Update 5.0.2
A much awaited patch!
Rabbit’s Revenge, weapon balance, bug fixes and new server technology are due to hit Aeternum this evening. Servers will go down at 10pm Delos server time and are expected to return after 1.5 hours.
A shard surprise
We’ve all been hoping for the bug fixes and the weapon balance promised in the April Balance of Power video but I don’t think anyone suspected the devs were also working on Shards. This is a new server technology that should help with balancing population and server stability.
Basically, each segment of the game world will be able to be duplicated to accommodate more players. The devs promise seamless duplication and the key will be whether they can deliver on this. I can imagine some issues with groups and raid groups when shards are close to capacity. It’s good that they are not rolling it out on big chest run zones to start with.
Friends and company members will be paired in the same shard where possible, and there will be an option in the Social Menu to join someone in a different shard. Considering the devs have been unable to debug the friends list since launch, I have my concerns about how well this will work.
PVP shards are a hot topic for discussion, with the wording “Players flagged for PvP in non-PvP shards can transfer to the PvP shard” (note below) raising a red flag. If flagging for PVP forces players to the PVP shard, this could be a better solution for open world PVP than PVP-only servers. However, if players can flag for PVP and remain on the non-PVP shard then that further reduces the opportunity for PVP interaction.
Server infrastructure and population balance are problems that have plagued New World from the start and it is good to see them addressing this now. The fact that initial implementation will be in the starting zones of Windsward and Monarch’s Bluff only, implies that AGS are preparing for a population influx with their Big June Announcement (only days away). It is great to see them trying to learn from and prevent some of the problems of the past.
Note: This was very quickly edited to say:
“PvP Flagging: Players flagged for PvP in non-PvP Shards will transfer to the PvP Shard.” (my emphasis)
So it’s clear that there will be no way to cheese PVP flagging.
Bug fixes
While there are quite a few bug fixes listed, the amount doesn’t match the volume of bug complaints. Ranged players will be happy with the projectile fix, but I can’t see the Bow RoA bug that continues to plague invasions mentioned. I guess we’ll be able to gauge the effectiveness of the bug fixes better by playing the game rather than reading the patch notes.
I’m hoping the hatchet-aimed-throw fix will stop me from swinging at the air like an idiot while trying to throw my hatchet. It’s nice to imagine it might actually have been a bug rather than user error!
Combat balance
One interesting change that affects everyone is the reversion of some of the Equip Load changes. The Block Stability numbers seem off in the patch notes, implying Light would have greater stability than heavy. I’ve switched the plus and minus around to make more sense, which I’ll correct later if it turns out I’m wrong.
Block Stability
Season 5:
- Heavy +15%
- Medium 0
- Light -15%
Reverted to:
- Heavy +10%
- Medium 0
- Light -10%
Incoming CC Status Duration
Season 5:
- Heavy -20%
- Medium 0
- Light +10%
Reverted to:
- Heavy -20%
- Medium -10%
- Light 0%
The Phoenix looks like it will be re-enabled with the ability to explore out-of-bounds areas removed. Winged Leather Shoes have been slightly buffed and Magnetic Gauntlets slightly nerfed.
A lot of weapons have had damage tweaked or had bugs removed, with more winners than losers. It will be interesting to see how the Bow nerfs impact Invasions.
Winners
- Life Staff users no longer waste mana and cooldowns on out-of-range targets.
- Hatchet Keen Berserk removal of low health condition but reduction of bonuses.
- Fire Staff Flare passive increased heavy attack damage
- Musket removal of accuracy penalty when moving the camera, increased pushback, greater application of Lethal Combo ultimate.
- Blunderbuss reduced reload time of light attacks.
- Flail increased damage and Empower for Leader of the Pack passive.
- Rapier Deadly Flourish perk no longer requires targets to be below 50% health.
- Tanks‘ main taunt – Defender’s Resolve – cooldown reduced by 10 seconds, faster activation of effect, Restoration upgrade doubled.
- Sword Whirling Blade radius increased.
- War Hammer increased Mighty Gavel damage.
Losers
- AoE Bow – Rain of Arrows DoT damage and Poison Shot DoT duration reduced.
- Blunderbuss reduced light attack damage, and nerf to Exhuastive Net Shot perk.
- Spear users reduced usability of the cheap dodge from Evasive Maneuvers, flat 20 stamina from Invigorating Crits changed to Stamina regen, and reduced Fortify from Fortifying Perforate perk.
From the source:
You can visit a direct link here, or read a copy of the news below:
New World Update 5.0.2
Greetings, Adventurers!
New World Update 5.0.2 downtime will begin at 5:00 a.m. PT (12:00 p.m. UTC) on June 4 and last approximately 1.5 hours. Hunt or be hunted in pursuit of new and returning event-specific loot during Rabbit’s Revenge. Explore the full release notes, including the addition of our new server Shard tech, below.
