I wanted to address a handful of the most common complaints:

1. Yes, there are long queues on certain servers. However, many, many others have no queue times at all. The devs will be offering server transfers in the near future, so consider starting on a less popular world and transferring to a new one with your friends when the time comes. (I know, it sucks to not be able to play with your friends right away! But isn't playing somewhere else for the time being and then meeting up later better than not playing at all? For some people, perhaps not. But I would rather just play.)

2. Yes, there are no mounts. There is a valid lore-related reason for this. The world isn't that huge - slow down, relax; take your time to explore, enjoy the scenery, and find all the little notes, letters and books that are lying around. Experience the thrill of accidentally crossing over into an area where the enemies are a way higher level than you, and running like crazy to get away from them... ;) My theory is that many of the people complaining about lack of mounts and limited fast travel options are those who value XP/minute and just completing things as fast as possible, or those who have no patience. Personally, I don't mind the lack of mounts. Wandering through some of the regions is just a beautiful experience... when you're not being chased by something that wants to eat you!

3. Some people have said that the quests are grindy and repetitive. Perhaps - I haven't got far enough into the game yet to notice, maybe. (My highest character is level 20.) My counter argument is, what MMO is NOT grindy at some point?! They all are, some are just better at disguising the grind than others. I have not been bored so far.

4. The lack of quest sharing is a valid concern... it's very annoying to find that your group's Town or Faction quests are different to yours, and then to see that the one you just helped your partner with has now popped up on your own board and you have to do it all over again if you want to run it for yourself. The quests do change frequently - especially the Faction ones - and you can also take and then abandon quests to clear the board for fresh ones in the hope of getting what you want. Sometimes you can find Faction missions in an area you have to go to anyway for another quest. I would agree with others who want quest sharing to be a thing, though, at least for this type of quest. I would disagree for story or side missions - go speak to the relevant person and hear the story! But for Faction missions, yes.

All in all, I have enjoyed my time in the game so far. I like seeing what's around that corner, over that ridge, in that farmhouse... What's that plant over there, can I harvest it? How high a level is that alligator? Can I get in and out of this higher level area to find the quest items I need? Which is the best route to follow to this other town I need to get to? Do I need help to kill these things, or can I manage alone? Is there a cave behind that waterfall?

The game has issues, for sure. But honestly, is there an MMO that doesn't have at least a few problems on launch? The long queues have really hurt New World, and I hope it can recover from that because, for me at least, it's an enjoyable game. I'm in no rush to get to level 60, I'm happy to take my time and explore. If you like to take things at a slower pace, perhaps this is a game you'll also enjoy. Just choose your server with care. :)

I wanted to address a handful of the most common complaints: 1. Yes, there are long queues on certain servers. However, many, many others have no queue times at all. The devs will be offering server transfers in the near future, so consider starting on a less popular world and transferring to a new one with your friends when the time comes. (I know, it sucks to not be able to play with your friends right away! But isn't playing somewhere else for the time being and then meeting up later better than not playing at all? For some people, perhaps not. But I would rather just play.) 2. Yes, there are no mounts. There is a valid lore-related reason for this. The world isn't that huge - slow down, relax; take your time to explore, enjoy the scenery, and find all the little notes, letters and books that are lying around. Experience the thrill of accidentally crossing over into an area where the enemies are a way higher level than you, and running like crazy to get away from them... ;) My theory is that many of the people complaining about lack of mounts and limited fast travel options are those who value XP/minute and just completing things as fast as possible, or those who have no patience. Personally, I don't mind the lack of mounts. Wandering through some of the regions is just a beautiful experience... when you're not being chased by something that wants to eat you! 3. Some people have said that the quests are grindy and repetitive. Perhaps - I haven't got far enough into the game yet to notice, maybe. (My highest character is level 20.) My counter argument is, what MMO is NOT grindy at some point?! They all are, some are just better at disguising the grind than others. I have not been bored so far. 4. The lack of quest sharing is a valid concern... it's very annoying to find that your group's Town or Faction quests are different to yours, and then to see that the one you just helped your partner with has now popped up on your own board and you have to do it all over again if you want to run it for yourself. The quests do change frequently - especially the Faction ones - and you can also take and then abandon quests to clear the board for fresh ones in the hope of getting what you want. Sometimes you can find Faction missions in an area you have to go to anyway for another quest. I would agree with others who want quest sharing to be a thing, though, at least for this type of quest. I would disagree for story or side missions - go speak to the relevant person and hear the story! But for Faction missions, yes. All in all, I have enjoyed my time in the game so far. I like seeing what's around that corner, over that ridge, in that farmhouse... What's that plant over there, can I harvest it? How high a level is that alligator? Can I get in and out of this higher level area to find the quest items I need? Which is the best route to follow to this other town I need to get to? Do I need help to kill these things, or can I manage alone? Is there a cave behind that waterfall? The game has issues, for sure. But honestly, is there an MMO that doesn't have at least a few problems on launch? The long queues have really hurt New World, and I hope it can recover from that because, for me at least, it's an enjoyable game. I'm in no rush to get to level 60, I'm happy to take my time and explore. If you like to take things at a slower pace, perhaps this is a game you'll also enjoy. Just choose your server with care. :)