The long-promised New World server transfers will finally be available this week, but unfortunately it seems that one feature will be absent - the ability to do a transfer between regions, despite developer Amazon Game Studios previously suggesting that this would be possible.
The promised free server transfers were supposed to arrive last week but - as reported earlier today - Amazon delayed them to next week to fix some issues with the transfer option "before we feel comfortable giving everyone their free server transfer token".
Since then the team has posted a few answers to numerous user questions on the New World forums. The most notable is the fact that the ability to change region during the upcoming server transfers is not going to be possible - players can't change from an EU server to a US one, for example, or even between the East and West US coasts. This is apparently because "each region is a separate database", so it's not possible to move a character to a different one.
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Amazon's MMO New World is by all measure a tremendous success, but the cost of that for players is that the game's servers have been overwhelmed. Now the full details of Amazon's promised free server transfer have been revealed - but the bad news is that it's been delayed again.
While Amazon has been continually adding new servers to ease the lag and queue times reported when the game launched, only newer players or characters can really take advantage of them. Amazon promised that it would offer free server transfers for everyone, so initial players could move their characters and progress over to a new server without issue.
Those server transfers were supposed to arrive last week, but Amazon has delayed them to next week instead. "During our testing, we uncovered some edge cases where the transfer experience does not meet our standards for its release," community manager TrevzorFTW says in a new blog post. "This means that we will be taking some extra time to get these issues resolved before we feel comfortable giving everyone their free server transfer token."
RELATED LINKS:
New World's Steam reviews are now 'mostly positive'
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You know an MMO's starting to click with you when you're logging on during lunch breaks. There's a moreish interplay between New World's gathering and crafting that's got its hooks in me. But for everything that Amazon Games has got right in its new MMO, there are plenty more features that feel undercooked and ill-considered, putting a significant dampener on the experience.
Does it scratch that itch you've got in the back of your brain for a new MMO? Definitely. Will you be gasping in awe, wondering how Amazon Games has managed to reinvigorate the genre? Probably not.
As soon as you get your first sword and shield in the tutorial zone, you'll notice that New World's combat differs significantly from most other MMOs. Rather than leaning on auto-attacks and cooldown-based abilities, New World employs an action-combat system that's closer to Elder Scrolls Online's bastardised take on Skyrim's combat. The result is that swordplay feels so much more satisfying, and I'm no longer mindlessly clicking between mobs until the XP bar ticks over. It's certainly not the first MMO to give the player a more active role in combat, but melee brawls feel tight and responsive.
RELATED LINKS:
New World's Steam reviews are now 'mostly positive'
The best weapons in New World for PvP and PvE
New World beginner's guide - tips for new players
The New World Starstone Barrows Expedition is a step up in complexity compared to the Amrine Excavation. The second major dungeon in New World tests your abilities against strong foes, and how well you can work together with your party members. After completing Amrine, you should work on New World leveling a fair bit before you can tackle Starstone Barrows, as it doesn't unlock until almost ten levels later.
Like the previous expedition, Starstone Barrows is split into multiple sections - but this time, you'll encounter deadly puzzles and several mobs with Elite leaders. Similar to most MMO dungeons, the expedition also has a strong mini boss to contend with before a final fight against a much more challenging opponent. You're probably used to tackling objectives with others by now, but Starstone Barrows requires careful coordination between roles and a united effort to overcome its pesky Elite mobs.
It's a long dungeon with plenty of room for error. To help you on your way, we've put together the definitive Starstone Barrows guide, including how to unlock Starstone Barrows, and what rewards you obtain for making it through.
RELATED LINKS:
The best weapons in New World for PvP and PvE
New World beginner's guide - tips for new players
New World's server transfers won't let you change regions after all