Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Black Desert Online is an MMORPG experience that blends the traditional level, loot, and gear aspects of the genre with nontraditional mini-game like sub systems, many of which could be an entire game on their own. One such system are Nodes, which play out similar to the trade routes and unit management you would typically find in a 4X game. Read our guide below to get started.
Find more Black Desert Online guides on Gameranx:
Understanding Nodes
Nodes in Black Desert Online are locations on the map that you can invest contribution points into. If you invest into two adjacent Nodes they will become connected and form a trade route. This will allow you to instantly travel between them at a reduced price, as well as opening up full priced trading.
Activating Nodes will also allow you to invest energy and workers. Workers are the main benefit of Nodes. They will gather resources for you and drop them off at the region warehouse. Investing energy into a Node will give you bonuses in that particular region of the map. They could be higher resource gain or even more loot from enemies.
Node Types
Location Nodes are Nodes that you can invest contribution points into to benefit your character in some way.
Resource Nodes are Nodes that you can send workers to gather resources or make investments for you. Resource Nodes belong to Location Nodes, and purchasing lodging in the parent Location Node will allow you to assign workers.
Location Nodes
- City
- Connection
- Danger
- Gateway
- Town
- Trading Post
- Village
Resource Nodes
- Farm
- Forest
- Investment
- Mine
Connecting Nodes
To connect any Node you first need to discover that location. This is done by visiting the Node Manager NPC in person. Any City or Town that you visit will automatically be activated without needing a contribution point investment.
While speaking to the Node Manager NPC select “Node Managemenet”. This will open up a very detailed screen showing the benefits of activating the Node you are currently at, as well as any neighboring Nodes. Location Nodes that are available to be connected have a white line between them, while Nodes that are currently connected will have a yellow line. Activating a Node that is neighboring another active Node will automatically link the two.
Nodes can be deactivated at anytime from anywhere in the game. You will receive a full refund of your invested contribution points with no penalty.
Leveling Up Nodes
You can level up a Node 10 times by investing energy into them. Leveling a node will reward you with more loot from enemies in that area.
Workers
You can hire a worker by contracting one at the worker supervisor in each area. Giant workers are slow workers but their have the greatest stamina. Goblin workers are the fastest workers but deplete their stamina the quickest. And Human workers are a mixture of both.
To put your worker to use, visit the Node Manager and choose the resource that you would like your worker to gather. You can only assign one worker to each node so put your best ones on the resources that you want the fastest.
Workers have a stamina bar that determines how many times they can gather before needing to rest. Stamina bars can be refilled by providing your workers food. The simplest way to accomplish this is to have some of your workers gather potatoes and create beer with them. All that is left to do is click the recovery button and your workers will get back to work.
