Dark Age of Camelot - revisited

[Nadia]

this game is 4 years old now but its better than I remember it and this is what im playing (and GuildWars) until Vanguard or something new comes out

Mythic is starting up 2 new servers this week, 07/14
with new rules of
- no Trials of Atlantis access (beyond races)
- no out-of-group buffing

a 2 week free trial is being offered (they do ask for your CC# upfront)
http://www.darkageofcamelot.com/downloads/
and Catacombs expansion is only $20.00
(its like LDON but much better and supports soloing)

DAOC is worth a try if you are so inclined

[Embar Angylwrath]

So what makes it better now as opposed to when it first came out? I tried it back then and really wasn't impressed. Not trying to piss on your parade, but I am sort of interested to know what has improves over that time.

[Nadia]

fair enough

I cant speak for the earlier expansions and I dont do PvP / RvR

I can only speak from a PvE point of view

for context,
I played DAOC over 3 years ago, and only for 3 months
- played as both a level 20 Albion Sorcercess and level 40 Midgard Hunter

the game visuals have aged poorly and horses havent changed
(altho there are alternative modes of transportation)

whats made me favor DAOC again is
- their december expansion of Catacombs
- its something different than EQ/EQ2/WoW (which ive played enough of)


Catacombs offers 4 new things (beyond some new classes & graphic upgrade)
=============================================
a. 10 minute dungeon quests that offer ample experience

b. Static dungeons with "instance dungeon portals"
(the instances can be soloed but are meant for groups, the mobs can drop auralite)

c. Taskmasters offering missions for "instance dungeons" located in the wilderness
(these are intended for soloers only and are all yello cons - mobs do not drop gear)

d. buying vendor gear upgrades thru auralite (mentioned in point b)


playing on existing servers is kind of like playing on any aging MMO, the newbie lands are kinda empty for grouping


only reason I made this post because Mythic is launching *2 new servers* this week
Gareth and Lamorak

if you want to try the updated DAOC with everyone starting from scratch, nows a good time


the 2 week trial is free but doesnt include Catacombs

[Nadia]

the 2 new servers were such a hit that they added a 3rd new server
(that opens today)

Lamorak, Gareth, and Ector
http://www.camelotherald.com/index.shtml

Posted By: Sanya Thomas 2005-07-14 08:43:02
We watched the numbers and concluded that a new friend should join the family. The THREE classic rule servers are going to be up at 11:00 AM EDT instead of ten as I posted last night, but that hour will mean good things for the weekend.

[Nadia]

mmorpg.com interviews Sanya Thomas
http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/188
snippet

MMORPG.com: Can you give us an update on the health of DAoC?

Sanya Thomas: Doing great. Log in and try it!

• we're working on a gorgeous new expansion with the long-discussed player mounts, and cool new champion levels and quests.
• subscriber numbers are up, and it's August (typically a very stagnant month in the industry)
• we're trying a new server type, based off player requests, and it's been very popular so far
• we've radically tweaked requirements and encounters for the Trials of Atlantis expansion
• we've revamped the new player experience (older MMOGs have a tough entry hurdle for true newbies, but we basically built a ramp over that hurdle)

We're also about to launch a free island zone. It's connected to the RVR frontiers, and it plays like a battleground for high level players. And keep siege RVR is just a quick trot across the bridge away.

All in all, it's an exciting time. I've been hanging around Mythic since December of '99, and it's been feeling like the old days with all the changes.