Analyzing New World’s In-Game Economy: Key Takeaways from Forged in Aeternum Episode 71

In the latest episode of Forged in Aeternum, Patrick Smedley, Lead Seasons Design, Joel Clift, Systems Designer, and Tony Morton, Senior Systems Designer, presented a comprehensive quarterly economy deep dive for New World players. The discussion covered various aspects, including player sentiment, data analysis, and recent changes to the in-game economy.

The episode began with a reflection on the state of the game’s economy after the recent expansion. Initially, the economy was described as a “faucet economy,” where more money was coming in than going out. However, as the episode aired, players experienced a shift to a “sink economy,” where overall spending exceeded earnings.

Joel Clift elaborated on the factors considered in evaluating economic health, mentioning player sentiment from platforms like Reddit and Discord, in-game feedback, and various data analytics. The team emphasized the importance of monitoring faucets and sinks of in-game items, using a Gini index to assess wealth disparity among players.

Tony Morton then presented charts illustrating the evolution of the economy from a faucet to a sink, highlighting spikes in income from Umbral salvage and the impact of the faction shop on the economy’s transition. The team acknowledged the player feedback regarding feeling financially constrained and outlined subsequent changes to address these concerns.

The charts demonstrated the impact of various updates, such as the addition of the Golden Matter Cash and adjustments to the Winter Event, leading to a shift from a sink economy back to a faucet economy. The team emphasized the need for balancing economic changes to maintain a healthy in-game experience.

The discussion further delved into crafting mechanics, the Winter Convergence event, coin generation, and resource availability for tier five and tier 5.2 materials. Joel discussed changes to crafting, including the introduction of Golden Scarabs and adjustments to event mechanics based on player feedback. The team also addressed player concerns about the perception of inadequate coin generation, emphasizing the variety of sources available for players to earn coin.

Lastly, the team addressed challenges related to resource availability, specifically focusing on the overabundance of Mithril and steps taken to correct it. Adjustments to Mithril vein respawn times were mentioned, along with ongoing considerations for changes to the refining process involving Orichalcum.