The community in Napoleonic Wars is probably both the best and worst thing about the game. Other musicians are a bit more crafty by picking up a musket from a fallen soldier, pretending to be a pacifist, and springing their trap upon unsuspecting foes. Occasionally admins are forced to slay rival musicians who won't kill each other. Sometimes truly magical moments happen in which enemy musicians will meet amidst the chaos and jam together, rather than fight. Squads of drummers will tramp along the battlefield claiming they want to 'spread the joy of music rather than violence'–just to be cut down by enemies who don't really care. But the buffs are hardly the reason that people actually use them. You can flute, drum, bagpipe, or trumpet along with your fellow soldiers, providing small buffs to reload speed, running speed, and aim–depending upon the instrument. This is when Napoleonic Wars gets pretty weird. In lieu of a musket, you may also take one of four instruments into battle. You saw that I mentioned 'musicians' as a class above, and that wasn't a joke.

It's a large scale conflict that actually feels large. Groups will trail off and form firing lines, others will hop aboard boats to flank the enemy, and some charge right into the thick of it. It's one of the few games I've ever played that truly captures that sought-after 'big battle' feel. The server that I typically play on is the only one with a large number of people in it (ranging anywhere from 60-120 depending on the time of play). Since its release in 2012, a consistent and dedicated community has stayed relatively strong. Napoleonic Wars is a multiplayer-only DLC add-on to Mount & Blade: Warband.

Here is why I think you should give it a shot. I've been off-and-on obsessed with the game for over a year, and I still play it frequently today. And on top of that, it's a really fun multiplayer game. The Napoleonic Warsexpansion to Mount & Blade: Warband achieves this type of happy lunacy in the best way possible. It's ridiculous, the developers know this, and I love it. Take Dark Souls, a very tough and serious action RPG where you can transform into a pot to fool your invader. Some games achieve that special sort of lunacy by accident, and some recognize what's great about it and lean into the skid.

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