Introduce Dark Age of Camelot

Developer(s)	Mythic Entertainment EA
Publisher(s)	Mythic Entertainment (US), Wanadoo (DE/FR/UK/SP/IT)
Designer(s)	Mark Jacobs
Engine	Gamebryo Engine Foliage - SpeedTree
Platform(s)	Windows
Release date(s)	October 10, 2001
Genre(s)	MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T)
Media	CD or Public Download

Dark Age of Camelot is a 3D medieval fantasy MMORPG that revolves around war between three realms following King Arthur's rule.

DAoC includes both Player vs Environment and Realm vs Realm combat. Players can choose to adventure alone or join groups. Players may also join battlegroups, which are formed so all members can get completion credit in large scale PvE encounters and for communication purposes in RvR.

Player vs player combat takes the form of Realm vs Realm. RvR restricted to a limited number of zones where action ranges from massive battles to one vs one fights. Players are awarded points, which are used to purchase additional abilities, by killing enemy players. Participating in RvR combat is strictly voluntary in DAoC and free for all PvP only exists on a dedicated server.

PvE focuses on defeating monsters found in dungeons, the open world, and RvR zones. Players earn experience points towards obtaining levels by killing both monsters and enemy players. Gaining levels yields new skills, abilities, and access to expansion areas. The current maximum level is 50. Expansions to the game offer alternative advancement type levels that grant additional abilities to level 50 players.

The decision to develop Dark Age of Camelot was made in late 1999. The game was released in October 2001.


Spells and effects
DAoC includes a diverse range of spell types and effects, which include:

• Heal The target is healed for a random amount of damage within a certain value range.
• Heal over Time (HoT) The target is healed for small amounts at intervals for a set duration; the total healed is usually high when compared with healing spells of similar casting cost.
• Heal rate increase During combat, the natural healing rate is reduced. Therefore Heal rate increase spells are most effective out of combat.
• Concentration Enhancements The most common form of 'buff' in DAoC. Concentration spells have two limiting factors: In practice, the caster will usually hit the 20-buff 'cap' first, but there is also a cost value for each buff cast, and a set limit determined by the caster's level of specialization.
• Timed Enhancements A few 'buffs', often buffs that can only be cast on the caster themselves, expire after a certain period, usually 20 minutes.
• Tethered Enhancements Buffs with a large radius around the caster within which the buff is in effect on its target.
• Summons 'Pet' spells summon a NPC ally under the control of the caster.
• Charm Cast on an NPC enemy, converts it to a 'pet' ally.
• Concentration spells Requires the caster to stand in one place and take no other action during the duration of the spell. The most common form is the Damage Shield.
• Damage shield When attacked, a character with a damage shield does damage to the attacker.
• Timers are used on some spells, such as 'bolts' and 'instants', to limit their use. After use, the timer prevents re-use for a set amount of time, with a visual representation to show the remaining time until re-use.
• Instants or 'instas' are ranged, and are usually 'debuffs', although there are many damage instas.
• Debuffs Lower primary, such as Strength, or derived, such as attack speed or even the comprehensive 'Effectiveness' statistics, or lower resistance to a particular elemental damage.
• Direct Damage (DD). Ranged damage, instantaneous effect once casting time is complete.
• Bolt. DD with longer range, medium to long casting time, higher damage, and 'timers' before re-use. Eldritch, Runemaster, Wizard.
• Area (of) Effect (AE, AoE) DD with a radius around the target. All enemies within the radius take the listed range of damage.
• Point Blank Area (of) Effect (PBAE, PBAoE) AE of usually markedly high damage, with a radius centered on the caster.
• Ground Targeted Area (of) Effect (GTAE, GTAoE) The caster can move a ground target cursor with arrow buttons or the mouse; when the spell is cast, enemies in the area of effect take damage. Is less affected by damage reduction against high level targets than other spells. Eldritch, Runemaster, Wizard.
• Damage over Time (DoT) An successful casting of a DoT on an enemy causes them to take small amounts of damage at intervals for a set duration; the total damage is usually high when compared with DD spells.
• Life tap/Lifedrain Usually slightly lower damage than DDs, life drains heal the caster for a set percentage of damage dealt.
• Power drain The Necromancer does a DD spell that returns a set percentage of power to the caster.
• Life bestow The Cabalist and Spiritmaster can drain their own life to heal a target.
• Root The target's run speed is reduced by 99% for the duration of the spell, or until the target takes damage.
• Snare The target's run speed is reduced for the duration of the spell or effect; in some cases, damage does not break the snare.
• Mesmerization (Mez) The target can take no action for the duration of the spell, or until the target takes damage.
• Stun Short duration; the target can take no action for the duration of the spell. Does not break if the target takes damage.
• Bladeturn All casters and Wardens have access to the 'BT' that nullifies one attack and is then dispelled.
• Chants Similar to Tethered enhancements in that the buffs only are in effect within a radius of the caster, chants do not require targeting, and are continuous until replaced by another chant or dispelled by the caster. Notable chants include: Heal, AC bonus, Damage increase,
• Pulsing spells Very similar to chants; pulsing spells do PBAE damage, or PBAE debuff, or bladeturn, called Pulsing Blade Turn or PBT; a new bladeturn is given or an old replaced, with each pulse.
• Cone spells AE spells with a radius centered on the caster; the area of effect is narrow near the caster and widens as it approaches maximum range.
• Bomber Glowing sphere follows the target and does damage on impact. Similar to bolt in damage and that it follows target; slower to close to target, lower (DD) range. Animist.
• Turret Pet cast in a fixed position determined with ground targeting cursor. Limited but long duration. Typically does ranged damage. Set, but very high, maximum limit of turrets castable by each Animist, and in total by multiple Animists in one area.
• Elementals Pets with a limited, short duration that run to the target, or in range of it in the case of the ranged damage Ice pets. Theurge.

