https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:45:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-disappointing-first-season/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-disappointing-first-season/#comments Mon, 24 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=435940 It’s now been a few weeks since the launch of New World‘s first season, Fellowship and Fire. I wanted to give it some time to settle, but I think I’ve now had enough experience of it all for my opinions to crystallize, and overall, I am sorry to report I do feel more underwhelmed than […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/24/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-disappointing-first-season/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/22/vitae-aeternum-previewing-new-worlds-first-season-and-updated-2023-roadmap/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/22/vitae-aeternum-previewing-new-worlds-first-season-and-updated-2023-roadmap/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=427765 Last week, Amazon Games invited members of the press to a presentation where it unveiled its plans for a new seasonal content model for New World. Season one will launch next month, and new seasons are planned to roll around every three months, delivering new content and a seasonal pass for additional rewards. The inaugural […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/02/22/vitae-aeternum-previewing-new-worlds-first-season-and-updated-2023-roadmap/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/30/vitae-aeternum-obsessing-over-new-worlds-population-numbers-is-a-waste-of-time/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/30/vitae-aeternum-obsessing-over-new-worlds-population-numbers-is-a-waste-of-time/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=424288 New World is a bit unique in that it is the only major Western MMORPG that is playable only through Steam. The others are also available through other platforms, such as a developer’s own launcher, or even consoles. This means that we can see what New World‘s population is at any given time with 100% […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/30/vitae-aeternum-obsessing-over-new-worlds-population-numbers-is-a-waste-of-time/feed/ 13 https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/16/vitae-aeternum-new-world-should-do-more-with-its-housing/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/16/vitae-aeternum-new-world-should-do-more-with-its-housing/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=422241 I find the history of player housing in New World a strange one. Prior to launch, I had the impression housing was being treated as one of the main selling features of the game. Since launch, though, it has received very little attention. Given the game’s post-launch struggles, it makes sense to backburner housing for […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/01/16/vitae-aeternum-new-world-should-do-more-with-its-housing/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/19/vitae-aeternum-the-uncomfortable-truth-of-new-worlds-lax-monetization/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/19/vitae-aeternum-the-uncomfortable-truth-of-new-worlds-lax-monetization/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=416357 I have a pretty laid back approach to monetization in online games. Bar mandatory subscriptions and a few egregious outliers, I am generally fine with any mainstream monetization systems in online games. But not everyone feels as I do. Monetization remains a deeply controversial topic, and developers often face harsh criticism for how they try […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/19/vitae-aeternum-the-uncomfortable-truth-of-new-worlds-lax-monetization/feed/ 49 https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/05/vitae-aeternum-a-measured-response-to-new-worlds-2023-roadmap/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/05/vitae-aeternum-a-measured-response-to-new-worlds-2023-roadmap/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=417113 When New World released its roadmap for the first half of 2023 a few days back, the initial reaction from fans was… not great. I can sympathize; my own reaction was along the lines, “That’s it?” However, having sat on it for a bit, I find my mood has mellowed somewhat. I think there’s some […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/12/05/vitae-aeternum-a-measured-response-to-new-worlds-2023-roadmap/feed/ 17 https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/21/vitae-aeternum-the-storm-clouds-on-new-worlds-horizon/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/21/vitae-aeternum-the-storm-clouds-on-new-worlds-horizon/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=415030 New World has improved considerably since launch. I’ve had a lot of praise for the changes Amazon has made, and I’m looking forward to seeing the game continue to evolve. That said, there is still the potential for further stumbles. There are a couple of issues I see within the game or brewing on the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/21/vitae-aeternum-the-storm-clouds-on-new-worlds-horizon/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/07/vitae-aeternum-tackling-new-worlds-endgame-as-a-solo-player/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/07/vitae-aeternum-tackling-new-worlds-endgame-as-a-solo-player/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=413088 