New World's introduction of archetypes in the expansion Aeternum has stirred much discussion within the community. At first glance, archetypes may appear similar to the class systems seen in other MMORPGs, but some crucial differences make them unique. Understanding these differences is key to optimizing your character and gameplay experience in New World.
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This article will explain everything you need to know about archetypes, including their importance, how they impact your initial gameplay choices, and why they aren't as limiting as traditional classes. By the end of this guide, you'll have a solid understanding of making the best archetype choice based on your goals—whether you're focused on weapons, trade skills, or aesthetics.
What Are Archetypes?
In New World, archetypes are your initial starting point rather than a permanent class. While many MMORPGs lock players into a class, New World's archetypes are far more flexible, allowing players to switch gear, weapons, and even specializations without long-term consequences. Archetypes determine your starting loadout in the following ways:
Gear and skins: Your starting equipment includes gear with certain aesthetics and functionalities.
Weapon choices: Each archetype comes with pre-selected weapons, which can be swapped early on.
Equip load: Whether your gear is light, medium, or heavy is determined by your archetype.
Trade skill boosts: You receive a 50-point boost in specific trade skills depending on the archetype you choose.
Archetypes Are NOT Classes
Unlike traditional classes, archetypes in New World do not permanently define your role or playstyle. While your initial choices may shape your early game experience, they are not restrictive. You can easily adjust your loadout to fit your preferred playstyle as you level up.
For example, if you start with a heavy-gear archetype but later decide to focus on ranged combat, switching to light gear and ranged weapons is relatively simple. Early on, gear and weapons are easy to acquire, meaning you are not locked into your initial loadout.
Loot Biasing and How It Affects Your Gear
One unique system in New World is loot biasing, which plays a role in the type of gear you receive. From level 1, loot biasing tries to give you items that match your current loadout. If you're wearing heavy gear, for example, the system will try to provide you with more heavy gear. However, removing your gear and weapon before looting chests can easily bypass this system. Doing this will prevent loot biasing and increase the chances of finding gear outside of your current archetype.
If you're planning to switch playstyles—from a melee-focused soldier to a mage—removing your heavy armor and weapons before looting will help you acquire the lighter gear and mage-oriented weapons you need.
Weapons and Gear by Archetype
Choosing an archetype based on weapons can give you an initial advantage, but the game's flexibility means you can change your setup quickly. Here's a brief overview of the starting weapons and gear for each archetype:
Soldier: This type starts with a sword and shield, a hatchet, and heavy gear. It's designed for tanking but can deal decent damage with a switch to lighter gear.
Destroyer: Comes with a greataxe, Warhammer, and medium gear. It's geared toward bruisers and excels in large-scale PvP, though it's not optimal for solo leveling.
Ranger: Equipped with a bow and spear and medium gear. Many players prefer switching to light gear for more mobility, and the Rapier is often a favored off-hand weapon.
Musketeer: This long-range class starts with a musket, rapier, and light armor. It's a sniper-type playstyle, staying at a distance and picking off enemies before they can get close.
Occultist: Starts with a fire staff, ice gauntlet, and light gear. This is your traditional ranged mage, specializing in elemental attacks.
Mystic: Equipped with a void gauntlet, life staff, and light armor, making it a healer archetype. With a void blade, this archetype can also perform well in PvE.
Sword Bearer: Starts with a greatsword and blunderbuss and heavy gear. The combination is cool-looking but not always practical for leveling. Switching to lighter gear is recommended.
Trade Skills: The Long-Term Value of Archetypes
While weapons and gear are important, trade skills can have a longer-lasting impact on your gameplay. Each archetype gives you a 50-point boost in specific trade skills, which can be a significant advantage for early-game crafting and economy building. Here's a breakdown of the trade skills you receive based on archetype:
Soldier: Weapon smithing, mining, and smelting. These skills are valuable for making money, especially early on when crafting weapons is in high demand.
Destroyer: Armoring, skinning, and leatherworking. These are essential for crafting bags, a highly competitive and lucrative market early in the game.
Ranger: Engineering, logging, and woodworking. This archetype is focused on crafting tools, which will also be in high demand.
Musketeer: Armoring, harvesting, and weaving. These skills are valuable, especially when crafting cloth-based gear.
Occultist: Jewel crafting, mining, and smelting. This is one of the most valuable trade skill combinations, especially if you want to focus on crafting powerful jewelry.
Mystic: Arcana, harvesting, and weaving. These skills are crucial for crafting potions, which are always in demand throughout the game.
Sword Bearer: Cooking, fishing, and leatherworking. While cooking is useful, this combination of trade skills may not be as immediately profitable compared to others.
Choosing your archetype based on trade skills is often a smart move if you want to build up a strong economic advantage early in the game.
Gear Progression and Relevance
While each archetype provides you with additional gear as you progress through the storyline, it's important to note that most of this gear will quickly become obsolete. New World allows players to rapidly increase their gear score to 700, meaning that early archetype-specific gear will likely be outdated within a few levels. Please don't base your archetype choice solely on the starting or storyline gear, as its relevance diminishes as you advance.
Flexibility Above All
New World's archetype system offers players a high level of flexibility, unlike traditional class-based systems. Whether you're focused on weapons, trade skills, or aesthetic preferences, New World allows you to adapt and change your character's specialization without penalty. This flexibility is one of the game's greatest strengths, making it possible for you to switch playstyles and roles as you progress.
Remember that everything can be adjusted later on, no matter which archetype you choose. Your choices at the start of the game don't define your entire journey in New World, allowing for a dynamic and personalized gameplay experience.
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