In New World, the vast and untamed wilderness of Aeternum is filled with opportunities for resource gathering, crafting, and exploration. Among the many gathering professions available to players, Tracking and Skinning stands out as a favorite for those seeking to make a steady stream of New World Gold coins while also engaging with the rich environment the game has to offer. Whether you're looking to collect valuable resources to sell on the Trading Post, craft high-quality gear, or simply level up your character, Tracking and Skinning provide an essential route to success. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know to effectively level up these skills and maximize their benefits, whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned adventurer in the world of Aeternum.

Understanding Tracking and Skinning

Before diving into the leveling process, it's important to understand what these two skills entail:

Tracking: This skill allows you to identify the locations of animals and creatures across Aeternum. The higher your Tracking skill, the better your ability to spot these animals from afar and track their movements. It's a crucial skill for hunters and those looking to farm hides and resources.

Skinning: Skinning is the act of harvesting hides and other materials from slain animals. As you level up this skill, you gain the ability to harvest more valuable hides, which can be used for crafting leather armor, bags, and other valuable items. Skinning is directly tied to the ability to collect raw materials needed for many crafting recipes in New World.

Both of these skills complement each other, as the higher your Tracking skill, the easier it becomes to find animals to skin. As a result, leveling both skills efficiently requires a solid understanding of where animals spawn and how to farm them.

Leveling Tracking: Key Tips and Strategies

Tracking is a skill that, once leveled, allows you to locate animals with ease. Here are some key tips to help you level Tracking effectively:

1. Use the Tracking Perk

Tracking itself is a passive skill, but you can use the Tracking Perk to make the process easier. Once you reach certain milestones in your Tracking skill, you unlock the ability to detect the type of animals nearby. The perk highlights their position, helping you to focus your search efforts.

Key Milestone Perks:

Tracking: Beginner (Level 10)-Basic animal detection.

Tracking: Advanced (Level 20)-Increased range of detection and the ability to track multiple animals at once.

Tracking: Master (Level 30)-Unlock the ability to see rare and high-tier animals in the wild.

2. Look for Animal Hotspots

Animals don't appear randomly everywhere in New World. They tend to spawn in specific biomes or regions. There are certain areas in Aeternum that are particularly rich in wildlife. Some of the best places to track and find animals include:

Everfall: Known for deer, boars, and wolves.

Brightwood: Ideal for wolves and the occasional bear.

Shattered Mountain: Home to high-level predators like bears and elite wildlife.

Windsward: Commonly populated by deer, boars, and wolves.

If you're targeting specific animals like wolves, look for forested or mountainous areas. For deer, open fields and meadows are more likely to yield results.

3. Keep Your Eyes Open for Tracks

The Tracking skill is more than just detecting animals. As you level up, you'll also notice footprints and animal tracks on the ground. These serve as an indicator of where an animal has passed, which can guide you to your next hunt.

4. Use Tiered Tracking Tools

Some tools in New World help enhance your tracking capabilities. The Tracking Trophies you place in your home or base, for example, can grant additional buffs to your Tracking abilities. The Tracking Potion also boosts your animal-sensing range temporarily.

5. Track Multiple Species at Once

Once you reach higher levels in Tracking, you'll be able to track multiple species simultaneously. This becomes extremely helpful in dense areas filled with various creatures. When tracking, be strategic about the animals you follow, as some will lead to valuable materials for skinning and crafting.

Leveling Skinning: Key Tips and Strategies

Once you've tracked your prey and taken them down, it's time to skin them for resources. Skinning is a straightforward process, but it does require patience and perseverance. Here's how to level up this skill efficiently:

1. Use Skinning Perks

Similar to Tracking, Skinning has its own set of perks that will improve your efficiency as you level. Each perk unlocks important abilities, such as increased skinning speed or the ability to gather better materials from animals. These perks are invaluable for maximizing your harvests.

Key Skinning Perks:

Skinning: Beginner (Level 10)-Allows you to skin basic hides.

Skinning: Advanced (Level 20)-Increases the number of items you receyou can skin vary by region, but some are more common and offer a higher return than others. While higher-level animals like bears drop superior hides, lower-level creatures like deer and boars are much easier to find and harvest in large quantities.

Deer and Boars: These creatures are prevalent in many zones and are easy to hunt for basic materials like Raw Hide, which can be used in crafting.

Wolves: These animals are a great source of Thick Hide, which is used for higher-tier leather crafting.

2. Choose High-Yield Zones

Certain zones are particularly rich in animals, making them the best places for efficient skinning. Here are some top locations:

Everfall: Boasts large populations of deer and boars, which are great for early-to-mid game skinning.

Windsward: Features high concentrations of wolves and bears.

Great Cleave: An excellent zone for harvesting thicker, more valuable hides from tougher animals.

3. Invest in Skinning Knives

To optimize your skinning process, make sure you're using the Skinning Knife, which increases your skinning speed and allows you to gather from animals more efficiently. You can craft better skinning knives as you progress, which will speed up the process significantly.

4. Maximize Your Rewards with Skinning Trophies

Place Skinning Trophies in your home to enhance your ability to gather hides and pelts. These trophies increase your chances of getting rare materials when skinning animals. Make sure to invest in upgrading these trophies as your skinning skill increases.

Combining Tracking and Skinning: The Ultimate Strategy

To truly maximize your experience with Tracking and Skinning, it's best to combine the two. The process of tracking and then immediately skinning your prey creates a seamless cycle that helps you level both skills simultaneously.

1. Track and Skin in High-Density Zones

Once you have both Tracking and Skinning leveled up to some degree, aim to farm zones where animals spawn frequently and in large groups. As you track and skin your way through these zones, you'll accumulate resources quickly while gaining experience for both skills.

2. Use Fast Travel Efficiently

You can fast-travel to towns and settlements to craft, sell, or process your hides. Don't waste time manually running long distances; plan your routes to maximize the time you spend tracking and skinning.

Conclusion

Leveling Tracking and Skinning in New World is a rewarding experience for players who want to immerse themselves in the crafting and gathering system of Aeternum. By focusing on the right areas, using the appropriate tools and perks, and combining both skills, you can quickly gain valuable resources while honing your survival and crafting abilities.

If you're looking to skip some of the grind or simply boost your coin reserves, consider exploring ways to buy New World Coins to help you level up faster or secure that rare piece of equipment you've been eyeing. Ultimately, mastering Tracking and Skinning will not only enhance your gameplay but will also make you a valuable asset to your faction and the wider world of Aeternum.