DARK AGE OF
CAMELOT
User Manual
Version 1.0
Copyright (c) 2000, 2001
Mythic Entertainment, LLC
All Rights Reserved
Contents
System Requirements
Creating an Account
Running Camelot
Main Screen
Character Select
Play
Quit
OptionsConfigure Settings
Configure Keyboard
Configure Resolution
Zone000
Control Bar
Incoming Text Window: Chat and Effects
Quick Bar
Target Panel
Player Sheet
Inventory
Spell Lists
Concentration Window
Group Panel
Mini Group
Starting Equipment
New Equipment
Item Deterioration
Object Information
Armor Dyeing and Enameling
Loot!
Encumbrance
Starting Location
Binding
Combat
Choosing a Target
Melee
Dual Wield
Ranged Combat
Combat Styles
Fatigue
Health
Death
Resurrection
Spells and Spell Lists
Combat Magic
Non-Combat Magic
Power Recovery
Quick Cast
Musical Magic
Experience
Skills
NPC Interaction
Church of Albion
The Brotherhood
Guild of Shadows
The Circle of Wizardry
The Performers
The Defenders of Albion
The Craftsman's Guild
Associations
Realm Points and Titles
Useful Information
Final Analysis
Minimum Requirements:
Recommended Requirements:
128MB RAM
3D accelerator card with at least 32MB RAM
As part of the Dark Age of Camelot Development Beta, an account has already been created for you based on information you submitted.
While you are connected to the internet, run the Camelot executable (camelot.exe). The patch utility will then automatically search for updated files and download them into your Camelot directory. Once that is complete, and you make a successful connection to the server, you will be prompted for your account name and password. You may also choose to save your account name and password so that you do not have to input it each time. If you choose to have your password saved, make sure you keep a copy of it somewhere safe so that if you ever need to reinstall the game, you can remember what the password was. Also, when you use the save option, a record of your password is stored within your Camelot directory. If any person should ever ask you for one or more of your Camelot files, do not give them anything and report them immediately.
After you've successfully logged on, you'll find yourself at realm selection screen. From here, you may select which of the two realms you wish to enter. If you choose Albion, the home of Camelot, click on the icon of the chalice. If you wish to enter Midgard, home of the legendary Norse Vikings, click the icon of the hammer. The third icon, the one depicting the oak tree, represents Hibernia, the land of great mystery and magic. Hibernia is currently not implemented, so you will not be able to select it.
Once you have selected the realm of your choice, you'll find yourself at the main screen with nine buttons and a window. The window displays the currently selected character. Because you have no characters when you first start the game, this window will be blank. Your button options are:
Each available character is assigned to a character select button and the name of your character will appear on the button. If you have no character in a particular slot, the button will display "Create New Character." Each person may currently create up to four characters per realm. This number may be expanded at a later date.
Selecting the "Play" button will send you into the world. This button will be darkened and unavailable until you have created a character.
Allows you to discontinue your connection to the game.
Options
Before you travel in the game, you may wish to configure your setting options so that they are best suited for you. The current settings are basic for the most part, but will give you some flexibility in these early stages of the game development. To access your settings, click on "Options" from the main screen. It will pull up a small menu.
Mouse [ON/OFF]
Mouselook [ON/OFF/REVERSE]
Mouse Sensitivity [HIGH/MED/LOW]
Music [ON/OFF]
Sound Effects [ON/OFF]
Mipmap [ON/OFF]These are the keyboard settings that are currently available (defaults are listed below):
Move Forward Right Button Cast c Move Forward Up Arrow Quicksell y Move Backward Down Arrow Quick Destroy Item > Move Backward Left Button Torch t Get/Drop Item g Turn Left Left Arrow Attack Mode F6 Turn Right Right Arrow Strafe Left q Show Inventory i Strafe Right w Show Stats (Personal Info) p Show Group o Jump/Up a Show Spells u Crawl/Down z Show Skills [ Show Combat h Walk f Target Nearest Monster F8 Look Up s Target Nearest Object F7 Look Down x Target Nearest Player F9 Look Center d Reply r Chat Log l Mouse Toggle m There are other commands/settings within the game that are not yet available for customization. They will be discussed further on.
Three resolution options are currently available: 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864. From here, the desire game resolution may be selected.
You may select to to use two font settings, Normal or Large.
For most video cards, you do not have to adjust this setting. This option only affects the users of the Voodoo series. If you use any of the Voodoo brand video cards, switch from "Standard 3D Card" to "Voodoo-Based 3D Card." Failure to do so may cause texture problems within your client.
Displays game credits.
Be very careful with this button. Selecting this button gives you the option to delete your currently selected character.
You can currently have up to four characters in a single realm, and you may only play from within one realm per world shard (at this stage in beta, there is only one realm and world shard available). Select one of the four "Create New Character" buttons to progress to the character manager.
A new screen now opens in front of you with many different components that will allow you to create your character. In this area you will see a full view image of the character your are creating as well as a rotating close-up of the face and head. You will also find the following character creation options: name, race, class, sex, hair color, face selection, height, and attributes (also referred to as statistics or stats). There is also a text window at the bottom of the screen that will display a description of the races and classes as you mouse over the race and class buttons.
Give your character a name suitable for the world in which you are playing. Some limited name filtering is currently available, so some names may be rejected if there are either in use or are considered to be out of the flavor of the game. If you have difficulty selecting a name, click on the "Generate" button and the game will randomly generate a name for you.
Below your name are four race buttons, one of which you may select for the race of your character. Why are there only four races to chose from? Actually, there are a total of 12 races to select within the game. However, by selecting a specific realm in which to play, you have eliminated 8 of the 12 choices. As your mouse passes over the race selections, a short description of each race will appear in the dialog box at the bottom of the screen. Below are your race options:
Albion Briton (Human) Highlander (Human) Avalonian (Human) Saracen (Human) Midgard Norseman (Human) Kobold Troll Dwarf Hibernia Celt (Human) Elf Firbolg Lurikeen Note: The Hibernian races are not yet available.
