BDO: the good, the bad, and the ugly?

cheyane

I think that gear enhancement is for PvP. I don't think you need top gear for PvE.

goboygo

Wizardry said:

The entire design is "stupid" and why i quit and left the game sort of bitter.

This team knows absolutely nothing about immersion,every single aspect of the design is kind of automated.
Want to move from here to there,no problem auto travel.Want a quest,no problem your auto devil thingy pops up.Want to enjoy some fishing,no problem go afk and auto fish,your not even playing the game.

Combat is the dumbest i have ever seen and i get miffed by silliness like somersaults but this game takes dumb to a new level.Spin o rama left right left up down left right...NONSENSE.

Mobs predominantly just stand around their own little area and are so closely bunched.

The workers/npc ideas are again more or less automated,you don't actually see any npc's,it is just a small menu.

The game COULD have been decent enough to play but the entire design,like every 5 minutes had me running for the exit.As to PVE only server,IDK THE GAME itself was soo bad i never cared to explore any further,i just wanted out and fast.This was perhaps the first game i ever wanted a refund,i felt like i was that ripped off but was turned down because apparently i signed soem waiver by accepting a free in game pet..lol.

All those things you mentioned I guess are why its so popular with the modern MMO crowd, then add in a cashshop that keeps you from killing people in RL when you attempt to craft end game gear, and Bobs your Uncle.

Personally I agree with everthing you said, it took me about 3 weeks of playing to go what the hell is this?

Maurgrim

Wizardry said:

The entire design is "stupid" and why i quit and left the game sort of bitter.

This team knows absolutely nothing about immersion,every single aspect of the design is kind of automated.
Want to move from here to there,no problem auto travel.Want a quest,no problem your auto devil thingy pops up.Want to enjoy some fishing,no problem go afk and auto fish,your not even playing the game.

Combat is the dumbest i have ever seen and i get miffed by silliness like somersaults but this game takes dumb to a new level.Spin o rama left right left up down left right...NONSENSE.

Mobs predominantly just stand around their own little area and are so closely bunched.

The workers/npc ideas are again more or less automated,you don't actually see any npc's,it is just a small menu.

The game COULD have been decent enough to play but the entire design,like every 5 minutes had me running for the exit.As to PVE only server,IDK THE GAME itself was soo bad i never cared to explore any further,i just wanted out and fast.This was perhaps the first game i ever wanted a refund,i felt like i was that ripped off but was turned down because apparently i signed soem waiver by accepting a free in game pet..lol.

Wrong.

mmolou

BDO: the good, the bad, and the ugly?

The good - Lifeskills
The bad - Combat
The Ugly  - Berserkers

eoloe

BDO is not a bad game, and like all games it is a perfect time waster.

The Hypocrisy

People will tell you bad things about BDO. For example that mobs are just waiting there for their slaughtering. This is true, but this is also true for a lot of old western games that they praise and still play. People will complain about the frustrating RNG gear progression, while at the same time they were very happy (or so they say) to complete the same dungeon 1364 times to possibly get the so desired/required gear!

Grindy MMOs are grindy MMOs. Moreover using the marketplace, one i can entirely skip the enhancement part of BDO.

Personally, I am happy there is no dungeon in this one. I don't mind repetitive content. But I hate repetitive content with unpleasant people.

The Cost

Now I understand the complaints about the economical model. It is certainly very aggressive and a real deterrent. If you decide to play, you may be tempted to spend more than you expect at first. But again, if you played WoW for few years, then you probably spent few hundreds on it.

Some patient and clever people spend just the game price tag. Some spend tens or hundreds. Some are real whales.

Before it was hard to get outfits from the marketplace with silver (the free-in game currency) . Nowadays it is way easier (NA server). You have also pets from quests since few months. If you are a dedicated player, the events allow you to reduce the amount of money you would spend on the game drastically. Overall, most of the important items are more accessible without paying.

However there are still items that are exclusive to the pearl shop, like the ghillie suit.

The Combat

At first I was scared of the combo system but it is not so hard. Some characters (awakened lahn) are really easy. I like the animations on most of the characters. It is exaggeratedly flashy, but at the same time the feeling of power is very satisfying (especially with slow motion effects).

