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New Black Desert trailer boasts formation-based combat
Last month we learned about Black Desert's formation-based combat gameplay. While it sounds slick and -- dare we say it -- innovative, it was greeted with a healthy amount of skepticism by Massively commenters. To recap, Black Desert eschews traditional trinity roles for combat formations. For example, a group that arranges itself in a circle will boast higher defenses while a straight-line formation will boost the DPS of the lead avatar. If you're still not convinced, well, that's probably why Pearl Abyss has released a new party-based gameplay trailer. Give it a look-see after the break!
You can milk cows in Black Desert
Ready for another achingly awesome Black Desert trailer? That's good, because Pearl Abyss has released one that features "everyday life" in its action combat fantasy sandbox MMO. Activities on display include crafting, trading, mount taming, housing, camping, and even cow-milking. There's more, too, but you should really just click past the cut and see for yourself. [Thanks everyone who tipped us!]
Here's Black Desert's ridiculous fast-action combat
Pearl Abyss wowed us earlier this week with Black Desert's latest character creation video, and today the company drops another bomb via a new combat-focused demo reel for its action fantasy sandbox. The firm is currently gearing up for the game's second Korean closed beta test. MMO Culture reports that Pearl Abyss has tweaked combat to be "quicker, less stiff," and to have lower chain combo cooldown skill timers. Check out the new vid after the cut!
Here's how you can customize your Black Desert character
Black Desert's second Korean closed beta test starts on April 22nd, and one of the new features on display in the fantasy sandbox will be a more robust character creation system. Daum and Pearl Abyss have released a four-minute video showing the system in action, and we've embedded it for you after the cut.
Black Desert downplaying trinity in favor of formations
2P has translated an interview with Black Desert producer Kim Daeil that originally appeared on GameMeca.com. Among the more interesting nuggets is the fact that the fantasy sandbox won't feature traditional MMORPG dungeons. This is due largely to the Pearl Abyss team's feeling that "dungeons seem to isolate players from the outside open world" and subtract from "the charm of MMORPG[s]." The piece also touches on something called "collaboration gameplay," which appears to omit traditional tank, DPS, and support roles in favor of formations. For example, a group of players that forms a circle will be rewarded with higher defense bonuses while a straight-line formation leads to high DPS from the front-line player. The interview also touches on adventure nodes, mazes and hidden underground cities, and much more.
Black Desert ramping up beta testing
Black Desert's upcoming closed beta test will run for three weeks, according to Korean publisher Daum. The firm seeks five to six times more testers than in the previous closed sessions, 2P reports. There are also some new Black Desert screenshots making the rounds, and Steparu has details on the beta system requirements. [Thanks buttle!]
Black Desert's next beta dated, new teaser site live
Korean fantasy sandbox Black Desert will kick off its second closed beta on April 4th. Pearl Abyss has put together a new teaser website to mark the occasion, and fansite Steparu.com has re-posted a lengthy gameplay video showing off nearly 10 minutes of footage from the title's first test phase. Click past the cut to have a look.
Here's pretty much everything known about Black Desert
2P has put together a summary post of everything currently known about Black Desert. The open-world fantasy sandbox from Pearl Abyss has secured publishers for Korea, Japan, and Russia, and is reportedly working on an internal English-language client despite the lack of a Western publisher. The summary post features brief descriptions of Black Desert's systems as well as several embedded trailers and gameplay videos including footage of castle sieges, a pigeon-shooting minigame, dynamic weather, and an in-game wiki. You can watch the Black Desert teaser trailer after the break. [Thanks WNxArcticwolf!]
Pearl Abyss gearing up for Black Desert's beta phase two
Steparu reports that Pearl Abyss is giving away 400 Black Desert phase two beta keys on a newly created Facebook page. Unfortunately for you English speakers, both the Facebook destination and the beta are intended for Korean audiences. 2P reports that the beta will run from March 4th through March 16th, and the site is also hosting a pair of gorgeous new Black Desert screenshots.
The Daily Grind: Do you play MMOs that haven't released in your region?
So, Black Desert is coming to Russia. ArcheAge is already in Russia, and China, and Japan, and pretty much everywhere else except the West. Blade & Soul? Eh, it doesn't appear to be coming to Europe or America any time soon, either. I bring all this up because it's irritating and I'm impatient, but I'm also curious as to how many of you Korean MMO fans go the extra mile to play these games despite all the roadblocks. It's not just the language barrier, see. Sure, it can be challenging to download the client and get it installed and configured correctly, but then you've got to deal with IP region-locking, poor performance, and in the case of ArcheAge, a requirement to own a Korean cell phone before you can even sign up for a legal account! How about it, MMO fans? Do you play MMOs that haven't released in your region? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Black Desert heading to Russia, still lacks Western publisher
Can someone in the MMO industry explain to me why Korean sandbox exports commonly head to Russia before they head West? My theory is that Russia and parts of eastern Europe are crazy for simulation-style games, since several great flight sims and military sims originated in the region. Maybe that passion extends to PvP sandbox MMOs like Black Desert, too? I dunno. In any case, Black Desert, like ArcheAge before it, has secured a Russian publisher and has already begun the localization process, according to Goha.ru. Fan site Black-Desert.com provides an interview translation. [Thanks WNxArcticwolf!]
