Picture this: you create your New World character, join a server, and hit 'Play' -- only to find that you've washed up on the beaches of Monarch's Bluffs while your friends are all down in First Light.
This is the reality of Aeternum and the beginning of the game, and it can be extremely frustrating. You won't have the same starting quests as your friends, and could end up being completely uncoordinated.
However, there is one trick that is sure to get you hooked up with your friends. It takes some patience, but if you're looking to level with your buddies, it's worth it.
Firstly, don't immediately set off to join your friends in their area
While it may seem like a good idea to just hot-foot it to your friends without completing a quest, it's actually not.
When you first set foot on Aeternum, a series of tutorial quests will begin. If you leave right away, absolutely nothing else will be available to you.
It's a long way to run, through dangerous territory, just to find it was a wasted journey!
Play through until you hit Level 9
During the tutorial series, you'll learn to craft rations and swords, skin boars, kill wolves, collect resources and generally enjoy the pleasures of 'strange new supernatural country' life up to Level 8.
Then, you'll be given the quest Commitment to the Cause, which asks you to speak to your Faction Representative.
You'll have accept and complete Faction quests, which are usually fetch quests or killing a certain type of enemy, until you have reached 300 Faction Reputation.
This should take you two or three quests to achieve, as most tend to award roughly 250 Reputation. They can be either PvE or PvP quests, the choice is yours.
Completing these should take you to Level 9, opening up all the side quests in that Territory. Once you've completed Commitment to the Cause, you're free to join your friends!
Unlock the Main Story Quest
Should your friends be too far away for you to realistically get to (having to traverse high-level areas, for example), then you can just start the Main Story and progress until you reach a crossing point.
The quest titled The Old Man at the River kicks off the Main Story. You're looking for Yonas Alazar, and he can be found at Fisherman's Bend -- a riverside location on the border between southeastern Monarch's Bluffs and western Windsward.
You'll find yourself returning here often, given it's a sort of mini-hub for questing early on. Players will be able to come together here and begin progressing the Main Story.
Simply form a group with your friends, and accept all the quests available.
How to form a group in New World
There's two ways to form a party:
If your friend is in front of you
- 'Aim' at the player and press H to bring up the social menu
- Select 'Invite' to form a group
- Use this opportunity to add them to your friends list, so that you can invite them directly in the future
If your friend is distant
- Press O to open the social menu
- Add the player to your friends list
- Once they have accepted your request, you can invite him to a group by hovering over their username