RABBIT’S REVENGE
The furry little killers are back for even more explosive vengeance. Corrupted rabbits will roam the wilds of Aeternum from June 4 through June 18. This rabbit season includes a corrupted Flail, a corrupted armor skin, and an emote that only the most corrupt Adventurers will discover. All rewards except for the emote are guaranteed after a certain number of corrupted rabbits have fallen.
Check out the full reward breakdown here.
SHARDS
We’re excited to introduce Shards, a new server technology coming to New World.
WHAT ARE SHARDS?
Shards are duplicated segments of the game world designed to better manage player populations. Each region or zone within the game has population limits. By seamlessly duplicating these segments into new instances, we can accommodate more players in the same space without affecting game performance or the user experience. You won’t encounter loading screens when moving in and out of Sharded areas and will typically be unaware that a Shard is present.
INITIAL ROLLOUT
For the initial release, Shards will be implemented for the starting beaches and settlements of Monarch’s Bluffs and Windsward. This will help us accommodate new players and reduce queue times. Based on technical performance and player feedback, we may expand Shards to other regions of Aeternum in the future.
IMPACT ON GAMEPLAY
We aim for seamless gameplay whether you’re in a Shard or not. Here’s how Shards will work:
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
Groups: Prioritized to stay together in the same Shard, as long as there’s capacity.
Solo Players: Paired with friends or Company members in the same Shard when possible.
Joining Others: To join someone in a different Shard, be in the same area and select “Join Shard” from the Social Menu.
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
Area Chat: Limited to players within the same Shard, while Global Chat remains unchanged.
Proximity Actions: Activities like trading, music, and dueling require all participants to be in the same Shard.
PLAYER VS PLAYER
Dedicated PvP Shard: Each area has a single Shard for PvP to ensure fair play.
PvP Flagging: Players flagged for PvP in non-PvP Shards can transfer to the PvP Shard.
Initial Implementation: Sharding will be limited to Monarch’s Bluffs and Windsward initially. Expansion to other zones will depend on feedback and performance.
CAMPS
Camp Locations: Camps remain in the Shards where they were placed.
Recalling to Camp: You can recall to your Camp location without being forced into its Shard.
Shard Shutdowns: If a Shard with your Camp is shut down, the Camp will be removed, and you’ll be notified.
Stay tuned for more updates on Shards as we refine this feature based on your feedback.
GENERAL
Client-side anti-cheat has been upgraded to the latest version.
Fixed an issue that caused player storage sheds to occasionally appear empty, forcing impacted players to exit and re-enter the storage shed UI in order to refresh the cached storage state.
Fixed a rare issue that caused certain items to appear as if they were missing from player inventories.
COMBAT
GENERAL
Fixed an issue that caused attacks to not buffer during certain animation frames of the dodge action.
Resolved issues to allow proper break out from jumps to other actions.
Fixed an issue with sliding around while sprinting by adjusting acceleration for movement.
Fixed an issue where projectiles would sometimes not fire towards the crosshair location.
Fixed an issue that prevented movement if an emote was triggered while aiming or blocking.
Fixed an issue that allowed upper body actions to continue during stuns.
Fixed an issue that prevented attack buffering during the activation animation of the Primal Fury Heartrune.
Fixed an issue where Corrupted Portal enemies were spawning underground.
Fixed an issue where AI enemies going beyond their intended borders while giving chase to players would suddenly stop and die.
Improved animation blending when cancelling dodges, full body attacks and reactions with a ranged attacks.
Reduced the maximum “pitch” value for the character’s combat camera while using a controller’s “target lock” function during the Neishatun boss fight. This was done to help keep the fight’s action in view.
Reverted recent changes to Block Stability for varying Equip Loads to where they were pre-Season 5 (Heavy = -10%, Medium = 0%, & Light = +10%).
Reverted recent changes to CC Status Effect Duration for varying Equip Loads to where they were pre-Season 5 (Heavy = -20%, Medium = -10%, & Light = 0%).
Updated the Shirking Empower perk to 7% per stack for 3 stacks from 4% Empower per stack for 4 stacks (total Empower increased from 21% max from 16% max).
VOID GAUNTLET
Fixed an issue that prevented Void Blade attacks from triggering while standing in water.
Fixed an issue where consecutive Void Gauntlet auto attacks would not turn the player in the proper direction if facing the wrong way.
LIFE STAFF
Adjusted the controller’s target-lock UI element to now stay on-screen for the entire duration of a healing spell when using targeted healing functions for an improved user experience.
Fixed an issue that caused healing abilities to trigger their Mana cost and cooldown despite the spell cancelling due to the target moving out of range.
HATCHET
Fixed an issue where Hatchet light attacks were prioritized over aimed-throw after leaving a throw ability while holding down the Aim button.
The Keen Berserk perk will no longer have a Low Health condition; instead, the Keen Berserk perk now grants a scaling 5% / 13% / 20% bonus to Crit Chance and Crit Damage while Berserk is active.
FIRE STAFF
Fixed an issue that prevented players from swapping between Flamethrower, Pillar of Fire, and Meteor Shower abilities.
