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Dark Age of Camelot: The Atlas

Dark Age of Camelot: The Atlas

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $13.59
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: No Shrouded Isles Info as promised
Review: I have poured through this book since I received it yesterday. The only reason I bought it was that the editorial review said, "Detailed maps for every zone, city, and dungeon in Avalon, Aegir, and Hy Brasil."

I can't find them. Maybe it's the books poor layout, but baring content page oversights, no index, etc., they don't list them. I believe they simply aren't there.

Am I being hasty? Are they hidden someplace?...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Out Of Date Now :(
Review: I was actually one of the people that helped put this book together. I must say that I was a bit dissapointed with the finished product when compared to what we envisioned. The monster listing and loot listings are very handy though, especially when you are trying to level up, but with the curse of deadlines and having to ship to the printer, many things got left out.

Also, since DAoC is a persistent world, there are always updates to the content. When the book came out, it was an adequate resource, but now it is sadly out of date. However, I have high hopes for the Catacombs guide. Give that a look!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Nice
Review: Let's face it. Strategy guides for MMOGs are nothing more than an exercise in futility. By the time the guide goes from the editor's desk to store shelves, the entire game could have been redone. A few months later, the strategies described could be unrecognizable at best.

And nowhere is this more evident than with Prima's strategy guide for Dark Age of Camelot. While a worthy reference at the time, subsequent changes have rendered much of the information in it useless. New spell lines were added, classes were rebuilt, entirely new zones and features were added. But the guide stayed the same, unable to update.

In the first month or so of this game, I kept it as one of my most prized resources. But the inescapable flow of time has rendered it anything but. Unless you're sending this book into the past via a time machine, do not bother purchasing it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Thick with information, yet thin in parts
Review: Ok, first things first: If you have Dark Age of Camelot, buy this book.

The character profiles are great, outlining each character class and pros/cons for each. There are comprehensive spell/fighting style lists, as well as which of each you can expect for your character as you progress level by level.

It also has a complete listing of monsters, what levels can fight them, what body style they have. These listings also include cross-referencing between realms that's extremely helpful also.

In some cases it is thin, however. Certain sections lack any description, as in the guild section. This portion is fairly small, and doesn't go into any depth beyond what the instruction manual does. This is disappointing, because many of the guild commands were not included in either the strategy guide, or the manual. Also, I found the crafting section to be a bit thin also.

Overall, however, this guide is well worth the money that you would pay for it. I have found it indespensible in my adventures in Dark Age of Camelot. GET THIS!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Thankfully there's /respec
Review: OK, i'll be first to admit that it's handy to have the book around while i'm playing. having said that, prima really should've done their homework before putting out this "new and revised" edition. Or at least put out free addendums on the net somewhere! If you buy the book, remember that websites like the herald exist that are far more up to date and accurate than this book could ever be. Spell line info especially. DO NOT rely on this book for planning your character spec!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Clear and useful
Review: The DAoC atlas is a clear, informative guide to all the zones in the three realms of the original Camelot world (SI expansion not included). Unlike the Prima strategy guide for the game, or the SI guide, it is well-organised and easy to find things in. Each zone has a topo map and a map with major monsters listed on it, as well as information about loot drops and suggestions for hunting. You will want it on your desk!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: WARNING....
Review: The editorial review of the guide refers to the Shrouded Isles expansion guide, so if you're going by that info you're not going to like what you get.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: I wish it were better
Review: The only reason this gets 2 stars is because its a little better than the first version but not by much. Maps are terrible, char guides are bad, inconsistent and wrong, online information is easier to find and use. Mob info is sparse and usless, drop info is just a print out. Sorry I want this to be a good book but its not. If you are totally new to the game you may feel that this is a good companion to your gaming however if you have any char > lvl 40 its kinna useless.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Outdated and Poor Quality Reference
Review: This current release of the DAOC strategy guide is well below average. There are plenty of tables and statistics, but often the information is inaccurate and incomplete. The book lists all the items in the game (at the time of printing) but neglects to tell you where you can find any of them, and provides cryptic and often incorrect abbreviations regarding their attributes. Same thing with monsters - you can read about their approximate levels and damage types, for instance, but nowhere will you find out what area they're located in.

Maps in the book are completely useless. They only give you a vague overview of each area, with eight or nine general "points of interest" - no mob listing, no hunting ground suggestions, no recommended levels. Town maps are slightly better and do list most NPC locations.

The brief, one or two page class guides are also inaccurate and have misleading information. Investing time to develop a character is important, and following the book's suggested spec paths for most of the classes will result in a below average character. The class guides do list most of the skills available to each class and at what levels.

Important information such as horse routes and class trainer locations are hidden deep within each realm's chapter, and a chapter on craft skills is heavy on numbers (which you find in game anyway) but short on help with getting started. The books shows a listing of many quests available in the game, but gives you no help or information or even an idea of what the rewards are.

Darkness Falls addition is okay, but nothing really above and beyond anything you will find online. The expanded RvR section is useful to only RvR newbies. You also don't even get an index.

All of the information in this book can be found in better, more accurate detail for free on the game's more popular fansites. Don't be fooled by the size of the book either, as well more than half of it is filled with those data-intensive tables which have little practical use.

Only a DAOC newbie has any use for this guide, and even then it's recommended that they cross-check any of it's information with the fansites for accuracy.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Good for people who don't have internet access
Review: This is a good strategy book for someone with no internet access. Oh wait, Dark Age of Camelot can only be played by people that have net access! D'oh!

There are numerous web sites with more accurate, up-to-date information. Particularly in a game such as this which is being patched and changed constantly, a paper guide has limited value. Especially when the paper guide contains factual errors and bad character development advice.

In my experience, the only truely useful part of this book is the bestiary. It's handy to have and seems to be pretty accurate and comprehensive.

If you're too lazy to go online and find the information go ahead and buy this book but be advised of its limitations.


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