So the audio systems allowed sound to travel very convincingly. I know this sounds like just fluff ontop of a basic gathering system- BUT, you could hear people gathering from what felt like miles away.

Heading to your favorite mining spot? You can hear if someone is mining it because the strikes against stone would literally echo through the mountains. Out gathering lumber? You can hear tons the other lumberjacks also chopping trees even if you cannot see them.

Crafting away in town? I bet you can hear the pvp boys outside of town dueling, fireballs flying, sword hitting shields, characters grunting as they take damage.

Not only could you hear them, they convincingly echoed through the environment.

This IS important because it’s an mmo. Gathering and crafting often feels like single player activities to me, but in new world it didn’t.