The latest incarnation of Meridian 59 is available for download (http://www.meridian59.com/) and it includes the promised changes to better balance the player vs. player (PvP) structure. In previous versions of the game players would become engaged in battles only to find the team with the most characters and time on their hands would win through a loophole referred to as "mule abuse".

During a fight a player or players would get logged and remain ghosted under guard from their enemies who intended to force a penalty which could consist of a few lost spell or skill points up to several hundreds of spell or skill points and most of your inventory items.

This loss would cause that character to become an innefective participant in the war until he could be built backup which he would have a problem doing because he would be unable to defend himself while building.

Some players decided that it would be easier to build secondary characters and teach them spells that could be used to disrupt the natural order of war. These spells could be cast by non-combatants which would mean they were unable to be engaged in the fight yet could safely get their other characters back on.

It became impossible to engage in any PvP without having one or both sides engage in this questionable conduct. Now under new ownership, Meridian 59 will aparently find the balance it has needed for several years and the community at large is pleased and looking forward to whatever comes next.

This change has upset some players who have invested resources into these spells that have been changed and feel they are being penalized since they have never abused them and built their characters expecting to have these spells at their disposal. There is also a small contingent of "hardcore" players who are quite distraught because it was their main battle tactic and having been left alone for so long they feel that these spells are a part of the way the game should be played.

I think to anyone who has played any game and wishes the field to be fairly leveled would agree that Zaphod and Zandramas have taken things in a new and positive direction.