GDN] Will the expansion bring a client/server structure where everyone plays through main servers or will it be more distributed where the games will be managed by the individual ’host’ computer?

[AY] It will be similar to FPS multiplayer games. The network architecture will be based on the client-server model, and players will be able to run their own servers. We may also run some official servers, though we don’t have any solid plans for that yet.

[GDN]What sort of PC and network specifications are you looking to make the  game for?

[AY] M&B is designed to run on relatively modest PCs and we plan to keep it that way. So, users will be able to turn off all the fancy new graphics stuff we are adding to the expansion pack if their PCs have difficult running on higher settings. On the other hand, the multiplayer feature will require a good network connection since player response and awareness is so critical to M&B’s gameplay. During development, we sometimes test the game simulating a 200 msec ping, and though it is still playable, it becomes difficult to stay competitive. So, perhaps 50 msec ping will be ideal, 100 will still be acceptable, and as you go over that, you’ll probably need to stay away from circumstances where you’ll need fast reflexes.