Dark Age of Camelot is a game where many players can play together online. It was released in October 2001 in North America and in January 2002 in Europe. The game mixes stories about King Arthur, Norse myths, and Celtic myths with fantasy elements. It takes place after King Arthur’s death, when his kingdom has split into three areas that are always fighting each other. The game includes both battles against computer-controlled enemies and battles between groups of players from different areas.

The game was created by Mythic Entertainment. It was based on an earlier text-only game called Darkness Falls: The Crusade (1999). Later, the development of Dark Age of Camelot moved to Broadsword Online Games, a new company. Broadsword also took over the development of another game called Ultima Online. Mythic Entertainment closed in May 2014.

As of 2019, a new "progression" server was being made. This server would only include content from the original game, the Shrouded Isles expansion, and added areas for building homes. The development team also planned to ask players what they thought about bringing back a feature called "Old Frontiers."

Gameplay

The character is controlled using either the mouse or keyboard. Players can set up to three "Quickbars" with 10 slots each. These Quickbars can hold spells, melee or ranged attacks (based on the weapon being used), or macros. Macros can be activated by clicking or using number keys. In Dark Age of Camelot, the class system is balanced for Realm versus Realm battles, not compared directly to other realms' similar classes. Classes are very strict with set roles, ways to play, and how skill points are used.

Guilds provide social, economic, and PvE/PvP benefits that are better than or different from playing alone or with temporary groups. Each guild has its own chat, ranking system, territory claiming, banking, housing, emblem, and rewards like bounty points and merit points. Guild leaders can set their own rules and goals, and decide what each rank can do, such as inviting members or claiming towers. Alliances can be formed between guilds, allowing them to share a chat channel for communication.

Realm versus Realm gameplay is the main part of Dark Age of Camelot. The story is about what happens after King Arthur dies and his kingdom splits. Albion, Hibernia, and Midgard fight each other for control of relics, keeps, towers, and the entrance to Darkness Falls.

Dark Age of Camelot has three realms, creating a unique RvRvR gameplay style. Each realm is based on real stories and myths:

• Albion is the Realm of knights and damsels, inspired by Arthurian mythology. Notable classes include the Wizard, Paladin, and Infiltrator. Key areas are Avalon Marsh and Stonehenge (in Salisbury Plains). Camelot is Albion's capital.
• Hibernia is a land of forests and magic, inspired by Celtic folklore. Notable classes include the Enchanter, Champion, and Ranger. Key areas are the Valley of Bri Leith, Lough Gur, and Connacht. Tir Na Nog is Hibernia's capital.
• Midgard is the land of trolls and giants, inspired by Norse mythology. Notable classes include the Runemaster, Berserker, and Hunter. Key areas are Myrkwood Forest, Vanern Swamp, and Muspelheim. Jordheim is Midgard's capital.

Storyline

Each world has a different but similar story that grows with added game content. In the original world areas, small cities need help fighting monsters. Albion is attacked by the undead created by Morgana. Hibernia is divided by the Unseelie Court and Siabra. Midgard faces danger from the dishonest Blodfelag.

• Shrouded Isles – Each world must help a smaller ally fight a powerful enemy. In Albion, the Drakoran are attacking the last strongholds of Lady Lile's Avalonians. In Hibernia, the Sylvans are in danger of disappearing because of the Fomorians attacking Hybrasil. In Midgard, the ancestral home of Aegir has seen the last of the Troll Fathers hunted by the Morvalt.
• Trials of Atlantis – The ruins of Atlantis have been found, along with a portal to another world where ancient Atlanteans once faced challenges. The Trials have changed over time, and the people who lived there are gone. Scholars search for ancient items to learn their secrets. Figures from Greek and Egyptian myths appear in this new land.
• Catacombs – A powerful enemy has taken control of the Darkspire, ruling over the people of an underground world. Arawn, who was once an ally of the Avalonians and protector of the Inconnu, has been overrun by the dead and enslaved Inconnu. The Shar struggle to defend their citadel in the Otherworld. The Kobolds reveal the secrets of their underground city to outsiders to survive.
• Darkness Rising – The king of a world returns to stop a growing rebellion. Further clues show a secret plan involving dark power behind the rebellion. To become a Champion of the Realm, players must defeat the evil force causing the chaos and restore peace.
• Labyrinth of the Minotaur – The ancient Minotaur race has returned to Albion, Midgard, and Hibernia to reclaim powerful but corrupted relics hidden by their ancestors. Their greed once destroyed their kingdom, and their evil influence now threatens the lands of humans.

