Dark Age of Camelot

by Vivendi Universal

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005OV6N
• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: October 10, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (231 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,188 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

This is the massively multiplayer online role-playing game for those whose report cards were always marked, "Does not play well with others." Dark Age of Camelot allows thousands of players to adventure, grow, and battle one another for territory, goods, and experience.

Set in Europe's mythological past, Camelot incorporates Arthurian legends, Norse mythology, and Irish Celtic lore. Players choose which realm to serve during character creation: noble Albion, brutal Midgard, or mystical Hibernia. Each realm has unique character races and classes, such as elves, trolls, and highlanders. Once chosen, the player's character will serve that realm forever. Once the character has gained in power, he or she will be asked to defend the realm from invasion and to go on raiding parties into other realms.

If you're thinking that Camelot is designed to encourage player-vs.-player combat, you're right. Realms will battle over territory, key structures (such as towers and castles), and relics. Certain powers and noble titles can only be gained by successfully attacking or defending against rival realms. But Camelot also requires teamwork. All player-vs.-player combat is team based; you can only fight characters in opposing realms. Members of a realm must band together to fend off and attack other realms. In fact, each character class has been designed with player-vs.-player combat in mind, and each will offer a different ability or perform a specific task in player-vs.-player situations.

The inter-realm war is not merely chaotic, mass melee combat. There are towers to be taken over and defended, relics to pilfer from enemy realms, and territory to scout and conquer. Siege warfare will be required to take over castles, stealthy rogues will be able to climb into strongholds and open the gates, and much, much more will be available.

Player levels will be based on experience versus monsters, not versus other players. And while players can only gain certain powers by actively going out on raids or protecting their realms' relics from enemy invasions, it is entirely possible to have a successful and enjoyable experience in Camelot as a merchant, trader, or monster hunter. At higher levels, players will have to adventure out into regions between the realms, which could bring them into conflict with enemies--but not necessarily so.

In order to allow new players time to grow familiar with the game, each realm will have its own unique, protected adventuring areas designed for new players. These areas will be consistent within each realm, and will allow new players an opportunity to gain experience and power without worrying about an invasion from across the seas.

Of course, at higher levels, you could be asked to rally to Arthur's banner before the gates of Camelot itself, or to conduct a druid ceremony in the mists of Hibernia, all for the greater glory of the realm. --Mike Fehlauer

Dark Age of Camelot is a multiplayer online game you play via the Internet. A stable Internet connection is required to play. Mythic Entertainment charges a small monthly fee for this game, separate from your Internet service provider access charges. The first month of this fee is included in the purchase price of this package. You must provide a valid credit card to register and play. After your first month, you can use your credit card to buy more time.

Product Description

A new world to explore deadly enemies to fight akingdom to rebuild!Product InformationKing Arthur is dead and with him the force that held three Realms in anuneasy peace. Now the defenders of Albion Midgard and Hibernia are locked in amortal struggle to defend their sacred relics and preserve their homelands. Bandtogether with fellow champions of your Realm from every class and race.Witness wondrous magic clashing with deadly siege weaponry as raiding partiescross frontier battlefields strewn with the bodies of fallen warriors. Asheroes they return with captured treasures and the insignia of victory.The new generation of online role-playing games presents you with new lands toexplore thousands of magical spells to cast hundreds of enchanted weapons towield and an unending number of challenges. New alliances to make. New enemiesto pursue. Live the legend of Camelot.Dare to live the legend!Product Features Dark Age of Camelot features mythical online world brought to life in 3D accelerated graphics. Align with and play against thousands of online players. Choose from scores of race and class combinations. Write your own chapter in the mythical battle for supremacy between Albion Hibernia and Midgard. Battle your way into enemy lands conquer and hold keeps and return captured relics - rewarding all players in your Realm with special bonuses. Advance your character and gain the tactical advantage of learning which styles and spells work best against different enemies. Unique servers support different playing styles and rules - giving both "power" gamers as well as more casual ones a comfortable place to play the game based on your suggestions. Build siege weapons armor and thousands of other unique items with a revolutionary trade skill system where you can embark on a career as a player merchant. Product HighlightsRealm of HiberniaInspired by Celtic lore Hibernia is a land of bo

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review focusing on character differentiation, November 5, 2001

By 

Steve Bonario (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Age of Camelot (CD-ROM)

There are many other reviews here and elsewhere on the net that talk about all aspects of the game. Here, I'm going to focus only on how Dark Age of Camlet allows me to make my character different from others who are the same class and race as mine.

