*Note: All controls are default, and can be changed in the Settings screen\n\nUse [W][A][S][D] to move around the world, and move the mouse to turn the camera.\n\nHold [SHIFT] to sprint. This costs Stamina while your weapon is drawn. If you have a lot of distance to travel, you can press [=] to toggle autorun. While autorunning, you sprint forward without needing to hold any other keys. Sprinting at a low ledge will cause your character to climb it.\n\nUse [TAB] to open your <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Inventory">Inventory</a>. You can double-click or drag items from your Inventory on the right to your Equipment on the left. Weapons and consumables are placed in a Quickslot. Armor and ammo are equipped in an apparel slot.

Basic Movement and Interaction

*Note: All controls are default, and can be changed in the Settings screen\n\nWhen faced with an enemy, you can draw an equipped weapon by pressing its Quickslot number, [1], [2], or [3]. Alternatively, you can press [X] to redraw your last used weapon. Press the button again to sheathe the weapon.\n\nWith a melee weapon drawn, use [LMB] for a basic attack. Melee weapons also have a heavy attack ([F]) and a special attack ([Q]). Use the heavy attack if you can't break through an opponent's blocking. The special attack varies by weapon, so experiment with how to integrate it into your combat style.\n\nWith a ranged weapon drawn, hold [RMB] to aim the weapon and press [LMB] to shoot.\n\nTo avoid incoming damage, you can attempt to dodge by pressing a direction and [SPACE] at the same time. Or, while a melee weapon is equipped, you can attempt to block the attack by holding [RMB]. Both of these come at a large cost to Stamina, and must be used carefully to avoid becoming exhausted.\n\nStamina is a large part of combat. Most actions cost Stamina, and once you run out you enter an exhausted state. While exhausted, your basic attack becomes weak and slow, and you cannot roll or block. Be careful to monitor your Stamina so you aren't vulnerable at the wrong moment. Making sure you are well hydrated increases the rate that Stamina regenerates, so keep your Drink meter topped off to maximize your effectiveness.\n\nMagic and special attacks consume Mana. Mana is slow to regenerate, so be careful not to burn it too quickly.

Basic Combat

Health is an overall representation of your character's overall wellness. If you run out, you die. It regenerates over time as long as you keep your <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_FoodDrink">Food</a> meter high enough. You can speed up this regeneration with magic, consumables, or by resting at your camp. Your maximum is determined by your Constitution attribute.\n\nStamina is used by most <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Combat">combat actions</a>. Running out leaves you exhausted and vulnerable, so manage it carefully. It will regenerate over time, but having a low <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_FoodDrink">Drink</a> meter will cause it to regenerate slower. Your maximum is determined by your Endurance attribute.\n\nMana is used for magic and special attacks. It regenerates slowly, and is not tied to Food or Drink. Resting at your camp speeds up its regeneration rate significantly, so if you're relying on Mana make sure to bring potions or take time between fights. Your maximum mana is based on your Intelligence and Faith attributes, and the regeneration rate is determined by your Focus attribute.

Health, Stamina, and Mana

Your Food meter is a representation of how well fed your character is. Eating food increases it, which in turn increases the rate you regain <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Health</a>. Running out won't kill you, but if it gets too low you won't heal over time at all anymore. It's important to keep this meter high in order to keep going after a fight.\n\nThe easiest sources of food are Berries found on bushes and simple Cooked Meat made at your camp from meat harvested from dead animals.\n\nSimilarly, your Drink meter is a representation of how well hydrated your character is. Drinking increases the meter, which improves the rate you regain <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Stamina</a>. Even with an empty drink meter, your Stamina will still regenerate. However, having a high Drink meter will make sure Stamina refills quickly, and can be the difference in a tough battle.\n\nThe easiest way to refill Drink is simply from Fresh Water. Find a river or lake, collect some, and drink up.