Now you may choose your class. A character's class will define their general career path. There are four or five classes available at this stage, varying depending on which realm you have chosen. You may also be limited to less than the total classes available based on certain race choices. Not all races have the option to play every class, and some races may have more class options than others. The class options are as follows:
Briton Fighter, Rogue, Elementalist, Mage, Acolyte Highlander Fighter, Rogue, Acolyte Avalonian Fighter, Elementalist, Mage, Acolyte Saracen Fighter, Rogue, Mage Norseman Viking, Mystic, Rogue, Seer Kobold Viking, Mystic, Rogue, Seer Troll Viking, Seer Dwarf Viking, Rogue, Seer Hibernia Races Not yet available
The following is a list of guild choices that will become available later in your character's development based on what class you have chosen:
Fighter Armsman, Mercenary, Paladin Rogue Scout, Minstrel, Infiltrator Elementalist Wizard, Theurgist Mage Sorcerer, Cabalist Acolyte Cleric, Friar* (Friar is not yet available) Viking Thane, Viking, Skald, Berserker Mystic Spiritmaster, Runemaster Rogue Shadowblade, Hunter Seer Healer, Shaman Hibernia Guilds Not yet available For more information on guilds, see the section Guilds.
Choose whether you want your character to be male or female.
You can choose your character's hair color by clicking on the + or - signs. Your race may determine how many hair colors are available to you. Trolls, who have no hair, may select variations of facial tattoos rather than hair color with the hair color selection.
You can choose your character's appearance by using the + and - signs under "Face."
To add a little more individuality to your character, you may choose for your character to be short, average, or tall.
Your attributes determine the make-up, physically, spiritually, and mentally, of your character. These attributes may affect how well you perform in combat, your overall health, or how much power you have. The attributes are Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Quickness, Intelligence, Piety, and Charisma. A brief description of the attribute will be displayed in a window on the lower left portion of the character manager screen as you pass over each one with the mouse. You will be granted a number of points that you may distribute among your attributes (or stats, as they are sometimes called). You may add to or subtract from your attributes using these points by using the (+) or (-) buttons, but you can never have less than you initially started with nor can you add them to be more than 100 or less than the base for your race. Attributes that are important to your class are highlighted in yellow. The yellow stats will also increase as you develop your character increase. Those that are in white do not increase as your character levels (though they may be increased via items found in the game).
You have now completed the creation of your first character for the Dark Age of Camelot. Click on the "Proceed" button when you are satisfied with what you've created. This will take you to an intermediary screen that will give you a brief description of what you've created. If you've decided not to keep the character you have created, send select "Back." If you are satisfied with your character, click proceed again to return to the main screen. You will now have the option to select the "Play button."
A player may choose to use either the mouse or the keyboard for movement within the game.
You may use the mouse to both control your pointer or to change your point-of-view. If you wish to move your mouse pointer about freely, hit the "M" key on the keyboard. This will toggle the mouse. You can also toggle the mouse without turning off your point-of-view control by holding down the left shift key (currently not customizable but will be at some point). You may use the mouse pointer to select objects in the world, initiate conversation with NPCs, shop, visit trainers and target players or monsters.
The keyboard controls are designed to compliment the mouse controls or can be used independently of any mouse control.
Camelot currently supports three camera views: first person, third person, and detached third person. If you are in third person view and wish to pan around to see your character from a different angle, hold down the ~ key and use your left or right arrow keys to move the camera about, the a and z key to move its focus up and down, or the up and back arrows to zoom in or out.
When you first enter the game, several different elements will be displayed. These elements consist of the control bar, chat window, effects window, quick bar, and summary window. The mini-group, looking for group, pet, concentration , journal, and resists* (resists not yet implemented) windows may also be displayed if they are turned on, but start closed as a default. The control bar displays 6 icons. From left to right, the icons represent the player sheet, inventory, abilities, combat styles, spell lists, and group panel. To minimize any panel with the mouse, click on the small close box on the upper right hand corner of the control bar. The icons may be selected with the mouse to pull up the appropriate display. Any of the interface elements may be moved around on your screen by holding down the control key while left licking on the item you wish to move. Adjusting their alpha levels, which controls the transparency of the windows, can further modify the elements. To adjust this, right click on the desired element and adjust the scale to your liking. At any time, all of these elements may be hidden from view at the same time by hitting the TAB key.
At any time when manipulating the information panels on your character, you may either click on one of the icons on the control bar or a particular letter associated with the desire information panel. The control bar defaults to the upper right corner of your screen.
Incoming Text Window: Chat and Effects
Incoming text is displayed within a single element that is divided into two different windows: the chat window (bottom) and the effects window (top). All chat - such as says, private messages, broadcast messages, NPC dialog, etc. - is displayed in the chat window. All other text - such as combat and spell casting - is displayed in the effects window. You may adjust the length and width of this element. You may also adjust the proportions of display between the two windows by adjusting the horizontal border between the chat and effects. If you wish this window to be complete transparent and to be able to read the text clearly, move your alpha level all the way to 0.
The quick bar allows you to assign your spells and skills to any number key from 1 to 8. You may also switch between 8 different quick bar settings by using shift plus a number from 1 to 8 (or the left and right arrows on the quick bar). In addition to moving the quick bar around on the screen, you may wish to orient it either vertical or horizontal, depending on your preference. To adjust the orientation, simply click on the little black square in the corner of the quick bar. To remove any hot key set up on the quick bar, hold down control and right click on the item you want removed.
The summary window defaults to the lower right hand corner of the screen and displays a few useful bits of information, including your character's current health (red), endurance (green), power (yellow), and experience (blue), as well as the name, level and health of your target. The long blue bar (bottom) represents 10% of the total amount of experience a player needs to advance to the next level. The line of blue circles represents 100% of the experience needed to reach the next level, which is divided in to 10 bubble segments. Each time the long blue bar fills, one bubble will fill correspondingly.
To call up your player sheet, hit the "p" key or click with your mouse on the player sheet icon on the control bar. The player sheet displays your characters name, class, level, guild name, guild title, association, realm title, realm points, skill (in your current readied weapon), damage (with the current readied weapon), armor absorption, armor factor, attributes, specialization points and skill levels.
Any quests that you may have pending will be listed in the Journal.
Not yet implemented.
To call up the inventory window, hit the "i" key or click on the bag icon on the control bar. The inventory window displays a paper doll image of your character as they currently appear in the game, slots in which equipment may be worn, a backpack and currency. More information about the inventory will be discussed in other sections.
The abilities window will display all the things that come naturally to your character. For example, if the window displays "Armor Ability: Leather," then your character has the natural ability to wear armor made of leather and there is no training required to be able to wear it.
