Since its release in 2001, Dark Age of Camelot has been a consistent player in the massively multiplayer genre, drawing thousands of gamers into the realm that combines the historic with the fantasy settings.

Drop by the Camelot Herald Web site (www.camelotherald.com) and check out the numbers playing the game and at any given time you are likely to see well over 22,000 worldwide playing on the 18 shards and one test server, defending the realm.

The game itself has seen expansions, from the Foundations expansion, which redefined housing and the Shrouded Isles and New Frontiers, which have taken realm fighting to new levels, the DAoC team at Mythic Entertainment has continually evolved the title to give players the experience they want.

But later this year, DAoC will likely undergo the biggest transformation in its history. The Catacombs expansion will not only give players more to do in the three realms of DAoC, but will also upgrade the graphical elements to make DAoC as pleasing a piece of eye candy as any title on the market.

The new character models (left) are a major upgrade from the existing ones (right).

Matt Firor, Vice President of Development and Executive Producer at Mythic Entertainment, talked with GameZone about the latest expansion to the game.