I’m trying to figure out the whole alliance thing in Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) since it really affects how I see my character’s background. When you start the game, you join your starter alliance and end up battling against members of rival alliances. How does that work when your character later interacts with those enemies as if they’re allies in new DLCs? I’ve also been wondering about the lore around different races mixing when wars are going on—are they living in the other alliances’ territories as immigrants? How can they just get along after all the fighting? I might be overthinking this, but I really want to know how alliances influence individual characters’ lives and stories. Thanks for reading! ❤️
2 Answers
When the game first came out, you could only play in your alliance zones. But after finishing the main quest, you could adventure through the other alliances’ stories! Now, it’s assumed you’re an independent hero, so it’s not like you’ll be hunted down for battling their soldiers before. As for different races hanging out, Tamriel has always had a mix—it’s not just one race per province. And wars often have more to do with countries and politics than individual races. Even within the same race, views can differ widely depending on which province they’re from!
Gameplay-wise, alliances mainly affect PvP, and outside of that, most people get along unless they’re directly involved in the conflict. Characters can be from anywhere—some are immigrants, some just prefer different cultures. It’s not too different from history, where conflicts arise for various reasons, even among the same people. So, it’s totally valid for a character to switch allegiances based on personal beliefs or experiences!
You’re right! They level out the alliances in terms of player experience, but the lore can get pretty messy.
That makes sense! I guess it reflects real-life dynamics too, where people from the same background can be at odds.