The addition of the Marni Realms I believe was a positive thing, however its another nail in the coffin of BDOs multiplayer experience. They were added with no corresponding group content. There is not enough engaging and rewarding group content. The addition of the dungeons was a step in the right direction but the loot was put on a weekly lockout. I know almost every other MMORPG has weekly lockouts for group content but those games also have multiple forms of group content that are not on a weekly lockout for example in World of Warcraft the Raids are on a weekly lockout but Mythic Plus dungeons are not. As far as grind spots go there are multiple locations for grinding for you AP/DP but only one meaningful grind spot for group content. I was hoping with the release of LotML more group spots but after its release that hope was a pipe dream. I wanted to play this game with my friends not grind solo in a spot while just talking with my friends. Now we could go do other group spots that aren't as lucrative as Upper Gyfins for a change in scenery but why would we. The game has for years fostered an enviroment that if you are grinding in a spot that does not give the most silver per hour you are actively hurting your progression and wasting your time.

For GvG changes my guild and the multitude of guilds I have interfaced with over the last 5 years have always only used war decs as a way to combat griefing of grind spots. With the removal of one sided guild decs there is no way that I can see to combat karma bombing and spot griefing other than swapping channels. Now if I swap channels then that means the griefer has won. All they have to do is get me to flag up then they take their gear off and I go red. I should not have to abandon my grind spot to a griefer. I was there first, I won the duel, I'm stronger than them, that makes it my spot. Now this could be addressed with some changes to how open world PvP operates in the game. It is my understanding the PA sought to "break the mould" with the design of thier MMORPG but in doing so has made some of the same mistakes other MMOs have already made. A possible fix for this would be consentual PvP similar to that of WoW and New World with an incentive to flag up similar to what is present on the Arsha server. Now you may be asking how does this combat people grinding over you? The same way that WoW has done it, if you tag the mob but someone else kills it you still get to loot the mob.

The changes to the Karma system do not bother me one way or the other, I do believe however that the penalties for being red are far to severe and unfairly punish those who incidentally go red from defending their grind spot. A potential change would one that I have seen in several other thread to a durability penal instead of a down grade or crystal destruction. For some players a crystal breaking or a downgrade is weeks or months of work down the tube because someone karma bombed you then put their gear back on and bodied you. I understand the penalties are steep to discourage perma red players but there are not that many of them. PA has a track record of punishing the masses for the actions of a few (it is my opinion that the karma penalties and pending gvg changes are indeed a punishment).

BDO has slowly been moving to a single player experience and divorcing itself from the MMO aspect of MMORPG. It makes me sad and the lack of group content and negative changes keeps me from coming back to the game even though I desperately want to. I'd like to hear y'alls opinions on the matter and I hope I have conveyed my thoughts clearly.

Edit: These opinions come from the perspective of 700 GS