The @retainers command was implemented, allowing for people to have customizable, unique agents. Current types that are supported are champions, assistants, spies, animals, and small animals, with small animals being cheaper but having very modest stat caps to prevent them from ever being very combat effective. All @retainers are summoned and controlled via the +guard commands, and the +guard command now enforces limitations of Arx's armed retainer laws, where you can only have a certain number of armed retainers accompanying you at any time. Eventually I'll implement ways for people to break the law and risk being executed for treason, but for now it's a coded limitation unless someone wants to make a specific +request to get around it for a scene.

On the to-do list for @retainers are various abilities for each to do, such as assistant-types being able to send anonymous messengers, help in investigations, breed animal companions together to producer other, smaller animals, that sort of thing. If you have suggestions for a wish-list of retainer abilities, feel free to send them in.

I added more categories to +request as we enter into beta - there's now a 'typo' category to distinguish it from the 'bug' report category, and a 'feedback' category for suggestions on changes to coded systems or ideas for new features.

Since we're starting beta in a few days, I'm expecting to mostly be putting out brushfires and implementing systems on ad-hoc basis as need arises while trying to finish planned systems, which probably isn't the best way of doing things, but I'll make do. As always, comments and constructive criticism is appreciated, so feel free to mail me or page me in game if anything comes to mind, or leave feedback with the new 'feedback' command.