I may be a bit biased in my opinion, but this is by far one of the most captivating and immersing games I have ever played (and I've played most of them since the mid 90s!). I have multiple accounts with more 50s than I can shake a stick at (over 30 at this point). I have been playing since 10 OCT 01 (Day One) and this game STILL holds my attention.

- They don't "technically" raise the level cap with each expansion.
- ToA was a disaster, but that has been severely nerfed at this point that it's much more trivial than ever.
- There are actual Rewards and consequences to RvR! This game has by far the best RvR (PvP) system out there!

If you are ever on Tintagel/Hibernia, feel free to look me and my guild up (Armyn ab Treanid).

first of all,let me say that i'm a TOTAL newbie to online rpg's.thats the VERY first online game i ever played,i read many positive reviews about it and that compelled me to try it out,only to disappoint me in the end.don't get me wrong,i played MANY rpg's on the pc platform like the original neverwinter nights(along with all its expansions),elder scrolls 3&4(along with ALL of their expansions as well),divine divinity,diablo,and so on.and on consoles,i played grandia 1&2,skies of arcadia,baten kaitos,fire emblem:path of radiance,and many others.so at least to my knowledge,i hope that i know what i'm saying in this review.i chose to play in the classic server,since classic-style rpg's appeal to me the most(as you might have already figured out from the info above);and here's what disappointed me:

1)the "quests" are nothing but a bunch of lines over a character's head that give you info about what to do.do it,and you get petty gold(which by the way takes a LOONG time to accumulate in this game)or some not-much worth items.no voice overs of any kind or any "matching-to-the-situation" atmospheres or style to these quests,it almost feels like this game is devoid of any life in some sense.

2)the original dark age of camelot doesn't work anymore(i didn't know that in any way before buying the game),and i was confused to see the original DAOC cd's included with the rest of the expansions,i just didn't know that mythic saw it is necessary to include games that aren't playable anymore.

3)also,why is the original DAOC not supported anymore??i heard many positive things about it and it also got the highest reviews from mostly all magazines and websites.why discontinue its support??because its old??who the freak cares??if gamers like it-no matter how old it may be-then what else could you ask for??

4)after much reading,i chose to play as a mentalist mainly due to this class' versatility.surprisingly,i found myself battling the same monsters from the same area for continuous hours on end.go to another area and you will be faced by a bunch of hostile enemies who will jump at you at once once they see you regardless of their levels.go to an area where you can pick your opponents at an apparently better pace and you will be confronted with an opponent who will from-time-to-time completely resist your spells(without you knowing how)whether it was a yellow or orange-labeled opponent,only to get yourself screwed right away.pick an incredibly easy opponent and you'll find yourself trying to level up your character for countless ages to come.

5)money doesn't come easily and it takes ages to save up satisfactory amounts to buy what you want in the game.

6)in the spells-description screen from your character's menu it would convenient to mention the limitations of every spell so you can plan your strategy in fights accordingly.i hope that i'm wrong and that i missed a couple of things,any comments or corrections are more than welcome.i'm sorry to disappoint any DAOC fans with this review,but i would still hope that my points are not true.and finally,thank you amazon for letting us post our reviews here...

I've been playing this game for a few years and I will admit it is in fact a good game. The player versus enviroment element isn't all that great but its not bad. Mostly this game is fun for its realm versus realm element. In that, most of the problems arise in playing. Perhaps if the classes in the game in that aspect were properly balanced it would be more fun to play. Although, after being out for a few years they have finally decided to attempt to balance out the game. A slow process indeed but an attempt finally no doubt. Some things to expect.

1. Lag

Not much in this game. Even a dial connection can get a good play session. Now in some of the bigger battles in the frontiers(where realm versus realm takes place), you may experience some lag. Now in a battle of 60 or players it should be expected to some degree.

2. Customer service.

Very slow to respond and they arent the most empathic. Although this is merely a game. When a person pays a monthly fee and invests time into a character, when something goes wrong a timely response with some sort of action seems fair. More often than some, you will get a response some time later with nothing that can or will be done to resolve your issue.

3. Gameplay

The main design of this game is the after level 50 battle area in the frontiers. Fighting for land, taking towers and keeps to steal the other realms relics. Essentially a large scale magical medieval war simulator. Your character will recieve realm points similar to experience points to give your character other abilities and make them more fun. A unique concept. Although, some classes are easier and more powerful to play. Seeing how all that play this game are paying it generates some form of frustration.