The sprint ability is the only ability that currently comes with an icon. You may select and drag the icon over to your quick bar. If you select the numerical key that corresponds to your placement of the sprint icon in your quick bar, you can put your character in to sprint mode. In sprint mode, you can allow your character to run a little bit faster than normal at the cost of your endurance. Once you are out of endurance, your character will return to its normal running speed.
Just as all spell casters get spells, all melee classes receive combat styles. The styles one receives is based on the character's class and the skill specialization. Armsmen who use the polearm skill, for example, will receive combat styles based on their polearm. The armsmen will still have natural skill in other weapons but may not have styles if the weapon type is not specialized. If you right click on a combat style icon, your summary window (bottom right hand corner) will display your "Opening." The opening is the circumstance in which this combat style can be used successfully. If the opening is "none," then the style can be used at any time. To use the combat styles, drag the icon from the combat styles sheet to the quick bar. Clicking on the icon (or the appropriate number on the keyboard) while it is in the quick bar will set the character in to combat mode and prepare to use the selected style.
As spells become available to you, they will be listed in your spell list window. To call up your spell list window, click on the symbol from the control bar that resembles a yin-yang symbol or hit the "U" key. Each list in this window can be expanded or contracted by clicking on the spell list name, or the little box beside the spell list. When expanded, spells available to you from that list and their level will be displayed. To ready a spell into your quick bar, select the spell you desire with the mouse and drag it over to where you want it on your quick bar. If you've grabbed a spell that you didn't mean to, you can right click anywhere on your screen to rid it from your mouse pointer.
At the top of the Spell Lists panel, there are two buttons. Select the one labeled PET to call up the pet window. If you have no pet, it will be blank. If you do have a pet, this window will open automatically but can be closed if desired. The pet window will display the name of your pet, its health and a list of possible commands and behaviors you can give to your pet. You can have your pet act aggressively (attack everything), defensively (attack only that which attacks its master), or passively (attacks nothing). You can have your pet follow you, stay, or go to your target location (currently defined by a target monster). You can select the attack button to have your pet attack your current target, and you can select the release button to release your pet from your command.
At the top of the Spell Lists panel is a button labeled CONC. Clicking on this button will reveal a small window that pops up at the left side of the screen. This is your concentration window. If you are playing a character that has concentration-type spells, your active spells would be displayed in this window. To remove any active spell from the window, shift and right-click the spell icon.
The group panel allows you to see different aspects of your current group. A group may be composed of up to eight party members. A person is added to the group with either with the "invite" button (after targeting the player) or by using the /invite command. The list will display their name, class, current level, health, power level and what spell effects they currently have on their character. Other buttons can be used to join a group, disband a group or person, or display/hide your mini group window.
The mini group window remains hidden until it is opened. To open the mini group window, select the "o" key to open the large group window and click on the "mini" button. The mini group window will open in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. Like the other displays, this window can also be moved around. This is a mini version of your normal group window, displaying the names of your party members, their health and approximate power. The red bar represents health; the gold circle represents approximate power. The brighter the gold circle, the more power the group member has. If the circle darkens, then that party member is out of the necessary power with which to cast spells.
If you are either looking to find a group to join or with to add a person to your party, the "Looking for Group" or LFG feature is what you will want to use. For more information about the Looking for Group feature, go the Groups section.
Every player will be exposed to hundreds of different types of items and equipment in the game. Some of these items may be weapons or armor, magical or mundane. There are some items that your character may be able to use and some that your character cannot use. Part of the experience of playing will involve collecting a variety of items so that they best suit your personal tastes and your character's needs.
Everyone begins the game with a single basic practice weapon at his or her disposal. The weapon may vary slightly based on one's class. If you should lose or accidentally sell your practice weapon (it is not worth anything, but the vendor won't mind taking it off your hands), simply go back to your trainer. He or she will be happy to give you another. All classes come equipped with a 5-pocket backpack, with each pocket capable of holding eight items. In the inventory window ("i" key), you may select which pocket to look in by clicking on the small sack icon to the right side of the inventory list. The active pocket becomes highlighted. Your character's money is displayed at the bottom of the inventory window. The denominations are copper, silver, gold, platinum, and mithril with each subsequent denomination being 100x the value of one before it.
To see your character's inventory, use the "i" key. When you first start, you will see your start weapon in the "left belt" slot. There are four slots available to each character for carrying weapons: left hand, right hand, two-hand, and ranged. Each slot represents where your character will stow a weapon when you are not in combat.
For armor, there are 6 available slots to use. As you accumulate new armor, you can equip them onto your character (providing your character is skilled in the use of that particular type of armor) by dragging them to their appropriate slot. A helmet, for example, would go on the "head" slot. All armor pieces are displayed on your character for others to see.
In order to promote graphical diversity among the characters, there are different "sets" of each armor type. For example, you can find three different complete sets of leather armor in Albion, each with their own distinctive look. The types, Roman, Siluric, and Cymric, can be found for sale in different towns – you’ll have to discover which town sells which armor type. The sets are slightly different in stats as well, which means they differ in price. The smart player will judiciously mix and match pieces based on his level and the size of his bank account. Please note that there are a couple of different studded and plate armor sets – but no chain sets have been added yet.
Your character also has the option of wearing 8 other types of items, including cloaks, neck pieces, "jewelry," waist pieces, rings, and wrist pieces. These items do not show up to other players on your character (except the cloak), but they may have special properties about them that makes wearing them desirable.
In the Dark Age of Camelot, both weapons and armor deteriorate as they are used. The less skilled a character is at using a particular type of weapon or armor, the faster it will deteriorate. Because of this, several different "grades" of equipment that will become available to you as your character advances, with each grade representing the general durability of the item, and in some cases, the effectiveness. The more durable the item, the longer it will last before needing to be repaired. Over time, however, some things may become too worn down to repair any further. The different grades of armor and weapons, from the lowest to highest are common monster loot, store bought items, player crafted, rare item loot, and quest items. The rare item loot and the quest items will generally have the same durability, but the quest items may be slightly better in their effectiveness.
Right-clicking on weapons and armor (in stores, in your inventory, etc.) shows you additional information about the weapon: speed/damage for weapons, absorption for armor. The name of the item is color-coded, based your relative level to that of the object:
Gray - way too weak for you to be using
Green - Just below your level
Blue - optimal
Yellow - You won’t get full use of it, but can use it
Orange - A bit above your skills.
Red - You’ll harm this object by using it.
