Probably the most important question in life is: Where are we going?

It goes without saying that we should enjoy the ride, but if one is knowingly approaching a cliff, it's best to make preparations to jump or alter course before the end.

Now, I don't know PA's finances, or stats on how many players they have, and if it's more successful this past year, etc....

All I know is my experiences from the past three complete years I've played.

The first year, 2020, was great.  Not because of the Oasis Event, if any recall that, as I figured that they would get rid of it at any time, which they did an year and a half later.  Too long for such a thing, but whatever.  I tried to play the game as it was made to be played.  It's a marathon, where one pulls himself by his bootstraps and makes himself to be the awesome character that he wants to be.  The first Season occured that summer, and I thought it was very cool.  One had to work hard, but could get a full set of TET Boss gear.  A great stepping stone towards advanced play.  Blackstar had only just appeared, and powercreep wasn't yet insane.  The music was all spot-on and it was amazing.  Combat was addictive, and grinding, although it was a chore, was still fun, if you approached it the right way.  The visuals were breathtaking.  The story.......... humorous, but not well written, or translated, whatever the case may be.  Still, this was supposed to be a sandbox MMO, leaning more heavily on combat, but things at least made sense.

2021, the visuals seemed a little off.  Strange, ugly ptaches could be seen here or there, and though I didn't notice at first, the trees and visual details is the distance disappeared.  The Seasons kept coming, and I felt rushed to get the most out of these limited time events, but things still felt achievable and doable.  All characters looked great, had access to many outfits, Nova, Sge and Corsair were still new, so their lack of unique outfits was understandable, and it seemed that the developers cared about everything that they made.  Yet by this time, some things were being forgotten, as they began squeezing out more content.  Elvia was introduced on certain servers, including my home server, Calpheon 3.  I didn't want to leave, so I tolerated the existance of a very deadly place, where my weaker charctered lived and worked.  I'm glad I hadn't started this year, or I would have been a little terrified.  Towards the end of 2021, I was finally strong enough to do the O'dyllita questline, and Elvia's presence made some sense, although the story didn't intoduce it well.  But, then again, storywriting isn't PA's thing, so I'll let that slide.  The Reboot....... They should have just left the classes alone.  Class balance has never existed, and frankly shouldn't, as they are all different and unique.  They should be fatally weak in one area, and overpowered in another.  That makes each and every class special.  Now, we have Meta, Meh, Forgotten, and Shai.  And it's not improving.  Some classes lost prized skills in this reboot and some meta classes only got stronger, so..... why?  I guess to rekindle interest?  Dang, I was already interested and invested, and I had to rework styles.  Not so cool for me.

2022.  This year began with no winter.  Two weeks of snow and then nothing.  I shrugged, because I knew Mountain of Eternal Winter was coming, so I figured they were hyping us up for that.  More than likely, they listened to the haters of snow and nuked it.  Then, April came.  In IRL, to welcome Eternal Winter, It snowed in my location of the first two weeks.  Pretty funny.  Then on April 13, 2022, a day that would live on in infamy, they fussed with the soundtrack.  One's take on music is subjective, so I'll air my grieviance logically: Who want's to listen to music that doesn't fit the area/situation?  I'll give a few examples:

Kzarka's Shrines: no longer play their theme, just Al'Rhundi's and Muskan's in Serendia, and peaceful region music of Calpheon with one combat track thrown in, for Calpheon's.

The Desert: you'll normally hear Scarlet Sand Chamber, Ancado Coast, and if you're lucky, the Desert theme.

Valencia Territory: Combat music doesn't exist in this game for the most part, only in a couple opening regions will you begin combat and have the msuic track switch to a combat song.  This used to happen all the time, everywhere.  Now, when battling in Valencia, you'll sometimes hear the calm, contemplative Aakman (not Aakman Temple) theme play.  During combat.  And while roaming the arid regions of Western Valencia, you'll occasionally hear the Oasis theme.  In a dry, inhospitable place.

Mediah:  all this region's music is based of the pulse-pounding rock style theme of Season Plus 2021.  It's an Iberian/Middle Eastern region, not Nightclub USA.  The Boss Music here sounds like something depicting an evil Clown Boss from the Nightmare Circus.  I used to think that Mediah had the best boss music.  Not anymore.

