Dark Age of Camelot

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Dark Age of Camelot is a 3D medieval fantasy MMORPG that revolves around the war between three realms at the end of King Arthur's rule: Arthurian-inspired Albion, Norse mythology inspired Midgard and Celtic Hibernia. The game was developed by Mythic Entertainment and released on October 10, 2001.

Dark Age of Camelot screenshot

DAoC offers two styles of gaming for players: Player vs Environment (PvE) and Player vs Player (PvP)—in the case of DAoC PvP is often referred to Realm vs Realm (RvR) as the majority of player on player combat focuses on your realm (Albion, Midgard, Hibernia) versus the other two.

PvE usually appeals to those players who enjoy a slower and more immersive playing session. It is also the only way to obtain new equipment (besides buying it or crafting it). PvE can occur anywhere as there are roaming beasts scattered everywhere; on land, in water and in dungeons.

PvP is usually restricted to PvP areas; battlegrounds, New Frontiers and some dungeons. PvP will offer some money, but not as much as PvE and will not offer any items. However, you do receive Realm Points (RPs) for killing other players. Earn enough RPs and you will earn a new Real Rank (RR) which will offer new skills to your character.

Essentially, you create character and battle, or "hunt" computer controlled animals, monsters and non-player characters (NPCs), complete quests and tasks, and battle other players to earn experience and money. Gain enough experience and your character will gain a new "level" offering new skills and abilities, and in some cases, access to new areas of the game. Currently, the maximum level attainable is level 50. However, later expansions to the game offer additional "parallel" levels that when completed, will make available unique skills and abilities. One such expansion is Trials of Atlantis (ToA).

Mythic offers 22 servers geared towards different play styles. There are 13 "normal" servers on which PvP combat is limited to designated PvP areas (battlegrounds, New Frontiers and certain dungeons) and you cannot not group with or communicate with players from other realms. There are 3 Role-playing (RP) servers which are the same as the normal servers except for certain rules, such as only allowing "true to the era" names, designed to create a more immersive experience for those who enjoy "living" their character. Although there is nothing in-game to stop players from violating these rules, there is an in-game appeal system which violators can be reported, which may lead to a suspension or total banning of the offending player. There is one PvP server which is allows cross-realm PvP combat (for those above level 10) anywhere except in the three realm’s capital cities. There is one Cooperative (also referred to as the PvE server) in which there is no PvP combat at all. All realms can group together and understand each other. There are also 3 "classic" servers. They are similar to standard servers except there is no content from the Trials of Atlantis expansion, other than the three races introduced with that expansion, and all stat-enhancement spells (buffs) can only be cast on players with whom you are grouped and within a certain distance. This new server type was launched after extensive player feedback and irritation with the ToA expansionThe last server is a test server. Each server can support up to 3500 online players at the same time. Recently, Mythic Entertainment has introduced "server clustering" - where certain locations (Frontiers, Capital cities) from multiple servers essentially become one location, and players can interact with players from and travel to other servers.

Contents

1 Classes
2 Races
3 Server types
4 Expansions
5 Storyline
6 External links

Classes

The classes in the game are:

Albion: Armsman, Cabalist, Cleric, Friar, Heretic (Catacombs), Infiltrator, Mercenary, Minstrel, Necromancer (Shrouded Isles), Paladin, Reaver (Shrouded Isles), Scout, Sorcerer, Theurgist, Wizard.

Hibernia: Animist (Shrouded Isles), Bainshee (Catacombs), Bard, Blademaster, Champion, Druid, Eldritch, Enchanter, Hero, Mentalist, Nightshade, Ranger, Warden, Valewalker (Shrouded Isles), Vampiir (Catacombs).

Midgard: Berserker, Bonedancer (Shrouded Isles), Healer, Hunter, Runemaster, Savage (Shrouded Isles), Shadowblade, Shaman, Skald, Spiritmaster, Thane, Valkyrie (Catacombs), Warlock (Catacombs), Warrior.

Races

The races in the game are: Albion: Avalonian, Briton, Half-Ogre (Trials of Atlantis), Highlander, Inconnu (Shrouded Isles), Saracen. Hibernia: Celt, Elf, Firbolg, Lurikeen, Shar (Trials of Atlantis), Sylvan (Shrouded Isles).

Midgard: Dwarf, Frostalf (Trials of Atlantis), Kobold, Norseman, Troll, Valkyn (Shrouded Isles). Please note that more classes are being added constantly through expansions and upgrades avalible in the game.

Server types

Normal - These are the main and most popular servers running all the expansions and include RvR combat.

Classic - These servers do not include the Trials of Atlantis expansion, but do allow you to use the updated graphics and models.

Player Vs Player - These are servers where everyone fights for themselves or for their guild.

Co-operative - These servers are only available on the American set of servers. All 3 realms co-operate together in groups to get experience, artifacts and complete quests.

Expansions

Mythic has produced six expansions (4 retail, 2 free) for DAoC:

Shrouded Isles (November 12, 2002) - Added 6 new classes (Necromancer, Reaver; Savage, Bonedancer; Valewalker, Animist), 3 races (Valkyn, Inconnu, Sylvan) and a brand new land for each realm near the size of the old world (in addition to the old world), which also includes epic dungeons. This expansion pack is now a free download.
Foundations (June 18, 2003) - Free expansion which added player housing.
Trials of Atlantis (October 28, 2003) - Added 3 new races (Half-Ogre, Frostalf, Shar) and high level content and zones (which are the same for each realm), also includes new terrain graphics for all areas of the game (including trees). This expansion pack is now a free download, as of October 31, 2005.