Notable combinations of the above spells available in DAoC include:

• Instant debuff Many casters have these as part of their baseline list of spells, and often in one or more of their specialization lines as well.
• Instant DD Bards, Bonedancers, Champions, Minstrels, Nightshades, Skalds, Thanes, and Valkyries can do damage with instas on timers.
• Instant PBAE Thanes can cast this for small damage, on a timer.
• Instant DoT Reavers and Valewalkers.
• Instant Lifetap Bonedancers, Reavers.
• Instant Mesmerization Bards and Healers.
• Instant Stun Minstrels and Healers, and earlier in the game's history, Skald.
• Damage/debuff Slightly lower damage, and a debuff to resistance to that element type. E.g. Wizard.

Realms
Dark Age of Camelot offers players a choice of three realms to choose from: Albion, Hibernia, and Midgard.

Albion is based on Arthurian legend, with such notable real-world places as Hadrian's Wall, Stonehenge, and other locations in Great Britain. The races and classes of Albion, in the original game and early expansions, tended to be more professions and peoples of European history and mythology than inventions of the gamemakers.

Hibernia is based on Celtic folklore and the landscape includes lush green rolling hills typical of Ireland. Although the quest storylines, placenames, and numerous game elements are firmly fixed in Celtic mythology, Hibernian races and classes are typically the creation of the gamemakers.

Midgard is based on Norse mythology and its landscape includes misty fjords and pine forests. Somewhere between Albion and Hibernia in its mix of Norse historical figures and mythology, and inventions of Mythic Entertainment. The adherence of the architecture to the forms and design of medieval and pre-medieval Norse architecture is notable.

