1. Guild Wars Nightfall came out today. I own both of the other games, but I am going to wait until it has been reviewed a few times before getting it.

2. The English Galleass, a medium-sized warship, has been completed. It is of a similar size to the Carrack, but features a completely different design. It is low, with a hull depth of 11 ft; "fat", with a 22-foot Beam; and 120 feet long. It has a completely flat deck, so that it looks a bit similar to the Frigate of AoE3:

http://napoleonic-era.net/images/screenshots/unit_upgrades_modpack/natives+ottoman_frigate.jpg

It can be equipped with up to 16 guns, and has a total of four masts. It is also unique in that it carries an iron-tipped ram where most ships would have a figurehead. I have not yet decided whether this will play any strategic importance in battle.

By now, I have only three ship designs from the first Act to complete. They include a pair of Galleon types, as well as an English Great Ship with up to 150 guns.

EotS Feature: RMS: Two Rings

This map is somewhat unique among my designs in that it includes two rings of planets. The sun is located in the center of the map, with unclaimed planets located in an inner ring and claimed planets in an outer ring. The asteroid belt lies between the rings. This map is what you might call "resource-rich"… everything is within easy gathering distance, and players can build up their forces and empires before contact. When it begins, battle will be fierce, with short travel distances between rival empires. Expect to gain and lose your fringe planets often.