Food and Drink

*Note: All controls are default, and can be changed in the Settings screen\n\nThe most straight forward way to reach most aspects of the user interface is to press [ESC] to open the main nav bar. This shows a series of buttons across the top of your screen, social and group controls to the left, and enables interaction with other HUD elements like chat.\n\nThe Company screen (default: [F4]) is where you can manage your Company and view the others in the game. This is where to go to manage Company members, set your Siege Window, control your Company treasury, and declare War.\n\nThe Map ([M]) shows the layout of Aeternum. You can zoom in and out by using the mouse wheel, pan by clicking and dragging, and place a waypoint with [RMB]. Mousing over an Outpost or Landmark will offer additional information and, in the case of Outposts, the ability to view your Outpost Storage there.\n\nThe Journal ([J]) is where you can manage your objectives (NOT YET IMPLEMENTED) and read collected Lore documents. You are looking at the Journal now.\n\nThe Progression screen ([K]) lets you view your character's attributes and trade skills, as well as the stats that are derived from them. It's also where you spend points to improve your character after leveling up.\n\nThe Settings screen contains a large number of options for display, audio, and controls. You can use it to change these things at any time.\n\nThe <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_SocialMenu">Social Menu</a> allows you to search for other players. Once you've found one, you can hover over their Player Portrait to access a number of options. This includes sending a Friend Request, a Group or Company Invite, sending a Whisper, or blocking all of their communications in the future.\n\nThe Nearby Players list only appears if there is someone else nearby, and gives easy access to their Player Portrait. In a crowded area, it will only show 5 other players, so you may still need to use the normal Social Menu to access options for a specific player.\n\nChat appears to the left of the screen. Press [ENTER] to enable typing, and press [ENTER] again after inputting your message to send it. Chat can be in a number of channels, selectable by the dropdown next to the input box.\n\nEmotes are available by holding [P] and selecting an option with the mouse. Alternatively, if you know the emote's slash command you can type it into chat. Emotes are short animations your character can perform to express a simple emotion or sentiment, like cheering or beckoning someone over.

Interface Navigation

While exploring Aeternum, make sure to always place your Camp (default: [Y]). Your camp acts as a <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Respawn">respawn point</a>, basic <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Crafting">crafting station</a>, and rest area to replenish your <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Vitals">Health and Mana</a>.\n\nYou can destroy your Camp by holding the same button used to place it. You do not need to be near it to do so. This lets you break camp from anywhere so you can place a new one without going back. Both placing and destroying your Camp are free, so do it often to make sure it's always nearby.

Camping

Dying in Aeternum is considerably less permanent than in the rest of the world, but it is not without consequence. When you die, you drop all items in your inventory on the spot, and your equipped items suffer a significant amount of durability loss. If you are a Criminal at the time of your death, you drop your equipment as well. Anyone can pick up the items you drop, but if you can get back to the location before anyone does then you can recover it all.\n\nWhen you die, you'll need to choose a location to respawn at. You can respawn at your placed <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Camping">Camp</a>, at a nearby <a action="GoToPage" data="GettingStarted_Outposts">Outpost</a> if you've visited its Inn, at a house owned by your Company, or at a random <a action="GoToPage" data="GettingStarted_StartingLocation">Starting Location</a>. With the exception of the random Starting Location, each of these has a cooldown before you can use them a second time. If a respawn location is on cooldown, you cannot spawn there and must choose another option. Replacing your Camp does not reset its cooldown.

Death and Respawning

The Social Menu is how you access controls for other players. It contains a search bar, shows pending invitations, and lists your friends. You can search any player by name, even if they are offline.\n\nSending invites to players is done through their Player Portrait. Hovering your mouse over a Player Portrait opens a flyout menu with buttons to do things like invite the player to a Group, inviting them to your Company, sending them a Whisper (private chat message), adding them as a Friend, or Muting or Blocking their communications.\n\nAnywhere Player Portraits appear offer the same flyout. This includes chat messages, the Nearby Players list, and your Company Roster.

Social Menu

Whenever you gather a resource or pick up an item it is added to your Inventory (default: [TAB]). These items are divided into 6 groups:\n  • Weapons, which can be wielded in combat.\n  • Apparel, which can be equipped to improve your stats or just dress up.\n  • Ammo, which must be equipped in order to use a ranged weapon. Arrows are for bows and cartridges are for firearms.\n  • Utilities, which can be used from your Inventory or equipped to a Quickslot. Most utilities are consumed when used. You can't eat the same meal twice.\n  • Tools, which are used to gather resources. Tools do not need to be equipped, just set as active. Your character will use the active tools automatically.\n  • Resources, which covers everything else. Mostly, these are items that are used to craft other items, but it also includes things like Talismans and Animorum.\n\nIn order to equip an item, you can double-click it or click and drag it to the left. To drop it or place it into a storage container, hold [SHIFT] and click it or drag it to the middle of the screen. Equipped items are no longer in your Inventory, so don't forget where you put that potion.\n\nClicking an item will lock its tooltip open, and allow you to perform other actions like repairing, salvaging, or comparing it. The actions that are available vary by item.\n\nItems have weight. Items in your Inventory count against your Encumbrance. When you are carrying more than your Encumbrance limit, you will not be able to roll, run, or sprint. If you reach more than twice your Encumbrance limit, you will not be able to walk at all.\n\nSimilarly, items you have equipped count against your Equip Load. This includes any items in your Quickslots. As your Equip Load increases, you will move slower and dodging will cost more Stamina. If you exceed your maximum Equip Load, you will not be able to roll or sprint.\n\nYou can view the consequences of being Encumbered or Over-Equipped by hovering your mouse over the weight bar for each.