For me, one of the most appealing aspects of an MMORPG game is the ability to make a character as unique an individual as I am in real life. In an online RPG, most of us are known by our name and our class - "Hi I'm Brach, level 16 Armsman" - and this is usually the extent of individuation. Furthermore, since most MMORPGs cannot provide more than a handful of character facial and body models, most player avatars look fairly similar (especially once people playing your same class being acquiring the same quest items as you have).

In Dark Age of Camelot, however, the game artists and designers have provided a great number of ways to make your character not only look and feel different, but even play differently than others of your same class and race. Here's how:

1. Realm and race selection. You can choose to be from one of 3 different realms on any given server. Each realm has four different racial types, so you have essentially 12 different races to choose from in the entire game. All are visually distinct, even the four human races of Albion.

2. Body type. Each character can be short, average, or tall.

3. Face and hair. Each gender of each race has about 10 different faces and 10 different hair colors to choose from.

4. Class and Skills. Each realm offers about 10-11 different classes to choose from. Within each class, you receive a set of basic skills which all others of your class also receive. However, as you advance in level you also receive specialization points to spend on advanced skills. How you spend these points is up to you. This means that even if another player has chosen the same realm, race, body, face, hair, and class as you, you might have a completely different set of strengths than that other player. This is true across all classes - for example, one tall blonde Highlander Armsman of Albion might specialize in polearms, while another tall blonde Highlander Armsman of Albion might specialize in using a shield and a slashing weapon.

Furthermore, you might choose to develop crafting skills - adding yet another way to make your character more unique.

5. Weapons and Armor. The choice of weapons and armor is simply staggering. Each realm has its own look and feel for armor. While there is only one kind of cloth armor, there are three different kinds of leather armor, three kinds of studded leather, chain, mail, and plate armors. Visually all are unique, and armor can be mixed and matched among six different pieces (helm, sleeves, gauntlets, jerkin or breastplate, boots, and leggings). There are also a number of different shields available in varying styles, sizes and materials. The two Highlander Armsmen described above could very well look quite different depending on the kind of armor each is wearing.
Weapons add another amazing choice. Even if both characters specialize in the same weapon type - Slashing, for example - there are half a dozen different slashing weapons available, all with differing but balanced damage and speed ratios. Your choice of slashing weapon will tend to suit your style of play - do you want a weapon that is quick but deals less damage, or one that is slow but really packs a punch? The visual models of the weapons are outstanding and people use them - it is entertaining to see some people using short swords, others using scimitars, others axes, while others prefer morning stars or great two-handed swords. And given all other things being equal, no one suffers for choosing to use one weapon over another - all are effective.

6. Cloth Dyes, Leather Dyes, and Armor Enamels.
Right from the beginning of the game you can easily dye your clothing and enamel your armor with colors available from local vendors. No special skill is required - but the richest colors are also for the richest characters - and this allows you to "show off" your wealth, because most players know that if someone is walking around in a royal purple cloak, they must be quite wealthy or have a wealthy patron.

7. Guild emblems.
If your guild is successful enough and powerful enough, they may have enough money to purchase an emblem which can then be emblazoned on cloak and shields. The emblem consists of one of three patterns, a primary color, a secondary color, and one of 40 symbols (each realm has 40 different symbols, unique to that realm). The combination of pattern, colors, and symbols means that there are over 5000 different possible guild emblems. Nothing quite screams "prestige" like a guild emblem.

With so many different ways to visually distinguish your character from other characters, Dark Age of Camelot provides an excellent foundation for creating your own unique avatar and experience of the game - all that's left to do is for you to add a dash of personality and live it up!

If you enjoy creating a unique individual in an MMORPG, Dark Age of Camelot provides all the tools you could hope for, on top of an extremely fun to play game.

71 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beta has been awesome for months!, September 24, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dark Age of Camelot (CD-ROM)

Unlike the last several MMOGs to come out, this one actually works and works well. I've been in the beta and it has been rock solid for months. The game is beautiful, the 3 realms couldn't be more different from each other, the number of choices you have for your characters is huge.

Hibernia is a 'magical' realm, most of the races have pointy-ears and the feel is a bit "irish" While it's my least favorite of the 3 realms it's still fun to play. Most classes were fun but I'd avoid playing a Hero, choose the Champion and get a few spells instead. The enchanter is also a pretty nifty class that gets overlooked a bit.

