New World has been trying to set itself apart from its competitors by providing players with new and unique content. Unlike games like Final Fantasy XIV and World of Warcraft, the Amazon-owned game focuses more on the aspect of PvP, PvE, and exploration than storytelling. Aside from these, developers have been introducing various content and systems for players to enjoy and experience. One such system that has received mixed reactions is the game’s watermark system.
The watermark system has been around since the launch of the Amazon-owned game. Despite several bugs, issues, and setbacks, developers of the game are still keen on keeping this unique system around. Some players who have reached level 60 may find that the watermark system may be a bit too tedious and grindy for their taste. Thankfully, players can earn New World gold by following several tips on what to do.
What is the Watermark System?
For most players, gear score, or GS, is not something they should be concerned about if they are just starting out. However, those who have reached level 60 should become aware of how the gear score system works. The progression of players on level 60 depends on increasing their items’ gear score. Obtaining higher gear score items can be acquired by looting, trading, or buying from NPCs with New World gold. The watermark system kicks in in the looting aspect.
Level 60 players who are able to loot an item that is the upper limit of their current bracket will be eligible to loot higher gear score items on the next bracket. For example, if a player is able to loot a glove that has a 549 GS, the game will watermark the player as eligible for the next bracket. Once the game watermarks the player, they will have a chance to acquire gloves that are 550 GS and above. There are several gear score brackets within the game that grinders will need to pass through to reach 600 GS. Basically, the system makes players eligible to loot items on a higher GS bracket than their previous one.
So, what’s the catch?
Unfortunately, the watermark system only activates through looting. Players can’t get marked for higher gear scores if they got their items through trades, crafting, or buying items from NPCs. So, the only way for a player to progress their watermarked gear is to grind endless hours in certain spots until they get marked.
Another feature about the system that makes players frustrated is that different items have different watermarks. This means that getting a 525 GS sword will only make players eligible for 526 swords and not 526 gloves. Gamers will have to grind 26 watermarks since there are 15 different armor watermarks and 11 weapon watermarks.
What Should Players do?
There are two ways of increasing players’ watermark levels. The first one is elite zone farming. The second would be expedition farming. For solo players, elite zone farming will be their go-to method as this one does not require any co-op playstyle.
For those who opt to go for elite farming, the main advice for those who want to farm and push above their current gear score is to not farm in elite zones that drop items above their current watermark tier. Farming in areas with loots not yet eligible for players is a complete waste of time. If players want to spend their time grinding efficiently, they should be aware of which elite zones they should grind on depending on their current gear score bracket. For reference, here are the gear score brackets paired with their appropriate elite level farm:
- 500 – 525: Elite Level 61 and above
- 525 – 549: Elite Level 62 and above
- 549 – 577: Elite Level 63 and above
- 577 – 591: Elite Level 64 and above
It is always a smart move to match players’ current gear scores to the areas where they are farming. In this case, here are specific zones that players should take note of when grinding:
- Level 60 elite zone: Nihilo Visage in the Great Cleave Region
- Level 61-62 elite zone: Imperial Palace in the Ebonscale Reach Region
- Level 63-65 elite zone: Forecastle Drift in the Reekwater Region
- Level 65 elite zone: Myrkgard in the Shattered Mountain Region
When doing elite zone runs, other than where and when should players farm, there are other pointers they should take note of:
- Kill enemies and loot chests.
- Elite chests in the elite zones have 23 hours cooldown.
- Do not do runs with more than four party members to maximize loot.
- For Myrkgard, it is better to do runs with one or two groups.
Those who want to push their gear score bracket with expedition runs should make proper preparations beforehand. It’s not advisable for players who just hit level 60. Some players believe that the best gear score level to farm expeditions optimally is with at least 580 GS. But for those who think they can take on the challenges of expeditions, here are the best places to farm:
- Garden of Genesis in the Edengrove Region (Available at level 65)
- Lazarus Instrumentality in the Reekwater Region (Available at level 65)
- Dynasty Shipyard in the Ebonscale Reach Region (Available at level 55)
- The Depths in the Restless Shore Region (Available at level 45)
Don’t Burn Out
Following these tips will help steer players in the right direction of pushing their gear score limits and getting more New World coins. However, the methods themselves are still tedious and time-consuming. It will take a lot of dedication and hard work to reach the highest bracket. Players should learn to pace themselves and learn when to take a break. After all, how will gamers enjoy their hard work if they are tired of the game?
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