Inventory

Every character can craft a number of simple items at their Camp. As you increase in level, you can invest in Trade Skills that allow you to craft other items and use other Crafting Stations.\n\nTo craft an item, first visit the Crafting Station. Your Camp acts as a Crafting Station for the Wilderness Survival skill, but there are several other types of Crafting Stations as well. Each crafting Trade Skill has a different station it uses. While you can view the recipes for other stations, you can only create items for the station you are at.\n\nFrom the Crafting Station, you can then choose the type of item you wish to make. Items you lack the resources for are in red, but you can still click them for more details.\n\nAfter selecting an item type, you'll need to choose what Tier of that item you want to make. Higher Tiers require rarer resources and higher skills.\n\nWithin the Tier, you can select the <a action="GoToPage" data="Crafting_Rarity">Rarity</a> of each material you wish to use.\n\nFinally, press the Craft button to make your new item.\n\nFor more detailed information on Crafting, view the <a action="GoToPage" data="Crafting_Overview">Crafting</a> chapter of this How to Play topic.

Basic Crafting

Aeternum is a dangerous place, and many take to banditry and murder. Any player may attack another player at any time, with two exceptions:\n  • You cannot hurt a player in your <a action="GoToPage" data="GettingStarted_Social">Group or Company</a>\n  • You cannot hurt a non-criminal in a <a action="GoToPage" data="GettingStarted_Sanctuaries">Sanctuary</a>, which includes most <a action="GoToPage" data="GettingStarted_Outposts">Outposts</a>\n\nTo prevent you from committing crimes accidentally, you must enable Criminal Intent (default: [U]) in order to damage players or player-made structures, including <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_Camping">Camps</a>. Players who have enabled their Criminal Intent but have not actually committed a crime have their names appear in <font color="#ffc321">yellow</font>. A player who has committed a crime will have their name shown in <font color="#ff9393">red</font>.\n\nCrime comes with punishment. The magic of Aeternum is less forgiving, and offers little respite for criminals. When a player commits a crime, they receive a Criminal Timer. This is increased with subsequent crimes up to a maximum value. When a player has time remaining on their Criminal Timer, they:\n  • Can be attacked by other players. Those other players will not receive criminal penalties for attacking the criminal.\n  • Can be attacked in Sanctuaries. This means even Outposts are not safe for criminals.\n  • Drop their Equipment in addition to their Inventory when they die. They will respawn with nothing, and others can pick up the weapons and armor they've dropped.\n\nPlayers can commit 4 different crimes. The worst crime they still have a timer for is listed in their nameplate. These crimes are:\n  • Vandalism: damaging a player-made structure\n  • Pillaging: destroying a player-made structure\n  • Assault: damaging another player\n  • Murder: killing another player\n\nRemember, any crimes committed in a <a action="GoToPage" data="GettingStarted_Sanctuaries">Lawless Area</a> do not add to your Criminal Timer, and do not carry the usual penalties. If you're looking for ad-hoc player vs. player combat, Lawless Areas offer a way to find that without the same level of punishment as elsewhere in Aeternum.\n\nCrime comes with a lot of risk. Be careful if you choose that path, and be aware of the costs.

Crime and Open World PvP

Interactions with other players can come in many forms. Some are mutually positive, like members of a Company working together to complete a large structure. Some are inherently adversarial, like murder and War. However, none of these interactions should become abusive.\n\nAbusive or discriminatory language, cheating or exploiting, individual harrasment, vulgar character or Company names, and chat spam can all be reported for disciplinary action.\n\nIf you see or experience a player engaging in these behaviors, you can report them using their <a action="GoToPage" data="Mechanics_SocialMenu">Player Portrait</a>. Hover over the portrait to open the flyout menu, and select Report. In the dialog box, select the type of inappropriate behavior you wish to report and add some details and context in the text box. Finally, click Submit.\n\nWhile New World presents a hostile world where players can fight and kill each other, it's ultimately a game and should be fun for everyone. Amazon takes these reports seriously, and will follow up appropriately.

Reporting Abusive Behavior

New World is still in active development, and some issues could arise from this. If you run into any bugs, please let the developers know by reporting them through the forums at https://alphaforum.newworld.com/. The forums offer a direct connection to the devs, and may already have a solution or work-around for your issue, so check there for support.\n\nIf your character gets stuck in a position you cannot escape from, you can type "/unstuck" without the quotes into chat to be moved a short distance away. This command is only intended to be used if you find yourself unable to navigate on your own, like falling between rocks you cannot climb out from. It is not for escaping an enemy base or avoiding a fight. Once you use "/unstuck" you will have to wait a period of time before it becomes available again.

Technical Issues and Support

Explanations of the mechanics and concepts of New World

Mechanics and UI Chapter - NWGuide Database of Lore

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