NW encapsulates the evolution of the western MMO

General Discussion General Discussion
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As clearly shown by a thread titled ‘I’m sorry, this is hilarious’, an unlocked thread discriminating against players prolongingly playing NW.

Now judging by this thread and a couple of others stating, basically, that there is a demographic of the playerbase that they don’t wish to interact with…

it’s now crystal clear who AGS’s target audience is with this product.

The product, NW, boasts an immersive onine chat room where paying customer’s can choose 1 of 3 factions to prove their alligence to a set ideal, after they’ve fought their way out of the beach with a little bit of hack and slash forte.

They are then introduced to more of a clear picture of the ‘World of Aeternum’ after quite a number of NPC and Townboard interactions which sets consumers on a vague path toward an “end goal” and we can only assume that is painting whatever territory a customer likes the sound of in their faction colour.

Once a customer reaches level 60, they have, unbeknowing to them from any in chat systems reached the level cap of the product. Other chat user’s then reference a ‘Watermark’ system, which they advise to be a part of to upgrade their chat avatar, this then involves the customer to “buddy up” with all the factions and enjoy a slightly more challenging chat experience where they have to move from rooftop to rooftop, skipping potential content and making sure that they positiion their cursor and left click toward what’s known as a Priest.

Other activities for the paying customer include a game mode, which takes you out of the chat room ‘World of Aeternum’ to a game called ‘Outpost Rush’.

There is then also what’s known as a ‘Trading Post’ and a storage management system (spread all across this ‘World of Aeternum’ for you to store profile rewards), the customer can then choose to part from their rewards for gold as a currency, this is simply like trading and has in any relation to the competitive systems common on Earth.
Parcitpating in a practice known as ‘Crafting’ is also known restbite, where your chat avatar can increase the quantities of items found on the ‘Trading Post’

Little bit of a summary, and jest I hope you enjoyed, anyway…

TLDR
We’re yet to have a clear picture on the mmo concepts of the ‘World of Aeternum’ , it’s “game systems” aren’t relating to anything which could class itself as one. If someone in replies section would like to chime in on any existance of competitive aspect to the product NW it would be much appreciated.

In the near future, hopefully, AGS can expand their product to an audience that has more time for their product or any game related systems that would identify with an MMORPG, these things include:

  • Open World interactions such as combat or mob/resource contention or an improved/reworked territory warfare system that actually promotes upkeep and protection. (these keep the focus inside of the game, not outside of it in a seperate game mode)

  • An enconomy which has any assemblance of what an experienced gamer/person could relate to + a Crafting system which only looks to amplify this.

  • A PvE system that at least has a meaningful purpose instead of everyone coming on wagon, shifting to the most optimal place and if no one forgets to target and left click, all get looting and EXP rights. There is no substance to PvE if there is no immersive progression through an area.

  • No need to explain further that it would then automatically bring in a futher importance to the current territory contol systems that we have presently

Although judging by the following thread, which breaks code of conduct rules WITH mod intervention, there is a clear bias toward an audience for their product.

Let me make my stance clear, my intention is only to help bring forward, burning issues that will likely remain with the game for its existance and bring to light what clearly should be a focus for community discussion for the longetivity and reputable continuation of the product.

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I’d like your stance on this @Souvarine , as you were very vocal about what it appears you deem for an actual playing experience.

If someone states to Domino’s that they’re quitting their Pizza and explains why, that is great customer feedback.

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Hello!

Sorry to hear you don’t like New World.

I suspect, from your post history, that you’re baiting me, but I’ll reply in good faith.

I completely agree that constructive feedback is good for the game, and in general I think shouting down useful criticism is bad for online games. You and I might disagree on what constitutes ‘useful’ though; for me, “this is shit I’m leaving” isn’t useful, and becomes ludicrous if that person has played for an extreme number of hours. If you’ve played for hundreds of hours, you enjoyed something about the experience - so what exactly was it that you didn’t enjoy?

With regard to your specific bullet points above:

  • the open world interactions you describe appear to already be in place
  • what would you prefer the economy to be? I quite like the trading post, but I’d be interested in hearing better suggestions. I gather the crafting system has issues at the apex of the pyramids (missing materials, anecdotally) but most people seem to really enjoy the experience of crafting.
  • PvE: what do “coming on wagon”, and “shifting to most optimal place” mean? What would “immersive progression” look like? I definitely think the PvE questing needs an overhaul (it is terribly repetitive) but my friends and I have been enjoying the dungeons.