Pvp

I never really suffered from the free pvp aspect of the game probably because being "perma-red" comes with a lot of drawbacks. People though defend their grinding spot. If you don't want to duel, you can change server shard every 15 min or/and change grinding spot.

There is also organized pvp. High level players complain that some characters are really superior to others since a long time (e.g. sorceress, archer).

Do not expect anything fair about pvp in BDO. Gear and level are very important. The only time where the skill enters in play is when these factors are just slightly different.

Again people will gladly using this argument to bash the game while they enjoyed similar mechanics back in the days in other games.

The Goals

It is a sandbox, meaning you set your own goal. But whether your goal is Pvp, gear, lifeskilling or whatever, it often comes down in how you will make money. Finding your own way can take time.  I play the marketplace. Meaning that I try to understand the market and take advantage of it to make money. It took me 4 months to find out (before I was basically questing/grinding). Now I log at least 3 times a day for 5-10 min and earn a steady income. I estimate it at 2.5 billions a month. I should enhance it with farming, but I don't because I don't like it.

Some of my guildmates just grind monsters, some use BDO as high sea fishing simulator, each their own!

The Time

The game is very casual friendly with a lot of afk "activities". Moreover, like most of BDO players say "the game is not a race but a marathon". You should set your deadlines in months and not days. Take it easy. Change focus from times to times or get bored quickly. There is a lot to do.

If you do not like the BDO proposed activities (grinding, lifeskilling and so on), you should honestly switch to a more classical themepark MMO. That might be in fact the most important fact.

The Beauty

The scenery and the characters are delightfully crafted. The depth of field is incredible. Most of the things you see far away, you can reach and visit. Only the limits of the world suffer from invisible walls. There is no loading between zone. It makes exploring this world a real hypnotizing pleasure for the eyes. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful MMO on the market nowadays.

Enjoy!... or not. This game is definitively not for everybody.

Sovrath

Marid said:

I've watched some videos of BDO combat and it's very...visceral. I'm not strictly opposed to that type of twitchy "flamboyant" combat, mind you, but, it is, imo, a bit over the top in BDO.

As for the lack of immersion, I totally understand where you're coming from...unfortunately, my friend, we're dependent on greedy (they have to be greedy, by law, or they could face a lawsuit by their investors for negligence) corporations for our entertainment, and that's not going to change any time soon. Modding could radically change the way we get our MMO entertainment...let's just hope we can make some headway in that direction.

To answer Wizardry's post, you don't have to do anything he said. Yup, that's right.

You can turn off a lot of the interface nonsense. For example, there is this thing that when you approach an npc a circle of light appears around it. If this was more of a space game it could be cool but it doesn't really fit. So turn that off. You can turn off a lot of the announcements, especially market announcements.

You don't have to auto travel. What is nice is that if you want to enjoy the scenery and have to make a long trek (there is very limited fast travel which is done by scrolls) you can set your travel and sit back and enjoy your coffee. OR ... you can just do it yourself. Yup, you don't have to auto travel.

You don't have to auto fish and you will get MORE fish if you do it yourself. More. But if you want to go to the bathroom just get up, leave your character to catch a fish or so and come back and take over. It's just that easy.

Wizardry doesn't understand the idea that this is a game of "style" and "concept." He thinks it's supposed to be realistic but it's not. Most Asian games are this way. Sadly, some western players just can't make the leap. The combat for the new Guardian is so fun I made one just to try it out and was in game for an hour and a half. It's very fun if you find a class you click with.

Mobs are supposed to be closely bunched because you are supposed to be taking on waves of monsters. Again, very visceral. But only if you enjoy fast paced action combat. And ALL MOBS in mmorpg's stand around or move in small areas so that's not a valid criticism.

Wizardy doesn't seem to be a liar so I will say he's ignorant. You DO see npc's working in the game. You might even find your own npc's out and about. I don't know how the game chooses which workers you see but I have passed my own and I have passed other players' workers so they are there.

To your point earlier, there are nooks and crannies you can find. It's one of the more fun ways to play the game. Honestly, at this point the game is so cheap you should just try it. No guarantees you will like it but you won't be out a lot of money. Right now it's 3.99 on Steam.

