Last week, the developers gave a glimpse into the future of New World. They revealed that in the future, all trading posts will be linked. The change has received mixed reactions. While many find the idea good, others fear an even greater collapse of the economy.
What was announced exactly? In November, the first “Major Patch” for New World will be released. This patch aims to improve the expeditions and the economy in the game. One change is the linking of the trading posts.
Currently, each settlement has its own trading post with its own items and prices. However, in the future, all trading posts should have the same offerings, regardless of whether you’re playing in the center of the map at Everfall or all the way at the edge in First Light.
This is Amazon’s attempt to address the current problems in the economy.
What do the players say about the change? The adjustment to the trading posts has led to two very opposing reactions:
- Some praise the linking. They see reduced travel costs and a strengthening of the settlements at the edge of the map.
- Others fear that the update could further harm the economy. Too many items and possible tax losses could negatively affect prices.
We at MeinMMO are looking into the different positions.
Good for buyers, bad for sellers?
What is the criticism regarding the linked trading posts? One of the first forum threads on the subject came from the user Aerdynamik. He describes the current state of the trading posts as his personal main aspect of the game, as he earned money by buying items cheaply and selling them at higher prices elsewhere:
Thank you for ruining the main aspect of the game that mattered to me. Trade between regions, traveling with various items to sell, flipping items at other trading posts, and so on.
It was great to play this game, but I regret that it ends like this, without significant consultation with the community.
In the comments of the thread, many users express their concern about even stronger deflation. Already, New World is in a sort of economic crisis because there are too many materials but too few ways to earn coins. This is driving prices down.
With the planned change, even more materials will be brought to each trading post, resulting in an even stronger fall in prices.
The user BittersweetDark even goes so far as to claim that the change could destroy the entire economy (via New World Forum).
Are these the only criticisms? No. The player Taborlin created an extensive post detailing the negative impact on settlements and taxes that he fears (via New World Forum).
Because taxes are paid where you buy and sell. So far, this happens mainly in Everfall and Windsward, two settlements that are very central. About 80% of all trade on the Utgard server occurs there, as illustrated with an image:
In the future, however, most transactions will be carried out in the settlements with the lowest tax rate. And that will drive taxes and thus the expansion of settlements down, which is already a problem in some areas. Many settlements are unable to upgrade their workbenches to a high level.
He sees clear benefits for buyers who want to acquire items cheaper, but significant disadvantages for sellers and settlement owners. Traders who could previously flip items will need to focus on upgrading items instead and, with some luck, sell them at higher prices.
Only those who abuse the current system will lose
What do the players who praise the new system say? Many players welcome the change to the trading posts, as they no longer need to constantly travel to the settlements in the center of the map to sell their items there.
They also see an advantage for the settlements at the edges of the map, which have previously been treated very poorly. Upgrading the workbenches makes little sense for many companies there, as hardly any trading occurs. However, this also makes the settlement unattractive for crafters and generally less attractive for wars.
They see critics of the linked trading posts mainly as players who would have abused the previous system for their benefit. The player Harrakittu writes:
All I read here is: “Ahh, I can no longer cheat players out of their money.” I, on the other hand, think it’s a good change. It prevents me from having to walk through every settlement to find the best price for an item.
Harrakittu via New World Forum
The player Dreams additionally explains why the current system with the individual trading posts has not worked. He sees the problems in the player count and the fact that transporting goods between cities is not a significant issue.
I understand the thought that the global trading post has a negative impact on the economy, but the current state of the game does not support the idea of local trading posts. The server population is far too low on average. Transporting goods between cities is not a problem, meaning the resource diversity in the different territories is almost meaningless.
Dreams via New World Forum
Is there a middle ground? Taborlin, who has concerns about the taxes of the settlements, suggests that one could either buy/sell locally at the trading post or have the goods “flown in externally” for an additional fee.
This way, every player would have access to all trading posts, but instead of paying travel costs and having to visit another settlement, the costs in coins would increase. Here, Amazon would also have some leeway regarding the balance of these costs.
What do you think about the upcoming change to the trading post? Feel free to leave a comment.
Not everything is going smoothly in New World right now. But the latest patch and the announcement of the major patch in November have created a good atmosphere:
While some claim New World is dead, players say: Come back, it’s much better now
