The developers of New World answered some questions for us about their sandbox MMO. They revealed a lot about the gameplay: We learn new things about character development, guilds, and special events.
Currently, New World is in a closed alpha phase. There is little information and not much gameplay to see. We had the chance to ask the developers some questions. The ones who answered are:
- Studio Head Patrick Gilmore
- Game Director Scot Lane
- and Executive Producer Rich Lawrence.
Here you can read the first part of our interview, which mainly focuses on the gameplay of New World. In the second part, we will discuss the development and organization of the team.
New images of New World: We also received four new screenshots that we have included here.
Players should always have an idea of how to fill their time
MeinMMO: You refer to New World on the official website as a sandbox MMO. What are the sandbox elements? Is it just the absence of quests, or can players also change content in the world?
Rich Lawrence: We consider New World a sandbox MMO. MMORPGs evoke a special idea among players of a “theme park game,” driven by narrative quests. We are definitely not that – The gameplay is fun, but it is not the kind of fun we have set as our goal.
However, there is also a central concept of theme park games that we want to achieve, and that is guided gameplay. Simply put: A player should always have an idea of what they can do in the game. With some mechanics, we ensure that this is always clear to the player.
On the other hand, we share a clear characteristic of sandbox games: Players can ignore all guidance and do what they want. We do not hold you back. The ability to develop your character, see the world, and experience the game is not tied to quest chains.
New World won’t have classic quests
Scot Lane: Your character in New World develops by playing and moving through the world. It is not limited by quests or levels. You can choose your adventure anywhere in the world, and while some areas of the game are more dangerous than others, there are no mechanics that prevent you from entering. If you have the skill, you can experience any area of the world, regardless of gear or level.
We currently have no plans for quests in the classic sense, but we rely on guided gameplay through a targeted system. We also plan a mission system, through which players can recruit others for various tasks.
New World doesn’t want to become a copy of other games
MeinMMO: What are your features compared to other sandbox MMOs, like Camelot Unchained or Ashes of Creation? Both also focus on open-world PvP and siege events.
Rich Lawrence: This may sound a bit self-serving, but we did not create New World in reaction to other games or as a copy of them. There will naturally be content that you have seen before – After all, we did not invent fighting.
We set out to develop a sandbox MMO game and chose content that we enjoyed. The target audience of our game should be excited to forge their own path in New World and to play with or against other players who share the same goal.
Survival aspects provide players with buffs
MeinMMO: Are there plans for survival content, like hunger or thirst? Can one die if they neglect these needs?
Scot Lane: We already have hunger and thirst in the game, but you do not die from it. In our game, you are rewarded with buffs when you are nourished and hydrated. With a full stomach, you regenerate health points, and without thirst, you regenerate stamina faster.
Additionally, players can consume special foods and drinks that contain further bonuses.
There is no way to completely avoid PvP
MeinMMO: Are there ways to bypass PvP and just enjoy PvE? What are typical aspects of PvE in New World?
Scot Lane: There is no way to completely avoid PvP, but ganking is restricted by our “crime tracking system.” If a player attacks another outside of approved conflicts, they are marked as a criminal and can be attacked with impunity by other players.
In New World, we do not want to encourage ganking, but we also want to support the bandit style. We are aware that there will be players who wear the “red status” as a badge of honor.
While being a bandit is quite specific and challenging, we do not want it to be completely impossible to play this way.
Players gain experience through experiences in the game world
MeinMMO: New World does not have specific classes that we can choose during creation. What are your plans for character development? How does one learn new skills?
Scot Lane: Our progression system is based on two categories: attributes and skills. Attributes make the player stronger and more versatile. Skills make the player better at things they experience in the world, like blacksmithing, logging, or surviving in the wilderness.
Players collect experience by experiencing things in the world. At special locations, you gain a level-up and receive skill and attribute points that you can then spend.
Casual players can focus on advancing their character based on their preferred playstyle, while we also enable build optimizations and min-maxing for hardcore players.
New World has its own version of the classic guild
MeinMMO: How will players be able to organize to explore the world with others? Are you planning a guild system or something similar?
Scot Lane: We already have “Companies” that represent our version of guilds. The Companies have a leadership structure, rights, share land ownership, and prevent friendly fire in battles.
We also have a group system that allows a small number of players to …
- travel together through the world,
- inform each other of each other’s positions, and
- set shared gathering points.
As New World continues to develop, we plan to expand our existing company system.
Events will be important for New World: Here’s how they might look
MeinMMO: We already know from Gamescom that you have planned events in New World. Can you tell us something about that? What type of events are you planning?
Patrick Gilmore: We need to go live with the game first before we can create an event plan, so nothing is set in stone. However, our partnership with Twitch has raised awareness for us, so we have thought a lot about in-game events:
Everything from races to spectator fights and bounty hunts, to derbies and structured battles is possible. For testing purposes, we are running many different events internally and have expanded some of them to the alpha. For example, we heavily fortified a fortress and then called upon all players of a server to attack it together.
We wanted to see how well our systems could handle data exchange with so many players in a small area of the game. At first, it was quite challenging, but we learned a lot and continue to work on technical support for large-scale battles. Big combat actions in the game are just incredibly awesome experiences and generally serve to test every new weapon.
We are not far enough along to promise anything concrete. But expect that events will be an important aspect of the future of New World.
In the second part of our interview, we will talk about the thematic development of the game, the impact of Amazon, and what we learned from the current alpha. You can read the second part tomorrow, on December 21, here on MeinMMO.
