I've been playing this non-stop for a week or so, and I love it.
Basically you are in a medieval type world and travel across a map interacting (ie fighting mainly) with various factions.
The combat is amazingly good. As the name suggests, you are on horseback, typically with a sword (though lance, axe, hammer, crossbow, bow etc etc are all available). You gallop across all sorts of terrain, leading your troops against the enemy, riding down hapless footmen, swinging your blade and generally having a blast.
You can loot villages, besiege castles, raid trade caravans or just trade goods from town to town.
You can also pick up quests from villagers, lords or guildmasters to earn XP, gold and renown, and for a bit of variety.
Best of all, you get the whole game for FREE (though once your character reaches Level 6 you need to buy a licence or start again).
The licence is laughably cheap, 22 dollars which is about 11 pounds fifty pence. Best money I've spent in a long while.
If you've ever wanted a game where you can joust like the knights of camelot, or be Robin Hood, or a Viking raider, Mongol Hordesman, this is for you.
After a while you are invited to join a faction if your renown is high enough. Successfully take an enemy castle and your King may give it to you.
The download is a paltry 120Mb or so.
And theres lots of Mods in development for it too, and a thriving community and forum.
I strongly urge you all to go try it.   

Downloading now.  Are there different servers that users play on, tommy, and, if so, where do you typically logon?  'Twould be a shame if you missed the opportunity to see me getting my arse handed to me by a band of pacifistic hobbits. ;)

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat

Quote from: ow_tiobe_sb on December 12, 2007, 05:56:25 PM
Downloading now.  Are there different servers that users play on, tommy, and, if so, where do you typically logon?  'Twould be a shame if you missed the opportunity to see me getting my arse handed to me by a band of pacifistic hobbits. ;)

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and The Prat in the Hat

Ahh...I should have made it clearer, it's a single player only game (as it stands, though there is talk of multiplay for M+B2).
To be honest, I'm not one for being abused by belligerant 12 year olds, or paying a rental fee for a game I already paid for, so multiplayer isn't really my thing...

Ah, no problem! :)  My misprision got the best of me on that score.  I did the tutorials (I'm a complete duffer at riding  :wacko:) and entered one of the towns with my men.  Then some chap offered me a vassalage that I accepted without pursuing the king to make my oath of fealty before I logged off.  I'll track the old bat down at a later time.  I just downloaded the 3D models and 3ds max plugins.  I'm off to play with those toys. *rubs hands together*

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Poor Rider