Albion is the human land and while it's areas and classes are some of the best it still sits second with me. They've got a good mix of aspects but I'd avoid some of the support classes until you've tried something else. Both magic and melee classes work well but perhaps the Scout, an archer is the best. I'd again avoid a pure melee class and go with one that has a few spell add ons (or at least the highest possible armor if you're going pure melee)

Midgard is easily my favorite realm. I love it's stark land and all the lakes that you come across. The players are the most visualy distinctive with just one human race, 2 small races (blue kobolds and little dwarves...and I have to say those litttle dwarf girls are cute!) and one giant race of trolls (the look very little like 'standard' fantasy trolls more like big rocks.) Each has it's advantages. I've played several troll melees and just love the way they look and move. Here I'd avoid the Berzerker and go with the very flexible hybrid fighters. I'd also avoid healers for Shaman. The healer is just a bit to easy to kill and even in realm combat the less group oriented shaman is needed because he's just a bit more likely to be around at the end of an attack. While billed as the darkest of the realms I actually find that Midgard players tend to be friendly and ready to help out new players even more often than the other realms. Hibernia seems to attract the 'power players' who's main goal selfish advancement. A bad strategy when they enter realm wars and find that solo tactics lose to the better coordinated teams.

This is easily the most fun I've had playing computer games in my life. This is a must have game if there ever was one!

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars EQ-improved, EQ-lite, EQ/3, December 7, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dark Age of Camelot (CD-ROM)

...whatever you want to call it, DAoC is still EQ. It's the same levelling treadmill, loot-based, kill-rest-kill-rest-kill-rest gameplay of EQ.
Its good points:
- Fast levelling: Damn good idea. The best one in an MMORPG. I can level in a few hours if I'm hunting yellows, and, unlike EQ, I know how much XP I'm getting, which is a small but commendable addition.

- Graphics: The graphics, especially the spell effects, blow me away. I'd become so used to EQ's particle graphics that when I saw an Eldritch's Void spell explode in front of my I jumped! When I saw Runemasters at the Druim Ligen gate dropping three or four people with giant spears from the sky, I gaped. Then I saw a wizard's mini-nuke and stared wide-eyed.

- Fighting Styles: There are lots of them, and lots of combos, too. A definite improvement over EQ.

- Tradeskills: Yes, I can make weapons right off the bat now! NO more making hundreds of metal bits, needles and molds just so I can be a beginning blacksmith.

- Detail: From the Condition/Durability/Quality of equipment, to the conning of items, there is a lot more detail accessible to the player base.

- Quests: Quest journals, tasks, and consignments. 'Nuff said. This is my favorite part of the game, because you can do quests at any level, and in Hibernia at least, you have wandering NPCs who can actually tell you what quests are available.

Its bad points:
- Fast levelling: It's still a treadmill, and it still gets boring. Basically, you find a good camp spot, and live there for two or three levels (maybe more if you're in a "good levelling dungeon" like Tomb of Mithra).

- Small world: I swear, sometimes it feels like Hibernia is about as big as West and East Karana combined in EQ. That may be big for running, but it in no way matches EQ's vastness.

- Variety: The lack of it, rather. You see the same damn models everywhere you go. A bleeder in the Tomb of Mithra in Albion uses the same model as a swamp drakeling in Midgard. A Gale in Hibernia looks like a Spriggan in Albion. A grass spirit near Tir na Nog looks like a rotting tomb raider in Albion.

- Repetitiveness of combat: Even the fighting styles are boring. With fighters, it generally boils down to hitting your most powerful style over and over, except on those rare occassions when you'd parry or block an attak, in which case you'd hit the appropriate style.

Bottom line:
DAoC, so far, has been a fun game for me. I feel like my actions have a tangible result in the end. This may be because DAoC is so closely related to the real world (being based on real myths and all), but I like the game's atmosphere of feeling grand and heroic no matter what level you're on.

For example, take the low-level dungeons. In EQ, you have dungeons like BB and CB that, if anything, LOOK and SOUND low-level. They remind you everytime you enter the place that you are only a newbie. The mobs drop cloth armor, rusted weapons, and coins.

In DAoC, however, you have dungeons like the Tomb of Mithra, which has the look and feel of a high-level dungeon, even if it's only the names of the mobs and the loot that they drop. I feel a much greater sense of accomplishment killing a dreadful cadaver and getting an Armorpiece of the Forlorn and a Ceremonial Scimitar than I would killing a gnoll and getting a piece of cloth armor and a rusted dagger.

This sense of accomplishment is practically the only reason I'm playing DAoC instead of EQ, because otherwise the two games are essentially identical.