The BDO August Update continues the progression toward a purely AFK game. On it's initial release it had an energy system similar to Archeage. This allowed limited tasks including cooking, gathering etc. At some point the energy was removed so tasks such as cooking/processing could be done nearly infinitely. There where weight limits, but it was a huge step towards AFK progression which also includes worker empires.
This AFK progression was controversial and those who did not AFK 24/7 where really losing out. You're workers didn't continue and you gained far less energy. You essentially lost millions of profit every day.
The AFK was about money/silver in the beginning. Then it was announced an AFK way to Level Your Characters. It was only a matter of time before this would become the Meta. The original release was to expensive to level this way, but Pearl Abyss put it on the table. Level Via AFK.
The current update is another step in the AFK direction. It adds new ways to AFK level.
- If you use the Book of Training in your Inventory (I), a Book of Training buff icon will appear on top of your screen.
- While Book of Training buff is in effect, you can Interact (R) with the scarecrows of each town to proceed with the training.
- There are different number of scarecrows positioned in each town,
but please keep in mind 1 scarecrow can be occupied by 1 adventurer at a
time.
It's a sloppy implementation as well. It's like a test release which people have already pointed out makes people practically wait in a Scarecrow Que for use. No serious developers would implement such a poorly designed system.
The bigger picture is the real problem. Being able to AFK progress your way through the game puts it in a category of AFK mobile games. If you have been following the podcasts you should be well aware of what that means.
This just isn't the right direction for a game which still has one of the best combat systems of any current MMO.
Comments
I set my character up carting goods between two settlements and left them doing it overnight. Came back to it in the morning and thought.. that just cost me loads in electric because they extended progression to require this idiotic type of thing. I did it once and uninstalled afterwards.
It is completely unnecessary. There is not one purpose it serves other than to increase concurrent login numbers and punish those that don't do it.
I can't understand why anyone accepts it.
This is the prime reason I will never play a game with this mechanic. It's not good for your machine either.
The only problem is that it annoys those who want the decline of the game, because it pushes people to stay logged for a longer period of time.
It caters to AFK play too much it feels like zombie players doing their own zombie things, I wish their direction after launch would have been different.
Beautiful game, interesting class architypes, fun combat, immersive world. I simply think the devs dont know what to do with this game. Instead of building on what makes it great, and adding meaningful content and endgame, they want afk to progress.
Give this game to another developer and let them recreate it like what happened with FFXIV.
BDO could then become a real game worth playing.
Until then, it'll be a shining example of a game with amazing potential and developer incompetence.
I've got the straight edge.
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