I love most of the game so far, so I suppose (and hope) that I’m their target audience. It feels like a multiplayer version of some of my favourite RPGs in a way that no other MMO does, so I’m really glad it’s gone down this direction. If it was the full-loot, always-flagged experience I gather you’d prefer, I wouldn’t play - but also, I probably wouldn’t play if it didn’t have flaggable PvP.

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I’m not suggesting at all it should be that extreme, not even South Korean mmo’s incorperate that level of rulset.
Presently there is extremely little avenue for players who have a competitive mindset at heart that impacts Aeternum and what would drive at the very minimum towards that is a review and rework of why players focus on territories.

Without waffling on like I easily could let me set out an example:

/// I wake up, load up everything + discord, I see chatted that one of the 5 mini control points/forts around xxx of my territory has been captured, a few of the very early morning boys have handled the rest. I’m now in the area, I’m fluttering around and see their main group + the odd straggler’s, we rectify the situation with some satisfying action and co-ordination. We’re then pleased with ourselves that we’ve got xxx territory and 100% working efficiency and gain a meaningful bonus toward the Town Board, which everyone in our faction is entitled too and some of us are pleased that we have something related to ranking system increased on that, both on company and personal.

As you said regarding Dungeons they are fine, albeit there should probably be easier methods for entry of which are they addressing, they can make them easier or keep the difficulty, currently there isn’t a great deal of reward to them in comparison to the likes of WoW (I’m not a WoW player but I think I’ve got a clear picture of it from acquaintences and a bit of watch over the years).

There is definetly a problem with the current open world Elite areas, for one they don’t force you enough to go through them, in other games it’s automatically an impressive and satisfying feat to be in certain grinding areas, usually requiring a party at least. On NW, I can just “leg it” to wherever I want, anything that has a platform that can be reached can be used as a safe haven away from mob threat.
So there are no decent mob systems in the game to counter the climbing feature of this game (+ other cheeky things to avoid mob agro for crate/chest collecting), which in turn automatically sullies what could be a rewarding experience getting to such locations and enjoying the spoils of reward.
Currently everyone is getting loot like no tomorrow, which automatically drags down player trading.

Less items, mats, the rate of acquistion for many players who spend a decent amount of time on the game each day has filled it to levels of which crafting and meaningful gear acquisition barely exist.

People probably enjoy the experience of crafting through the first week or so but the conclusions are clear. There are too many materials, crafting content below 150 skill is obselete (disgusting how much content developed has gone to waste) and on top of all this, people can not only easily level craft proffessions to 200 skill but we can use utilize each other for crafts too, meaning the people that lucked top dog crafting gear (or simply bought it from the AH, not expensive at all, in abundance) + ultimate trophies can easily be your main crafter. It could of been at least wear any equipped gear crafted beyond a certain rarity was bound on equip to at least give an incentive for achieving, then there could be activities that involve making that bound crafted gear unbound and could be sold out (think of doing an Dungeon for the rare chance of that item).

I think I’ve been more than reasonable here btw with the crowd wanting to ensure that there experience is kept a pleasent one, without dragging things into “hardcore” realms.

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Basically for anyone’s eyes that are bleeding via white text.

This is a thread that encompasses what NW should definetly improve on to keep itself within even a standard to the MMORPG genre.

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  • Territory Control done well, not the best, but better than BDO and a step in the right direction from DAoC.
  • Combat that has just the right amount of simplicity with good depth. It’s not the most complicated, but not just a keyboard face roll. As this gets improved and tightened, it is my main pull for this game.
  • Invasions and Expeditions fall short on giving high replay for PvE end-game, something that once fixed, would be awesome.

Overall the content and pull are there, just AGS hasn’t really FULLY delivered. Something that hopefully in the coming month or two will fix.

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Just don’t bother losing time with this piece of crap: its not gonna evolve to a decent game because that doesn’t give as much money, that’s all. Play something else.

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Now this I find the most interesting, “Fix” is a very easy thing to say, could you perhaps eleborate on what are the most crucial things to fix with these two.

Combat is at an excellent foundation and I was very exciting over it due to needing to aim which I see as a much needed balance check for mmo’s (ranged classes op in most of them for instance). Only thing for certain I could say about it, is that Life Staff definetly needs a rework.
The problem is, for the people playing the game often is that there aren’t enough opportunities to use this system.