Some Assembly Required: Virtual world roundup for 2014 and beyond
Just over two years ago there was a great disturbance, as if millions (or so) of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Yes, something terrible had happened: a beloved virtual world was destroyed. And that left a number of sandbox refugees looking for a new place to call home. At that time, Some Assembly Required offered a roundup of the then available virtual worlds that could possibly offer accommodation, depending on what qualities players most desired in their games. But as things are wont to, they changed; a lot can happen in the MMOverse in 24 months, from additional features in existing games to new games to the loss of more worlds. So it's time to update this list of virtual worlds to reflect 2014 and beyond. Take a look and see what titles or titles-to-be have the sandbox features that best make a game a home for you.
Black Desert shows off new features for its second beta test
The testing process for Black Desert continues apace in South Korea, and the process of staring at the monitor and speculating continues apace for Black Desert fans who are not actually in South Korea. Luckily, there's a translation available of the game's latest development blog which shows off the new features available in the game's second closed beta test. We've heard about a new region, and now we know about some of the new monsters being introduced as well as a new town. The town is a coastal fishing city known as Eferia, offering players plenty of saltwater fishing opportunities as well as the other services you'd expect from a seaside fishing town. Players will also be facing off against new monsters including what appears to be a dinosaur, a harpy, and... well, that third one isn't exactly clear. Still, it's more new stuff for players to look forward to when the second test goes live. [Thanks to levakd for the tip!]
Black Desert's next closed beta to feature new region
There's a new region coming to Black Desert's second closed beta, according to 2P. The website sources the fantasy sandbox's Korean-language homepage, and more specifically a GM diary that reveals a region called Calpheon. Players will apparently be able to make repair anvils and temporary tents in the region, as well as take advantage of its proximity to the sea to satisy their fishing urges. [Thanks WNxArcticwolf!]
Black Desert's English client is being worked on by Pearl Abyss
Are you eagerly anticipating a release of Black Desert in the west despite the lack of an official publisher or anything similar? There's good news to be had if you're one of the hopeful. Apparently an English client is being worked on by developer Pearl Abyss, reinforcing earlier statements by the company that success and release in the US is very important to the game's long-term viability. The preview screenshots for this client still aren't complete, but it's clear that the game is taking some serious steps towards localization for a non-Korean audience. A global simultaneous launch is unlikely, of course, but if the client is already localized that clears a major hurdle for the game's release prospects. It's not a deal with an existing publisher, but lately that may not have been so reassuring to fans after all. [Thanks to WNxArcticwolf for the tip!]
Some Assembly Required: Is Black Desert the new ArcheAge?
I hate to admit it, but I'm getting over ArcheAge. This sucks because XLGAMES' fantasy sandpark is undoubtedly the most feature-rich MMO since Star Wars Galaxies. But Massively first covered ArcheAge in 2010. I first played it in 2011. And we're rapidly approaching 2014 with absolutely no sign of an English-language client on the horizon! Yeah, Trion famously signed on to distribute the game to western audiences last January, but since then we've heard a whole lot of nothing about how the translation is progressing. Hell, we don't even know if it is a translation as opposed to some ill-conceived "westernization" waste of time. And maybe the MMO gods will strike me down for jumping off the bandwagon. Maybe Trion will make me look a fool by announcing a beta date of some sort later this very afternoon. If so, that's OK because Black Desert is looking just as good, if not better.
Still more Black Desert beta vids, PvE impressions
Steparu is still playing this week's Black Desert closed beta, and fortunately for all of us on the outside, that means more gameplay videos and commentary. Today's focus is leveling and PvE, the latter of which is apparently lacking due to the pedestrian questing system. Steparu says that there are no dynamic events, though there are main story quests that become available at various points throughout the level range. The article also touches on PvP and what appears to be a button for opting in or out of the game's open-world free-for-all system. Click past the cut for the videos, including some HUD-free Archer and Sorcerer combat, and don't forget to read the full impressions piece behind the links below.
Black Desert's open PvP detailed
Steparu's back with another look at Black Desert's Korean closed beta test. This time the focus is on guild-vs.-guild events and PvP. There's the usual video content as well as an accompanying article which mentions the game's seamless open world and it's open-world PvP. While the systems are subject to change given that this is an early beta test, Steparu says that right now Black Desert's PvP is pretty unforgiving due to its free-for-all nature and the possibility of item and XP loss. Click through the links below for the full article, and don't forget the videos after the cut. [Thanks bdo!]
Black Desert's beta housing system detailed
Hey look, it's more Black Desert beta stuff! Steparu has posted part two of a lengthy impressions piece for the sandbox title, the second portion of which focuses exclusively on player housing. As it stands right now, the system is limited to auctioned houses that are hard -- or at least expensive -- to obtain. There is no player-made housing in Black Desert's Korean closed beta just yet, so expect to spend time jostling with lots of players clustered around the auctioneer NPC if really want a home of your own. Steparu has posted plenty of both interior and exterior housing screenshots as well as a video tour which you can see after the break.
More Black Desert beta vids, this time with parkour
As we reported earlier this week, Korean fantasy sandbox Black Desert has gone into beta. Steparu has published part one of an extensive preview including both a hands-on article and a series of lengthy high definition gameplay videos. The clips show everything from combat and group play to exploration and dungeoneering. There's also an extensive look at the game's climbing and movement system. Steparu says that "it's not exactly Assassin's Creed style, but it does come close to it." See for yourself via the embeds after the break.
