Filed under: Dark Age of Camelot

Fourth and fifth Dark Age of Camelot expansions now free

by Kyle Horner Aug 14th 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Expansions, News items

Call us crazy, but Mythic seems to be on a roll with these expansion announcements lately. As of right now, both Dark Age of Camelot's Darkness Rising and Labyrinth of the Minotaur are completely free to subscribers. We're sure that many of you who've been playing the game have long since had these expansions. The real deal here seems to be for trial players who're just getting into the title, as they too now benefit from the free updates.

This really helps show that Mythic hasn't just dropped support for their original baby. We're certain there'll be more promotions in the future if this one is any indication, which is just more icing on the cake for anyone who might want to jump back into the worlds of Midgard, Hibernia and Albion. Even if it's for nostalgia's sake!

Mark Jacobs on his departure from Mythic and EA

by William Dobson Jun 26th 2009 at 8:30AM

Filed under: Dark Age of Camelot, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items

We've had comments and opinions flying in from all over the internet regarding Mark Jacobs' departure from Mythic and EA, but finally we get to hear from the man himself, in a new post with the heading "All Things Must Come to an End" on his personal blog. Much of this post is devoted to thanking and farewelling his former co-workers, and he mentioned that there will be more thanks to come -- there's no doubt he would have built a great many relationships throughout his journey with Mythic and EA.

As for Jacobs' comments on the reasons for him leaving, we don't find it out too much, but he did have have this to say:

Early in May, Electronic Arts let me know that they wanted to make some changes within the Games Label and as a result of those changes I have been out of the office (and out of touch with the team, game, etc.) since that day.

and:

However, if you are looking or expecting me to damn EA or anyone there, you will be sorely disappointed. Over my 23 years of making games professionally I have refrained from attacking the competition, former and/or current partners, other game developers, etc. except on a few very rare instances. I have no intention of breaking with tradition at the present time and I hope my track record in this regard remains unchanged for the rest of my career.

We will be keeping an eye on Jacobs' blog for the additional posts he has promised.

Dark Age of Camelot Grab Bag touches on Origins server issue

by Michael Zenke Jan 25th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Culture, Game mechanics

Just a few days ago we wondered aloud about the absence of the 'Origins' server for Dark Age of Camelot. We linked to a post on MMO Champions that talked about the history of the Origins server (a promised new server returning to the old days of DAoC), but the big question was 'where is it'? While the server was promised months ago and the playerbase seemed very much in favor of the new/old mix, Mythic has been tight-lipped about the possibility of late. Thankfully the recent interest seems to have reminded the developers of that discussion.

This week's edition of the Dark Age of Camelot Grab Bag touched directly on the Origins server ... though perhaps not as informatively as we would have liked. CM Joanne Laroche offered: "I know that many of you are eager to know what the status of the Origins server is and can't wait for an update. I just wanted to let you know that while there isn't any information to share with you right now, I'm pleased to say that there will be in the weeks ahead. As always keep an eye the Herald for the latest news." So, hopefully more news soon on this front. Read through to the Grab Bag as a whole for additional details on everything from Dragonsworn armor to crafting. Forsooth!

So what ever happened to DAoC's Origins server?

by Shawn Schuster Jan 22nd 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Game mechanics, MMO industry

In June of last year, Mythic made an announcement regarding a new server that would be created to reinstate the way Dark Age of Camelot was played around 2001-2002. This new "Origins" server would not exactly replicate the game as it was back then, as it would also incorporate improvements made since then, such as housing, horses, the market explorer, UI changes and more.

Well, the problem arises when we realize that players haven't really heard much about it since then. There was a poll asking players to vote on the idea, an announcement predicting an August/September 2008 launch date, and then another announcement changing a launch date to 'when it's ready'. Now players are getting a bit restless, as it's been six months since that last announcement, with no other news. Speculation has even stemmed from the recent cuts at Mythic, and the fact that most of the company's attentions seems to be with Warhammer Online. So is the Origins idea being scrapped? Is it simply on the backburner as Mythic deals with more pressing issues? We'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on any news we hear regarding this story.

Mythic Entertainment to work with IGDA on credit attribution for Warhammer

by Michael Zenke Sep 25th 2008 at 7:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, Warhammer Online

Late last month, before Warhammer had even launched, there was a minor dustup between the International Game Developer's Association and Mythic Entertainment. Mythic claimed that the sheer number of people who had worked on the game made proper accreditation impossible, and would only be recognizing the people on the project when the game launched. IGDA responded via its newsletter that it found that disrespectful to the people who had previously worked on the game, and took Mythic GM Mark Jacobs to task for the oversight. We've since noted the release of the Warhammer credits video to the game's official website.

Though Mythic hasn't made a formal announcement to this effect, IGDA has announced that the EA subsidiary will be taking pains to recognize everyone who has worked on the project. Furthermore, Mythic will take pains to create an online database tracking credits for titles under their control. Mark Jacobs will even work with the organization to help them understand the issues inherent to MMO development. Mr. Jacobs expands on this announcement in a post to his personal blog.