Armors have a base tint which can be tinted across a range of colors based on the player’s preference. Dye merchants may be found throughout to the world in various places that sell dye (for cloth), leather dye (for leather), and enamel (for studded, chain, and plate). Each piece of a player’s armor may be tinted individually. Some dyes (the more desired or "special" colors, such as black or purple) may only be available through questing.
To dye an armor piece, purchase a dye pot from a merchant. Un-equip the armor piece from your character into a normal interface slot. Drop the dye pot onto the armor piece and re-equip it. Voila! That piece is tinted. Please note that you can re-dye an armor piece as many times as you want.
During your sessions within the Dark Age of Camelot, you will encounter both friendly and nasty creatures and monsters. Sometimes, if you kill one of these monsters, they will "drop" one or more items on the ground. To target a dropped item, use F7 or your mouse pointer. Hit the "g" key or click and hold on the item with your mouse pointer and drag it into your inventory. Hitting the "g" key will automatically place the targeted item into your backpack. Keep in mind, however, that you can change the default settings of your keyboard configuration to keys of your liking. You may come across some weapons or armor that are described as "tattered" or "pitted." It means these items have come off of monsters (who generally don't take too good of care of the items). Eventually, we want to allow players to have these items refurbished.
Players are limited in the amount of loot they can carry, based on weight. The system is set up so that players can carry their strength (+50) pounds of equipment. This means that a Highlander with a strength of 100 can carry 150 pounds before becoming encumbered, and an Avalonian with a strength of 50 can carry 100 pounds. The player starts to slow down when they hit their encumbrance limit, and will be slowed completely if they are carrying their encumbrance limit times 1.5 (i.e. the Avalonian at 150 and the Highlander at 225).
Many commands are available to a player that will allow them to have better control over their character's interaction in the world. Here is a list, which is subject to change:
Quick Keys are commands that are assigned to a single key on your keyboard for quick access. The following quick keys may be configured individually by the player from the Configure Keyboard setting option found in the main screen.
Jump/Up: A
Crawl/Down: Z
Walk: [
Strafe Left: Q
Strafe Right: W
Cast: C
Inventory: I
Quick Sell: Y
Stats (Player Sheet): P
Group: O
Spells: U
Torch: T
Look Up: S
Look Down: X
Center View: D
Ge/Dropt Item: G
Reply: R
Chat Log: L
Mouse Toggle: M
The following are quick keys that are available but currently cannot be assigned to other keys:
Left Shift Toggles your mouse pointer on and off without having to actually
turn your mouse on or off.
~ Pans your camera around when you are in third person mode.
- (numeric keypad) Takes a screenshot of the current scene
TAB Hides the interface displays.
ESC Removes the current target from your target panel.
Pgup/down Scrolls up or down in chat and effects windows.
While some of these commands may be set up using quick keys (see Configure Keyboard), others require the use of the "/" commands. To use these commands, simply type "/" in the command line followed by the appropriate command. Over time, these commands may be changed or modified, so be sure to note when changes are made.
The following is a list of some of the "/" commands that are available in the game:
/say - Sends a message to those in the immediate vicinity.
/group or /g - Sends a message to just those in your party.
/send - Sends private messages to another person (i.e., /send john hi).
/broadcast - Projects a message to everyone in your area simultaneously. [This command is a temporary command that will only be available during the testing period and will be removed before the game goes into full production.]
/em - If you wish to perform an action that isn't immediately available in the game, you may use /em or /emote to display your desired text.
/who - Lists all the players in the game and their general location. Limitations to this command will eventually be added.
/invite - Invites a target person into your group.
/disband - Disbands a group or allows you to remove yourself from a group
/join - Join a person who has invited you into their group.
/bandage - Bandages wounds of a target who is at 0 hit points
/release - When you have died, you may return to the living by typing /release
/quit or /q - Quit the game.
/time - Shows the current game time (not real time).
/bind - Sends a player upon death to the last bind stone at which this command was used.
/rest - Rest is used to allow a player to sit and heal. The rate of health regeneration is approximately twice that of when the player is standing (moving around).
/sit - Same as Rest.
/stand - Makes your character stand up.
/pray - When targeted at a gravestone, it allows a player to recover some of his/her experience lost due to a death.
/quest - Displays the details of the quests you are on and/or have completed.
In addition to the "/" commands and the quick keys, you also have available the use of the function keys. The following is a list of the current function key settings:
F6: Combat mode on/off
F7: Target nearest option, select key again to cycle through objects
F8: Target nearest monster, select key again to cycle through monsters
F9: Target the nearest PC, starting with yourself. Select the key again to cycle
through other PCs.
F11: Change camera view
Like any good role-playing game, social interaction is an integral part of the Dark Age of Camelot. A large part of the social interaction is the ability to chat with fellow players. Below are a few ways that one player may chat and/or communicate with other players.
By hitting the ' or " key, a player enters the most basic form of communication, the "say" command. Say will send a message to everyone in your immediate vicinity.
To send a message privately to another person of your realm, use the /send command.
For example, if you wanted to send a message to Grond, you would type /send grond Hello!
To speak to everyone in your party, regardless of their location, use the group send command /g. For example, if you wanted to meet up at the guard tower with other members of your group, you would type /g You guys run up ahead, I'll meet up with you at the guard tower.
The broadcast command will only be made available during the testing period. Broadcast will let a message be heard from anyone in the game, regardless of where they are. To use broadcast, type /broadcast <message>. This will be a useful tool during the testing. However, please do not use it as a general chat feature since it may annoy other testers. We just ask that you be respectful of others in the game.
With the dark ages now set upon the world, the once shining lands have become dangerous to those who travel. Sometimes, the best way to survive is to band together with others. Not only does this increase your chances of survival, but it also allows you to get to know others of your land, as well as enriches the experiences you have. Players who group together will receive bonuses to their experience acquisition. The more players there are in the group, the higher the bonus. Different classes have different means of contributing to a group. Experiment often with different class combinations to find out what works for you.
To start a new group, target the desired person you want in the group and type /invite. You may also invite them by using the invite button on the group panel ("o" key). You immediately become the leader of the group and have the ability to invite or disband members of your group, as you desire. If you leave the group, the second person in the group list assumes the role of leader.
If another player invites you to join their group, you may type /join or use the join button on the group panel ("o" key) to join up.
