When you launch an MMO for the first time, you quickly feel lost, and that's completely normal. You find yourself faced with a rich interface and NPCs who overwhelm you with quests. In the case of TESO, the interface is minimalist, and you might need help figuring out what to do or where to go. To prevent you from abandoning the game due to confusion, here are 5 helpful tips to start your adventure in The Elder Scrolls Online.

 

• Tip 1. Choose Your Race and Alliance
• Tip 2. Selecting a Class
• Tip 3. Experiment with Builds
• Tip 4. Develop All Skill Lines
• Tip 5. Understand Attribute Points

 

 

↖ Tip 1. Choose Your Race and Alliance

For your first character, choose the ESO race that you like the most. If you have played previous Elder Scrolls games, you might already have a preference. For newcomers to the universe, choose the race that appeals to you physically. Each race has different attributes, but the in-game impact will be minimal. All races belong to a specific alliance unless you have purchased DLC that allows you to play any race in any alliance. However, for now, focus on the base game. The choice of alliance only significantly impacts your gaming experience, except for PvP, where you defend your alliance's colors.

 

Alliances

• Aldmeri Dominion: The Aldmeri Dominion is located in the southwest of Cyrodiil and consists of the High Elves (Altmer), Wood Elves (Bosmer), and Khajiit. They are a new Empire aiming to establish order in the continent. Queen Ayrenn leads the Dominion, seeking power and security for her people. The High Elves are highly magical and consider themselves the ruling race of Tamriel. The Wood Elves are skilled archers and experts in defense, while the Khajiit is fearsome warriors who owe a debt to Queen Ayrenn.
• Daggerfall Covenant: The Daggerfall Covenant is found in the northwest of Cyrodiil and is formed by the Bretons, Redguards, and Orcs. Their goal is to secure their lands and create a prosperous hub for commerce. High King Emeric leads the Covenant, valuing peace and prosperity for all. The Bretons are versatile and talented craftsmen, while the Redguards are athletic warriors with a focus on tradition and honor. The Orcs, often misunderstood, have a rich culture rooted in warfare and follow a strict code of honor.
• Ebonheart Pact: The Ebonheart Pact, located northeast of Cyrodiil, consists of the Nords, Dark Elves (Dunmer), and Argonians. Despite their historical conflicts, they have formed an alliance to fight for their homelands. The Pact is led by King Jorunn, but important decisions are made collectively. The Nords are fierce warriors with a long history of conquest, while the Dark Elves are hardened warriors with a deep connection to magic. The Argonians possess intelligence, stealth, and guerrilla warfare expertise, having defended their borders for centuries.

 

Races:

• High Elves (Altmer): The High Elves were the original settlers of Tamriel and were naturally skilled in magic. They consider themselves the ruling race and are known for their advanced architecture and vast libraries.
• Wood Elves (Bosmer): The Wood Elves are exceptional hunters, masters of sneaking, and proficient with the bow. They are experts in defense due to frequent attacks on their homeland.
• Khajiit: The Khajiit, a feline race, experienced a population decline due to a devastating flu outbreak. They excel in battle and serve as the strong arm of the Aldmeri Dominion.
• Bretons: Bretons possess a mix of elven and human blood, making them talented artisans, resourceful merchants, and skilled in various disciplines, including magic.
• Redguards: The Redguards were desert warriors who migrated from the lost continent of Yokuda. They prioritize honor and dignity and are resistant to magic.
• Orcs (Orsimer): Orcs live by a code of honor and survival known for their strength and mastery of forging weapons and armor. Their culture emerged from their harsh Mountain homelands.
• Nords: Nords are quick to anger and known for their ferocity in battle. They have a strong warrior tradition, having conquered much of Tamriel in the past.
• Dark Elves (Dunmer): The Dark Elves hail from Morrowind and have a history of conflict with other races. They possess a natural affinity for magic and are highly intellectual.
• Argonians: Argonians are intelligent and skilled in magic, stealth, and blade combat. They excel in guerrilla warfare and have a deep connection to their homeland, the Black Marsh.

 

↖ Tip 2. Selecting a Class

Some ESO classes, like the wizard or templar, are easier to play at the beginning. However, all classes in TESO are versatile, and you can complete solo content with any class. Consider the playstyle of each class and choose the one that suits you best. For example, if you prefer stealth, go for a Nightblade. If you enjoy dealing with fire damage, the Dragonknight might be a better fit. Ultimately, the right class is the one that provides the most fun for you to play.