At the end of the day, we're just glad everyone is getting the nod they richly deserve.
[Via Broken Toys]

News from the Wider MMO World: September 2, 2008

by Akela Talamasca Sep 2nd 2008 at 11:00AM

Filed under: At a glance, Betas, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Dark Age of Camelot, Dreamlords, Fallen Earth, Flyff, Events, in-game, Expansions, Forums, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Massively meta, Saga, Grand Chase

The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.

Dreamlords the Reawakening makes deal to move to Russia
Lockpick Entertainment has signed an agreement with Akella Games, Russian distributors of Planetside, Everquest 2, and Pirates of the Burning Sea, to localize and distribute Dreamlords the Reawakening. "Our goal is to reach out to new audiences and the Russian market is fast growing and with Akella's expertise we're able to do just that," said David Rosén, CEO of Lockpick Entertainment. "We hope that collaboration between our two companies will benefit both parties and that such an interesting genre will draw gamer's attention" said Alexander Trifonov, Managing Director of Akella Online. Closed beta testing is expected to begin in early September.

Pet Evolution Manuals debut on Grand Chase
Three different Pet Evolution Manuals are available at the shop in Grand Chase, allowing knights to evolve their pets at levels 0, 20, and 40. There will also be prizes for each knight that evolves and raises their pet to level 10. Prizes for winning pets include nutrient shots, pet food, gacha coins, and pet skills. Additionally, players who log on between the hours of 4 and 8 PM every day will receive double xp and double gp, in the Afterschool Adventure Hour.

EA Mythic reclaims original Mythic Entertainment name

by Matt Warner Jul 11th 2008 at 9:30AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, MMO industry, New titles, Warhammer Online

It was only a name change! Remember when Mythic Entertainment, the force behind Dark Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online sold out and got slapped in the face with the EA brand? Many gamers associate a stigma to EA and were disheartened by the name retrofitting that took place in 2006. In an interesting twist, Mark Jacobs announced yesterday that EA Mythic has reclaimed the Mythic Entertainment name. As to why, according to Jacobs it's as simple as EA wanting to reinvent itself. EA's recently acquired studios Bioware and Pandemic retained their identities.

In an MMORPG.com interview conducted by Jon Wood, Jacobs explains the new rationality being employed by John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts. EA wants studios functioning as their own city states with more creative freedoms and maneuverability, an example Riccitiello uses in a February 10th Gamasutra article. It's important to note that even with the name change Mythic Entertainment is still a part of Electronic Arts. (Duh!) Mark Jacobs also confirmed that the company will be revealing a new logo soon.

Two more Warhammer Online announcements are planned for later today. What will they be? It could be about the Collector's Edition pre-orders, a release date, or worse another delay. We will keep you posted.

The latest news from Dark Age of Camelot

by Brenda Holloway Jun 30th 2008 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Game mechanics, News items

There's news and views aplenty in the latest dispatch of helpful information and answered questions in this week's Camelot Herald! Each week, the enigmatic oracles in EA Mythic's stone fortress come down from their golden throne rooms to answer questions. This week's cover druid maces -- that look like hammers. That can't be right (and isn't!). Also mentioned -- how to invite people into invitation-only battering rams, how to open your house to all guild members of a certain rank, and how to find a certain very shy pig.

The Camelot Road Trip hits San Diego on July 26th, so if you would like your Dark Age of Camelot questions answered in person -- and you can get to San Diego -- RSVP so they know you're coming.

DAoC Grab Bag Q&A regarding patch 1.94

by Shawn Schuster Jun 16th 2008 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Forums, Game mechanics, Interviews, Patches

In this week's Grab Bag for Dark Age of Camelot, we're treated to yet another of what we'd expect from this aptly-named Q&A session from the Herald. The Bearded Wonder and the Balancinator answer eleven questions this time, each with their own focus on what the game has to offer with the upcoming patch 1.94.

One interesting question centers around rest XP, and how certain locations give more rest XP for players. This question brings up a great point about how the rest XP should be higher in the housing zones, as opposed to the capital city zones, which would make perfect sense. Another question asks about expanded vault space, for which the Bearded Wonder responds, "We are working on some adjustments to housing that will assist this issue indirectly. Some of these changes can be seen in 1.94 that is coming up." It looks like this new patch will be full of goodies for us all!

Should EA Mythic offer an all-in-one pass for its games?

by Michael Zenke Jun 13th 2008 at 5:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Business models, Warhammer Online, Ultima Online

The Green Skin has up a post wondering about the future of EA Mythic as an MMO service provider. At this point, the EA subsidiary is now responsible for three separate virtual worlds: Ultima Online, Dark Age of Camelot, and the in-development Warhammer Online. Snafzg ponders the great cross-promotion that Sony Online Entertainment gets from its Station Access program, considering whether the same sort of offering would be worthwhile for Mythic's games.

