new-world Combat Changes With the Launch of New World: Aeternum

[Savvvo 5]

Take a closer look at the list of buffs (and nerfs) that came with the official launch of New World: Aeternum.

The launch of New World: Aeternum came with a few surprises for some players, as it was accompanied with a long list of weapon buffs (and nerfs) across the board. Some of these changes were quite drastic too, such as the Blunderbuss weapon now dealing a reduced amount of base damage in PvP in result of the implementation of New World: Aeternum's new target-lock system.

Below is a full list of these changes across each weapon, including the changes to the updated target-lock system.

Target Lock Changes

• Killing a PvP opponent in target lock will no longer automatically switch to another target.
• Target lock now breaks more aggressively when losing line of sight to your target.
• A character’s turn speed is now slower when using target lock.
• Temporary - Blunderbuss now deals less damage in PvP.

Bow

• Fixed an issue that caused rain of arrows to not consistently trigger when using the ability button to activate it while aiming.
• Fixed numerous issues that caused abilities to not buffer correctly.
• Updated the aimed abilities (Penetrating Shot, Poison Shot, and Rain of Arrows) to not cancel when pressing aim, but when releasing aim while they are active.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Rain of Arrows ability effect to not spawn at maximum range.
• Penetrating Shot should now support smart cast.
• Penetrating Shot and Poison Shot can now be fired while crouching.
• Fixed an issue that allowed faster firing than intended through ability canceling.

Blunderbuss

• Fixed an issue that caused Double Down to not affect Mortar Charge.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Blunderbuss to not reload after certain cutscenes.
• Fixed an issue that prevented Incendiary Burst from applying its effect when swapping weapons.
• Double Down now works properly when weapon swapping after using Mortar or Splitting Grenades.
• Splitting grenade - Adjusted the timing of the splitting grenade early detonation trigger to prevent it from immediately triggering with an accidental double button press. There will now be a 4 frame delay from when the projectile is fired and when the grenades can be detonated early.

Fire Staff

• Pillar of Fire will no longer slightly push back enemies.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Fire Staff Burnout explosion audio to play even when the Heat It Up upgrade wasn’t unlocked.
• Fixed an issue that allowed jump to cancel Pillar of Fire aiming.
• Fixed an issue where Pillar of Fire triggered two instances of damage with a single use.
• Fixed an issue that prevented Pillar of Fire and Meteor Shower aim from canceling into other Fire Staff abilities.
• Flamethrower Pyro Dancer upgrade: Increased cooldown when staggered from 2.5s to 6s.
• Empowering Fireball Perk: Reduced values and split out the functionality to allow it to always deal a smaller amount of bonus damage, but deal increased additional bonus damage if the target is above 50% health. Max of 14% (armor) and 21% (weapons).
• Refreshing Pillar Of Fire Perk: Reduced max values from 13% (Armor) and 21% (Weapons) to 10% (Armor) and 16% (Weapons)
• Fireball: Added additional functionality to fireball to deal bonus damage to AI targets
• Meteor Shower: Updated to remove the casting part of, but updated the animation to give it a better tell of the duration.

Flail

• Fixed an issue where Arcane Eruption could sometimes miss knocked down or crawling enemies.
• Fixed an issue that caused Barrage’s first hit during the leap to not hit.
• Fixed an issue with the Bulldoze upgrade not properly reducing stamina cost to zero.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Ironclad Superiority mastery point to always grant Fortify. It now correctly only grants Fortify when a Tower Shield is equipped.
• Updated the Wording of the Flail Ability, Arcane Smite, to make it clearer how the Impairment debuff works.
• Updated the Deflecting Frailty tooltip to make the functionality clearer.
• Fixed an issue where the Flail would rotate too much when holding rotate with a controller.
• Trip's Destabilize upgrade: Updated tooltip to be more clear about the activation.

Great Axe

• Fixed an issue that caused the Great Axe Gravity Perk to not always appear by modifying its functionality.
  • Previously it was a 0.25s duration (Even though tooltip said 0.33), but it would be applied 0.33s after the pull, to allow the pull to finish before triggering the root. Since that duration was so low, it caused issues where it was added and removed before the visuals could appear on the target.
  • To address this we increased the duration slightly, but added a slight cooldown timer to prevent the increased duration from being too strong.

Greatsword

• Updated the Unflinching Blade passive for the Greatsword to grant grit after 10 frames into the charge of the heavy attack to match the functionality of similar passives for the War Hammer and Great Axe.
• Fixed an issue where Roaring Rupture could pull targets past the player instead of the center of the impact point.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Greatsword Onslaught stance heavy attack charge speed to increase when in an exhausted state.
• Fixed an issue issue that caused the Faultless Defender Passive to not trigger properly.
• Fixed an issue that allowed the Greatsword offense and defense stances to both be on at the same time.

Hatchet

• Fixed an issue that prevented attacks from buffering during Infected Throw.
• Raging Torrent can be now be redirected using directional inputs when camera direction for melee attacks is turned off.
• Fixed an issue that caused animations to freeze when throwing a Hatchet while jumping.
• Fixed an issue that caused Feral Rush’s dispatch upgrade to not properly apply the damage increase to both hits.