My guild prides itself on the control of Cutlass and Windsward for our faction, just pride, if we lost them, we wouldn’t lose much at all out of it. The bonuses and incentives of owning a territory aren’t impactful nor do they effect or incentivize much interactions in the open world.

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Stats
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RIP

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I’m on your side of the fence.

But just let me have a discussion with some of the people who believe strongly in how some crucial systems to the game can be fixed rather easily when instead it needs a seriously good head at the lead of AGS to revamp them almost!

This game definetly has potential but it won’t get anywhere if people are holing themselves into belief of fixes and sitting on a general vague overview of “well I’ve had a bit of fun, it’s fun, what more is needed?”.

AGS could get themselves in gear if more people understood why this game will either sink or just remain at a low standard of the MMO genre.

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I actually agree with all of this. There are a few bits I hadn’t even thought of.

I see chatted that one of the 5 mini control points/forts around xxx of my territory has been captured, a few of the very early morning boys have handled the rest. I’m now in the area, I’m fluttering around and see their main group + the odd straggler’s, we rectify the situation with some satisfying action and co-ordination. We’re then pleased with ourselves that we’ve got xxx territory and 100% working efficiency and gain a meaningful bonus toward the Town Board

This is a great idea. Make control more granular than simply ‘in ownership’/‘not in ownership’.

There is definetly a problem with the current open world Elite areas, for one they don’t force you enough to go through them, in other games it’s automatically an impressive and satisfying feat to be in certain grinding areas, usually requiring a party at least.

Yes, the elite enemies are quite easy to avoid. Perivale in Weaver’s Fen is about the only area I know that’s basically a death sentence if you go the wrong way and you’re not partied up.

there are no decent mob systems in the game to counter the climbing feature of this game

Totally right. The ‘stand on a rock until they retreat’ thing is annoying, and immersion-breaking (for what that’s worth). The fact that the player has mobility options that the mobs don’t is a problem I think.

Currently everyone is getting loot like no tomorrow, which automatically drags down player trading.

I hadn’t even thought of this, but you’re right. I’ve stopped selling weapons and armour because acquisition of those things is so quick. I just salvage them, and I’m swimming in cash and repair parts, and if I know I want a specific weapon I can just buy it for cheap. It’s not an ideal situation as it trivialises loot and makes it less exciting to get, as well as depresses prices on the trading post.

crafting content below 150 skill is obselete

Yes, agreed.

In general, I would like it if ‘omni-crafting’ was more difficult, or impossible. I don’t like set classes/locked activities, but I would like it if crafting was tied to your attributes in the same way weapon skills are.

For example, if using the Forge was tied to Strength, it would encourage Strength-heavy players to become specialised armourers. Likewise if Engineering was tied to Dex. It would mean that players had to trade with each other more. I’d love to be known as ‘the cartridge guy’ or whatever, and have players come to me for that specific good, but know that if I want furniture I’ve got to buy it. At present I think it’s a little too easy to do it all.

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I actually agree here (in a way) - if you don’t like what it is currently, you’re better off leaving, because it’s unlikely to dramatically change.

I like what it is currently - but that doesn’t invalidate your point, to those who don’t enjoy it.

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The thing is that this chimes in my point of how mmo’s in the west are currently working and their evolution.

The following is basically an assumed stance you’re providing me.

You pretty much play the content, settle with it, leave, for whatever duration that maybe and then return on an Expansion.

Now some would say that is not an MMORPG and I’m willing to bet that most of the South Korean/Russian/South America and certain parts of the EU userbase would agree with me on this but in NA especially it seems like an accepted practice to have a solo + co-op experience, get your bucks worth and move on.

With all that said, is there any real premise as to why an MMOPRG shouldn’t be played most days, for whatever little duration during the whole games lifespan instead of it devolving into more of a self experience for a short duration with “sequal expansions”. All this proves, is that mmorpg’s aren’t worth investing into properly and they are devolving (which proves most users frustations on r/mmorpg anyway "dieing genre), in the west at least due to a lack of passion and drive.

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I have quite a few posts about this in more detail.

Which systems exactly? Do you mean “ranged” which I think is plenty available. Even with GA/Hatchet their skill shots require actual aim and prediction.

