NOT what an expansion is supposed to be. The death nell to Dark Age of Camelot

User Rating: 2.6 | Dark Age of Camelot: Trials of Atlantis PC
DAOC was built around the concept of developing your character(s) in a linear fashion from novice levels through level 50 all the while improving skills, armor, weapons, etc. with an eye on the end game: RvR. The first expansion (SI) added greatly to this concept. ToA destroyed this very successful formula by introducing a sub-game, or game within a game. This change has resulted in a domino effect beginning with a severe decrease in RvR play as a large percentage of top end players are now playing ToA. Further, as these individuals complete Master Levels, and obtain Artifacts, they become very powerful so the only way to compete is for our own characters to do the same. Many of us have little to no interest in playing in the expansion. Obtaining the new Master Levels simply isn't worth the incredibly time consuming "hack and slash" (within some massive Battle Group) needed to finish these things. It's work... not fun. Here is the crux of the problem. The only way to compete and play the main game is to spend untold hours playing the sub-game, ToA. The entire concept of ML's is flawed, as this is now the focus instead of Realm Abilities. I was really looking forward to something akin to SI which is open to all characters as opposed to the top 5%. SI was integrated into the fabric of the original DAOC, reinforcing and expanding the main game. ToA should have been another SI. Unfortunately, it is my feeling ToA has created a terminal problem for all but the die-hard players willing to sacrifice hundred's of hours of their time. The end of a great game.... Rom -