Increased heavy damage from 110% to 120% with the Flare passive unlocked.
MUSKET
Fixed an issue where a dry-fire Musket shot could be triggered if attempting to shoot after dodging while a reload is pending.
Fixed an issue that prevented weapon reloads from triggering correctly when firing from the hip.
Fixed an issue where Powder Burn and Power Shot could trigger multiple instances of damage in a single use.
Fixed an issue where Powder Burn and Power Shot ability cooldowns were not always activated when used within Shooter’s Stance.
Removed the Accuracy Penalty when rotating the player camera.
Increased the pushback for Stopping Power from 3m to 5m.
Removed the Headshot secondary condition from the Deadeye Ultimate, instead granting a bonus if two or more targets are hit with a single attack (headshot no longer required).
Updated the Lethal Combo ultimate to apply to all musket debuffs instead of only those within the Trapper tree exclusively.
ICE GAUNTLET
Fixed an issue where the Entomb ability was triggering Refreshing Frost twice per activation.
Fixed an issue that rendered characters unable to move when teleported during an active Ice Gauntlet’s Entombed ability state.
BOW
Fixed an issue where the player can attain slightly faster attack speed on Bow when cancelling Rain Of Arrows, Penetrating Shot, or Poison Shot abilities.
Reduced Rain of Arrows’ Barbed Arrows upgrade DoT damage from 15% to 9% per tick
Reduced Poison Shot DoT duration from 10s to 7s.
BLUNDERBUSS
Reduced the reload time of light attacks by 35%, for improved weapon usability.
Reduced light attack damage slightly to compensate for reload time changes, coming down to 19% from 21% per pellet (114% from 126% for 6 pellets).
Fixed an issue with the Exhaustive Net Shot perk where the functional values were lower than the displayed values.
Reduced performance on the Exhaustive Net Shot perk, lowing the max value for weapons from to 41% from 60% and max armor value to 25% from 37%.
FLAIL
Adjusted Leader of The Pack passive by increasing damage while no allies are nearby from 10% to 15%, and increased the Empower allies receive when nearby from 5% to 10%.
RAPIER
Some of the planned adjustments to the Deadly Flourish perk will not be taking placed as originally discussed in the Balance of Power video. Upon further testing and feedback, we have decided against adding the bleed status effect to the functionality, and will just have the health condition removed for now.
SPEAR
Updated the tooltip for Cyclone Invigorating’s Combo upgrade to include information on a max target limit of 2.
Updated functionality of the Evasive Maneuvers passive to only apply to the next dodge within 2s, not to all dodges.
Updated Fortifying Perforate Perk by lowering values to 10% Armor / 18% Weapon Max per Stack, from 10% Armor / 25% Weapon Max per Stack.
Updated Invigorating Crits passive from a flat Stamina gain to an increased Stamina Regen Rate of 30% for 3s on Crit.
SWORD & SHIELD
Made a series of changes aimed at improving build diversity:
Adjusted the Status Effect and Taunt from Defender’s Resolve to trigger much sooner in the animation. It will now activate on the first frame instead of frame 21 for status effect and 8 for taunt.
Reduced Defender’s Resolve – Reduced cooldown to 35s from 45s.
Adjusted Defender’s Resolve Restoration upgrade to 30% of base health from 15% of max health.
Defender’s Resolve Restoration upgrade – Adjusted from being 15% of max health to 30% of base health.
Increased Whirling Blade attack radius to 3m from 2m.
WAR HAMMER
Increased Mighty Gavel damage to 190% from 170% .
Increased Mighty Gavel Summary Judgement target health requirement to below 50% from below 30%.
ARTIFACTS
Added additional functionality to Winged Leather Shoes to increase damage by 10% while Haste is active.
Reduced Magnetic Gauntlets Crit damage reduction to 30% from 50%.
Fixed an issue where the Phoenix artifact could ignore special Status Effects that weren’t intended to be bypassed. The item’s effect will continue to trigger for area combat effects, such as Afflictions, but will no longer trigger from special types of environmental damage where death is certain (such as when drowning or entering an out-of-bound area).
CONSUMABLES
Fixed an issue preventing consumables from cancelling melee basic attacks on startup.
Fixed an issue where player could slide while using Honing Stones or Coating while also using a Flail and Shield.
Using a consumable item can now cancel a block action.
GAME MODES
Fixed an issue that could allow enemies to fire projectiles through Outpost Rush fort gates.
Decreased cost of Siege Ammo Kit from the Armory to 20 Battle Tokens from 30 Battle Tokens.
Fixed an issue that could cause the Winter Rune Forge’s rune puzzle to not appear when conditions were met.
MOUNTS
Fixed an issue where the mount did not respond to backwards movement inputs while standing still with the Freeform Movement toggle enabled.
USER INTERFACE
Fixed an issue that allowed The Tower camp skin to be deployable in forts.
Fixed an issue that prevented players from accessing the In-Game Store after performing certain weapon abilities.
Thanks for your support! We’ll see you in Aeternum.
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