New World Season 2 brings a wealth of adjustments aimed at improving gameplay, addressing underperforming abilities, and enhancing the overall combat experience. This guide will explore the changes made to various weapons, abilities, and combat mechanics. We'll cover everything from underused and underpowered abilities receiving much-needed buffs to the introduction of strategic blocking mechanics. Additionally, we'll examine the adjustments made to the fire staff, rapier, life staff, bow, and Heart Rune, providing insights into their renewed viability and effectiveness.

• Underused and Underpowered Initiative
• Blocking Mechanics
• Fire Staff Changes
• Rapier
• Life Staff
• Bow
• Heart Rune
• Current Meta with Season 2 Changes
• Community Input

↖ Underused and Underpowered Initiative

In Season 2, the development team focused on identifying abilities that were underperforming or not frequently used. They made efforts to buff these abilities to make them more viable options. While some abilities saw improvements, not all changes were successful in generating excitement. Animation budget constraints were a limiting factor in pushing certain abilities further.

↖ Blocking Mechanics

Blocking mechanics received changes based on feedback from the public test realm (PTR). The goal was to make blocking a more viable and strategic option compared to dodging. Changes include the ability to block ranged damage with any weapon, faster movement while blocking, and no slowdown if the block is broken. These changes have been well received, and the development team is satisfied with the current direction.

↖ Fire Staff Changes

The fire staff underwent revisions due to unsatisfactory results with the previous changes. The pushback effect was causing issues in various situations. As an alternative, the development team decided to remove the pushback entirely and introduced an interrupt and stagger mechanic instead. This change comes with a damage reduction to balance the addition of interrupt and stagger effects.

↖ Rapier

Flurry, an ability associated with the rapier weapon, did not achieve the desired impact with previous changes. To address this, the development team added grit to Flurry, which provides a new tactical option for players and encourages its inclusion in various builds.

↖ Life Staff

The life staff received several changes based on player feedback. Light's Embrace, an ability with a shorter range, was perceived as less fun. To address this, the development team removed the range restriction while making Light's Embrace affect only the player's group. Orb of Protection fortify effect was insufficient, so the fortification value was increased. Additionally, Light's Embrace received a healing buff, resulting in a 20% healing increase per buff.

↖ Bow

The bow is considered an exciting and widely used weapon. The development team aimed to improve the left tree of the bow's skill tree to make it more viable. Changes include increasing the duration of Rending Headshot from 3 to 5 seconds, buffing the damage over time effect of Poison Shot for quicker damage application, and speeding up Rain of Arrows by 50% for faster damage delivery.

↖ Heart Rune

Feedback indicated that the Heart Rune ability felt underwhelming. To address this, the development team increased its damage by 15%. Additionally, bugs and input buffering issues were resolved to ensure smoother gameplay. The team may consider further changes, such as speeding up the activation of Heart Rune, depending on usage and feedback.

↖ Current Meta with Season 2 Changes

While it is challenging to determine the meta based solely on PTR data, there is a shift towards a melee-focused meta. The development team aims to maintain balance and prevent any dominance by a particular playstyle. Preemptive action is being taken on two melee weapons: sword and shield and greatsword. Sword and shield's Opportunistic perk will be modified to provide extra damage only for abilities instead of all attacks. Greatsword's base damage will be reduced by around 4-5% to align it with other weapons.

↖ Community Input

The development team is open to community suggestions for future weapons. They encourage players to share their ideas for the upcoming Season 3 weapon, as they are already in the prototype and planning phase.

Remember to provide feedback and stay tuned for updates as the development team monitors the game's balance and player experience. Enjoy the exciting world of New World: Forged in Aeternum!