Ice Gauntlet

• Fixed an issue that caused Ice Pylon to shoot over enemies.
• Fixed an issue where deactivating Entomb via the breakout would activate Defiant Freeze.
• Fixed an issue where increased mana regen would persist briefly after breaking Entomb.
• Fixed an issue that caused characters to become unresponsive if opening the Inventory while activating the Entomb ability.
• Fixed an issue that didn’t clear Entomb properly when a Heart Rune was activated.
• Updated base heavy attack functionality to inflict a 10% Slow for 3s (6s cooldown per target).
• Added additional functionality to Wind Chill to deal bonus damage to AI targets.

Life Staff

• Fixed an issue that caused Life Staff ability buffers and cancels to not work in most cases.
• Fixed an issue that caused accidental basic attack buffering on the Life Staff and Fire Staff.
• Fixed an issue that allowed Orb of Protection and Beacon to be canceled as soon as their projectile spawned.
• Added an option menu setting to automatically lock-on to target when starting any Life Staff healing ability.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Bend Light passive to not refresh the duration of the buff for the full 5 seconds with each dodge.
• Added new functionality that increases all Light Staff damage against hostile AI targets by 35%. This information is stated on the tooltip when hovering over the Light Staff in the mastery menu.
• Updated base heavy attack functionality to push back targets 2m on hit. If the enemy is a hostile AI target within 5m of the player, pushback will be increased by 100%.
• Added additional functionality to Splash of Light that creates a radius around the player on activation that deals a small amount of damage with a pushes back nearby enemies.
• Purity of Light Perk: Reduced max power slightly from 90% to 70% on weapons and 50% to 40% on armor.

Musket

• Renamed the Musket Backdraft ability to Ignition so it didn't share a name with a Fire Staff ability.
• Fixed an issue where critical reload was able to trigger with more than 5 seconds between headshots.
• Fixed an issue that caused musket projectile visual effects to sometimes appear in the wrong place.
• Lethal Combo Ultimate: Reduced power from 20% to 17%.
• Powder Burn Ignition Upgrade: Reduced power from 12% to 8%.
• Powder Burn Damage over time: Reduced tick damage from 20% to 15%, and reduced base duration from 9s to 7s.
• Crippling Powder Burn Perk: Reduced max values from 27% on Armor and 45% on Weapons to 18% on Armor and 30% on Weapons.

Rapier

• Fixed an issue that caused Tondo to go on cooldown with no effect if it was canceled at certain frames using evade.
• Fixed an issue with the Backside Rapier perk that caused the 15% damage increase to apply to all damage, not just crit damage.
• Fixed an issue where the 25 bonus from Strength worked with the bleed from Flurry.
• Reduced Rapier’s damage over time duration from 12s to 10s
• Rapier: And Again Perk now works properly when weapon swapping after using Tondo on a single target.
• Reduced the damage of Evade’s Adagio upgrade from 15% to 10%
• Fixed an issue that caused ‘And Again’ to only apply after blocking.
• Evade Crescendo Upgrade: Added a cooldown so it will only trigger once per light attack.
• Spear
• Fixed an issue that prevented weapon swaps from buffering during the Javelin animation.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Spear’s Javelin ability to not activate during a dodge.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Merciless Strength passive to not trigger.
• Fixed an issue that caused Cyclone's invigorating combo to inconsistently track the two hits.
• Bleeding Sweep Perk: Reduced max values from 14% on Armor and 28% on Weapons to 10% on Armor and 18% on Weapons.

Void Gauntlet

• Fixed an issue where Scream could hit blocking players.
• Fixed an issue that caused unintended speed boosts when canceling attacks or dodges with certain abilities.
• Slightly increased the hitbox on Void blade’s heavy attack to make it properly match the attack visuals.
• Addressed some Void blade hit registration issues by increasing the size of the hitboxes slightly.
• Fixed an issue where the Void Blade attacks triggered the ranged sprint delay.
• Updated base ranged heavy attack functionality to allow projectile to pass through targets. (Heavy attack life steal will still only trigger once per heavy.
• Added additional functionality to Orb of Decay and the Detonating Orb upgrade to deal bonus damage to AI targets.
• Added additional functionality to Essence Rupture to deal bonus damage to AI targets.
• War Hammer
• Fixed an issue causing the War Hammer’s Shockwave ability to stun enemies 6 frames later than intended.
• Path of Destiny can be now be aimed while starting the attack using directional inputs when Camera Direction for Melee Attacks is turned off.

Sword and Shield

• Shield type and Equip Load changes have been updated to impact the following:
  • Shield Bash's Concussive Bash upgrade:
  • Round Shield: Critical hit chance increased
  • Kite Shield: Cleanse 1 debuff
  • Tower Shield: Stun duration increased
• Defender's Resolve Final Countdown upgrade:
  • Round Shield: Base damage increased
  • Kite Shield: Slow potency reduced
  • Tower Shield: Base damage reduced
• Whirling Blade's Opportunity Upgrade Equip Load conditionals:
  • Light Equip Load: Applies Rend to targets hit
  • Medium Equip Load: Stamina regen rate increased
  • Heavy Equip Load: Applies Weaken to targets hit
• Defender Tree Shield passive Upgrade:
  • Round Shield: Extends duration of debuffs on target by 5%.
  • Kite Shield: (Keeps current functionality) Blocking attacks reduces cooldowns by 1%
  • Tower Shield: Blocking or taking hits extends the duration of defender's resolve by 5%.
• Final blow Passive: Added missing threat increase that was listed in the tooltip but not functional. Now generates 15% more threat.

To learn more about New World: Aeternum, click here.