +197,9 @@ defmodule Amethyst.Minecraft.Read do
     raise RuntimeError, "Got an incomplete varint!"
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Reads a varlong. `read` tracks the number of bytes read and `nacc` tracks the number being read.
+  """
   def varlong(tuple, read \\ 0, nacc \\ 0)
   def varlong({acc, <<1::1, value::7, rest::binary>>, :reversed}, read, nacc) when read < 10 do
     varlong({acc, rest, :reversed}, read + 1, nacc + (value <<< (7 * read)))
@@ -165,10 +210,10 @@ defmodule Amethyst.Minecraft.Read do
     {[value | acc], rest, :reversed}
   end
   def varlong(_, read, _) when read >= 10 do
-    raise RuntimeError, "Got a varint which is too big!"
+    raise RuntimeError, "Got a varlong which is too big!"
   end
   def varlong({_, ""}, _, _) do
-    raise RuntimeError, "Got an incomplete varint!"
+    raise RuntimeError, "Got an incomplete varlong!"
   end
 
   def string({acc, data, :reversed}) do
diff --git a/lib/servers/play.ex b/lib/servers/play.ex
index ed5f28b..03c4d20 100644
--- a/lib/servers/play.ex
+++ b/lib/servers/play.ex
@@ -44,17 +44,17 @@ defmodule Amethyst.Server.Play do
     reduce_debug, enable_respawn_screen, limited_crafting,
     dim_type, dim_name, hashed_seed, gamemode, prev_gm,
     is_debug, is_flat, death_loc, portal_cooldown, enforce_chat}) do
-      # TODO: this singlehandedly made me regret not making the write API better, please rework :(
+      # TODO: This is a big unreadable slab of serialization, it needs a proper rework at some point
       Write.varint(0x2B) <>
-      <<eid::big-signed-32>> <> if(hardcore, do: <<1::big-8>>, else: <<0::big-8>>) <>
+      Write.int(eid) <> Write.bool(hardcore) <>
       Write.varint(length(dimensions)) <> Enum.reduce(dimensions, "", fn dim, acc -> acc <> Write.string(dim) end) <>
-      Write.varint(max_players) <> Write.varint(view_distance) <> Write.varint(simulation_distance) <> if(reduce_debug, do: <<1::big-8>>, else: <<0::big-8>>) <>
-      if(enable_respawn_screen, do: <<1::big-8>>, else: <<0::big-8>>)
-      if(limited_crafting, do: <<1::big-8>>, else: <<0::big-8>>) <> Write.varint(dim_type) <> Write.string(dim_name) <>
-      hashed_seed <> <<gamemode_id(gamemode)::unsigned-big-8>> <> <<gamemode_id(prev_gm)::signed-big-8>> <>
-      if(is_debug, do: <<1::big-8>>, else: <<0::big-8>>) <> if(is_flat, do: <<1::big-8>>, else: <<0::big-8>>) <>
+      Write.varint(max_players) <> Write.varint(view_distance) <> Write.varint(simulation_distance) <> Write.bool(reduce_debug) <>
+      Write.bool(enable_respawn_screen) <>
+      Write.bool(limited_crafting) <> Write.varint(dim_type) <> Write.string(dim_name) <>
+      hashed_seed <> Write.ubyte(gamemode_id(gamemode)) <> Write.byte(gamemode_id(prev_gm)) <>
+      Write.bool(is_debug) <> Write.bool(is_flat) <>
       if(death_loc == nil, do: <<0::big-8>>, else: <<1::big-8>> <> Write.string(elem(death_loc, 0)) <> Write.position(elem(death_loc, 1))) <>
-      Write.varint(portal_cooldown) <> if(enforce_chat, do: <<1::big-8>>, else: <<0::big-8>>)
+      Write.varint(portal_cooldown) <> Write.bool(enforce_chat)
     end
   def serialize(packet) do
     raise ArgumentError, "Tried serializing unknown packet #{inspect(packet)}"
diff --git a/lib/servers/status.ex b/lib/servers/status.ex
index 23a272b..d49150a 100644
--- a/lib/servers/status.ex
+++ b/lib/servers/status.ex
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ defmodule Amethyst.Server.Status do
     Write.varint(0x00) <> Write.string(data)
   end
   def serialize({:ping_response, payload}) do
-    Write.varint(0x01) <> <<payload::64-big-signed>>
+    Write.varint(0x01) <> Write.long(payload)
   end
   def serialize(packet) do
     raise ArgumentError, "Tried serializing unknown packet #{inspect(packet)}"