After nearly a year of stopping to smell the roses, I finally made it to level cap in New World shortly before the launch of Brimstone Sands. Having now been level 60 for a several weeks, I’ve decided it’s time to take a look at my experience with New World‘s endgame. New World‘s endgame is […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/11/07/vitae-aeternum-tackling-new-worlds-endgame-as-a-solo-player/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/25/vitae-aeternum-first-impressions-of-new-worlds-greatsword-and-world-revamp/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/25/vitae-aeternum-first-impressions-of-new-worlds-greatsword-and-world-revamp/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=411073 We come now to part two of my early impressions of New World‘s sprawling Brimstone Sands update. Previously in our Vitae Aeternum column, I covered the Halloween event and Brimstone Sands itself. Today, I’ll look at a new weapon and some sweeping changes to the open world experience. The greatsword I’ve only briefly tried the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/25/vitae-aeternum-first-impressions-of-new-worlds-greatsword-and-world-revamp/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/24/vitae-aeternum-first-impressions-of-new-worlds-brimstone-sands-and-nightveil-hallow/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/24/vitae-aeternum-first-impressions-of-new-worlds-brimstone-sands-and-nightveil-hallow/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=411065 It’s finally here: New World has launched its fall update, and the Soulwardens of Aeternum now venture into the wastes of Brimstone Sands. This is a massive update, featuring not just the new zone but a new leveling experience, a new weapon, a holiday event, and more. There’s no doubt in my mind that if […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/10/24/vitae-aeternum-first-impressions-of-new-worlds-brimstone-sands-and-nightveil-hallow/feed/ 17 https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/26/vitae-aeternum-the-new-secret-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/26/vitae-aeternum-the-new-secret-world/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=404886 Comparisons between New World and The Secret World have existed pretty much since the earliest teases of NW. It’s what put the game on my radar in the first place. Now that the game has launched, we know that it is a starkly different sort of game than TSW. And yet… it’s a comparison that […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/26/vitae-aeternum-the-new-secret-world/feed/ 26 https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/13/vitae-aeternum-the-best-solo-armor-and-magical-weapons-in-new-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/13/vitae-aeternum-the-best-solo-armor-and-magical-weapons-in-new-world/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=402716 I now return to bring you the second part of my analysis of weapon and armor choices for the solo player in New World. If you’re just joining us, know that last time I covered ranged physical weapons and melee weapons. Today, I’ll finish the coverage by discussing magical weapons as well as armor choices. […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/13/vitae-aeternum-the-best-solo-armor-and-magical-weapons-in-new-world/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/30/vitae-aeternum-previewing-new-worlds-brimstone-sands-leveling-revamp-greatsword-and-more/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/30/vitae-aeternum-previewing-new-worlds-brimstone-sands-leveling-revamp-greatsword-and-more/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=402708 New World is gearing up to unleash its largest patch since launch, and members of the press were recently invited to a virtual event to preview the massive autumn update. We viewed a short video outlining the major strokes of the update and then sat down with the devs for a Q&A session about all […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/30/vitae-aeternum-previewing-new-worlds-brimstone-sands-leveling-revamp-greatsword-and-more/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/16/vitae-aeternum-the-best-solo-ranged-and-melee-builds-in-new-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/16/vitae-aeternum-the-best-solo-ranged-and-melee-builds-in-new-world/#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=400627 One of the main things that keeps me coming back to New World despite its many rough edges is the fact it’s one of the few MMOs on the market with a genuinely challenging open world solo experience. But to survive the wilds of Aeternum, you’ll need the right equipment, as in this game your […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/16/vitae-aeternum-the-best-solo-ranged-and-melee-builds-in-new-world/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/01/vitae-aeternum-the-hits-and-misses-of-new-worlds-summer-update/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/01/vitae-aeternum-the-hits-and-misses-of-new-worlds-summer-update/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=398822 Last week saw the release of New World‘s big summer update, including an extensive music system, the Medleyfaire event, and various endgame tweaks. This update is a mixture of solid wins and significant blunders, which