Greeting Adventurers!
The Calphe:ON Ball offline event held in Korea was filled with excitement and rewards, not to mention the development plans for 2021.
Here's a recap of new updates to come in 2021 as announced in the Calphe:ON Ball. Let's check them out!
*Please note the dates mentioned are for the Korean server and global release dates may differ.
Node War Revamp
- Just like the improvements announced in the Black Desert Global Labs, the main brunt of the revamps for Node Wars will focus on turning it into a form of warfare where adventurers could expand their territory by conquering and protecting nodes, involving more active combat and bolstered rewards.
- We plan on changing from the current system where Nodes are designated on certain days of the week, to expand to warfare on a regional scale.
Main Server System and Server Wars
- Soon all Guilds in Black Desert will be able to designate one server, out of many, and gain certain benefits from playing in that specific server.
- We’ll make sure these benefits aren’t too generous, so adventurers never feel forced to tie themselves down to one server.
- One of these benefits will be moving between different numbered servers under the same name without any cooldown time.
- We are also developing minor and major contents to tie in with main servers, of which is Server Wars.
- Server Wars is an upgraded version of World Conquest Wars. Once activated, servers will be placed within the camps of Calpheon and Valencia.
- Once every month, or some other preset period, guilds of each camp will either invade the opposing server or defend against the invading camp, leading to a gigantic war.
- Since we plan on developing this content so most guilds will be able to participate, we expect the scale to be much larger than our World Conquest Wars. With more adventurers participating, we will continue developing it so multiple skirmishes will take place in different areas around the world of Black Desert.
- Also, to add a strategic element, we are developing guild campsites and tactical elephants that will serve as headquarters on the front during these local skirmishes.
- Despite the “war” aspect, we don’t want those guilds with mightier battle prowess to use this format to pick fights with smaller guilds, and we are seeking to develop it so that guilds placed in their respective camps will cooperate and protect each other during the war.
- Guilds with stronger members in their ranks would head to the frontlines, while other guilds would strategize with indirect skirmishes or supplying the war effort from the rear. We will do our best to develop this content with the MMORPG format in mind, where adventurers will be able to help each other and receive help from others through means of play that they enjoy and excel in.
- Relating to the Main Server content, we seek to expand it to include PvE or Life skill-based content to encourage competition within server camps.
10 vs 10 Crew
- Unlike guilds, 10 vs 10 Crew is for those adventurers who commit to PvP, and group up with like-minded comrades-in-arms to form a crew to compete against others.
- Crews will consist of 10-person teams (each being a different character) with 3 people in reserve. Regarding the arena, we are thinking of offering a variety of options such as the traditional Capture-the-Flag format or the more Black-Desert style of mini-Seige Wars.
- Also, we hope to host these Crews in a global tournament, like a Champion’s League of sorts, along with plans on implementing a rank system fit for the crew Champion’s League.
- While not solely PvP-related, we would like to address the growing gap in gear levels between adventurers. When the Fallen God Armor was first introduced to the Korean servers, this led to a large demand for Caphras Stones that is yet to be fulfilled.
- As of November, there are countries, like Russia, whose markets are stocked with Caphras Stones, while, at the same time, there is a growing number of countries whose supplies are slowly being depleted.
- We sought to address this issue by providing a variety of new ways to acquire Caphras Stones, but the supply still could not meet the demand, especially since most of these routes involved Life skill content such as Farming. And so, to support our adventurers in their growth, we’ve come up with an entirely new way to obtain these stones.
- First, we’re implementing additional enhancement levels to Blackstar defense gear. After tapping a Blackstar to TET, most adventurers felt weary of trying the low success chance of enhancing PEN, which halted any room for further growth. After this new update, you’ll be able to improve your Blackstar defense gear in several stages. The stats of the gear will increase once you improve your TRI or TET Blackstar gear. You will also be able to tap for a PEN, even after the gear is improved.
- Materials required for improving and enhancing the Blackstar gear will mainly be through the Possessed in Hadum hunting grounds on the special server as revealed in the Black Desert Global Labs. Since this will be the way to obtain the best-in-slot gear, you can be assured that these hunting grounds will be quite the challenge.
- Also, we’ve laid out plenty of ways to acquire Caphras Stones, but we will continue to find more routes for you to acquire them. Specifically, we are planning to have Caphras Stones as a basic reward for PVP contents.
- Once the improved Blackstar gear update goes live, we expect Caphras Stone supply to recover, but if necessary, we are examining means of adjusting the maximum prices on the Central Market.
- Caphras Stones have a direct relationship with the growth of our adventurers. We will continue to make adjustments based on accurate data to provide a better path for our adventurers to become stronger, and thereby help narrow the gap between the gear levels of all our adventurers.
Blackstar Raid
- The true nature of the ominous meteorite floating above Star’s End is none other than the new World Boss itself.
- We plan on adding features to the encounter that will allow adventurers to hit the meteorite, which will continue to spawn Incarnations of Corruption. To take down this boss, adventurers will need to take up different roles and work together. Also, one of the main drops from the boss will be materials needed to improve Blackstar gear.
Epic Quests
- Some time ago, one adventurer on the Korean servers completed the mystical fish content to summon Vell. The mystical fish content was content we felt that we could develop because this was an MMORPG, and we hope to expand in our offering of such challenging contents.