Game Themes: Are inserted here and there, with no regard for how if might fit the area.

Battle music in isolated regions, even where there are no enemies, or Boss spawn sites.

PVP theme playing just out side of Florin

Keplan's theme playing in a peaceful Calpheon farm

Valencia music playing in Mediah, (kinda forgivable) not not when it plays in Balenos.

And the Ancient Stone Chamber's music was just updated to having heavy drums pounding, indicating imminent combat, but all you find there is conversation.  Tell me, does that fit the mood?

So, it seems in 2022, the devs have decided that everyone was sick of the music and had to do something to rekindle interest.   I ended up having to mute the music all last summer, and I always have it muted in Mediah.  I used to think that music is what made this game.  Now, it's just a rambling playlist.

April was a bad month, because the developers thought that all characters would and should walk the same, dudes and gals alike.  Hey, PA, men and women are anatomically different and walk very differently.  Musa should not walk like DK, who would not walk like Shai, who might try to emulate Berserker, but could only do it so far.  Now everyone walks like a zombie.  Guess PA thinks we're into that?........

Also, Eternal Winter was released with bugs, that to my knowledge, have not been fixed yet.......... and they came out with Magnus (buggy), and are now doing Land of Morning Light........ I hope they release it Christmas of this year.  I don't want to go to a dead, disappointingly buggy land....

All throughout the year of 2022, people have been battling for Shais' Rights.   Shai was nerfed in June, with no compensation in lifeskilling.  The battle is ongoing.

Lifeskilling was improved, as we do get more bang for our buck, but this is also in reaction to a power creep and inflation event that began late 2021.  The inflation has left many aspects of lifekilling in the dust because the devs seemed more invested in other things.  A lot of content died in 2022....

Towards late 2022, World Bosses had become memes, as no one was fighting them anymore.  But, in the past couple of months, things seem to be turning the other way.

In later 2022, Elvia was removed from the open world and made available to all servers.  By the time this had happened, my home server was almost dead.  I could find people in towns, but not really elsewhere.  I was almost ready to throw in the towel and move to Calpehon 2, which was very alive, because I need to play in a populated world.  Thankfully, Elvia was made its own space and my home is alive as it once was.

They tried with the story in 2022............. They need to hire better writers.  Plain and simple.  Sorry, PA, I love that you tried, but "R" spam is still done by many.

2023.  I feel tired, but I still love playing this game.  The music tortures me, and I have seen aspects of characters I love being reduced to silly implements.  The art in this game was under silent, sutble attack, but fortunately players spoke out and were heard.  We see trees in the distance again.

Magic Crystal "Rebalance" was anything but.  I'm okay with the system, but the balance is not balanced.  

Port Ratt will be destroyed soon.

New classes since Nova only have 2 to 5 unique outfits.

Woosa was released:  I like her.  She's not broken, or too OP, and fun to play with.

Maegu is the favored child of PA.  I probably won't use her until she decends from God-tier to Meta.

Wizard met Dr. Frankenstein.

April is a month away..........

In this refelction, I have set out things that I loved about this game, and for many reasons, I still love it.  This game is my #1.

But shouldn't games improve over time?

Powercreep and inflation have kind of made a mess here.

Art is slowly being sacrificed for convenience and efficieny.

Content is dying, and many amazing aspects of this game are being sidelined.

What direction is this game headed?.........

This is PA's game and they can do what they want with it.  If they are at all listening to players, it's those whose preferences are exactly opposite to mine.

Had absolutely nothing changed from January 2021 until now, I would not be here writing this.  I would be screaming "Black Desert Seventh Anniversary"!

Now, I'm wishing everyone a happy Seventh, and will continue to resist the changes that are ruining my gaming experience, and mildly thanking PA for whenever they do something right.

7000 Pearls a day to 140 people for two weeks?  PA, you're generous!  I like that about you!

But you're stubborn and have strange ideas about what's good for world immersion games.

But, you seem to be continually invested in this game, so I shall remain as well........ 

Peace.

Happy Seventh Anniversary!