Development

The decision to create Dark Age of Camelot was made in late 1999. It was first planned as a graphical MUD (Multi-User Dungeon). Mythic Entertainment’s president, Mark Jacobs, suggested using Arthurian legends because they are in the public domain, meaning the company would not need to pay for rights to use them. The total cost to develop the game, not including equipment leases, was about $2.5 million. It took 18 months with a team of 25 full-time developers. Software called 3DS Max and Character Studio was used to design all the game’s models and animations.

At the end of development, Mythic faced financial problems. Because the company had never borrowed money, it did not have a credit rating high enough to lease servers from Dell. After being denied a lease, Mythic had to buy the servers using its development funds. Finding a publisher was also difficult. Most publishers refused to work with Mythic, but one, Vivendi Games, agreed to help. In 2014, Jacobs thanked Vivendi for supporting the studio.

During the game’s most popular time, Mythic used 120 dual-processor Pentium servers running Linux. Groups of six servers were used to run one game world, which players saw as one server. The servers could handle up to 20,000 players logged in at once, but Mythic limited the number to about 4,000 to keep the world from feeling too crowded. Most of the game’s code was stored on the servers, while the player’s software focused on loading graphics and textures through a data stream limited to 10 kbit/s per player.

Later, Broadsword Games released Dark Age of Camelot: Endless Conquest, a free-to-play version of the game with some restrictions on characters, classes, and in-game services. Originally planned for fall 2018, the release was delayed until early 2019 due to technical problems with a patch. Existing and new accounts can use Endless Conquest.

Mythic created seven expansions for Dark Age of Camelot. These were once sold separately but are now free to download. European servers (run by GOA) typically released expansions months after Mythic.

• Shrouded Isles (November 12, 2002; February 21, 2003 in Europe): Added six new classes, three new races, and a new land for each realm. This expansion is now free. It won GameSpot’s “Best Expansion Pack on PC” award.
• Foundations (June 18, 2003): A free expansion that added player housing and consignment merchants, allowing players to sell items. Players could choose from four house sizes and decorate them.
• Trials of Atlantis (October 28, 2003; February 27, 2004 in Europe): Added three new races, high-level content, and underwater exploration. It introduced artifacts and “Master Levels.” This expansion is now free.
• New Frontiers (June 22, 2004; November 11, 2004 in Europe): A free expansion that redesigned realm vs. realm warfare, including new siege tools and a unified frontier zone.
• Catacombs (December 7, 2004; April 1, 2005 in Europe): Added five new classes, instanced dungeons, and faster leveling. This expansion is now free.
• Darkness Rising (October 11, 2005; February 2006 in Europe): Introduced Champion weapons, mounts, and new graphics. It was the first paid expansion and included a new island called Agramon.
• Labyrinth of the Minotaur (November 5, 2006; February 14, 2007 in Europe): Added the Minotaur race, a new class called the Mauler, and the largest RvR dungeon in the game’s history. This expansion also introduced “Mythrians,” a new item slot.
• New New Frontiers (September 5, 2007): Officially a patch, but it included major changes to keeps, towers, and siegecraft tools. Players call this update “New, New Frontiers.”

Reception

Before the release of Dark Age of Camelot, Mythic Entertainment predicted "30,000 players on launch in the United States," according to GameSpy. In the United States, the game reached the top of NPD Intelect's weekly computer game sales rankings for the week of October 7–13, 2001. Its first shipment sold out within one day. Sales reached 51,000 units within four days of release. The game stayed at #1 for the week ending October 20, but dropped to third and fifth in the following two weeks. It ranked first on NPD's monthly chart for October 2001. After finishing ninth for the week ending November 10, it was no longer listed in NPD's weekly top 10 or monthly top 20.

By the first week of November, Dark Age of Camelot had sold 115,894 units in the United States. GameSpot writer Desslock noted that the game "sold extremely well during the first few weeks of its release" and was seen as a greater success than another massively multiplayer RPG released that year, Anarchy Online. Desslock said the game's performance showed "there's probably never been a larger demand for RPGs." By August 2006, the game had sold 300,000 copies in the United States, earning $10.4 million. At that time, Edge magazine ranked it as the 63rd-best-selling computer game in the country since January 2000. Including its expansion packs, the Dark Age of Camelot franchise sold 780,000 units in the United States by 2006.

The game was also successful in Europe, selling more than 100,000 units by March 2003.

At the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) gave Dark Age of Camelot the "Massive Multiplayer/Persistent World" award. It also received nominations for "Computer Game of the Year," "Innovation in Computer Gaming," and "Game Design." At the next year's awards ceremony, AIAS nominated the expansion Shrouded Isles for "Massive Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year," which was won by The Sims Online.