We get it. It’s an MMO. It can be overwhelming. But follow the below tips and tricks on getting started in New World and you’ll find firm footing from which you can begin your character’s journey across the mystical, dangerous, and fascinating land of Aeturnum.
New World tips and tricks:
Stay in the starting area while you learn the basics Understanding equipment and inventory weight Try every type of weapon as soon as possible How to travel quickly across Aeturnum Learn how Factions and Territories work
Stay in the starting area while you learn the basics
You’ll begin your journey in New World in one of several low-level starting locations: you’ll be in either Everfall, Firstlight, Monarch’s Bluffs, or Windsward. Here you’ll be taught some of the basics of the game and sent on a few starting quests to help you get to grips with fighting, gathering, crafting, and upgrading your character’s core Attributes. I’d recommend you stay in this starting territory for a while before moving elsewhere, because despite its dangers it’s still a relatively safe space where you can learn new skills such as how to fish or how to set up camp. There are also likely to be various spots near where you begin your game where you can gather early-game resources such as Turkeys or Fiber from Hemp Plants.
Understanding equipment and inventory weight
Like many other RPGs, New World places a weight limit on your gear and items in your inventory. This weight limit for the number of items you can hold can be increased, but it means that you’ll likely need to look into selling unwanted items or storing them in your Storage Shed (an in-world building which you can access from any settlement). Another key thing to understand is that there are also weight restrictions imposed on the armour that you are wearing, and you can see this illustrated by the vertical bar next to your armour slots in the inventory. The game adds up the total weight of your character’s armour and shield, and then designates your overall gear as either Light, Medium, or Heavy. Depending on this equip load level, you’ll gain different benefits and drawbacks in combat:
Light: Roll dodge, +20% damage bonus Medium: Sidestep dodge, +10% damage bonus, +10% crowd control Heavy: Slow sidestep dodge, +20% crowd control, +15% blocking
Try every type of weapon as soon as possible
There are no classes in New World, so you aren’t limited to particular weapon types. There is a total of 11 weapon types in New World: the Sword, Rapier, Hatchet, Spear, Great Axe, War Hammer, Bow, Musket, Life Staff, Fire Staff, and Ice Gauntlet. Each weapon has different combat styles, strengths, and weaknesses, and draw from particular core attributes such as Dexterity or Intelligence. Seeing as you aren’t confined to any particular one, I’d strongly recommend you obtain one of each type of weapon as early on as you can so that you can try them all out and see which style you like the most. The earlier you do this, the earlier you can start upgrading the right attributes, and also upgrading your mastery over that weapon, unlocking skills and perks relating to that particular combat style.
How to travel quickly across Aeturnum
New World takes place on Aeturnum, a giant and fantastical island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a place filled with quests, dangers, and opportunities - but unfortunately they’re all rather spread out, and you’ll spend a lot of time travelling from place to place as well. There are no mounts on Aeturnum, so I’d recommend you learn about using Azoth and take advantage of the New World fast travel options as quickly as possible.
Learn how Factions and Territories work
Aeturnum is split into several different areas known as Territories, and the various Territories are home to the three Factions of New World: the Covenant, Marauders, and Syndicate. You can only choose to become part of one particular Faction, so you’ll have to choose carefully between them, because they will influence which side you fight for when you start to delve into the late-game PvP side of New World, which revolves around conquering enemy Territories in massive PvP battles. You may therefore want to communicate with your friends which Faction you’d all like to join. Read more about playing alongside allies with our guide to playing with friends in New World. The other thing to know about Territories is that some are naturally more dangerous and filled with higher-level enemies than others. You can see from the map in-game which areas are likely to be too much for your character by checking the recommended level of that area. Some sections of the map even suggest you reach (or at least get near) the New World level cap before attempting to survive there, so always make sure you’re ready before wandering into a new Territory. That should be enough to answer the common questions of newer players and get you started on your character’s path to greatness in New World. If you’re looking for more New World content to get you started, why not check out our suggestions for the best New World character builds?