4. Poor responsiblity by mythic

Although they are making some new strides at fixing problems. On the older servers, where you have access to trials of atlantis you can acquire more abilites for your character to make them even more powerful. The cost? Time lots of it. I'd imagine for most adults this wouldn't be all that exciting to search out for in a game. Not to mention the poor responsiblity of mythic to allow the use of "buffbots". Basically, a person that pays double for another account to use a healer type of a character to cast spells on their main character to make them stronger. In the end, if you are fighting someone that is buffed and you refuse to be exploited into paying double to compete. Youll get killed fairly easy and your fun factor will be at an 0. Finally mythic, showing some intergrity by making the "classic servers" where there is at least a range on these buffs. Making it a bit fair for people in combat.

In summary, they are trying to fix the balance issues and it is a fun game. Currently, they are making some serious effort into fixing the balance issues, the main downfall of this game. So with that, as long as they stick to it, I'd recommend buying this game. One last thing, it might be better you tried out the new "classic" servers. Unless you are the type of gamer that can and is willing to invest hundreds of hours in getting MLS and artifacts for your character. If you sign up, look me up, Ill be glad to help you out.

Blackzorro, Lamorack server, Albion side.

I have been playing Dark Age of Camelot since Dec 6 2001, that's about a month after it released.

Before DAoC I played Ultima Online for about 6 months and Everquest for about 1 year. I beta tested Star Wars Galaxies and have played several other online games such as Earth and Beyond, Acherons Call 2, Planetside, and various first person shooter type games and yet after all of these minor distractions I always seem to come back to DAoC.

The game world is huge and the player system can be a little intimidating at first but with some patience it will be second nature in no time.

The game is what you as the player make of it. If you like to solo there are many places to hunt for bad guys, many quests to keep you interested and most areas are generally pretty forgiving for the new player. Meaning that if you walk into a dungeon where high level monsters are u can probably escape unnoticed if you keep your distance. Unlike Everquest or similar games where as soon as you step through a border to a new region every high level monster in the area wants to eat you and comes running for dinner like you rang the bell.

The game is geared really toward meeting new people and grouping to get things done. Most of the people in the game are very good people who like you want to experience fighting a dragon (not recommended as a solo encounter) vicariously through their character (TOON) from the comfort of their home.

Dark Age of Camelot is fun, it can be very intense, it can be boring at times, and it is so large that just exploring the realm to see the gorgeous artwork is a challenge unto itself. Once you're bored with one realm there are 2 more realms to explore and they are all totally different experiences.

The AI of the creatures is sometimes amazing and other times predictable but always a challenge at your level or higher.

The realm-vs-realm aspect is fun. When you experience an epic relic raid for instance you feel the action reminiscent of Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis in the Vikings. A couple hundred of armored raiders heading to bash down the keep gates and sack the castle can be very heady stuff -- and quite the blast. And there is loot to satisfy your hunger for bounty on every creature although, no clear answer to the question of where the 4 legged monsters keep there coin has ever been given, it still drops off of them as well.

I have been playing on a Modem at 28.8 and it is easily playable but I must recommend high-speed internet access to fully enjoy the experience.

It is a game to try if you are interested in an MMORPG, the investment is small comparatively speaking and the benefit can be great. I have met people from all over the world, and am still friends with them today. The players come in all age groups and most players are well behaved, the folks at Mythic have been really good about keeping it a decent place to be.

I currently play on the Iseult server in the Albion realm as an Arms man. I do have some Midgard and Hibernian toons on other servers though and can tell you all of them are very good communities.

So check it out - you can even get a 14-day free play if you want to download the trial version.

I highly recommend this game.

I have played this game for about 4 years now and I have seen the game change so much. For the WORST. Mythic tries to make changes to better the game but they dont work. With other and better games out there the population has gone down, now there has been clustering of 3 to 4 servers to help with the population bonus. There was a review telling people to play Albion, DONT, I have 10 lvl 50 toons, and 7 are on Albion. Albion is the one realm that lack everything that the other realms have. PICK HIBERNIA. If you want to play this game and deal with the pathing issues, the buggs that are still there after being out for 4 years, be my guest and pick this game it is enjoyable. If it wasnt i would have not played it for 4 years. Also if you feel like paying monthly for a game that is never going to satisfy you, also be my guest. Just my 2 cents from a vet. of this game.