New World, the fantasy MMORPG from Amazon Games, opened its doors to players at the end of September 2021. Since then, players have been eagerly exploring the game's island setting, leveling up, and crafting better gear. New World puts a special focus on its crafting mechanics, and all players can expect to spend a lot of time mastering the various Trade Skills.
Trade Skills, as opposed to Weapon Skills, cover all those abilities in New World that are related to non-combat crafting. There are 17 in total, divided into three categories. The five Gathering Skills represent the various ways that players can harvest raw materials from the natural world. Next, the five Refining Skills let players convert those raw materials into usable resources. Finally, the seven Crafting Skills allow players to turn refined materials into all kinds of different equipment and items.
Gathering Skills in New World
The five Gathering Skills are the Trade Skills that players will probably be using the most in New World. This is because resources are scattered all across the island of Aeternum, so players can constantly be picking up new materials whether they're questing, doing PvP, or just exploring. Like all Skills in New World, the Gathering Skills gain XP simply through use, so the more a player gathers, the faster they'll level up:
- Mining: Allows players to recover metal ores and other precious materials from New World's mining deposits and metal veins.
- Tracking and Skinning: Allows players to track animals through the wilderness, and gather hides from their corpses.
- Fishing: Allows players to catch both fresh and salt-water fish for cooking and other crafting recipes.
- Logging: Allows players to identify and chop down trees for wood, an extremely versatile crafting material.
- Harvesting: Allows players to gather herbs and other plants for potions and other crafting recipes.
Refining Skills in New World
Once players have gathered their raw materials in New World, they'll need to process them with the Refining Skills. Once again, Refining Skills gain XP simply through being used, with higher-tier recipes giving comparatively greater numbers. For information on the fastest way to level up, check out the Game Rant guide to New World's Refining Skills.
- Smelting: Allows players to convert raw metal ore into workable ingots.
- Stonecutting: Allows players to craft stone blocks for building, as well as cut gemstones.
- Leatherworking: Allows players to treat hides and convert them into leather, a vital ingredient in many armor recipes.
- Weaving: Allows players to spin raw plant fibers into cloth, a key step in the production of clothing.
- Woodworking: Allows players to turn raw wood into lumber, which is often used in crafting weapons, buildings, and engineering projects. Woodworking in New World is essential for Companies and player organizations.
Crafting Skills in New World
The last of New World's Trade Skills are the Crafting Skills, which represent the final stage of the production process. Just like the Gathering and Refining Skills, the Crafting Skills in New World are leveled up through use, so players should make sure they're crafting as much as possible:
- Weaponsmithing: Allows players to craft melee weapons and honing stones to improve them.
- Armoring: Allows players to make armor and clothes, ranging from metal plate-mail to a simple cloth robe.
- Engineering: Allows players to make ranged weapons like Bows and Muskets, as well as the ammunition required to use them. This means New World's Engineering is vital for players wanting to focus on ranged combat.
- Jewelcrafting: Allows players to craft powerful trinkets using cut gemstones.
- Arcana: Allows players to craft magical weapons like staves and consumables like potions and tinctures.
- Cooking: Allows players to turn organic materials into food, drink, and useful dyes.
- Furnishing: Allows players to craft furniture, trophies, and storage chests for player housing.
New World is out now for PC.