- We hope to maintain the idea that such contents are challenging, so upon completion, the partaking adventurers will feel great in their accomplishment and be well-deserving of their fellow adventurers’ praise.
New Region: Mountain of Eternal Winter
- The new region is the home of the Guardian, it is a place buried in winter all year long.
- Due to the frighteningly cold weather, the region is susceptible to sudden snowfall, which will require adventurers to light a fire or seek shelter, lest they risk a frigid death due to hypothermia.
- Only Guardians who hail from this region will have resistance to hypothermia, while Shais can use buffs to protect their allies and themselves from the cold.
- In the image above, we see the Okjinsini who reside on the Golden Mountain, one of two new hunting grounds located at the Mountain of Eternal Winter. The “Okjin” in Okjinsini means “Snow,” and they boast both large physique and strength as masters of the mountain. Adventurers will face them head-on in one-on-one bouts.
- Second, we have the Murrowak Labyrinth, where you will find monsters inspired by pill bugs you may have encountered during your childhood. While their appearance may be akin to the pill bug, they’ll display behavioral patterns like ants, especially in how they live in deep holes beneath the mountain.
- If adventurers achieve certain conditions in each of these “ant” holes, the queen’s nest will be activated. While fighting the queen, countless Murrowaks will flood in from all corners, and we expect this fight to be truly chaotic. However, defeating the queen will award you with loot befitting the challenge.
- Also, here at the Mountain of Eternal Winter, the Golden Dragon lays in slumber. Expect the raid to show mechanics you’ve never seen before.
- We are developing the Mountain of Eternal Winter update to release next winter.
Hardcore Hunting Ground: Terror of the Deep Sea
- Since a person can only run through the same location so many times before getting bored, we decided to create a hardcore hunting ground, starting with the Terror of the Deep Sea.
- This hardcore hunting ground will set you the adventurer to explore the Deep Sea ruins by yourself. We designed the place where the more monsters you kill, the difficulty level begins to climb. Monsters hit harder, or random bombardments, or elite monsters suddenly appearing are some of the ideas we’ve thought of so far.
- You may leave these hunting grounds with whatever loot you pick up, but if you die while in this zone, you will be forced to return with only half the loot you’ve obtained. This will bring more levity to your decision to further remain on these grounds to continue the challenge.
- As the hardcore hunting grounds are being developed with hopes to breathe new life into this content, we plan on placing a 2 week to 1-month time restriction for re-entering the grounds, whether you were killed or left voluntarily. Of course, we will make sure the loot that drops fit its difficulty.
A New, Grandiose Residence, the Mansion
- If you invest some contribution points and achieve certain conditions in a city like Heidel or Calpheon, you will be granted ownership of land in the town and also the property deed for the Mansion.
- You can upgrade Mansions using various materials, and as they'll be quite spacious, you will be able to design the interior however you like.
- Also, we are planning to allow adventurers to customize the exterior of their mansions as well. You will be able to install trees, your very own garden, statues, and/or lighting outside the Mansion. We plan on implementing a whole variety of related furniture, too.
- This is not confirmed as of yet, but we are also thinking of adding a competitive rank system for Mansions. But it will be more than a means to collect expensive furniture. We are considering taking a new approach.
- We will do our best to create a space for our adventurers where they can actualize their artistic ambition and/or desires through the Mansion.
Co-op Dungeon: Ataraxion
- We will be adding a new dungeon for those who want to play co-op with other adventurers, which won’t force those who prefer solo play. The name of the new dungeon is "Ataraxion."
- During the Valencia main questline, you will end up visiting the secret room within the Ancient Stone Chamber where you'll see a big entrance behind the Ancient Guardian. This is the gateway leading to the new dungeon.
- This dungeon is not a separate instance. As an open dungeon, you will be able to meet other adventurers just as you would in the Gyfin Rhasia Temple. It will be much grander in scale compared to the Gyfin Rhasia Temple, as certain chambers and structures of the dungeon will require 3 to 5 adventurers to cooperate
- Unlike the existing hunting grounds, this dungeon will require both long sessions of defeating monsters combined with strategic play, as there will be certain moments where each adventurer will have to play a certain role to complete the dungeon. This will be a uniquely "Black Desert-style” dungeon that will allow any class to complete by the use of mechanics and solving puzzles.
- Also, we are thinking of creating a special role for adventurers with lower AP and DP so that they too can participate in the co-op dungeon.
- As the main conceptual design is based on an ancient temple, you will be facing off a variety of ancient weapons, as we were able to fully flesh out some unique ancient weapon designs and concepts.
- Despite the addition of this dungeon, please note that we will continue to release new hunting grounds that stick to the current solo play model as well.
New Continent: Land of the Dawn
- The Joseon Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of Korea, will be the base of design for the Land of the Dawn, a new continent with central communal areas having ancient palaces designed after those in Korea.
- Here, the hidden stories of Musa, Maehwa, and Lahn, who crossed over to the lands familiar to our adventurers, will slowly unfold within the distinct eastern environment.
We hope you enjoyed the recap of the thrilling development plan for the coming year!
Please remember that the contents introduced above are subject to change in name, schedule, and form.
We will do our best to deliver a variety of updates for the remainder of 2020 for all of you to enjoy together. Thank you!