The most interesting new feature is religion. There are two faiths in The Sims: Medieval, loosely Christian in styling, one more liberal than the other. Believers can worship at chapels, will abstain from irreligious impulses (like drinking), and may pick quarrels with followers of the opposing creed, though such spats will never escalate to the point of armed conflict. We weren’t shown any of this in action, sadly – the King was an agnostic.

Nor were we shown the effects of war or trade with neighbouring kingdoms, though we’re willing to bet that they won’t rival certain Paradox or Blizzard titles for viscera or complexity. The Sims is hardly known for the clash of blades, or the clink of dollars – in all likelihood, the pursuit of profits or conquest will amount to the odd percentage slider or one-on-one with a foreign emissary. Don’t quote us on that, though.

The Sims Medieval preview – bedknobs, broomsticks and energy bars (via Sims 3 Nieuws)