At any time, if you wish to leave a group, you may type /disband or use the disband button on the group panel ("o" key).
If the group panel is too big for your liking while interacting in the group, you may open the mini group window by selecting the "mini" button on the group panel ("o" key).
If you are looking to join a group, click the "Looking For Group" box at the bottom of the Group Panel. If you are not looking for a group, select "Not Looking." If you wish to find someone to join your group, click on the FIND button. The system will display all those are in your area and are of your approximate level with whom you may wish to establish "contact." If the person in the display matches your criteria, select their name and hit "Contact." The person target will be notified of your desire to join up.
Your race and class will determine your starting location. Briton and Avalonian fighters and acolytes begin their life in Prydwen Keep. The keep is located in the Camelot Hills, southeast of Camelot. The front gate of the keep faces north. Saracen and Highlander Fighters begin in Humberton, a small village north of Camelot. Prydwen Keep and the Camelot Hills are a little ways to the south and west of this area. Saracen mages and highlander acolytes also start in Humberton, but their life begins in the small keep that is situated a little ways from the main village. Saracen and Highlander rogues begin in Norwich, a tiny town situated in the Black Mountains. Norwich is east of Humberton. Avalonian mages and rogues start in the farming village of Cotswold, the village situation right outside the east gates of Camelot.
Binding is a means of providing players with alternatives to their default starting points. At anytime, while near a bind stone, which looks like a giant, engraved rock surrounded by four smaller stones - usually located in various villages/towns/castles, such as Norwich, Prydwen Keep, Humberton, etc. - a player may type the /bind command. When the player dies and uses the /release command, they will be sent that location rather than having to start the journey all over again from the default starting point.
Once you are ready to actually start defending your land against the creatures that lurk about, you may venture away from your starting area and learn the art of combat.
As a new character, you are relatively weak and unskilled compared to many creatures and ruffians that roam the world. Most of the lowest level monsters are not aggressive, but will attack you if they are attacked. These should be your first targets. You can either select on your target by using your mouse or by using F8 select the nearest target. Hitting F8 repeatedly will cycle through all targets within targeting range, starting with the nearest and working its way out. When you select a target, your target panel will display the target's name, level, and health. Also note that F8 not only targets creatures, but will also target friendly NPC's.
The game is designed with an "ideal" target in mind, depending on the class you choose. For one on one combat, the ideal target for a melee class is a creature that is one level below you. This one level difference should give you the upper hand in a fight. You may try to fight a creature of your level, but because they are roughly equal with you, you may win or lose 50% of the time. Being a lone caster or a support-type class such as a minstrel is a little more difficult; and the ideal target for a caster is generally a creature that is two levels below. As players and monsters become more powerful, the "ideal target range" widens. A player who is 50th level may have an ideal target of 46th level rather than 49. This is because as you get higher and higher in level, there is less of a difference between the power and ability of two individuals (players or monsters). A level 49 target is almost equal to that of a 50.
When grouping with players, the level of the ideal target may increase significantly. Personal experimentation will determine how you choose your target in groups.
Melee, as it's known, is a term used to describe close range hand-weapon combat. Now that you've selected your target, you may wish to engage in combat. To do this, approach the target and hit F6. This will put you in to combat mode, using the weapon you have chosen as your ready-weapon (defaulting to the weapon in your left belt slot). In the effects window, you will be told how much (if any) damage you do, how much damage is done to you, where you hit the monster, where you get hit, and how much experience you receive when the monster dies. If the monster drops an item upon death, this will also be displayed in the effects window. When you finish fighting a monster, you will automatically disengage from combat mode. To disengage from combat mode at any time, simply hit F6 again.
The Mercenary is one of the only classes – the Infiltrator will be the other – that can specialize in Dual Wielding. This means that they can fight with a weapon in each hand; which increases their damage output, but also puts them at a defensive disadvantage since they cannot use a shield while dual wielding.
Dual wield works as follows: the Mercenary can use any normal weapon in his right hand. The "off" (i.e. left) hand can be equipped with the two smallest weapons from the crushing, slashing, and thrusting groups (i.e. mace, hammer, short sword, hand axe, dirk, and stiletto). The other weapons (i.e. scimitars, bastard swords, etc.) are considered "too big" for off hand use and will not be allowed to be equipped in the left hand.
For those who prefer combat at a distance (non-melee), one may choose to use a ranged weapon, providing you are of a class to use ranged weapons. Ranged weapons currently include short bows, long bows, and crossbows. To use a bow, one must put the bow in their ranged slot in their inventory ("i" key). Once the bow is in that slot, you click on the bow and drag it over to one of the slots on the quick bar. If you drag the bow to number 1 on the quick bar, then hitting the number 1 key will fire your bow. There is currently an unlimited supply of arrows, so there is no need to restock. This will change as ranged combat is further developed. However, in order to use a bow effectively, one must first be proficient with the 'Fired' skill, which is a skill that's awarded at certain levels. Without this skill, you will not be able to fire the bow 100% of the time.
Dark Age of Camelot’s fighting system which enables fighting characters to utilize Combat Styles during combat for extra damage and effectiveness. Combat Styles are "extra" moves that you do in addition to your normal combat mode (i.e. hitting F6). Styles are found on your character’s skill list, and have an icon that can be dragged to the quickbar for easy use during combat.
Generally, each fighting class gets styles from their guild: the Armsman, Mercenary, Paladin, Weaponsmith, or Minstrel.
Each Style has an "opening" that determines when it can be used. For example, the Mercenary style "Spinning Blades" can be used whenever you miss an enemy. The Armsman style "Militia Cross" can be used after you successfully parry an opponent’s attack. During combat, when you see the opening, click the Style’s icon on the quickbar, and your next attack will be the style. If you perform the style perfectly – i.e. you perform it after the correct opening – you’ll see a cool weapon trail behind your weapon and the text box will tell you that the attack was successful.
Please note that currently there are no special animations for Styles. Performing a style will show the same attack animation that you have seen up until now – but in the future each style will have a special "move" animation associated with it, as well as weapon trails and particle effects.
Because it is now important to know which monster you have targeted in combat (since your style opening could work off a monster attack), in version .50 the combat messages of the monster that you have targeted shows up in orange text in the chat window. The combat messages of all other monsters who are fighting you show up in red. This makes it easier for you to keep track of the monster you are fighting, and can more easily "pick up" their combat messages so you can perform you styles appropriately.
