Summary
Unlike other MMOs where a player’s choice during character creation usually focuses on class choice and server choice,Black Desert Onlinealso pays attention to whichStarting Zoneplayers choose for their specific character. Due to the number of classes available to players and the rather extensive lore of theBlack Desertstory, a Starting Zone determines just how deep into either the story or gameplay a character could get.
However, despite the game offering three Starting Zones, the player’s choice can have a large impact on their overall gameplay experience depending on their method of progression. In this regard, just whichBlack Desert Onlinestarting zone works for their needs?
Access Ancient Stone Chamber Faster
Keep The Seasonal Character
Players can go near Nampo Village and dive into the Sea Palace via the whirlpool to the east of Nampo. The far right corner should have a map where players can fast travel to Velia, after which players can retake the path to theAncient Stone Chamber
Can’t Keep The Seasonal Character
Players can delete the character. Before doing this, they can put everything into the Storage and the horse onto the Stable
Non-Seasonal Character
Players can simply ignore the Non-Seasonal Character and create a new Seasonal Character
Players who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of starting in the other zones and getting overwhelmed by the number of things happening around them might feel like they’ve made the wrong Starting Zone choice. For players who spent hours creatingtheir perfect character inBlack Desert Online, the idea of starting from scratch can seem like a total waste of time. Thankfully, there’s a way to go back to Velia to retake their ideal adventuring path.
This method works best for Seasonal Characters who players want to keep. If they started in Eternal Winter, they can head to Nampo Village and dive into the whirlpool to its east. The process takes them to the Sea Palace, wherein a map exists that can take them back to Velia. If they started with a character they can delete, they should first put any valuable items in the account-wide Storage.
Cons
Begin in the newest region in the game
Extremely long quest chain can be overwhelming or even boring for new players
Veteran-encouraged area that lets players catch up to the latest updates in the game’s story and lore
New characters are usually underleveled, undergeared, and underskilled to tackle the new mobs and bosses efficiently
Explore the homeland of the Lahn, Maehwa, and Musa Classes in the new Haso Continent
Difficulty transferring back to the mainland due to lack of proper transportation methods
Unique story mode lets players choose their own progression, with major quests having different endings
Recommended for veteran players is theLand of the Morning Light, the newest Starting Zone that spices things up inBlack Desert Onlinegameplay. At its core, the Land of the Morning Light is also the area where the Korea-inspired Lahn, Maehwa, and Musa Classes have come from. Located in the new region known as Haso Continent, the Land of the Morning Light was teased as far back as the Heidel Ball 2022, with an official reveal in the Calpheon Ball 2022.
The zone itself is a large volcanic island that is relatively isolated from the mainland, which implies that it’s a Starting Zone separate from the activities of the coreBlack Desert Onlineexperience. On top of accessing the Land of the Morning Light as a starting area, it’s also available after unlocking the following conditions:
Recommended For Veterans
Unlike the other two zones, Land of the Morning Light is highly recommended as a veteran-only area due to its inherent isolation from the rest of the game world, to the point where it’s not possible toget to the area via horse. Players being swept into another major story with no other clue of the major events in the main story can make the Land of the Morning Light rather disorienting, especially when players eventually reach this point of the original story anyway.
Moreover, Land of the Morning Light may end up making new characters both underleveled and underskilled, making it much tougher to tackle its series of bosses. Veterans who want a change of pace for their new character may opt for Land of the Morning Light and proceed to their usual leveling zones to make their ideal game builds.
Notable Activities
Upon reaching the Land of the Morning Light, players will eventually find themselves involved in an incident with the NPC Dolswe, which eventually prompts Donghae Warden Lee Duksoo to become the player’s “guardian” during their stay on the island. Players may eventually find themselves dealing with matters separate from the main story involving Illezra the White Witch and the Ancient Relics, eventually getting themselves roped into:
Fully voice-acted and cutscened quests
Cannot do the simplified questline on the Seasonal Character
Relatively short questline compared to the other starting zones
Lack of heavy combat might turn off action fans
Decent storyline references other stories, complete with more digestible lore
Begins after events from Atoraxxion, meaning the story begins in the middle of the main storyline
Packs manageable mobs and bosses that can help players get decent gear, skills, and levels for their characters
Originally a region exclusive to Korean servers in 2021, theMountain of Eternal Wintermade its chilly entrance to the globalBlack Desert Onlineexperience in 2022. Despite its chilling addition of the Frostbite debuff alongside a slate of new regions and unlockables, its storyline explains how the magnificent Golden Mountain had become the Mountain of Eternal Winter after its former ruler had become obsessed with power.
