Reading about Black Desert's new game mode, War of the Roses, it feels like the next evolution of World of Warcraft's legendary Alterac Valley, a massive battle, 40 players to a side. Despite some issues with faction balance and toxic turtling, it remains a beloved fixture of early WoW PvP. With War of the Roses, it seems as if developer Pearl Abyss has asked themselves "what if we did Alterac Valley, but made it even bigger"?
The game mode is 300 vs. 300. Yes, this galactic battle of anime-inspired MMO brutality features six hundred players at a time vying for fabulous rewards and PvP glory. The first season of the new mode starts today, July 14, and it's bound to be a bloodbath.
If it sounds complicated, that's because it is. With 300 players on each side, a massive battle map, naval combat for flanking maneuvers or shore bombardments, destructible war machines, minibosses guarding strategic outposts, and leaders giving out tactical advice and missions in real time, the War of the Roses is… a lot.
Ultimate victory is decided by killing the other faction's NPC commander, found in their home base. If a victor is not determined in two hours, the side with the highest remaining HP on their commander wins.
Those randos will in turn be incentivized to play ball, as completing missions given to them by the Leading Guild will increase their rewards at the end of the battle. The Third Legion will be charged with attacking and holding sanctums, smaller bases along the route to the enemy that give their companions bonuses while controlled.
It sounds like a ton of chaotic fun, but my first thought is about all those poor graphics cards and processors out there. Black Desert's combat is a lot like a fighting game, with timing counters, combos, the whole shebang. I can't imagine a battle with 600 players all trying to unleash fabulous wushu powers on one another resulting in anything but a slideshow, but what do I know. The preseason for War of the Roses has been running for some time now, and players' feedback has helped Pearl Abyss form the final version of the new clash.
The War is an ambitious new direction for Black Desert's PvP. Developers at Pearl Abyss have said that this mode "reflects a new direction for our large-scale PvP gameplay. We wanted to innovate and create PvP content that places an emphasis on the importance of strategy and objectives." If the new mode takes with the community, it could be fertile ground for the sort of MMO player legends we see from time to time, like the most daring white collar criminals of EVE Online. Time will tell.
