Black Desert is an MMORPG that has come an extremely long way since its initial release in 2014, with developers Pearl Abyss continuing to update the game even to this day with it now being packed full of items, weapons, quests, and plenty of activities to try out once players have finished creating their character.
While it's never a bad thing to see a game be provided with so much post-launch support from its developers for so long, it does also make it very easy for new players who are jumping into the experience for the first time to become a little confused on the best ways to navigate the game, which is certainly the case with Black Desert in its current state.
While the grind to building a character in Black Desert can certainly be long and challenging, there are a few things players should do during their early hours that can make a world of difference when it comes to progression, so it's well worth keeping some of these tips and tricks in mind when exploring the beautiful high-fantasy world that the game has to offer.
7 Become Familiar With The Map
Black Desert Online doesn't do a great job at familiarizing the player with the world they've just been dropped into, and it can therefore be a little tricky to navigate the gigantic map without first becoming familiar with its layout, so it can be worth bringing up an overview of the map and zooming all the way out soon after the player spawns in.
Holding down the right mouse button while moving the mouse will also change the angle slightly to make the map look more 2D, giving the player a clear view of where exactly they are in the world, and where they might want to explore next. It can also be worth clicking on the looking glass at the bottom of the screen to show NPCs on the map, which can make it far easier to get started with some quests.
6 Acquire A Pet
Pets will be able to auto-loot enemy bodies after they are defeated, which can make the game so much less stressful, especially in the late game when acquiring Silver becomes more of a tedious task. Many pets can be obtained from the Pearl Shop, essentially a store that runs off Acoins, which are purchased with real currency.
However, players don't need to spend their own money to acquire a pet if they don't want to since there are also a few free pets that have been added to the game that can be retrieved by completing the necessary quests. These can be found by opening up the Quests window and then clicking on the Suggested tab. Scroll over to the quest line titled "(ADV Support) Pets, Loyal Companions," and a list of quests and their rewards will appear underneath.
5 Join A Guild
Joining a Guild in Black Desert is very easy, but it's also worth doing since it can provide some incredibly useful buffs that can make the early game a lot more forgiving. To join a Guild, simply open up the Guild window and then send an application to any Guild that has free space to join.
Not only will this grant the opportunity to participate in Guild Missions, which can net the player a tremendous amount of Silver and EXP in barely any time at all, but there are also Guild login rewards and organized PvP events that are all great to take advantage of early on. Added to this, being a part of a bigger social group of players also helps to make the game feel a lot less intimidating, especially since most of them are very willing to help out new players so long as they aren't a Guild dedicated to trolling or griefing.
4 Expand The Inventory
It doesn't take long before the limited inventory space granted to the player at the beginning of Black Desert is completely filled up, especially considering many fans can't shake off the habit of picking up everything they see at the beginning of an MMO, just in case there's anything useful lying around that could come in handy later.
Luckily, players won't be stuck with the tiny inventory space for the entire game as they will be able to expand it quite easily by following the main quest, or by buying new slots at the Loyalty Shop. For players who don't want to move on with the main quest just yet, they are still able to expand their inventory by heading over to the Quests window and then on to the Suggested tab where there will be an "Inventory Expansion" questline that the player can start as soon as they hit level 15.
3 Research Houses
Houses in Black Desert aren't only for relaxing and hanging out with friends as they can also be incredibly useful for storage, alongside also acting as a personal workshop to create brand-new items and weapons. Having a house also allows the player to acquire workers who will be able to collect resources, freeing up a lot of time that can instead be redirected toward the main quest.
While some of them can definitely be pricey, this largely depends on the type of house the player wants to buy, and whether they want it to only be used for storage and residence, or if it's going to be something a lot bigger such as a carpentry workshop or even a safe asset management bank. It can be a very good idea to research houses as soon as possible to know exactly how much each house is, and how much silver should be put aside to finally acquire one.
2 Make Use Of Campsites
After completing the "(ADV Support) Start of Camping" questline, players will be able to use a Camping Tool to summon a campsite, which is incredibly handy when out in the field. Once a campsite has been raised, the player will be able to buy potions, repair gear, and store loot that saves having to travel back to the nearest town
The quest line to acquire the Camping Tool is only three quests long and can be fully completed in just a few minutes, but it's better to finish it sooner rather than later since campsites will start becoming much more effective the tougher the enemies get and the easier it becomes for gear to degrade.
1 Obtain A Fishing Rod
In most MMO games, fishing activities simply serve as peaceful pastimes that don't usually reward the player with much for their efforts, but in Black Desert, players are able to fish when they are AFK, and considering the fish sell for a decent amount in this game, it's a great way to rack up silver without even playing. Obtaining a fishing rod is actually very easy, but it's worth keeping in mind that the starter rods won't be able to be repaired or enhanced, so while they'll do the job, it can be worth looking into crafting some upgraded rods in the future by using the Tool Workshop.
An Old Fishing Rod with 10 durability can be made using a single log at a level 1 Tool Workshop, while regular ones that are a little more long-lasting can be bought from fishing vendors for 500 silver. If a player doesn't reel in a fish after 3 minutes have passed since it took the bait, AFK fishing will be activated and the game will catch it automatically. Just make sure there's plenty of space in the inventory before doing this so that the maximum amount of fish can be collected.
Black Desert is currently available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series S and X, Xbox One, and PC.