In response to GameCentral's article about games companies that EA has closed, a reader reflects on the decline of Dark Age Of Camelot and argues that Mythic Entertainment's closure wasn't necessarily EA's fault.
The reader, Adam W, played Dark Age Of Camelot extensively in the early 2000s after a friend persuaded him to try it. It was his first MMO, and he notes that while the promotional video looks low resolution by today's standards, the game received several graphical updates throughout its lifespan, putting it on par with most games of the time.
A Balanced MMO Experience
For Adam, the game offered a perfect balance of PvE and PvP, with options to play solo, in small groups, or with over 100 players for certain encounters. He started solo on the Prydwen server as an infiltrator (assassin), then moved to group-based classes and led top-end raids in his realm. It was common for raids of over 60 players to wipe on harder bosses, after which his guild would return as a group of eight to progress carefully through dungeons.
By the end of his time playing, he was in the top PvP guild in the realm, Public Enemies, running a fixed group of eight players each evening. They sought fair fights against other groups of eight but also took on groups of 20 to 30 random players, which were often easier fights.
The Impact of World Of Warcraft
Adam says he has not played a game since that matched the PvP element so well, and it was the highlight of his four to five years with Dark Age Of Camelot. However, the game declined when World Of Warcraft was released in 2004, with many players moving over immediately and more migrating over time, leaving server populations down until the English servers were merged into one.
He believes Mythic never really recovered from this, so it was not a surprise when EA closed them down. He tried to stick with the game but gave up when there were no regular players. He sold his account on eBay, despite the risk as it was technically against the terms and conditions, and found that an account with a realm rank 11 infiltrator/sorcerer/paladin plus other characters was still in demand.
Later Gaming Life
Adam did try World Of Warcraft and enjoyed the PvE side but less so the PvP, and by then he lacked the time to commit to it as a student compared to an adult with a job and a long-term partner. He notes that recent news of World Of Warcraft: Forever has made him want to play again, but he knows it is not realistic or sensible to entertain the idea.