An important consideration in performing combat styles is that each time you perform a style you become more fatigued. Your fatigue points are shown in the same window that shows your power and hit points. When the bar is completely consumed, you will not be able to perform any more styles until you rest – you will not regenerate fatigue points in combat. However, if you sit down between battles, they will regenerate quickly.
The styles have been set up so that you don’t often run out of fatigue points – but this needs to be fully tested and commented upon by the testers.
Please note that the current fatigue system ONLY effects combat styles – nothing else. We will be assessing other uses for fatigue points over the next several weeks.
As monsters hit you, you will take damage. The amount of damage you take is indicated by the red bar (health bar) on your target summary. If you lose all of your health, your character will die (see Death below). Your character may regenerate health over time. Using the /rest command regenerates your health twice as fast as standing. While sitting, however, it's imperative to note that you cannot look around, unless you use the ~ button and your mouse, so be sure and find a safe location before using this command.
Should your health bar become completely empty at any time, your character will die. When in the state of death, your body takes form of that of a ghost. You cannot see other players - nor can you move around - but you can see other ghosts. If you are 5th level or lower, you may rejoin land of the living by typing /release. This will return you to your nearest bind point with full health. After level 5, your character will lose experience for death by monsters and npcs (though the experience loss will never cause a level to be lost).
In addition to the experience loss, a player will lose three points of constitution. Death by players from other realms will not incur an experience loss, though players will still lose constitution. You must pay an npc healer to have your constitution restored.
A death occurring after 5th level gives a player two options. They can /release, or they can be resurrected by a cleric. Both acts will restore a character to life. The death itself will incur the first half experience loss penalty, which if 5% of the total experience required to attain the current level (note: if it is the first death of the current level, the experience penalty will be cut in half). If the player uses /release, then the second half of the experience penalty plus a three-point constitution loss will be applied. The most experience a person can lose as the result of a single death is 10% of the total experience for that level. After the person has typed /release, a grave stone is erected where they died. If the player chooses to return to that site, they may type /pray while targeting their grave stone. This will return to them the experience penalty they acquired as a result for using the /release command. The original 5% experience loss for the death and the constitution loss will still exist. If a player is fortunate enough to have a cleric standing-by, the cleric may choose to perform a resurrection. If the player is resurrected, they will be returned to the spot where they died and only have the first 5% experience penalty for dying. A cleric's resurrection allows the player to avoid the second half of the experience penalty and the constitution penalty. Death by players from other release will NOT incur an experience loss, though players may still lose constitution if they are not resurrected by a cleric. To have constitution restored, a player must pay an npc healer located in one of the nearby villages.
Note: There is a time limit after death. If this time limit is exceeded, the character will automatically release to their bind spot. The formula for calculating how much time you have is simply 1 minute per level. So, if you are level 10, you will have 10 minutes before you auto release.
For those who wish to dabble in the arts of magic and mysticism, the option of becoming a spell caster is available. Spell casters are physically weaker and generally level slower than their most of their non-caster counterparts. In addition, a caster may find it more difficult to venture alone than a weapon-user of similar level. Being a spell caster will require patience and determination, but could ultimately be rewarding and challenging.
As you gain in level, new spells will automatically become available to you. However, spell casters may also be required to research certain spells and spell lists when they train. Some spells and/or spell lists may only be available through particular quests.
To have spells so that they are combat-ready, the spell icon of the desired spell (selected from the spell list) should be dragged and dropped in to the quick bar.
Magical combat may vary slightly from normal combat. Like normal combat, the caster must select his or her target. To cast on the target, the player either selects the spell icon from the quick bar with a left-click of the mouse or with the corresponding number key. This will cast the desired spell at the intended target. Once hit, the target will advance upon the attacker. One or two more spells may be cast before the target reaches the caster. Once the monster engages in combat with the caster, the caster will become too distracted to continue casting and must resort to their weapon in hand. A spell caster must become familiar with the ideal range for their spells and the type of monsters they can fight.
For healer classes, such as clerics, they must not be engaged in combat if they wish heal their group members who may be fighting. Be wary though, for some monsters may identify the one who is making their attack more difficult and may chase down the healer.
There are other spells, such as shield spells, that may be cast at any time. These spells generally enhance the target in some way or perform some type of utility function.
A caster relies on their magical power to cast their spells. As spells are used, so is the corresponding power. As you increase in level, your power level also increases. Likewise, higher level spells may require more power to cast. The yellow bar in the target panel represents power. Be sure that you have the required power you need before engaging in combat.
Sorcerers and Wizards have a new skill in which they can specialize: Quickcast. This gives them the ability to cast spells in combat more effectively. A spell that is quickcast has half the casting timer, and is much more difficult to interrupt than a normally cast spell. However, spells that are cast using this skill take from 2 – 4 times the power points to cast than normally cast spells, based on the amount of specialization in the Quickcast skill.
To quickcast a spell, first drag the Quickcast icon from your character sheet’s skill list to the quickbar. Then click on the Quickcast icon. The next spell you cast will then be quickly cast. Your amount of specialization in the Quickcast skill determines how easily you will be interrupted.
Another type of magic exists in the world, the magic of song. Currently, only the minstrel is implemented for the musical classes. The purpose of the Minstrel class is to provide support to group members to reduce downtime between battles. They accomplish this by having songs that increase hit point regeneration, power point regeneration, and movement speed. They also get a line of songs that mesmerizes enemy monsters so that they stop moving for a short period of time. At high levels, they get song that does a small amount of direct damage. Minstrels are also considered a fighting class – although not while they are playing songs – and can wear up to chain armor
Minstrels also get a range of different instruments to play: lutes, drums, horns, and flutes. Please note that as of .50, only lutes and drums have been implemented. Playing a song with different instruments will result in different effects; for complete information see the list of songs below.
At certain levels, the Minstrel gains new songs.
These are listed in your skill window on your stat sheet. At the moment,
Minstrels get 9 songs between levels 5 and 50, and for now there are 4 songs
implemented (between 5 and 20). Drag the icon of the song to the quick bar to be
able to play it. Click the icon of a song currently being played to cancel it.
Song Instrument Effect Song of Healing Lute Group heal over time (like Cleric meditate spells) Song of Healing Drums Group Mage power replenishment Motivational Anthem Lute Speed boost Motivational Anthem Drums Bigger speed boost Commanding Cadence Drums Mesmerize target Cacophony Drums Direct damage (small)
When your character first arrives on the scene in the Dark Age of Camelot, it is assumed that they are young and have had very little experience in the "real world." By vanquishing monsters and solving quests, your character enriches their life experiences (meaning, "gains experience").
As you kill monsters, you may be awarded a certain amount of experience. This experience is reflected in the two blue bars in the target panel. The topmost of the two bars is segmented into 10 bubbles. Each bubble represents 1% of the total experience for that level. When all 10 bubbles (10%) fill up, the bar will clear and begin again. When the non-segmented blue bar fills, you will raise your level. With each level, your character gains more health and power. After level 5 and after you have selected a guild to join, you will get skill specialization points with each new level. See "Skills" below for more information on skills. Additional gifts upon leveling after 5 may include spells, songs, combat styles (as appropriate to your class) or new abilities (such as being able to wear better types of armor).
After a while, some monsters may become too easy for you to kill and as a result, you may not get the same experience (or any) out of it that you did the first time you engaged it. The game is designed so that the lower levels go by fairly quickly; but then, it will slow down, so that the higher you go, the longer it takes to reach the next level. This concept is based on real life. An analogy of this concept can been seen when you compare a little league baseball player who has just learned the techniques of fielding a ground ball to a Major League Baseball player who has seen just about everything there is to be seen regarding the game of baseball. The little leaguer is like a sponge soaking up a slew of rules, techniques, concepts and skills, while the experienced MBL player learns very few new things day to day.
Your character's survival in these dark times relies heavily upon his or her skills. When your character first enters the world, the most he or she generally knows is how not to stab him or herself with a sword.
Each time your character raises a level, skill points are awarded. When you find your trainer, these skill points may be put into skills the available skills of your choice. Skills vary in cost, but also raise in cost - reflective of each level - with some skills being harder for your class to learn than others. For example, a level 2 armsman can train in the skill of 'slash' at a cost of 2 skill points. At level 3, it will cost 3 skill points, and so on. Be sure and give all available skills due attention, as they are all important, based upon how you want your character's skill to grow.
For weapon/armor users, it is assumed that every few levels, your trainer exposes you to a new type of material from which your weapons/armor may be made. Until the level that you've been trained to use a certain type of material, the use of an item made from that material would be inefficient.
While adventuring throughout the world, you will come across characters that you may interact with, yet are not controlled by a player. These are called Non-Player Characters or NPCs. To initiate conversation with an NPC, make sure you're relatively near them, and then right click on their image. They may have something to say or a service to offer you. If they do say something, some clues may be given as to other things you may ask it, for which you may receive an answer.
For example, to speak to an NPC, the NPC may say something like, "Hail, good citizen. We need your [help]." As you can see, the word 'help' is in square parenthesis. What you would do at that point is use the SAY command, and type 'How can I help you?' This would then generate another sentence from the NPC, to which, if necessary, you would also respond. This is the way NPC-generated quests are realized.
Shopkeepers abound throughout the world. These shopkeepers may sell weapons, armor, or other items your character might need. If you right click on the shopkeeper, a store window will open up. To buy an item from the store list, click on the item you want to by and hit the BUY button. To sell an item from your INVENTORY, select the item from your inventory and drag it over to the SELL button in the store window. Your current amount of coin is displayed both in the store window and in your inventory.
Trainers work similar to shop keepers. If you right click on a trainer of your class, a training window will pop up. If you have sufficient skill points and wish to train in a skill, select the skill in which you wish to be trained and then hit the TRAIN button. Be careful, once you've selected to train in a skill, you cannot undo your selection. If the trainer is not of your class, a training window will not be available to you.
If you have lost constitution as the result of a death, you may purchase it back from one of these healers. They will repair one point of constitution at a time. The cost of being healed is determined by your level. NOTE: There currently is not a way to tell how much it will cost for you to be healed before-hand.
For a price, enchanters will cast enchantments upon your weapons and armor. Doing this will add an identifying adjective to your item's name. Adjectives such as shining, glowing, bright, etc., all indicate that an item has been enchanted. For weapons, enchantments increase your ability to hit a target. For armor, enchantments grant the wearer a bonus to their ability to avoid being hit. There is no visible stat on a player character that displays the enchantment effect. To get your item enchanted, drag your item's icon over to the enchanter and he will enchant it for you.
Should you find your weapons or armor in need of repair, take them to a smith. Smiths are usually found in local villages. To have your item repaired, drag your item's over the smith and drop it on him. He will deduct the charge from your pocket and give the item back.
When your character reaches level 5, they will be instructed to search elsewhere for their further instruction and to make a career choice. Depending on your initial class, you may select to join a variety of guilds. Your class trainer will give you the necessary information to find the guild trainers.
The Church of Albion is the most public face of the only religion in the Realm. Its Holy Grail symbol can be found in all villages and towns in the Realm, for the Church is an important part of everyday life.
A small offshoot of the Church, the Brotherhood focuses on taking the word of The Church to the masses of Albion, preaching a simple religion based on healing.
Made up of the underworld of Camelot, the Guild of Shadows teaches different classes pragmatic methods to dispatch their enemies. They are tolerated in Albion for the simple reason that they are very effective at what they do, so long as they practice their arts on enemy realms and monsters. Members of this guild are proud at the fact that they owe allegiance to no organization save their own and the Realm of Albion.
The Circle of Wizardry is the school founded by the famous Wizard Merlin, sage and advisor to King Arthur.
The Performers Guild is made up of professional Minstrels who specialize in performing and honing their storytelling and musical abilities.
The Defenders are the organization that makes up the Army of Albion – professional soldiers who specialize in finding the enemy and fighting him. Directly under the stewardship of Duke Bors, the leader of the Albion military, the Defenders are prepared night and day to take to the battlefield to rout the enemy.
This Guild specializes in the enhancement and maintenance of weapons and armor, as well as – at advanced levels – the construction of siege equipment.
. They are the only class that is allowed to use Polearms, as befitting their militia-oriented guild. They can still specialize in 2-Handed weapons and regular crushing and slashing weapons.Briton, Saracen, and Highlander Fighters who join the Defenders of Albion may become Armsmen, good solid fighting men that also get the ability to use crossbows. They can learn combat styles to enhance their fighting prowess. They can use all arms except bows (crossbows excepted) and can use all armor
Fighters who join the Guild of Shadows may become Mercenaries, roguish fighters that specializes in dual-wielding weapons. Mercenaries can wear up to chain armor, but can train in the Evade skill to avoid enemy attacks. They can also use regular bows (i.e. not longbows, which are now separate weapons) for ranged attacks.