Classes

Although each realm's classes differ in specific abilities, DAoC's classes are broken down into the four common RPG archetypes: warrior 'tanks', spell casters, rogues that use stealth, and healing priests. Hybrid classes, which combine skills from any two of the archetypes, also exist in all 3 realms. DAoC's classes are balanced at the RvR level instead of in direct comparison to the other realms' equivalent classes. DAoC classes are very rigid with specific roles, play styles, and specialization point allocations.
Albion: Armsman, Cabalist, Cleric, Friar, Heretic, Infiltrator, Mauler, Mercenary, Minstrel, Necromancer, Paladin, Reaver, Scout, Sorcerer, Theurgist, and Wizard.
Hibernia: Animist, Bainshee, Bard, Blademaster, Champion, Druid, Eldritch, Enchanter, Hero, Mauler, Mentalist, Nightshade, Ranger, Warden, Valewalker, and Vampiir.
Midgard: Berserker, Bonedancer, Healer, Hunter, Mauler, Runemaster, Savage, Shadowblade, Shaman, Skald, Spiritmaster, Thane, Valkyrie, Warlock, and Warrior.
The tank classes are pure close ranged fighters and have virtually no ability to deal ranged damage, but they wear the heaviest armor and have abilities to reduce the effectiveness of crowd control spells used on them. Melee classes in DAoC are divided into heavy and light tanks. Heavy tanks wear the heaviest armor in the game and often specialize in high damage two handed weapons for RvR or the one handed weapons and shield for PvE. Light tanks have higher damage output, dual wield weapons, and wear the second heaviest type of armor. Light tanks also have extra abilities to avoid crowd control in RvR. Heavy tanks include the Armsman, Hero, and Warrior. Light tanks are the Blademaster, Berserker, Mercenary, and Savage.
Casting classes have the highest damage output in DAoC. Casters have the lowest hit points and lowest level of armor in the game, but almost all casters have a form of crowd control spell to restrain enemies. Their spells can be easily interrupted and they are targeted quickly in RvR. Casters usually specialize in the control of 'pet' allies, and/or Damage over Time spells (DoTs), ranged 'direct damage' spells, or point blank area affect spells(PBAE). Although the majority of classes can cast spells of one kind or another, the caster classes are the Animist, Bainshee, Bonedancer, Cabalist, Eldritch, Enchanter, Mentalist, Necromancer, Runemaster, Sorcerer, Spiritmaster, Theurge, Warlock, and Wizard.
Stealth classes are capable of rendering themselves invisible to the enemy; this offers an advantage in intelligence gatherering in RvR, and allows them to choose when to attack. DAoC's rogues are divided into archer and assassin subclasses. Although the Minstrel hybrid class can train Stealth, the primary stealth classes are the Hunter, Infiltrator, Nightshade, Ranger, Scout, and Shadowblade.
Healing classes in DAoC heal and enhance the combat effectiveness of group members. Although a handful of hybrid classes can cast healing spells, the primary healing classes are Clerics, Druids, Healers, Bards, and Shamans.

Hybrids are a combination of 2 archetypes and range from warrior/caster to priest/caster. Hybrids offer a level of versatility not available to the other classes. The hybrid classes are Champions, Friars, Heretics, Maulers, Minstrels, Paladins, Reavers, Skalds, Thanes, Valewalkers, Valkyries, Wardens, and Vampiirs.

Alternative advancement
Many powerful abilities become available through points obtained by killing enemy players in RvR. Abilities can range from a full self-heal to uninterruptable spell casting for a brief time. Ability points become progressively more difficult to obtain as the character gains ranks in RvR. However, the difference between a high rank and low rank player can be immense even when they have equal equipment and are the same level.
The Trials of Atlantis Expansion brought a new depth to DAoC's PvE game. A wide range of ability lines are learned by completing a long series of quests. These quests often require several hours and large groups to complete. This expansion also introduced the most powerful items, which often require a large number of players and a high degree of organization to obtain, in the game.
The Darkness Rising expansion allows players to learn some of the basic abilities previously only available to other class archetypes. For example, a Warrior can learn a rudimentary healing spell or a ranged direct damage spell. These are the weakest type of post-50 advancement abilities.