increasingly seems to be just how New World rolls. The bad First, let’s look at the bad news. The patch […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/08/01/vitae-aeternum-the-hits-and-misses-of-new-worlds-summer-update/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/28/vitae-aeternum-new-world-interview-on-summer-medleyfaire-solo-play-housing-and-more/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/28/vitae-aeternum-new-world-interview-on-summer-medleyfaire-solo-play-housing-and-more/#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2022 15:00:34 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=398540 With the launch of New World’s Summer Medleyfaire patch and event this morning, we naturally had questions about the new systems and the future of the game. Multiple developers from Amazon – World Experience Lead Mike Willette, Creative Director David Verfaillie, Senior Game Design Manager Phil Bolus, and Social Experience Lead Daniel Henuber – kindly filled […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/07/28/vitae-aeternum-new-world-interview-on-summer-medleyfaire-solo-play-housing-and-more/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/28/vitae-aeternum-new-worlds-slow-march-to-redemption/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/28/vitae-aeternum-new-worlds-slow-march-to-redemption/#comments Mon, 28 Mar 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=380633 In the rushes of excitement over Lost Ark and End of Dragons, New World seems to have fallen off the radar a bit. As a result, there has been very little discussion around the game’s recent updates and planned roadmap, and that’s a shame because there’s some genuine cause for hope here. It’s not everything […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/03/28/vitae-aeternum-new-worlds-slow-march-to-redemption/feed/ 16 https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/03/massively-overthinking-how-would-you-fix-new-world/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/03/massively-overthinking-how-would-you-fix-new-world/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2022 01:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=372270 Amazon’s New World is one of the biggest, most ambitious, and most beautiful MMORPGs the industry has seen in years, and yet since its launch last fall, it’s been weighed down by endless bugs, messy patches, balance issues, economy problems, confused endgame goals, and a playerbase that’s dwindled as it’s lost faith. If this were […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/02/03/massively-overthinking-how-would-you-fix-new-world/feed/ 60 https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/31/vitae-aeternum-the-rent-in-new-world-is-too-damn-high/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/31/vitae-aeternum-the-rent-in-new-world-is-too-damn-high/#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=372836 The wonderful thing about video games is that they let you experience impossible things that could never happen in the real world. Like buying a house as a Millennial. Yes, it may have taken me a while, but I have finally earned my first home in New World. I waited so as to save my […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/31/vitae-aeternum-the-rent-in-new-world-is-too-damn-high/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/07/leaderboard-whats-the-most-vulnerable-daybreak-mmo-in-2022/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/07/leaderboard-whats-the-most-vulnerable-daybreak-mmo-in-2022/#comments Fri, 07 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=364851 It’s time for another annual tradition: examining Daybreak’s prospects. We started back in 2015, when Sony cast off SOE and it was reshaped as Daybreak… and purged games and staffers in the process. Subsequent years have brought the total to somewhere around 20 closed games, with multiple studio spinoffs, the pickup of Standing Stone, the […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/07/leaderboard-whats-the-most-vulnerable-daybreak-mmo-in-2022/feed/ 20 https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/05/leaderboard-what-was-the-best-new-mmo-of-2021/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/05/leaderboard-what-was-the-best-new-mmo-of-2021/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=368944 The downside of letting both old and new games be eligible for MMO of the Year is that it’s so hard for brand-new MMOs to compete with the very best MMOs that already have years of content built up. That demands a separate poll where we can isolate just the new MMOs and decide which […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/05/leaderboard-what-was-the-best-new-mmo-of-2021/feed/ 23 https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/03/vitae-aeternum-explaining-new-worlds-level-30-wall/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/03/vitae-aeternum-explaining-new-worlds-level-30-wall/#comments Mon, 03 Jan 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=369079 If you’ve been paying any amount of attention to New World, you’ve probably heard of the dreaded “level 30 wall” – the idea that people seem to bounce off the game at around the time they hit level 30. It’s quite real; many members of the Massively OP staff fell prey to it, and I […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/01/03/vitae-aeternum-explaining-new-worlds-level-30-wall/feed/ 