The Mountain of Eternal Winter’s storyline is connected to the mainBlack Desert Onlinestory, although it can exist as its own entity that packs enough content for both newcomers and veterans to enjoy. On top of choosing the Mountain of Eternal Winter as a Starting Zone, players may be able to enter the Mountain via the following conditions:
Recommended For Newcomers, Veterans
At its core, the main appeal of the Mountain of Eternal Winter as aBlack Desert Onlinestarting area has more to do with its digestible story that boasts impressive voicework and cutscenes that make full use of the MMO’s magnificent visual assets. Its relative lack of heavy-duty combat might turn off veterans.
Due to the relative connection of the Mountain of Eternal Winter to the main lore, newcomers who start in this region might miss out on certain story elements available to the Ancient Stone Chamber start. Moreover, the build-up of gear and skillsets to fight Eternal Winter’s challenges may be worthwhile should players begin at the Stone Chamber.
Players who begin in the chilly landscape of the Mountain of Eternal Winter may encounter a winter-heavy zone that’s quite unlike other locations inBlack Desert Onlinegameplay. In this regard, players may want totake note of certain activitiesand elements unique to the area:
Teaches much of the game’s basics for easier progression
Bosses can be overwhelming for new players, especially if they’re unfamiliar with class synergies and boss patterns
Packs a shorter story that condenses the overall Black Desert Online story
Mountain of Eternal Winter’s storyline takes players to the Ancient Stone Chamber (Balenos) anyway
Has a decent mix of story-heavy and combat-heavy sections
May lead to older quest lines that can help players get into the story further
Finishing the story up to Mediah in the same account with a previous character gives characters to skip these parts via Alustin
Considered the original starting point of the base game, theAncient Stone Chamberin Balenos is exactly where the beginning segments of the game continue for new players. Described as ruins protected by tree spirits, visitors of the Ancient Stone Chamber will notice its architecture as more different and far off compared to those of modern times. The Chamber itself contains artifacts and walls with Ancient Language hieroglyphics which, when translated, could gleam relevant insights on the history of the world. It’s rumored that the famed archeologist-adventurer Edan and his companions were able to accomplish this feat.
When players choose this particular Starting Zone, they continue right where they left off in the game’s final beginner cutscene. This sends them straight to the Mediah main questline, where they end their progress in their Level 50s with the “Apocalyptic Prophecy” quest. Given the relative age ofBlack Desert Online, the Ancient Stone Chamber does contain a mixed bag of old-style quests with barely any cutscenes and voiced dialogue alongside flashier modern quests that boast these immersive additives. Should players decide to enjoythe slate of comfortsBlack Desert Onlinegameplay offers outside of combat, then the Ancient Stone Chamber is the most hassle-free among the game’s available starts.
Recommended For Beginners
At its core, the Ancient Stone Chamber provides a decent starting point for players who want “the quintessential”Black Desert Onlinegameplay experience, especially witha PVE-focused Class. The depth of lore present in the MMO on top of its wide variety of gameplay features is best explored through the Ancient Stone Chamber, especially since the game’s content releases are built upon areas explored only after completing this area.
Granted, the Ancient Stone Chamber does have segments where chunks of lore are thrown at players regardless if they want to learn Desert Online’s world or if they simply want to engage in the game’s action-packed combat. The only setback Ancient Stone Chamber has for veterans is the length of its story, which is a considerable length that Seasonal Characters may spend a significant time finishing the main questline than seasonal objectives.
Despite the nature of the Ancient Stone Chamber as the basic start of theBlack Desert Onlineexperience, players may be delighted to know that there are specific activities that they can still enjoy with this Starting Zone. Notable activities include:
