Open world sandbox Myth of Empires starts its closed beta today. Signups are open, and it will run through October 10th. Both PvE and PvP servers will be available.
Myth of Empires is set in ancient Asia, in a war torn land, where those who try to survive the dangers have to decide whether they will band together, build communities and try to, with their fellow players, NPCs, form factions that will stand united - or the opposite. Since this is designed to be a sandbox, there's freedom to launch yourself on a path of defense and fighting for your people or for pure domination and conquest too. There is war going on, after all, and surviving the sieges is a driving force for some, while the lure of creating empires will likely drive others.
Development on the game has continued, with new features and changes since previous alpha testing this spring and a localization alpha over the summer. There is much more to test out in the new beta, the first for the global audience. These changes include new environments like mountains, caves, deserts, swamps, and snowy mountains, complete with a weather system. More animals will be available, including the horses, which you can tame and ride, or even breed for good traits. The guild system will be available, allowing you to test its features and begin getting a taste of what factions and alliances will mean for success in the game.
You'll be able to recruit NPCs, either peacefully or by force, and have them work with you to do tasks like gathering and crafting, or to fight with you. With regards to crafting, you'll not only be making the usual weapons and armor, but also structures for your defense and siege weapons.
To sign up for the closed alpha, head here and click "request access". For more on the game, you can head over to the official Myth of Empires site.