19 https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/06/vitae-aeternum-new-worlds-travel-problem-is-also-a-storage-problem/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/06/vitae-aeternum-new-worlds-travel-problem-is-also-a-storage-problem/#comments Mon, 06 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=365424 Today, I’d like to discuss the recent change that increased the experience needed to level crafting in New World: It’s terrible, and it should be reversed. In fact, leveling crafting was already too slow before the patch. It should be made faster than it was then. Boom, problem solved, happy players, you’re welcome, Amazon. Hmm? […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/12/06/vitae-aeternum-new-worlds-travel-problem-is-also-a-storage-problem/feed/ 29 https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/22/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-storytelling/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/22/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-storytelling/#comments Mon, 22 Nov 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=363546 I’ve been wanting to write this column for a while, but it’s been a struggle to find the words. I’m never sure of how to talk about New World‘s storytelling. I don’t want to oversell it… but I also don’t want to undersell it. New World‘s story has gotten a lot of criticism, and I […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/22/vitae-aeternum-analyzing-new-worlds-storytelling/feed/ 27 https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/02/vitae-aeternum-the-cold-water-splash-of-new-worlds-amrine-excavation-and-early-game-dungeon-mechanics/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/02/vitae-aeternum-the-cold-water-splash-of-new-worlds-amrine-excavation-and-early-game-dungeon-mechanics/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=359940 Could a single poorly designed dungeon encounter kill a whole-ass MMO for me? I didn’t think it was possible, but then I entered the Amrine Excavation in New World and had my eyes opened up to a whole new universe of disappointment. Up to this point, I was genuinely enjoying myself and was excited to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/11/02/vitae-aeternum-the-cold-water-splash-of-new-worlds-amrine-excavation-and-early-game-dungeon-mechanics/feed/ 41 https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/18/vitae-aeternum-did-new-worlds-morph-to-full-mmorpg-hamstring-its-pvp/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/18/vitae-aeternum-did-new-worlds-morph-to-full-mmorpg-hamstring-its-pvp/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=358489 Leading up to New World’s original launch, I had virtually no interest in playing. Even after Amazon Games pulled the ol’ switcheroo and added a bunch of PvE to the game, I still wasn’t sold. Hell, even after playing in a couple of betas, I still wasn’t on board. But then the final launch date […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/18/vitae-aeternum-did-new-worlds-morph-to-full-mmorpg-hamstring-its-pvp/feed/ 65 https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/14/vitae-aeternum-new-world-through-the-eyes-of-eso-eve-player/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/14/vitae-aeternum-new-world-through-the-eyes-of-eso-eve-player/#comments Thu, 14 Oct 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=357937 When I heard that Amazon Game Studios was releasing an MMO, my plan was to watch from the sidelines until such time that all the bugs were worked out and all the hype had died down. I hadn’t followed the New World pre-release news especially closely, and the early streams I saw did not strike […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/14/vitae-aeternum-new-world-through-the-eyes-of-eso-eve-player/feed/ 24 https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/12/vitae-aeternum-new-world-excels-and-entertains-despite-uninspired-gameplay-design/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/12/vitae-aeternum-new-world-excels-and-entertains-despite-uninspired-gameplay-design/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=357335 After more than 20 levels’ worth of time in New World, you’d think I’d have a pretty good handle on why this game has me enthralled, but the more I examine the game at a mechanical level, the more I’m confused about why I’m enjoying myself. Let’s get right down to it: New World, from […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/12/vitae-aeternum-new-world-excels-and-entertains-despite-uninspired-gameplay-design/feed/ 43 https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/11/vitae-aeternum-new-world-lacks-customization-but-that-can-be-fixed/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/11/vitae-aeternum-new-world-lacks-customization-but-that-can-be-fixed/#comments Mon, 11 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=357105 Welcome to our first installment of Vitae Aeternum, an ongoing column in which multiple writers of MassivelyOP plan to bring you coverage, opinions, rants, and more on the topic of the new kid on the MMORPG block, New World. New World is an interesting case. There seems to be recurring refrain among most players of, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/10/11/vitae-aeternum-new-world-lacks-customization-but-that-can-be-fixed/feed/ 28