TLDR: Some FAQ for new players about what we do every day

If you're a new player, give this post a read as it may help you to understand some basic stuff about the game.

What is this game about?

This game is about what you want it to be. It's a long grind or a casual grind, you set up your own goals, you choose when to play it, you decide what to do and for how long. It's an amazing time killer or a second job. At the end of a playing session you will always feel you couldn't do all you wanted to do, there is just TOO much at stake. You could grind monsters for hours, lifeskill for whole days, the only limit is your time. This is why is very important to rationalize your activity and optimize your time as much as you can. Black Desert Online is a very long-term game, years-long actually. Many gameplay decisions along the way can influence your progress towards the "end".

Will I be able to catch up with veterans?

Is a frequently asked question, and you really shouldn't bother with "competition" doesn't matter how much progress you are. This game is a marathon but the road isn't flat, there are up and downhills. When you start you'll easily and steadily progress downhill until a certain point, where you'll meet the rest of the "average" players. There the road is flat, progress is still achievable in a reasonable amount of time. If you keep running toward the end of the road you'll soon start to run uphill. Your progress will slow down and they will be extremely time-consuming, this is what we define "soft cap". If you can handle going past it, by panting and sweating into this now extreme uphill road you'll reach the "hard cap" literally the highest and harder to get the goal.

But rushing into the extreme hard cap is not something you should do. The game is constantly evolving, and the road is always changing shape. What today looks unachievable and extreme it's usually made easier after some time. BDO catch-up mechanics are really strong. A small example of this is the gear progression system; 4 years ago being 245 AP(Attack Points) was a dream, today is the normality. As well as the levels, years ago level 60 was hard, today level 61 is really easy.

Is this game good for casuals?

Yes, it is, you can jump into the game, play a couple of hours and log off. However, the game really benefits from your playtime (and your daily login), the more time you give the easier you progress, until a certain point of course. There are many things a casual can do, since the game doesn't have a real goal, you can enjoy the lifeskills, the exploration, and the AFK activity as well.

Is this game pay to win?

It's up to you to decide this. The game offers many convenience items which are quite useful the more you progress. In the beginning, it does absolutely no pay to win, you can play for the first couple of months without the need for anything from the shop. However if you really find yourself interested you can buy some never-dying items like the campsite, which is really useful for whatever you plan to do. A small piece of advice is to don't hold your wallet too much, some of the most important items are single-time purchases and the earlier you get them, the more you'll benefit from the long term. For reference, I bought my campsite after 8 months of playing, and when I did I wished I had done it earlier.

What server should I choose to play?

 If you're a totally new player you can join the Olvia realm which is a cluster of servers made exclusively for new and returning players. In those servers PvP is disabled and you can roam around and learn the basics. Seasonal servers are where you should grind, they offer amazing progression. Absolutely don't play in normal servers, you grief yourself if you do.

What character should I choose to play?

At the very beginning, you should choose something "inspiring" to you, something you like at first sight. Don't follow meta and don't ask people to choose for you. All the characters are viable at the beginning and their differences really start to be important in the very late game. However takes months or years before you need to specialize different characters for different tasks, and this is when you typically come back in this subreddit and ask for advice. I always recommend Guardian as a first character, because she is pretty easy to learn and safe to play, but in the end, just follow your heart and choose what you like.

I just started, what do I do?

Log into a seasonal server or Olvia server, follow your main story quest, and get used (slowly) to how things work. Press (T) to auto-path between quests and you'll be soon enough dressed in quest gear. Don't grind in those low-level areas, those monsters are just questing fodders. You can start to have a taste of grinding in areas like Polly Forest or Bashim base, which you will eventually discover if you progress with the main quest, those two areas are an example because you can easily grind there with the gear you'll get for free. Get used to what is the black spirit and with the UI elements, don't worry if it looks complicated it has been like this for everyone, take it easy.

I'm level 61, I'm done with the season, what should I do?

You start to work towards your personal goals, which can be getting better gear, do lifeskills.. or AFK till the end of time. There is no real "what should I do" because you do what you FEEL you want to do.

Can I play with my friends?

Black desert is not the best game to enjoy playing with friends, we have grinding spots suitable for party grinding, and we have one dungeon (which is getting expanded soon) But that's it. Multiplayer is possible but the single-player experience is way bigger.

How is the PvP in this game?

It's fast, flashy, and quite complex for a new player. Takes practice to get used to what skill do, and especially when is the right time to use them. The PvP is enjoyable when it works. However, in the late game, it's a one-shot combo festival. One vs One fights are mostly gear-based, fights within the same gear range are class dependant (some characters really do well in 1 vs 1) and massive Guild vs Guild/siege fights are AoE festivals.

There are more questions for sure, but I hope this may be of help to someone. This game is huge, takes time to get used to it.

Great guide man. Exactly the way I was thinking, when I came to BDO years ago. Everybody should see it.

I like how the poster has to use carefully chosen wording to explain that this game literally has nothing to do and you have to trick yourself into thinking there is. I specially love the part where the recommendation is not to play with friends in an MMO. Not the poster's fault, this game is just empty of any sense of progression unless you trick yourself into making one.

I very much disagree, personally I feel like this game is ALL about the sense of progression, if you're good at setting goals for yourself this game will keep you playing daily (not necessarily for 8+ hours, that's too much and most people don't have time for that) for months, maybe years. It's a great game to play casually and reach your goals over time, but I don't recommend trying to rush to end-game to compete with the best players, that's when the game can get soul-crushing and very pay to win. It's a great MMO to spend some time daily, only thing is I wish it had more multiplayer content.

Thank you very much for the informative article.
I'm new to this game and every source of information is worth its weight in gold to me. Maybe some other tips will be?