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The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: A talk with Mark Jacobs
Life is full of serendipitous moments. For example, the other day I found the Holy Grail at a garage sale while looking through a box of half-broken Transformers. Who would have thought? If only the Knights Templar took a few Saturdays off from their epic quest to do a bit of bargain shopping. Consider also that this month we've been reminiscing about Dark Age of Camelot in this column -- looking at the history, the devs, and the players -- and then, out of nowhere (well, technically Virginia) one of the key figures of this title returned from a year-long sabbatical. Mark Jacobs, who was let go from EA last June, recently popped back up on his personal blog to talk about everything under the sun. Hey -- isn't DAoC under the sun? Why yes, yes it is. So I threw on my hiking boots, strapped a machete to my thigh, hired a Sherpa, and then composed a quick message to see if Mr. Jacobs would be willing to be interviewed by the eccentric media. He agreed, as long as we stuck to the topic at hand and didn't veer into his plans for world domination. Whoops... I've said too much. Hit the jump before I get into hot water. My Sherpa hates hot water.
The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: Your journeys
These days just about everyone thinks he has what it takes to be a Knight of the Round Table. It takes more than a shiny shield and a sharp sword, as the Game Archaeologist discovered. It also requires a $14.95 credit card charge. Former and current knights poured out of the woodwork to offer up some of their very favorite memories of Dark Age of Camelot. It is, in a way, a better testimony to the game than an objective history and developers' opinions. For some, DAoC was their first MMO love, and more than a couple people said it was the single best MMO experience they've ever had. While many players have moved on, these memories burn bright, and it didn't take much prompting for DAoC vets to wing a quick word of praise our way. Blink twice to clear out any eye irritants, and prepare yourself for a marvelous trip back in time to an era of hodgepodge PvP and fierce realm rivalries.
The Game Archaeologist and the Quest for Camelot: The history
After a two-week hiatus to recover from rattlesnake bites and a bear to the face, the Game Archeologist returns to travel to England, but not the England we know today. No, this is the England-That-Could-Have-Been, the England of King Arthur, Excalibur and pointy-hatted Vikings. This is the England of fairy tales and legends and blocky 2001-era polygon models. It is the England of three realms constantly jockeying for supremacy and power. It is Dark Age of Camelot. It's a pretty awesome place to live, even though the property values are way, way down after the last 18 marauding hordes trampled through the neighborhood. This month, the Game Archaeologist is trading in his copyright-infringement fedora and whip for a sturdy suit of armor and a fiery sword as he slashes his way into Dark Age of Camelot. It doesn't matter if it's only a model -- it still inspires him to break out into song anyway.
Is Land of the Dead negatively impacting RvR? Mythic responds
Warhammer Online's Call to Arms live expansion wrapped up at the end of June with the release of the highly anticipated Land of the Dead. Many players perceived this new RvR mega-zone as the game's defining "make-or-break" moment.A successful launch could do amazing things for WAR. A not-so-successful launch could push some players over the edge. The Land of the Dead expansion was green-lit shortly after WAR's launch in September 2008 when everything (and everyone) was on a high. The game became the fastest selling MMO of all time and quickly reached 750,000 registered users.Unfortunately, it wasn't long before cracks started showing, the economy fell out, and perhaps most importantly, Wrath of the Lich King launched.
