A Beginner's Guide to Elder Scrolls Online

Welcome to Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), a vast and immersive MMORPG set in the world of Tamriel. As a new player, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content and mechanics the game has to offer. This comprehensive beginner’s guide aims to cover essential topics such as character creation, leveling, combat basics, crafting, and exploration to help you start your journey with confidence.

Character Creation

The first step in ESO is creating your character, which involves selecting a race, class, and appearance. Names are not an important part of character creation but we do have a great collection of character name generators for the different ESO races. Consider the following when creating your character:

  1. Race: Each race has unique passive abilities that can benefit specific playstyles or classes. Research the racial passives and choose a race that complements your desired playstyle.
  2. Class: ESO offers five classes, each with distinct abilities and playstyles. Choose a class that appeals to your preferred combat style, whether it’s melee, ranged, magic, healing, or tanking.
  3. Appearance: Customize your character’s appearance to your liking, using the various sliders and options provided. Your character’s appearance does not affect gameplay, so feel free to create a character that reflects your personal style.

Levelling Up

In Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), levelling up your character is an essential part of the game, and there are several methods and tips to help you level up efficiently. Some of the most effective ways to level up include:

  1. Clearing Dolmens/Dark Anchors: These events spawn throughout the world and give large amounts of experience when completed.
  2. Daily Group Content: Participating in daily dungeons, battlegrounds, and trials provide significant experience rewards.
  3. XP Grind: Focus on grinding experience points by killing mobs in specific areas or dungeons with high spawn rates.
  4. Skyreach Catacombs: This instanced area is popular for grinding experience, as it offers a high density of enemies and a controlled environment.

In addition to these methods, there are several tips for maximizing your levelling speed:

  • Preparation: Make sure your character is well-equipped and stocked with necessary supplies before you begin leveling
  • XP Modifiers: Utilize experience boosters, such as XP scrolls, training gear, and ESO Plus membership, to increase your experience gain.
  • Skill Point Acquisition: While leveling, focus on acquiring skill points from various sources, such as skyshards, quests, and dungeons.

Combat Basics

eso combat tips

Understanding the basics of combat is essential to surviving in ESO. Keep the following tips in mind:

  1. Skill Bar: Your skill bar consists of five active abilities and one ultimate ability. Choose abilities that complement your class, playstyle, and role in group content.
  2. Resource Management: Balance the use of your stamina, magicka, and health resources to ensure you can perform necessary actions in combat.
  3. Blocking, Dodging, and Interrupting: Learn to block heavy attacks, dodge roll out of red AoE (area of effect) circles, and interrupt enemy channeled abilities to minimize damage taken.
  4. Light and Heavy Attacks: Weave light and heavy attacks between your abilities to optimize damage output and resource management.

Basic Combat Actions

  1. Light Attack: Quick attacks performed by tapping the attack button. These attacks deal moderate damage and help generate resources for your character.
  2. Heavy Attack: Charged attacks performed by holding the attack button. These attacks deal more damage and restore resources, such as Magicka or Stamina, depending on the weapon used.
  3. Blocking: Holding the block button allows your character to mitigate incoming damage and avoid being knocked down or stunned. Effective blocking consumes Stamina.
  4. Interrupting: Interrupting is performed by pressing the designated button while targeting an enemy casting an ability. Successful interrupts stop the enemy’s ability, briefly stun them, and set them off-balance.
  5. Dodging: Double-tapping the movement keys or using the dodge button allows your character to perform a dodge roll, evading incoming attacks and consuming Stamina.

Active and Passive Abilities

Active abilities are associated with your character’s skill lines and have various effects. They consume either Magicka or Stamina when used. Passive abilities are always active and provide benefits without needing to be activated

Crafting

Crafting is an essential aspect of ESO, allowing you to create and improve weapons, armor, and consumables. There are six crafting professions:

  1. Blacksmithing: This profession involves creating and improving heavy armor and metal weapons, such as swords, axes, and maces. Materials used include ores, ingots, and tempers.
  2. Clothing: This profession focuses on creating and improving light and medium armor. Players use materials like fibers, hides, and tannins to craft various armor pieces.
  3. Woodworking: Woodworkers create and improve wooden weapons and shields, such as bows, staves, and shields. Materials used include wood, resins, and sanded wood.
  4. Alchemy: Alchemists create potions and poisons using various reagents and solvents. These concoctions can provide temporary buffs or debuffs to the player or their enemies.
  5. Enchanting: Enchanters create glyphs that can be applied to weapons, armor, and jewelry to provide various bonuses and enhancements. They use runes gathered from the world to craft these glyphs.
  6. Provisioning: Provisioners cook food and brew drinks that provide temporary stat boosts to the player. They use ingredients found throughout the world to create these consumables.

To begin crafting in ESO, players need to find crafting stations specific to each profession. These stations are usually located in cities and towns. The crafting process generally involves the following steps:

  1. Gathering materials: Players need to gather raw materials specific to each profession. These materials can be found throughout the world, purchased from vendors, or obtained from deconstructing items.
  2. Refining materials: Some professions require refining raw materials before using them in crafting. For example, blacksmiths need to refine ores into ingots, and clothiers need to refine fibers and hides.
  3. Learning traits and recipes: Players need to learn traits for weapons and armor, as well as recipes for alchemy, enchanting, and provisioning. These can be discovered by researching, finding books, or obtaining them from other players.
  4. Crafting items: At the crafting station, players can select the desired item, choose the material, trait, and style, and then craft the item. Some items may require multiple materials or a specific skill level.
  5. Improving items: Players can improve the quality of their crafted items by using special materials, such as tempers, tannins, and resins. The chance of success increases with the number of materials used and the player’s skill level.

Exploration

Tamriel is a vast and diverse world filled with hidden treasures, intriguing lore, and breathtaking landscapes. As you explore, keep the following tips in mind:

  1. Skyshards: Collect skyshards scattered throughout the world to gain additional skill points. Every three skyshards collected grant one skill point.
  2. Lorebooks: Discover lorebooks to increase your knowledge of Tamriel’s history and level up your Mages Guild skill line.
  3. Wayshrines: Unlock wayshrines to enable fast travel between locations and reduce travel time.
  4. Public Dungeons and Delves: Explore public dungeons and delves for unique challenges, valuable loot, and additional skill points from skyshards and group events.

Elder Scrolls Online offers a rich and immersive experience for new players, with countless opportunities for adventure, personal growth, and camaraderie. By understanding the basics of character creation, leveling, combat, crafting, and exploration, you can confidently embark on your journey through the world of Tamriel, forging your unique path and leaving your mark on its storied history.

Leave A Reply