 

Dragonknight:

• Role: Damage dealer (DPS), tank
• Playstyle: Excels in damage over time abilities, especially fire and poison damage. Excellent area-of-effect potential and crowd control abilities. Strong as tanks in PvE and popular in PvP.
• Important Skills: Fire and poison damage-over-time abilities, crowd control abilities (chaining, talons, turning enemies into stone)
• Ultimates: Leap (PvP utility), Standard (DPS in PvE), Molten Armor (Tank survivability)
• Rating: Damage dealer (A-tier), tank (A-tier), healer (C-tier)

 

Necromancer:

• Role: Damage dealer (DPS), tank, healer
• Playstyle: Utilizes raising the dead, healing and damaging abilities with summoned creatures. Strong burst damage and healing potential. Well-rounded class capable of excelling in all three roles.
• Important Skills: Blast Bones (high-damage delayed explosion), magical skulls, summoning elemental archers or skeletal mages, healing spirits
• Ultimates: Colossus (high damage and debuff), Bone Goliath (temporary invincibility), Resurrect (revive dead party members)
• Rating: Damage dealer (S-tier), tank (A-tier), healer (S-tier)

 

Nightblade:

• Role: Damage dealer (DPS), tank, healer
• Playstyle: Rogue or assassin class with high burst damage. Excellent in stealth and surprise attacks. Leeches life from enemies. Great for solo play and burst damage in groups.
• Important Skills: Swallow Soul (damage and self-healing), summoning shadow, Assassin's Blade (high-damage finishing move)
• Ultimates: Soul Tether (damage and stun), Consuming Darkness (damage mitigation), Soul Shred (damage and stun)
• Rating: Damage dealer (A-tier), tank (B-tier), healer (C-tier)

 

Sorcerer:

• Role: Damage dealer (DPS), tank, healer
• Playstyle: Mage archetype with elemental damage. Can summon and control pets. Excellent mobility and survivability. Good sustain and passive healing. Easy for beginners.
• Important Skills: Daedric summons, lightning and wind abilities, teleportation
• Ultimates: Negate Magic (crowd control), Summon Storm Atronach (high single-target damage), Overload (lightning attacks)
• Rating: Damage dealer (A-tier), tank (B-tier), healer (A-tier)

 

Templar:

• Role: Damage dealer (DPS), tank, healer
• Playstyle: Wields power of light, efficient and easy to play. Simple rotation with high damage output. Excellent burst heals for group content. Great for beginners and veterans.
• Important Skills: Puncturing Sweeps (light-based spear attack), healing abilities, defensive options
• Ultimates: Radial Sweep (AoE damage), Nova (debuffing enemies), Rite of Passage (massive heal)
• Rating: Damage dealer (S-tier), tank (A-tier), healer (S-tier)

 

Warden:

• Role: Damage dealer (DPS), tank, healer
• Playstyle: Summons companions, uses ice for protection, and nature for healing. Well-rounded class, excelling in all roles. Buffs entire group with additional max health.
• Important Skills: Cliff Divers (summoning companions), ice abilities (slowing and damaging enemies), healing abilities
• Ultimates: Feral Guardian (summon a bear for damage), Sleet Storm (slowing and damaging enemies), Secluded Grove (massive AoE heal)
• Rating: Damage dealer (A-tier), tank (S-tier), healer (S-tier)

 

↖ Tip 3. Experiment with Builds

Creating your ESO build can be challenging when you start. Instead of relying on preconceived builds from the internet, it's recommended to play and learn each of your character's skills. Take the time to understand how the game works overall. If you need help, there is an in-game advisor system that recommends certain skills. However, in the beginning, it's best to go with your instincts to keep the game enjoyable. Once you progress further and want to achieve more objectives, you can explore builds and find resources online.

 

5 Build Mistakes Players Should Avoid

We highlight the top 5 build mistakes and provide you with strategies to avoid them. 

 

Mistake 1 : Choosing the Wrong Mundus Stone or Not Having One at All

Choosing the right Mundus Stone is crucial for your build. Many players overlook this important buff, but it provides free extra stats that can significantly improve your character. Refrain from settling for the first Mundus Stone you come across. Instead, select a stone that matches your build's purpose. Here are some recommendations:

• Damage Dealers: Choose the Thief Mundus for increased critical chance or the Shadow Mundus for increased critical damage.
• Solo Players: The Thief Mundus is still a good option, or you can go for the Lover Mundus to increase offensive penetration.
• Healer Builds: The Ritual Mundus provides a sizable buff to healing.
• Tanks: Opt for either the Lord Mundus for more health or the Atronach Mundus for higher magical recovery.

