Ok I need a definitive answer

Everith

        Alright. I played DAOC when it first came out way back when. I want to come back because i've tried all the mmos out there and i'm just plain BORED (yes even vanguard). I have been hovering around forums lately trying to figure out how life is on this game these days and i can't seem to find a good answer. I see ALOT of TOA bashing and i see alot of Classic praise.



         Ok thats great but I think alot of peoples problem with the answer classic beats TOA is. Most people See a game that has 6 expansions. They want to play all 6 expansions. So i'm asking u guys to give some info. Not just for me but for anyone really who's curious as to peoples reasoning about the Classic server fanboyism.



         First. What is a classic server exactly Which of the 6 exansions if any does it include? Does it include all BUT TOA?



         Second What exaclty is TOA and what does it add that gets peoples Feathers all ruffled up?



         And lastely For a new player starting out which Server style gives them the most opportunity to get the most out of the game in the long run. Playing on a Classic server is nice because of all the low lvl lvling. But what happens when they've done that and want more content i know personally i wouldn't wanna reroll to get onto a TOA server after lvling to 50 classicly.



        Now i realise one question might answer another part of another question. And i also know some of the answers to these. I just want a Definitive SOURCE for these questions in one spot for new players and new hopefulls to read. It is very hard to read these forums for DAOC without getting alot of fanboy and troll responses. Maybe this little thread will Encompass some nice info for noobs such as myself. Thank you in advance for all your assistance.

Unknown

Hello


Classic cluster is a group of 3 servers without the TOA expansion.


The TOA expansion is an excellent expansion as expansions go but a terrible timesink to get new weapons armour and abilities (although not so much now)


My advice would be to start on a TOA server,get a level 50 and go from there.Once you have a level 50 toon you can automatically roll level 20 characters on the non classic servers.


The RvR can be great and can have you smashing the keyboard and beating your kids all within minutes


I've rage quit a few times but always return because I've found nothing as good yet.

/salute

Stormbow

I'd say the biggest problem and complaint about ToA is that it's overpopulated by bots.  A single player controls an active character ... and a million miles away, completely safe from harm, is the source of buffs (the bot) for that character.  Not everyone that plays the game believes a MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER game should be played in such a single-player way, nor can they afford two, three, even up to five or six additional accounts every month to be competetive with other players.

Classic servers are not very 'classic' as the name implies.  They include all expansions EXCEPT Trials of Atlantis and require that all buffing characters be within 5000 units (allegedly 1 unit is "1 inch of in-game space") AND the buffing characters MUST be in the same group as the buffed character.  This has two immediate effects.  Most importantly, it cuts down the number of realm points that 'bot' users get in RvR for killing another player because the Realm Points are split up for everyone in the group.  But before one even reaches serious RvR levels though (probably 39+), the bot is an anchor dragging down the leveling speed of the bot user.  'Classic' servers utilize all updated and recent graphics, maps, and terrain layouts.  (i.e., There is no 'old frontiers' or the like.)

Trials of Atlantis was a 10 step adventure, the 'Master Levels', that gave characters the opportunity to unlock additional character abilities based on what path they chose.  (Side note: Each class in each of the three realms can only take part of certain allowed Master Level paths. Some casters can be Convokers, but not Warlords, for example.)

Along side the Master Levels came the artifacts, allegedly the most unbalancing items to ever enter the game.  Personally, I don't see any problem with the items as every character has the ability to get just about all of the same items as their counterparts in the other realms.  I would guess that it is the lazy or anti-social that have problems obtaining credit to activate said items that are the ones that complain about them the most.

At any rate, since the revamping of the ToA system, no longer requiring people to get an actual item/artifact drop (that used to always be overcamped and cause huge problems with people) in order to activate said item/artifact, ToA isn't that difficult to get along in.

One positive benefit to starting out first in the Classic servers is that it would be much easier to get a character to level 50, even doing some Champion Level quests (which began in the Catacombs expansion if I recall correctly) to get the hang of things.  At that point, level 50 character in hand, you can start with an advantage of 20 free levels (the /level command) on the ToA servers.  And while there are currently quite a large number of mid to high realm rank (RvR experienced) active characters on the Classic servers, you're gauranteed to find at least twice as many on the ToA, Roleplaying, Co-op, and PvP servers.  (On that note, even the Co-Op servers might be a good place to start out too...I've never played there, personally.)

