In the MMO Black Desert, it seems that one follows a strict schedule. In an interview, the creators of the game aim for the first months of 2015 as the date for an initial Closed Beta.
In a conversation with mmosite.com, the developers of Black Desert talked about their future plans for the game. Since it is based on the European Middle Ages, they believe that it is tailored for the Western market. Therefore, they assume that it will not need to be adjusted too much to the needs of Western players. However, the developers would do so if appropriate feedback comes in. The NA/EU servers are supposed to launch at least in an Alpha phase sometime after November. An initial Closed Beta is planned for “early 2015”, for the first months of 2015.
The Open Beta is scheduled for November in Korea, shortly after that, the Alpha/Beta/Open Beta cycle should begin in Europe and North America. This way, local players will get to enjoy Black Desert before the Chinese.
Gender Lock is likely to remain in Black Desert
One of the main points of criticism from Western players is the “Gender Lock”. This refers to when certain classes are either female or male. The developers defend this design decision. In their response, the ideological differences are evident.
For the developers, individual male and female “Gender Locked” classes are considered two variations of an “original” class. A male warrior and a female warrior, who only differ in appearance, would be too boring for the developers. With “Gender Locked” classes, they believe they offer players more choice and thus more fun, in the eyes of the Eastern developers. Local MMO players see it the exact opposite way. They feel deprived of a decision and choice without the possibility of gender selection.
Next up, the MMO is set for another Closed Beta phase in Korea, this time the third (CBT 3). New features planned for this phase include an armor color system; some new fashion styles and costumes that can be purchased in the cash shop or unlocked through achievements, and a new “swimming model”. Every character can swim, but can acquire new swimming styles like breaststroke, freestyle, or butterfly.
Mein MMO says: No, the swimming styles are no joke, even though we have to chuckle. While the new patch in Korea is delivering quite exactly what local players received a few days ago in The Elder Scrolls Online, various swimming styles are typical for the Korea MMO. Black Desert impressed a few months ago with a video showcasing an incredibly detailed character creation. It is currently considered one of the hottest MMO titles in the upcoming period, alongside Bless Online. Such a swift schedule should delight fans.
As the date approaches, we will delve deeper into the game and its gameplay. The Free2Play MMO is currently somewhat plagued by the reputation of prolonging fights due to the lack of a Holy Trinity. We have an 11-minute video from the last Closed Beta by steparu ready for you, so you can form your own opinion about the combat system in Black Desert.
