We at MeinMMO had the opportunity to interview the developers before the launch of New World regarding the topic of Housing. We certainly do not want to withhold this interview from you, and it also encourages you to betray your own faction.
Before the launch of New World on September 28, we at MeinMMO had the chance to send some questions about housing to the Amazon team. This led to a written interview with Charles Bradbury (Art Director) and Katy Kaszynski (Senior Producer).
The focus was solely on housing in New World and topics directly related to it. We received many interesting answers. You can now read the entire interview here.
We would like to emphasize once again that we asked the questions before the launch of the game. Therefore, some answers to certain questions are already known at this point.
What is New World? In addition to housing, Amazon’s new MMORPG also has many other features:
- PvP in various modes as well as in the open world
- Intricate resource and crafting system
- PvE content for groups of up to five players
- Three factions you can join to rule the island
- Excellent sound design and engaging graphics
“You may want to save for a larger house or buy a second one right away”
MeinMMO: In a blog post (via New World) on the topic, you mentioned hundreds of possibilities to decorate your home. We also know that the number of decorations per house is limited. How many decorations can be used in a single house? How can this limit be increased, if at all?
Charles Bradbury: The number of housing items in your house is determined by the size of the house. Smaller houses cost less but can only have a certain amount of items. So, if you like to decorate a lot, you should save for a larger house. Or even buy a second one in another settlement.
MeinMMO: We can not only decorate our house, but it will also be possible to own pets. How many different animals will there be at the launch of the game, and are you planning to release more pets?
Charles Bradbury: There will be some pets available at the launch of the game, including the bulldog from the Deluxe Edition. We also have some interesting ideas for pets that we want to implement in the future.
“We don’t want it to feel like a punishment”
MeinMMO: We know that players must pay taxes to utilize all benefits of their house, even after they have already purchased it. How often are these taxes due? If someone is unable to pay the taxes, will their debt increase?
Charles Bradbury: Not paying taxes will only deactivate your house. You will not lose items placed there or lose the house itself. However, you will not receive benefits from the trophies in the house anymore and cannot use your home as a fast travel point.
Failing to pay taxes will not increase them or add to a debt. We don’t want it to feel like a punishment if, for example, you go on vacation for a few weeks and can’t play, and then return. Just settle your taxes and everything will work as usual again.
MeinMMO: Will there be a point at which the tax debt becomes too high to maintain one’s own house? Additionally – if a player does not pay their taxes and the controlling faction of the settlement changes, who receives the money when they pay?
Charles Bradbury: Taxes do not accumulate. So, if you are inactive for a while and then return, you only pay the last installment of taxes, and your house will be activated again. The faction controlling the area at the time you pay will then receive the money.
“Players must make decisions that suit their playstyle”
MeinMMO: How important will trophies in houses be in the endgame of New World? We know that players can place a limited number of trophies in their houses, which then provide a global buff for the player. These buffs also partially affect combat. How noticeable are these effects in PvE and PvP endgame? Will players be forced into housing if they want to be at the forefront?
Charles Bradbury: The trophies that players can place in their homes provide a wide range of bonuses. Some enhance fishing or gathering, while others give additional attribute points on equipment when fighting against specific types of enemies.
For us, trophies are a kind of parallel progression to the main character that brings significant bonuses, especially in the endgame. The limitation on the number of active trophies forces players to make decisions about the bonuses that suit their playstyle.
“Players have done things we didn’t expect, and that is great”
MeinMMO: We can invite others into our house, but what do they do there? Are there specific group activities that can only be done in a house? Does the size of the house play a role in this? Can players even rent a room to a friend and thus share the benefits of the house?
Charles Bradbury: There are some emotes as well as decorations and furniture pieces with which players can interact in a house. It absolutely depends on the players what they want to do with their houses. With voice chat and all the different furniture and decorations, we’ve already seen a lot of fun interactions.
Players have done things we didn’t expect, and for us, that is a great outcome. For example, we saw in the beta some players who used their interior decoration like a tavern, just to invite friends and passersby to hang out.
We would like to continue adding new things to allow players to express themselves. And interact with their house in ways that they find fitting.
Currently, only players who have purchased the house can access the benefits regarding trophies and other buffs.
“Theft is prohibited”
MeinMMO: The house with the highest ranking will be presented to the public, and everyone can see it, which we think is great. Will anyone passing by my house be able to enter it freely? Should I be afraid of thieves if I forget to lock my door?
Katy Kaszynski: There are no door locks on the houses in Aeternum. Anyone can enter your house and see how you have decorated it. They can interact with your pets, sit at your table, and look around, but theft is not allowed. Only the owner of the house can change or remove furniture or similar items.
Charles Bradbury: That other players can see how your house looks from the inside is something many New World fans appreciate. They can not only showcase the exterior decoration but also their skills in interior design as well as trophies or rare furniture pieces they’ve acquired during their journey.
“We expect some deception and temporary alliances”
MeinMMO: What can players do who are dissatisfied with the leadership of their settlement but belong to the same faction as the leading company? Will there be a possibility for a power takeover within a faction?
Charles Bradbury: Currently, there is no way to declare war within the same faction or to oust the company from leading a settlement. However, there are many subtle ways to support other factions in toppling the company if that is your goal.
Wars are not cheap, and they require various resources to equip and prepare for an attack or defense. Even if you just temporarily move to another settlement and do not help defend the area, this can greatly contribute to the fate of an area.
Between the three factions and all the different companies within them, we expect a fair amount of deception and temporary alliances. This makes these battles even more exciting.
This is a topic we will keep a close eye on to see how it develops and whether we may need to make some adjustments.
War will take place at the next available time window
MeinMMO: When it comes to takeover by another faction – How often can these takeovers take place, and how long does the defending party have to prepare for this war? Will it be possible to take over a settlement overnight when simply no one is there?
Charles Bradbury: Each controlling company sets a daily time window for potential wars. Companies usually choose a time when they think most of their members can be online and ready to defend the area.
If an area is thrown into a state of war due to a shift in faction influence, a company from the faction can declare war on the faction currently holding the most influence.
This then triggers a war between the defending company and the attackers, which will take place at the next available time window for the defenders. This gives both parties enough time to gather their forces and face each other on the battlefield.
Katy Kaszynski: It is very unlikely that a settlement will be taken over while the defenders are offline. A company can declare war once enough influence is gathered in the area to put it into a state of war. You can see the influence of the factions on an area directly on the map.
The leadership of a company sets a siege time window, and wars then take place in the next free time window. The only time when no war can be declared against an area is when an invasion is imminent.
“There are some benefits to controlling an area”
MeinMMO: If a company I belong to or which I even own loses control of a settlement – how does this affect me personally? What happens to unfinished city projects? If I am the governor of the settlement where my house is located and it is taken over, will that have different effects on me than on a regular settler of the area?
Charles Bradbury: There are some advantages to being a member of the company that controls a settlement. For example, there are revenues from taxes and various sources of resources in each settlement that you have access to as a member of the controlling faction.
Additionally, there are cheaper fast travel costs and the ability to initiate your own city projects and even set taxes. You lose these benefits if another faction takes over the settlement.
However, it will not influence how you interact with the rest of the town or how you live. If you own a house in a settlement and it is taken over by another faction, you will not lose the benefits of your house or access to it.
What do you think of the answers and the housing in New World? Do you already have your own house, or are you still pondering where you want to move? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
But don’t think too long, at least not as long as you are standing still. New World is now hunting AFK cheaters to resolve the long queues.
