You might have heard of a little game called Mount and Blade. Phill did a little piece about it here. For those of you who have not, it’s a simulation of what Pippa Funnel’s ancestors must have been like – it’s violent, it’s thinksome, and it features a fair few studs. It’s also due an expansion. Quite whether this extra content will cost us a Valve-update-volume of pfennigs remains beyond this scribbler’s powers of investigation. One thing’s for certain, if the game’s not free, I’ll join the veteran legions of angry internet men – horse at the throat from demanding our due.

The expansion’s main draw is the fact that it adds multiplayer to the game; something that would really make it even more excellent, really. The combat engine works wonderfully, and the thought of 30+ different sentient beings all in it is just a bit of a wonderful thought. There’ll be plenty of exhilarating cavalry charges, that’s for sure. The other big addition is updated diplomacy, allowing the player to have a bit more control over just what he can and can’t do in the world. Adding HDR will be a welcome (if somewhat unneeded) addition, what with the mod already being out in the wild. I’m sure Paradox will do it much better. Lastly, the AI is going to be improved, which means I won’t have to facepalm as my cavalry all dismount to charge at some archers.