How to get started in the New World Aeternum

A total overhaul for New World certainly wasn’t on everyone’s bingo sheet, but here we are, pleasantly surprised. New World Aeternum completely overhauls the original game from the ground up, making MMORPG more user-friendly, approachable and, in some places, downright fun. With such a vast, open experience, new players can wander aimlessly around the island.

There are plenty of hands to guide you through the first few levels, but we’re here to help too! Our beginner’s guide to New World Aeternum will give you the head start you need to dive into the game’s new content, including PvE, PvP and more.

Choosing the right class for the job

One of the most significant changes in New World Aeternum is the class system. Instead of the previous mechanic where you start the MMO with a clean slate, Aeternum lets you select an archetype. You have:

• Soldier

• Destroyer

• Ranger

• Musketeer

• Occultist

• Mystic

• Sword Bearer

Despite the new archetypes, the old system for customizing your build remains in place. The archetype you choose gives you a starting point, a few buffs for specific skills, and a starter pack of armor and weapons to help you dive into the story. But you are not bound to that playing style. I currently pilot a Ranger with a bow and arrow and a two-handed sword, which normally doesn’t fit the archetype.

That said, we recommend that you choose the archetype that offers trading skills that interest you most. For example, the iconic Soldier-type class starts with a small boost to Weaponsmithing, Mining, and Smelting, which is perfect for players looking to craft and sell weapons on the market.

Allocate attribute points appropriately

While the new archetype system varies greatly, the attribute system remains the same as in the previous version of the New World. You still invest points as you level up, increasing your power level with different weapons and increasing your overall health pool.

Unless you plan to deviate wildly from your chosen archetype, you’ll want to invest points in the attribute that corresponds to your class’s weapon type. For example, as a Ranger I invested heavily in Dexterity, which increased my bow and spear damage – two major weapon types the Ranger uses in combat.

Don’t ignore the free consumables in Aeternum

Early on, the game teaches you to hunt wild boars, skin them for their meat, and then make rations over a campfire. Other than this segway during the game’s prologue on the beach, it doesn’t delve into the game’s hunting and cooking mechanics. However, you will soon notice that health drinks turn out to be quite expensive. For new players, they are few and far between, but the rations require a quick trip to the woods or to the creek.

Aeternum is packed with free consumables, if you know where to look. First, find a freshwater source, such as a stream or lake, and step into the water, where you can interact with the surface to scoop up fresh water. Water heals you for 10 seconds for 20 health per second, making it a viable alternative to a health drink.

Then of course you have rations. Hunting boars, wolves, or turkeys allows you to maintain a steady supply of meat and travel rations that heal and buff you at the same time.

Leveling tips and tricks new players need to know

Most players diving into New World Aeternum will do so primarily with leveling in mind. You’ll quickly discover that MMORPG combat is much more action-oriented than your standard tabbed MMO like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV. And as such, it’s smoother and cutthroat, even in PvE.

Here are a few tips to help you level up your character:

1. Do your best to increase your territory’s ranking as some rewards allow you to increase the amount of EXP you earn from monster kills and quests, allowing you to level up much faster

2. In many MMORPGs, the side quests feel like filler content that takes you far away from the main quest line. But in the New World they are often grouped together, allowing you to complete numerous main and side missions within the same POI. It’s worth talking to every tracker in town before heading into the wilderness!

3. Judging from the way players talk, you’d think PvP would be the main focus in the New World, but there’s extensive PvE content to explore. You can tackle expeditions, elite zones or simply quests

4. While not necessary, especially as a solo player, joining a faction is an excellent way to interact with the New World Aeternum community, be part of something bigger, and earn fantastic rewards. However, you don’t have to think much about your faction. Choose the one that clicks for you based on the color or theme

5. If you have the extra gold, buy some high-level gear from the market to help you tackle more challenging content. You don’t have to spend too much; just look for an upgrade to what you currently have equipped

New World Aeternum is a new start for Amazon Games and the MMORPG community that got behind the game and saw its potential. Tons of streamlined improvements, new player improvements, and quality of life tweaks should entice even the grumpiest fans of the genre from day one. Of course, this could leave us all wanting more, which would mean waiting with even more anticipation for Amazon’s Lord of the Rings MMORPG.

For the latest news, Facebook, Tweet and Instagram.