I'll confess to downloading the leaked copy of 0.53... hopefully this doesn't involve any banhammers.

So, a quick review of the new features. I'll ignore the fact that only five people can play at a time without the server lagging uncontrollably, since Ben's planning to fix that for the final version.

The two most notable new features are the SMG and the new block graphics. First, the block graphics: They're awesome. There's a hint of the old "radar rings" whenever you move your cursor towards the ground quickly, but it resolves itself very quickly (Those who are prone to motion sickness should avoid doing this). Overall the blocks look very crisp. One other player commented that the rendering was better than Minecraft (although to be fair, MC has to deal with textures).

Now, the SMG: I actually kind of like it. First off, it's actually pretty rotten for close-in engagements, where its inablity to one-hit kill puts it at a disadvantage against a rifle. I found that it actually worked fairly well at middling ranges (around 50% of render distance). It also has nice fortification destruction capabilities all the way to fog distance. A rifleman and a gunner working against the same target proved to be a practically unstoppable combination.

So overall, 0.53 is a fresh, new, and improved. The SMG encourages teamwork and use of cover, and the new block graphics make the game look amazing compared to 0.52 and earlier.

I'm beginning to wonder why Ben hasn't called it 0.60.

Ben, the rifle seems to be doing less damage in the leaked copy of 0.53. In fact, based on reports from some people I shot, it's only doing as much damage as the SMG. What's the deal with that?