New World Aeternum New and Returning Players Guide

In the world of MMORPGs, New World by Amazon Games stands out for its unique blend of action-based combat, crafting, and exploration. Originally launched a few years ago, the game quickly amassed a huge player base of nearly a million. Still, the hype fizzled out due to a combination of unfulfilled promises, bugs, and a significant content drought. As a result, the player count dropped dramatically to a few thousand. However, Amazon Games has worked diligently over the past year to rebuild the game from the ground up, making extensive changes, introducing new content, and even porting it to consoles. New World Aeternum is a relaunch that revitalizes interest in the game with new players and returning veterans.

New World Aeternum is more than just a relaunch. It represents a fresh start for the game, offering major updates and changes to appeal to a wider audience. Aeternum is now available on both PC and consoles, allowing players to experience the game across multiple platforms. This relaunch is set to bring back old players and entice newcomers with refined gameplay, updated mechanics, and a more accessible experience.

One of the first decisions players will face in New World Aeternum is choosing an archetype when creating a character. This system is new for both returning and new players. However, it is important to note that the archetype system is not a rigid class system like traditional RPGs. Instead, your combat role is determined by your weapons and armor loadout, which can be changed freely at any time. The archetype only impacts the starter gear you receive, meaning that you can easily switch your playstyle within the first hour of gameplay by equipping different weapons and armor.

In addition to the starting gear, your archetype boosts three trade skills to level 50, a significant starting advantage. Trade skills in the New World Aternum fall under three categories: Gathering, Crafting, and Refining. There are 17 trade skills (or 18 if you count the riding skill for mounts), and while you can eventually level all of them to 250 on a single character, your starting archetype gives you a leg up by automatically boosting three. There's no "best" archetype choice—your decision should align with the types of skills or activities you think you'll enjoy most. Whether mining, cooking, armorsmithing, or hunting, all trade skills are valuable, and none of your choices will lock you into a particular path.

After choosing your archetype and progressing through the onboarding missions, you'll reach your first town, which marks the point where the game really opens up. At this stage, it's crucial to examine the Attributes chart closely. There are five attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Focus, and Constitution. Each weapon in the game is tied to specific attributes, and as you level up, you will allocate points to these stats to boost your character's power. These points enhance your weapon damage and unlock special perks at specific thresholds.

For example, weapons like the hatchet benefit primarily from Strength but also gain a lesser bonus from Dexterity. When selecting attributes, it's important to balance your points based on your primary and secondary weapons. However, New World Aeternum allows you to respec (reassign) your attribute points anytime, making it easy to experiment with different builds during the early game.

As for weapon progression, New World features a Weapon Mastery system. Each weapon type has two distinct skill trees, and players can mix and match skills from both trees. However, fully committing to one tree unlocks a powerful ultimate ability at the bottom, so specialization is often beneficial. Like character attributes, weapon skills can be rerolled at will, allowing you to try different combinations and playstyles. Over time, you can max out every weapon, but for practical purposes, focusing on just a few weapon types is recommended, especially early on.

When it comes to trade skills, players may be tempted to focus on leveling one or two of them early on. However, there's no huge benefit to getting overly focused on maxing out trade skills in the early game. Many items you can craft or gather with advanced trade skills are locked behind level restrictions. Thus, taking a balanced approach is best, leveling your character and trade skills simultaneously. This not only prevents burnout but also allows you to enjoy the diverse activities that New World offers, from gathering and crafting to completing quests.

One of the easiest and most rewarding ways to level up your character is through questing. Quests provide a rich XP source while guiding players to key locations, unlocking fast travel points, and offering useful gear. For the first 30 levels, quest rewards should provide sufficient gear, meaning there's no urgent need to craft or buy equipment early on.

Gear management in New World Aeternum involves more than simply equipping the highest-stat items you find. The game uses a weight class system that affects your combat performance. Heavier armor provides more defense but reduces your dodge capability, turning it into a slow sidestep. Conversely, lighter armor increases your dodge roll and boosts your attack power, making you more vulnerable. Medium armor provides a balanced approach, offering no specific buffs or debuffs.

While experimenting with weight classes early on is encouraged, the choice becomes more important as you approach endgame content, where group roles and specialized builds matter more.

Server selection is another critical factor in New World Aeternum due to its action-based combat system, where latency (ping) can significantly affect your gameplay experience. Choosing a server close to your geographic location is advisable to minimize lag. The game clearly shows which servers offer the best connection, so this decision is fairly straightforward.

For console players, New World Aeternum introduces cross-play between PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. However, there are also platform-specific servers. While these might seem appealing, servers supporting multiple platforms tend to have healthier, more active player bases, so choosing a cross-play server is generally a better idea.

One of the key pieces of advice from the video is to take your time while playing New World Aeternum. There's no need to rush to max level—doing so can diminish the enjoyment of the game. Instead, players should balance their activities between questing, gathering, crafting, and exploration. The world of Aeternum is one of the game's biggest strengths, and part of the joy comes from immersing yourself in its rich environments rather than speeding through content.

Whether you're mining, chopping wood, or engaging in high-stakes combat, the game accommodates a variety of playstyles. Enjoy the flexibility and savor the journey, as reaching the endgame isn't necessarily the most enjoyable part—it's the process of getting there.

In conclusion, New World Aeternum offers a fresh start for returning veterans and new players. With its flexible combat system, in-depth crafting mechanics, and beautiful world, the game provides a diverse range of activities that can cater to different preferences. By following this guide, players can confidently approach the game, making the most of their experience in the ever-evolving world of Aeternum.

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