Certainly, other multi-MMO publishers have considered similar services. NCsoft has made no secret of their intention to eventually offer a pass of some sort for their games. Turbine, likewise, has previously indicated they aren't opposed to the idea. With EA also sponsoring the development of BioWare's as-yet-unnamed title, the possibility exists that Mythic's games could exist on the same subscription as the RPG legends' offering.

If EA offered a 'golden ticket' for all of its MMOs, would you subscribe?

DAoC turns old school with their new Origins server

by Shawn Schuster Jun 3rd 2008 at 5:30PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Education

After some recent hints distributed throughout the community, and a poll asking players their opinion on the matter, EA Mythic has decided to go ahead with their newest Origins project. This will introduce players to a blast from the past on a separate "Old Frontiers" server that will use the original rulesets from when the game first launched. Of course, certain game improvements will stay, so it won't be exactly as it was back then, but they're trying this out to see how well it is received by the community.

If you have any questions about how this will work exactly, there are some comprehensive resources posted in FAQ form, and on several forums. Plus, the team will be participating in a live IRC Q&A on Wednesday, June 4th and Thursday, June 5th. One will be held at 6:30 pm EDT for the benefit of their East Coast players, and the other will be held at 9:30 pm EDT for the West Coast players.

Massively goes to WAR: The early days of Mythic Entertainment

by Michael Zenke Jun 3rd 2008 at 9:30AM

Filed under: Dark Age of Camelot, Culture, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, Massively Interviews

Thursday afternoon Christian Bales and Josh Drescher sat down with us to discuss the Living Guild system in Warhammer Online. We did, at length, and you'll see the results of that discussion on the site later today. In the midst of all that information, though, we got to talking about their early days at Mythic Entertainment. Unlike many of the AAA MMO developers today, Mythic originally started out as a 'garage-style' development house.

It's hard to imagine today, walking the halls of EA Mythic's corporate office space, but the duo's tales of antenna-based internet service, hallway offices, and legacy code make for a great reality check on the modern MMO marketplace. Read on below the cut for stories that will make you very glad to be working in a cubicle ...

Dark Age of Camelot developer chat

by Brenda Holloway May 29th 2008 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Dark Age of Camelot, Events, real-world, PvP, News items, PvE

The Dark Age of Camelot developers would like a word with you. Want to ask about the proposed OF (Old Frontier) server? Concerned about falling subscription numbers? Want to know what Mythic is doing for people who really liked the old PvE content? Hate open regional chat? This is your chance to give the developers your input, and to find out what they have to say about things.

Since they want to accommodate everyone, they will be having two chats. The first is set for June 4th, 2008, between 6:30 and 7:30 PM, US Easterm Time. The second follows on June 5th, between 6:30 and 7:30 US Pacific Time. Producer Chris Rabideau and Community Coordinator Joanne Laroche will be on hand for both chats. Community Director Robert Mull and perhaps some other devs will also be attending on the first night. You'll need an IRC client of some sort to take part. The IRC server is irc.gamesurge.net, and the channel is #ignvault. If you're at all interested in the current and future plans for Mythic's venerable Realm-vs-Realm (RvR) game, you owe it to yourself to attend.

DAoC: Get your weekly grab bag

by Matt Warner May 26th 2008 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Dark Age of Camelot, Forums, PvP, News items

EA Mythic's Dark Age of Camelot refuses to die off, and why should it when players still tout it as one of the best PvP MMOGs alongside Eve Online. We often hear the anticipation from many PvP fanatics that Warhammer: Age of Reckoning will be DAoC's spiritual successor, but for the hardcores still playing one of the great community features is the weekly Q&A and other announcements found in the Grab Bag. Be sure to catch up on the latest one with questions ranging from player housing to under-the-hood calculations, and the confirmed dates and cities for the upcoming Road Trip.

If you are feeling adventurous and have the urge to play something new or old for the weekend the 14 day trial is a tempting download. Now is a good time to give it another chance or first try since there is another day left on the double xp weekend, which also means more players to hack at. If you are feeling really adventurous but still need a little more convincing before making the jump check out why Massilvey's Brenda Holloway believes Dark Age of Camelot's realm PvP beats out World of Warcraft's battlegrounds.

[via, Warcry]

Dark Age of Camelot double xp weekend!

by Brenda Holloway May 23rd 2008 at 11:30AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Dark Age of Camelot, Events, in-game

EA Mythic has a holiday gift for their Dark Age of Camelot players. This weekend and through Tuesday, you'll be getting double experience in all classic zones and dungeons on classic/normal servers. Already max level or never set foot in the old zones? No problem, Mythic has you covered. While you're killing Hibs, Mids or Albs in the New Frontier, you'll be gaining double Bounty Points.

If you're on a PvP server, then you'll be getting double Bounty Points in the old zones as well as the double experience. Playing it safe on a PvE server? Add double Bounty Points in all capital cities as well. Expect some very bloody battles this weekend.