Of course, if you're financially inclined, you could always do as hundreds of others have, buy a pre-made character online, or start your own character and purchase some money for the character online.  While the former may end up costing you $75 to $150 for a plain, unspecialized, no frills character, the latter option would cost you as little as $1 per platinum (1,000 gold).  Of course, once you have your first level 50 character, you'll have many ways to get platinum of your own to pass on to your other characters.  (In my experience, 1 platinum lasts a character until about level 20 if you aren't going on shopping sprees every day...)

Well, I think that's about it.  I hope all that's been helpful. 

Winkyman

I played DAoC from launch thru the Shrouded Isles Expac right up until about 3 or 4 weeks after ToA released. I had 3 RR6+ Characters (bard eldy and hero) and my RR5 bot.

Life was perfect. SI was a great expansion, You COULD goto Galadoria (The hib epic dungeon) but you did not HAVE too. My characters had complete Masterpeice armor and weapons, all spellcrafted to give my characters max resists/skills/stats. I was done. I lead a Legion raid every so often to make some extra cash, I lead Galadoria/Tur Suil every other saturday and RvR'ed like a madman the other 6 days of the week.

Then came ToA.... and the Master Levels, and the Artifacts. God I still get sick thinking about it. Being FORCED to spend all those hours grinding, items and tryin to to stupid PvE quests. Because the stuff in ToA unbalanced the game. Ya I COULD go out and grind the levels/items but for my 3 accounts it was more work than I wanted to do. How bad was ToA. Awhile after release (I do not recall when) then nerfed the entire expansion. Every item every abilty. As I recall, mana casters (PBAoE) could get cast times down to .2 seconds with items and skills.

I tried playing again a year or two ago on Lamorak (Classic server) but the allure was gone. I had too much stuff, too much time invested in my characters to start all over again, that and I don't really care for New Frontiers.

All the above said, I am going to be the FIRST GUY in line for WAR when it launches, I surely hope thay Mythic has learned its lessons and makes the game I knew they could.

Of all the games come and gone, I miss the 'old' DAoC more than any.

Hope that helps.

Wink

Kyleran

I'm a Classic Server fanboi..... but the responses given so far sum things up pretty well.

Only thing to add maybe is... Classic servers have more people playing them... and a good number of lower levels to group with. (especially from a pick-up group perspective). 

Everith

First off thank you ALL for your time and responses Shadow thank you very much u pretty much answered everything i was wondering. So what i'm to understand is that classic has ALLL of the expansions including minitaur but left out ToA?

 and am i to also understand that once i reach 50 on a classic i could make a 20 on a non classic if i wanted to partake in the ToA stuffers?

Stormbow

Originally posted by Everith

First off thank you ALL for your time and responses Shadow thank you very much u pretty much answered everything i was wondering. So what i'm to understand is that classic has ALLL of the expansions including minitaur but left out ToA?

 and am i to also understand that once i reach 50 on a classic i could make a 20 on a non classic if i wanted to partake in the ToA stuffers?

Shadow?  You mean Stormbow?     LOL

Yes, Classic is everything up to Labyrinth of the Minotaur excluding Trials of Atlantis.

Yes, a 50 on a Classic server will enable your account to /level characters at their trainers on any non-classic server (Co-op, PvP, or ToA).

jeeperz

You could as another option make a 50 on Gaheris  - very easy with free level every 2 days.  You would also be able to play all 3 realms there and try them out there.   The drawback with there is no PvP/RvR.   It is however an unthreatening way to learn more about the game and the PVE aspect - cuz for the most part you do need to do at least some PVE to level and gain cash.

You can level a char to 50  on Classic and /level to any other server... but you can not do it the other way around - no /level for Classic.

Stormbow

Originally posted by jeeperz


You could as another option make a 50 on Gaheris  - very easy with free level every 2 days.  You would also be able to play all 3 realms there and try them out there.   The drawback with there is no PvP/RvR.   It is however an unthreatening way to learn more about the game and the PVE aspect - cuz for the most part you do need to do at least some PVE to level and gain cash.
You can level a char to 50  on Classic and /level to any other server... but you can not do it the other way around - no /level for Classic.

Not to say that you can't earn Realm Abilities, however.  You just go about that in a different manner than on ToA or Classic servers.  (Killing monsters and guards in the frontiers, if I recall.)