Gothic 1 Remake: Which Camp Should You Join?
Walking everywhere in the Colony is a miserable experience that usually ends with a monster chewing on your ankles.
During the first chapter, you have to juggle relationships with the Old Camp, the New Camp, and the Swamp Camp. All three groups despise each other, but they maintain a fragile peace to survive the dome. Eventually, you have to pick a side. Choosing a faction changes your main quest trajectory, dictates what armor you wear, and permanently locks you out of specific trainers and admission quests for the other camps. The good news is you can still visit rival bases and collect free daily items like ragout or swampweed without getting stabbed on sight. Before you blindly pledge your loyalty, you need to know exactly what each faction offers.
The Old Camp
This is the first group you meet, mostly because Diego holds your hand through the opening hours. They are a highly structured, hierarchical army of mercenaries run by a guy named Gomez.
The Safest Bet
If you want convenience, this is the place to be. The Old Camp is centrally located and packed with vendors and skill trainers. By joining up, you start with the Shadow Dress and can eventually promote into a Warder for some heavy plate armor, or choose to become a Fire Mage. If you plan on playing a pure mage build, the Old Camp gives you the fastest access to destructive fire magic through early quests. You also get access to the highest tier of spells (the 6th Circle) later on. I highly recommend spending time here early, even if just to figure out whether to kill or spare Grim when the local thugs inevitably try to extort you.
The New Camp
If you hate authority, the New Camp is hiding out in the hills. This is my personal favorite base in the game. It's full of bandits, thieves, and mercenaries who want absolutely nothing to do with the king.
Thieves And Water Mages
The admission quests here are a bit of a headache, but it's an excellent route for making serious money. If you're already following my guide on how to farm Ore, fitting in with these thieves feels completely natural. Joining up nets you the Bandit's Dress, and you can eventually become a Mercenary or a Water Mage. Water magic is incredibly strong for crowd control thanks to its ice spells, and just like the Old Camp, you can reach 6th Circle magic. If you're running a high dexterity bow build, this is absolutely your home. You can even score a free set of armor by heading to their Free Mine.
The Swamp Camp
Out in the northeastern marshes, you'll find a cult devoted to a mysterious god called the Sleeper. They spend their days smoking swampweed and ignoring any logical plan to escape the colony.
The Hybrid Route
The Swamp Camp is admittedly the most underbaked faction of the three. You start with the Novice Armor and can promote to a Templar, which is a fantastic melee class. The unique draw here is Psionic magic. Spells like Charm and Sleep are phenomenal for crowd control and getting out of bad situations. It's the best camp for a spellsword build, but there's a massive catch. The Swamp Camp limits your magic progression. You can never become a Guru, meaning you're permanently locked out of 5th and 6th Circle magic. You completely cap out at the 4th Circle. If you just want to swing a sword and cast a few utility spells, it works fine. Just make sure you track down the best early weapons before trekking out into the marsh, because the wildlife out there is brutal.
Faction Comparison Breakdown
If you just want the hard facts on what each camp provides, I put together a quick cheat sheet so you know exactly what you're signing up for