Winsward and Everfall are the highest grossing territories across, dare I say, every server. They are the central trading hub. At peak Brightwood which we owned for a long while grossed at max 80k, mainly due to refinement and housing.

Winsward and Everfall often gross over 300k+, because everyone has houses in either of the two due to location and market trade. At one point Winsward was making over 500K a week before our server turned low pop.

The money alone is reason to own the territory, as if you funnel the money and gear specific ppl, they could be geared out much faster, not to mention buying materials for crafting rolls. So this is a huge understatement.

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They said recently that they’ll be changing their system so that the Trading Hub is worldwide.
Plus, is that a system you want to believe in? If the system remains the same we have every other territory in Aeternum meaning extremely little in terms of revenue. You’re also advocating that there are only 2 places to fight over and whoever is in control of those territories gains a lot of gold, for whatever purpose a hell of a lot of gold means with the current systems in play, gold isn’t denying anyone from reaching great kit or resources.

Sorry but all that advocates for is a hardcore system, which I’m sure people detest, if gold actually does mean anything. If more people had reasons for it Everfall would be contested all the time, properly, by dedicated gamers, it isn’t.

You misread my point regarding the combat system.

It will need more than a “fix” on elite areas to make them more worthwhile, Dungeons can have some purpose if they employ a greater meaning to them but I’m not confident in AGS taking any clever moves towards that.

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Yeah, fair enough, basically.

Your assumption as to my stance is about right, except I play every day and will continue to do so for as long as I’m enjoying it. If I encounter problems that make me stop enjoying it, I’ll come to the forum and respectfully tell the devs what they are - and if they stop me enjoying it completely, I’ll play something else.

it seems like an accepted practice to have a solo + co-op experience, get your bucks worth and move on.

Broadly yes, except that you can’t experience New World fully playing alone (but that’s nitpicking, you’re broadly right).

A lot of people’s discontent with New World seems to be that the endgame is too flawed to provide them with essentially limitless entertainment. I get that, to a lot of traditional MMORPG players, there is an assumption and an expectation that these games continue to offer you fun basically forever. However, New World doesn’t have a subscription, and it’s pretty cheap: £35 in my country I think. Speaking bluntly, the devs don’t owe you infinite fun - you haven’t paid for it. I don’t mean to be rude here, just speaking plainly.

There are some things I think we can expect from New World over the next year:

  • balance fixes
  • technical improvements to performance in wars
  • more varied PvP opportunities
  • more zones
  • mounts
  • a better character creator
  • continuing whack-a-mole with exploits (this is hard).

Those are what you can expect, in my opinion. If that will result in a game you’ll enjoy, then great - you’re in my boat. If you need to see more dramatic changes (like full-loot PvP, a return to 1-9 ability hotkeys, or whatever else) then you’re probably going to be disappointed, because the devs have been pretty clear on what they’re trying to do.

For me, if New World settles to a consistent population of a couple of hundred thousand players who like what the devs intend, I’ll be happy and according to any objective measure New World will be a reasonably successful MMO. I hope and expect to continue playing New World for years to come, if the above happens, and I’ll happily pay for every expansion.

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“I don’t mean to be rude” you said, that’s not what I was advocating for.

Well if there is little problem from your end then I’m powerless, I’ve literally jammed in every point that makes this essentially a low effort product but each to their own.

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But this makes sense for a B2P game. You make your money from expansions mostly so you don’t need playerbase to be subscribed constantly.
Also, this allows multiple games to share audience which makes business case even more attractive.
If I personally were Fraz’s boss, I would tell them to literally make b2p FF14 equivalent with better graphics, action combat, fun gathering/crafting/housing etc. Then I would schedule expansions in-between FF14 and WoW expansions such that they don’t overlap (WoW FOMO approach is as stupid as it is ineffective, it only pisses everyone off) and AGS would be literally printing money by now.
I do agree that right now the game is in an in-between state where it doesn’t satisfy anyone, on top of being buggy and frustrating

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No, you misunderstand - I didn’t mean “you (Beacon) demand full-loot PvP”. I meant “if you (a hypothetical player) demand full-loot PvP for example, amongst other things”.

I was using full-loot PvP as an example of what someone might want out of New World, not as a risposte to you personally.

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Ofc you’re right.

Other devs and companies and striving for more personal, something to be remembered approaches, NW is business as usual from the western mainstream.

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