For example, PA reiterates that it plans to reverse its stance on nerfing and buffing (it will nerf stuff from here on out that deserves it rather than succumb to powercreep philosophy). The Musa and Ranger in particular are getting buffs, too. The studio is also working on making the militia system more efficient and player-friendly, to simplify the UI, to craft better patch notes, and to optimize the game client – something players tired of downloading massive files every other week will surely be happy about.
“We dramatically changed our data storage/compression methods and removed all resulting nullified data,” Kim explains. “Based on Korea, the download has decreased to one-third the time it required before. While it does depend on the local network, we expect it to decrease with a similar degree in the NA/EU region as well.”
It won’t surprise you to hear that Kim believes a solid MMORPG can and should run for a long time.
“Black Desert Online is very important to us, and we want BDO to last for another 20-30 years. We will continue to improve the gameplay environment, as we accumulate knowledge, and our technology improves. Recently, we released information on the graphic remastering we are currently working on, and hope to release next year. This is only one of the tasks we will use to improve the gameplay environment.”
The comments echo those made by PA executives during its IPO press conference in September, when they argued PC online games have “an extremely long life cycle,” on average between 10 and 11 years.
Meanwhile, Black Desert announced that the brand-new-to-us Mystic class will be awakening at the start of the new year.
“The Mystic, will Awaken on January 3, 2018. Begin the new year with a set of water-based skills as the Mystic gains the ability to channel the force of the ocean in combat. […] Having joined Black Desert Online’s roster last week, the Mystic is an agile fighter who specializes in fast-paced martial arts techniques. With the help of her Awakening Weapon, Cestus, her blows take on the power of rushing waters. Pierce through your enemies using Spiral Torpedo, pull your foes into an orb of water with Dragon’s Rip or send them flying with Tidal Burst. Players can begin the Awakening Quest starting January 3 after regular maintenance if they have reached level 56 with the Mystic.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6CM6yPzxAw&feature=youtu.be