Mendel

I played BDO when there was a free trial.  It was a pretty game, but devoid of a soul.  The quests were much a predetermined course.  When I strayed off of that path to complete a collection type achievement, I found I out-leveled the area I was in long before I finished my goal.  So, the individual areas of the world gave me the impression that they were for a very narrow level range.  Fight here between level 15 and 17, then move to the 17-19 area.  Be prepared to move around a lot, especially at lower levels.  This all may change at the higher levels, but it felt like my character's life was mapped out by the designers, not by what I wanted to do.

If you're looking for a slower pace, this probably isn't the game for you.  The experience rate was horrifically quick for a progression-based MMORPG.  I may have spent more time leveling up than actually doing anything.

Sovrath

Mendel said:

I played BDO when there was a free trial.  It was a pretty game, but devoid of a soul.  The quests were much a predetermined course.  When I strayed off of that path to complete a collection type achievement, I found I out-leveled the area I was in long before I finished my goal.  So, the individual areas of the world gave me the impression that they were for a very narrow level range.  Fight here between level 15 and 17, then move to the 17-19 area.  Be prepared to move around a lot, especially at lower levels.  This all may change at the higher levels, but it felt like my character's life was mapped out by the designers, not by what I wanted to do.

If you're looking for a slower pace, this probably isn't the game for you.  The experience rate was horrifically quick for a progression-based MMORPG.  I may have spent more time leveling up than actually doing anything.

It does, the leveling gets slower the higher you go.

eoloe

Mendel said:

I played BDO when there was a free trial.  It was a pretty game, but devoid of a soul.  The quests were much a predetermined course.  When I strayed off of that path to complete a collection type achievement, I found I out-leveled the area I was in long before I finished my goal.  So, the individual areas of the world gave me the impression that they were for a very narrow level range.  Fight here between level 15 and 17, then move to the 17-19 area.  Be prepared to move around a lot, especially at lower levels.  This all may change at the higher levels, but it felt like my character's life was mapped out by the designers, not by what I wanted to do.

If you're looking for a slower pace, this probably isn't the game for you.  The experience rate was horrifically quick for a progression-based MMORPG.  I may have spent more time leveling up than actually doing anything.

Gear leveling is the real leveling. Since the Manos update, this is even true for lifeskillers. Reaching 56 for awakening/succession is just some sort of tutorial. You will not level much after that. Max level in NA is 66 (I think). Most people are 61-62.

Yes each area has a definite purpose.

BDO is the perfect slow pace game, each important objective requiring a lot of time to complete.

Want a nice boat? Yes you can buy it from the marketplace. Don't have the silver, work your way to gather it or craft the boat yourself! Both options will consume a lot of time.

I think the game has a lot of soul and it lies in the scenery. Altinova is very different from Calpheon. I like the elven area of Kamasylvia and the streams engulfed in Drieghan's canyons.

However, the void feeling comes probably from the "What do I do next?" due to the sandbox nature of the game. Most of the quests are bland (like in most MMOs) but the lore is rich.

Theocritus

I probably didnt get in as far as most here, only played a month or so and go to level 58

Good: Nice size world, graphics are very nice, very alive world with many NPCs roaming the land, can fish and do some other things offline.

Bad: Extreme grind later in game, combat gets tedious after awhile, melee classes all felt the same, PVP after level 50, the chat could be a bit rough at times.

UGly: I didn't get caught up in the pay to win aspect but heard many complain about it in chat.

Cryomatrix

I havent played it or tried it because it has nothing innovative or revolutionary to get me to try it.

Only MMO type game im playing is project entropia which is an innovative pariah of a game i wouldnt recommend to the faint of heart.

Lord.Bachus

DMKano said:

Right now is not a good time to start BDO - the power gap between a new player and veterans is so huge - its practically insurmountable.

I'd wait for the season servers to be rolled out and then try those - everyone starts at even playing ground without any boss gear or access to billions of silver they have in their banks/storage. So a new player and a 5 year vet will both start at level 1 with zero silver and no gear.

Season servers also promise to have super boosted chances of gear enhancement - which is one of the biggest RNG cancers in the game.

Cant find much info about these season servers
when are they bound to be released?