Crimson Desert: Patches and Continuous Improvement
The action, open world RPG Crimson Desert has been patched five times since it launched on March 19th and there have also been multiple hotfixes. At first glance this isn’t anything unusual. New games have bugs and issues arise once a game is released and played across a much wider variety of hardware than in QA testing. However, if you read the patch notes that accompany these sizeable downloads it quickly becomes apparent that developer’s Pearl Abyss are not just addressing bugs and software glitches. They are actively engaging with their player base and responding to suggestions and requests from that community. Although this is not a unique approach, what is surprising is the speed and quantity in which these player driven changes are happening. There seems to be an active ongoing process to refine the game and eliminate some of its “rough edges” and the players are contributing to this process with their feedback.
The action, open world RPG Crimson Desert has been patched five times since it launched on March 19th and there have also been multiple hotfixes. At first glance this isn’t anything unusual. New games have bugs and issues arise once a game is released and played across a much wider variety of hardware than in QA testing. However, if you read the patch notes that accompany these sizeable downloads it quickly becomes apparent that developer’s Pearl Abyss are not just addressing bugs and software glitches. They are actively engaging with their player base and responding to suggestions and requests from that community. Although this is not a unique approach, what is surprising is the speed and quantity in which these player driven changes are happening. There seems to be an active ongoing process to refine the game and eliminate some of its “rough edges” and the players are contributing to this process with their feedback.
As of today, 11th April, the latest patch upgraded Crimson Desert to Version 1.03.00. This included some very interesting changes and improvements to the game. The option to hide various weapons from being displayed on your characters back was a welcome addition. As were settings to customise the in-game camera’s behaviour. This has been a major issue for players when trying to manipulate objects using the Axiom Force ability. Teleportation via the Abyss Nexus has been refined, allowing the player to do so while mounted, falling, swimming or climbing. Cut scenes can now be fast forwarded through, as opposed to just skipped. There are also a wealth of minor quality of life improvements such as font size, improved lighting (especially indoors) and water surface reflection detail. A lot of additional graphical related controls have been added within the game settings. Further details for the latest and previous patches can be found at the Pearl Abyss website.
The developer’s have also published a comprehensive list of features they intend to add to Crimson Desert in the immediate future. Many of these are potentially game changing, no pun intended. The most notable is a difficulty setting for boss fights, something that has been a bone of contention since the game’s launch. Following on from this is the ability to replay boss fights which could be an invaluable practice tool. Another proposed change is the re-blockading of previously liberated regions or fortifications. This would certainly add to the notion of a “living world” and keep players engaged and building their reputation with certain factions. There are also a lengthy list of UI improvements and such as mount and pet menus, a wardrobe system and various storage facilities for consumables and collectibles. Pearl Abyss even have plans to further increase the draw distance and graphical fidelity of the game, which is amazing considering how notable the graphics are at present.
In the past I have seen many developers “talk the talk” regarding a game’s future but totally fail to deliver on the promises they’ve made. This situation with Pearl Abyss seems somewhat different. Some of the specific changes listed in the DEV Update post have already been delivered in the latest patch. This proves that the developer’s are not just acknowledging player feedback but quickly and efficiently delivering the results. At present there is a schedule to implement all the proposed changes by the end of June. This will not only improves the quality of Crimson Desert for those who have already bought the game but offers a great incentive for those who are considering doing so or have it currently on a wish list. In the current climate of underperforming triple A games and studios failing to honour their own roadmap, Pearl Abyss seem to be doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to repairing gamer and developer relationships.