Avalonian and Briton, Fighters who devote their lives to the Church of Albion can become Paladins, defenders of the faith. Paladins get clerical chants to enhance their combat ability and that of their group. They can wear all armors, and can use all arms except ranged weapons.
Weaponsmith (Not Yet Implemented)
Fighters of the Craftsman's Guild become Weaponsmiths. They create, repair and enhance weapons and armor, and later in their careers, build Siege Equipment. They not only can make weapons, but they can use what they make--good fighters in their own right. They may wear up to chain armor and are able to use all weapons.
Wizards are highly-learned spellcasters who specialize in molding the four elements of fire, ice, earth, and air to create magical spells of immense power. Because of the rigorous standards of the Circle, only Avalonian mages may become Wizards.
Saracen, Briton, and Avalonian Mages may become Sorcerers, renegade spellcasters who focus on pragmatic magic that disrupts, disables, and damages their enemies. They can also charm and confuse enemies, and at higher levels, can command charmed creatures to do their bidding.
Craftsmen with a magical background are known as Theurgists, magicians who can imbue objects such as jewelry, weapons, and armor with magical enchantments. They can also build and animate creatures who can then be commanded to fight and protect them. They can wear up to leather armor.
Highlander, Briton, and Saracen Rogues become Infiltrators by joining the Guild of Shadows. Specialists in sneaking, hiding, disguise, backstab, and in general being able to spy on the enemy without their knowledge, they are invaluable assets to Albion. They can wear only leather armors, but they can use slashing weapons and eventually learn how to dual wield.
The Defenders of Albion employ rogues as Scouts, who specialize in tracking as well as the use of the feared Briton Longbow, the best range weapon in the Realm. In order to move quickly from one place to another while not being detected, they can wear only up to studded armor.
The purpose of the Minstrel class is to provide support to group members to reduce downtime between battles. They accomplish this by having songs that increase hit point regeneration, power point regeneration, and movement speed. They also get a line of songs that mesmerizes enemy monsters so that they stop moving for a short period of time. At high levels, they get song that does a small amount of direct damage. Minstrels are also considered a fighting class – although not while they are playing songs – and can wear up to chain armor
Minstrels also get a range of different instruments to play: lutes, drums, horns, and flutes. Please note that as of .50, only lutes and drums have been implemented. Playing a song with different instruments will result in different effects; for complete information see the list of songs below.
At certain levels, the Minstrel gains new songs. These are listed in your skill window on your stat sheet. At the moment, Minstrels get 9 songs between levels 5 and 50, and for now there are 4 songs implemented (between 5 and 20). Drag the icon of the song to the quick bar to be able to play it. Click the icon of a song currently being played to cancel it.
| Song | Instrument | Effect |
| Song of Healing | Lute | Group heal over time (like Cleric meditate spells) |
| Song of Healing | Drums | Group Mage power replenishment |
| Motivational Anthem | Lute | Speed boost |
| Motivational Anthem | Drums | Bigger speed boost |
| Commanding Cadence | Drums | Mesmerize target |
| Cacophony | Drums | Direct damage (small) |
Briton, Avalonian, and Highlander Friars. By doing so, they lose their ability to enhance their Realm-mates (buff spells), and instead focus on healing spells, staff combat, and combat defense.Briton, Highlander, and Avalonian may become clerics, the healers and helpers of their fellow group members. They can use armor and become somewhat proficient with blunt weapons. They can wear up to chain armor. Clerics also posses the ability to resurrect the dead.
Friars, members of the Brotherhood continually wander about the Realm, making sure that all is well. Because they undertake such dangerous journeys so often, they have learned to become proficient with the Quarterstaff, to the point that they are quite deadly. Their solemn vows of poverty make the eschew armor and traditional arms – though they make up for their lack of armor with training in evasion, dexterity, thus making themselves almost as hard to hit as another character in armor.
Guilds have the ability to give each member a "gift" each level. A gift can be a combat style, a new ability, or a new skill. The following chart shows the gifts that each guild in the game gives member characters at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.
|
Guild |
Start |
5th |
10th |
15th |
20th |
|
Armsman |
Studded |
Crossbow, |
Style |
Plate, Style |
Style |
|
Paladin |
Studded |
Parry, 2H, |
Chain, Style |
Style |
Plate, |
|
Mercenary |
Studded |
Evade, Dual |
Chain, Style |
Parry, Style |
Style |
|
Scout |
Leather |
Longbow, |
Studded, |
Evade |
|
|
Minstrel |
Leather |
Songs, |
Studded |
Chain |
|
|
Cleric |
Leather |
Spells |
Studded |
Chain |
|
|
Wizard |
Staff/Cloth |
Spells |
|||
|
Sorcerer |
Staff/Cloth |
Spells |
Associations are not yet in the game. Associations will be player groups and societies within the realms that are created by the players for the pursuit of a common interest. These Associations may vary from realm to realm.
The realm point and title system is not yet fully in the game. Look for more details on this as the game's development progresses.
As a beta tester, you are a valued asset to the game. Also, as per the agreement you signed upon being permitted access to the beta phase of DAoC, you are required to use your access as a means of reporting issues to the developers. We've made this as easy as possible, in that there are message boards, e-mail addresses and other outlets at your disposal for the purpose of reporting bugs and issues that you feel are important. Because of this, you have the opportunity to actually affect the outcome of the game, given Mythic's final consideration and analysis, of course.
Message Boards - The DAoC message boards are exclusively available to beta testers and the in-house Mythic staff. Upon being accepted into beta, you should have been sent instructions through e-mail, which gave directions about how to participate in the message boards. If you were not sent instructions, please e-mail lori@mythicentertainment.com. Upon verification of your invitation, you will be sent the instructions.
As you may already know, there are many discoveries - good and bad - yet to be made in DAoC. We would ask that you refrain from using e-mail as a means of reporting things (bugs, etc.) that you consider to be worthy of attention to the Mythic staff. Rather, please utilize the forum that we've made available - the message boards. This will allow all members of the testing phase to see your reports, which will in turn prevent multiple reports of the same issues. This will also allow developers to address the issues in public, so that anyone else - who may also have something to add - is free to do so.