In endgame, New World currently focuses not only on various PvE events but also on fortress battles in PvP, the so-called wars. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch had the opportunity to play such a war in advance. He had a lot of fun in the battle, but some points also worry him.
What are the wars? The game world of the MMO is divided into many zones with settlements and fortresses. The fortresses are under the control of a company (the guilds in New World) and can be attacked and captured by another company.
As the owner of a fortress, you can choose specific times when you become attackable. If a company then challenges you, a 50v50 fight takes place in an instanced area.
The battle lasts 30 minutes and includes several capture points, fortress walls and gates, as well as siege weapons on both sides. Either the attacking guild succeeds in penetrating the fortress and capturing the capture point, or the defenders win after the time has elapsed.
Which event did I participate in? I had the chance to participate in a war on August 24, just before the preview event for pre-order customers. Since the focus was solely on the battle, we were given characters at level 60 with the best equipment.
In this scenario, 50 attackers faced off against 50 defenders. Employees from Amazon were present on both sides, providing us with strategies and explanations.
The event gave me a good insight into the battles for fortresses. And while the war was really fun, it also highlighted some problems for me.
If you are more interested in the PvE of New World, we have summarized everything important here:
This is how the war for the fortress went
The preparation: To participate in a war, you must register at a board in the settlement belonging to the fortress. In our case, the registrations were limited, and everyone got a spot. However, if more than 50 players register on each side, the governors of the respective companies decide who can participate and who cannot.
The participating players are divided into 10 groups of 5 players each. We also used this division as attackers to coordinate with each other. Because tactics play a significant role in the wars.
Before the war actually begins, I had 15 minutes to listen to the tactical meeting, equip gear, and buy ammunition and potions from merchants. And since I wanted to go into battle as an archer, a large number of arrows was important. And then it finally started.
The battle begins: At the start, we all ran together to capture point B first. After that, groups 1 to 5 went to point A, while groups 6-10 went to point B.
From the captured points, we tried to break down several of the 5 gates of the fortress. Siege weapons like cannons are helpful in this. But the defenders also have access to machines, including a Gatling gun, a horn for buffs, and oil pots that create a flaming inferno in front of the gates.
I found my first death due to a huge explosion at capture point B, caused by siege weapons and several fire spells from enemy players. The effect storm is not as bad as, for example, in World vs. World in Guild Wars 2, but especially the smoke grenades from the hunters and the siege weapons are overwhelming in the first minutes.
Deaths in the sieges are not your end in the battle, by the way. In waves that get longer as the fight progresses, you return to the fray.
The fight for the gates: While we were able to capture the outer points relatively quickly, breaching the fortress was significantly more challenging. The defenders held their ground well and achieved many kills while standing on the walls in a relatively safe position.
However, over time, I learned to handle my bow better and also with the 3 skills that go with it. Aiming, especially with the AoE ability, was not easy at all. This, along with the learning curve of the other attackers, gradually drove the defenders off the walls and led to the first destroyed gates.
However, defenders can repair the gates, which was utilized multiple times.
The breakthrough: After a painfully long 16 minutes, we actually managed to keep two of the gates permanently in ruins and make an advance into the fortress. I, as an archer in light armor, kept myself in the background for a long time.
Because directly in the fortress lurked many enemies who repeatedly hurled their AoE and ranged abilities at the narrow passageways.
Particularly enjoyable for me was to engage in smaller ranged duels with the defenders. Again and again, I targeted enemies on the walls or behind the gates and tried to take them out with some shots from a great distance. In New World, you have to aim very carefully with your bow.
The end: In the last 5 minutes, we became increasingly anxious and ran almost aimlessly toward the center of the fortress. After all, we attackers wanted to win the game.
However, the defenders stood firmly against us, pushing us back and holding the fortress for the full 30 minutes. By the way, if anyone wants to watch a complete battle, you can find a video here.
The battle was really cool, but I still have concerns
How did I find the war? Although the first minutes were total chaos, we as attackers sometimes ran around a bit aimlessly, and the war was not won, I really had fun during the battle.
Throughout my time in MMOs, I have participated in several sieges, especially in GW2, ESO, and Black Desert. Compared to those, New World makes a good impression, though not an outstanding one:
- As in many other MMOs, all attackers can buy and freely place the siege weapons. Defenders, on the other hand, only have weapons at certain locations.
- A big advantage is that the battles take place instanced, balancing player numbers.
- Additionally, there are relatively few skills per player, making direct duels a bit more skillful. Dodging and blocking play a significant role; one-shots are not common, aside from siege weapons. A player from the alpha praised this and described the combat system as the best part of the MMO.
- Another cool aspect is that you can already participate in the fights at level 10, after joining one of the 3 factions. While you become more useful at higher levels, gaining access to more skills, there is a scaling system, so you’re not completely useless at level 10.
However, the war also highlighted some issues for me.
3 problems with the wars in New World
The wars revealed 3 main problems for me, and I’m not sure if they can be resolved by the 2021 release:
- The combat system
- The performance
- The finding of players
What bothers me about the combat system? While the combat system is action-packed due to the dodge roll, blocking, switching between 3 different weapon sets, and targeting opponents, the attacks are slow, and the animations are sometimes very long. As a result, everything feels sluggish.
The combat system is deliberately inspired by Dark Souls; however, I personally prefer it to be a bit more dynamic, especially in wars where a quick reaction can be crucial for survival.
I also have a personal problem with the ammunition for muskets and bows. While melee weapons and spells can be used almost continuously, this weapon requires ammunition that you can craft or buy. During the fight, I frequently ran out of arrows and had to continue fighting with a wand. Because melee combat with light armor would likely have been my immediate death.
What is wrong with the performance? Another drawback for me was the performance, which also plagues the 3 above-mentioned MMORPGs. Whenever many players stand in one place, my FPS dropped significantly.
In one situation, the game froze for 3 seconds, which led to my death. I could have avoided it otherwise with a dodge roll. This can be very frustrating in crucial situations.
What concerns do I have about the players? The war with the developers was in perfect balance. 50 players fought against 50 players. But will that always be the case in the endgame?
From my own experience, I know how difficult it is to always get even 10 people together for a raid in GW2. A battle for fortresses depends on several factors. Especially as an attacker, you always have to adhere to the times of the defenders. A consistent schedule every week will likely be hard to maintain.
While you can fill your group with random players, if they don’t want to participate in the communication and strategy of the company, you still play at a disadvantage.
Another concern is that, in the end, a few large guilds will control everything, and smaller guilds will have no chance against the established teams. It’s questionable how long the established guilds will still enjoy New World.
Interestingly, I currently have the same three concerns in Crowfall, a PvP MMORPG that is in beta. Here, too, sieges are the focus, and here too there are issues with the combat system and performance.