The Trials of Atlantis expansion remains very controversial. Many players rejected it because of the high difficulty, organization, and time required in Atlantis's epic raids. The expansion featured extremely powerful items known as artifacts, and extra abilities known as "Master Levels" which are very difficult for the casual player to receive and are considered by many to be too powerful. Artifacts, obtained by hidden encounters only become useful when the player finds the three scrolls hoarded by Atlantean monsters. Furthermore, artifacts must gain experince in order to reach their full potential. Once this has occurred, artifacts become some of the most mighty items in the entire game. In more recent versions of the game, many changes have been made to Atlantean areas in order to make encounters easier, as well as making the artifacts and scrolls easier to come by. How much these changes have 'fixed' things remains to be seen. In fact, many long-time players feel the game is now "too" easy. New players are reaching maximum level increasingly faster, and easily aquiring abilities and equipment that were, at one time, rare and difficult to acquire.

New Frontiers (June 22, 2004) - Remake of the game's realm vs. realm warfare (free expansion, required expansion)
Catacombs (December 7, 2004) - Added 5 new classes (Heretic; Vampiir, Bainshee; Warlock, Valkyrie), instanced dungeons (where players entering certain areas get their own private dungeon to hunt in), and new zones and quests with an emphasis on faster and easier leveling. Also includes new player model graphics and new graphics for all the games' dungeons (except Darkness Falls). The Catacombs graphic engine is now free for download off of Mythic's website, however, it does not allow access to Catacombs specific zones.
Darkness Rising (October 11, 2005) ( February 1st 2006 in Europe) - Introduced Champion weapons (much like epic armor), player mounts (horses), Champion Levels and subclassing (small abilities from another class), new dungeons and instanced zones for the new Champion Quests and new graphics for the game world's models (such as barns, haystacks and forts, this includes the Darkness Falls dungeon and the capital cities) which are following the design ideas presented in Mythic's new graphics for the starting cities. Darkness Rising was also the first downloadable paid expansion to Dark Age of Camelot. Many players have largely accepted this expansion, feeling that this is what the Trials of Atlantis expansion should've been in the first place, giving them new abilities without significantly affecting RvR. A [trailer] has been created by Mythic Entertainment to showcase this expansion.

A new expansion is to be announced at the end of July.

In July, 2005 Mythic started three new servers, Lamorak, Gareth, and Ector, which do not include the Trials of Atlantis zones and restrict the use of buff bots by limiting the range at which the caster's buffs will affect a player, and by allowing buffers to only cast buffs on players in a group with them. The new servers are meant for those players who rejected the special equipment and abilities in Atlantis, and their potential use in RVR combat.

Mythic also introduced a new island, called Agramon, which acts as a central island that connected the frontiers of the three realms. Unlike the rest of the Frontiers zones, there are no keeps and any player from any realm can open gates. Agramon is supposed to imitate the zone Emain Macha, which before New Frontiers was the main area for level 50 RvR. The zone still exists but due to the nature of New Frontiers, it is no longer the hub of combat. Some however (especially on the classic servers) feel that Agramon isn't quite what they had hoped for; consequently, it isn't used much at all. Lag is still a bit of a problem on it as well.

If purchasing the game online from Mythic, you may purchase the base game (which includes New Frontiers, Shrouded Isles, and Trials of Atlantis). Catacombs and Darkness Rising may all be purchased separately. However, in order to load Catacombs, you must have purchased the base game, and for Darkness Rising you must have ToA and Catacombs. Many online and retail stores offer box sets which include some or all of the expansions in one. There is no reason to purchase expansions up to Trials of Atlantis, as they can now be downloaded from the Dark Age of Camelot website - but there are still included as a CD in some bundleware. The epic edition is also currently for sale, and includes all available expansion packs.

Storyline

Each realm has a unique but parallel storyline, which is expanded with retail expansions. The [European distributors] occasionally add writings about the realms and their inhabitants in detail.

In the original Realm zones, smaller cities in the realm need protection against monsters common to many other RPGs. In particular, Albion is menaced by undead raised by Moragnna and Hibernia is torn apart by the Unseelie court and Siabra.

Shrouded Isles- Each realm is called to assist a smaller allied realm against a large enemy. In Albion, the Drakoran have besieged the final stongholds of Lady Lile's Avalonians. Hibernia has come to the aid of Hybrasil, where the Sylvans face extinction at the hands of the Fomorians. Midgards ancestral home at Aegir has seen the Last of the Troll Fathers hunted down by the Morvalt. This expansion is now free.

Trials of Atlantis - The ruins of Atlantis have been discovered, as well as a portal to another Plane where the ancient Atlanteans underwent their trials. How did Atlantis come to its end and what powers were left behind? The Trials remain in a form twisted by the passage of time and the departure of the denizens of Atlantis. Ancient artifacts wait to be discovered and have their power and secrets revealed by learned scholars. Familiar figures from Greek and Egyptian mythology make their appearance in a new land waiting to be discovered. This expansion is now free.

Catacombs- A nemesis has taken control of the power within the Darkspire, gaining control of most of the denizens of an underground realm's race. Arawn, previously referenced as an ally of the Avalonians and patron of the Inconnu, has had his realm overrun by revolting dead and enslaved Inconnu. The Shar are only able to hold their ground at the gates of their Otherworld citadel. The Kobolds have been forced to open the secrets of the undercity to outsiders in a desperate bid for survival.

Darkness Rising - The King of the realm has returned to fight back a growing rebellion. Further investigations will reveal a conspiracy with a dark power behind the rebellion. To become a Champion of the Realm the player must defeat the demonic evil behind the unrest and return peace to the land.

External links

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