 

Mistake 2: Using the Wrong Food or Drink or Not Using One at All

Using the appropriate food or drink buff is essential for optimizing your character's performance. Many players need to pay more attention to this aspect, resulting in lower health and decreased survivability. Here are some recommendations:

• New Players: Use the Crown Fortifying Meals obtained from daily login rewards as they buff health, magicka, and stamina.
• Stamina Builds: Consider using the Dubious Camoran Throne drink for stamina-focused builds.
• Magicka Builds: Choose Witchmother's Potent Brew drink for magicka-focused builds.
• Remember to always have these items on hand and rebuff them when they run out.

 

Mistake 3: Missing Important Buffs

Some builds lack crucial buffs, which significantly impact damage output and healing abilities. The most common missing buffs are Major Brutality and Major Sorcery, which increase damage by 20%. These buffs also scale healing abilities. Ensure you have these buffs active at all times. Each class has access to a version of these buffs through class skills, weapon skills, guild skills, sets, or potions. Additionally, consider the Major Savagery/Prophecy buff for the critical chance. Major Resolve for armor and Minor Force for critical damage are also recommended.

 

Mistake 4: Skipping Passives

Passive skills in ESO provide various benefits, such as increased damage, cost reduction, improved recoveries, damage reduction, critical damage, and free healing. It's essential to skip these passives if you have a specific reason to do so. Leveling up too fast can result in missing skill points necessary for unlocking passives. Obtain extra skill points from sky shards, public dungeons, and normal dungeons to empower your build. Prioritize passives that offer cost reduction and recovery, followed by damage passives and others.

 

Mistake 5: Starting Without a Goal in Mind

Before creating or modifying a build, it's crucial to have a clear goal in mind. Ask yourself what type of content the character is designed to play and whether the build will be enjoyable. Many players get frustrated because they need a plan, need help understanding their options, or constantly switch their builds without achieving the desired outcome. Spend time researching and understanding the mechanics of the game, and set a clear goal for your character's build.

 

↖ Tip 4. Develop All Skill Lines

It's beneficial to develop all skill lines for your character. This will come in handy when you want to change your playstyle later on. By developing different skill lines, you gain flexibility and can adapt to different situations. Additionally, remember to collect celestial shards along your journey. These shards are now visible on the map, making it easy to find them. Collecting a shard grants you a bonus skill point that you can allocate wherever you want.

 

The Fastest Way to Level Your Crafting Skill Lines

We will show you the fastest way to level your crafting skill lines in Elder Scrolls Online. We will also provide a bonus method to level your Blacksmithing skill line while boosting your Legerdemain skill line simultaneously. 

 

Increase Inspiration Received:

To maximize the amount of Inspiration you receive while crafting, follow these steps:

• Champion Skill - Inspiration Boost: Acquire the Champion Skill called Inspiration Boost. This will increase your Inspiration received by 30%.
• Racial Passives (Orcs): If you're playing as an Orc, you will receive an additional 10% Inspiration from your racial passives.

 

Purchasing Intricate Items:

To level your crafting skill lines quickly, visit guild traders around Tamriel and purchase intricate items specific to each skill line. Here are the recommended purchases:

• Blacksmithing: Heavy Armor Items
• Clothing: Light or Medium Armor
• Woodworking: Staves or Shields
• Jewel Crafting: Rings or Necklaces

Set the maximum purchase amount to fit your budget. Consider buying roughly 20,000 gold worth of items at a time to manage your expenses effectively.

 

Deconstructing Intricate Items:

Now that you have the intricate items, it's time to level your crafting skill lines. Follow these steps:

• Inventory Preparation: Take all the intricate items out of your mailbox and ensure they are in your Inventory.
• Crafting Station: Head over to the appropriate crafting station for your skill line.
• Deconstruction: With a full inventory, open the crafting menu and start deconstructing all the intricate items.

 

Skill Point and Champion Points Allocation:

As you progress, use skill points and champion points strategically to enhance your crafting experience:

• Woodworking Level 4: Put a skill point in the crafting passive that increases the amount of materials received from deconstruction.
• Champion Points: Consider allocating points to the "Meticulous Disassembly" champion skill. This will further boost the amount of materials you receive, allowing you to craft items for your characters later.
• Repeat and Reach Level 50: Repeat the deconstruction process described in step 3 until you reach level 50 in your desired crafting skill line. This entire process should take approximately 40 minutes, making it a quick and efficient way to level up.
• Bonus Method: Leveling Blacksmithing and Legerdemain Skill Lines:

If you don't have enough TESO gold to purchase intricate items, here's an alternative method that allows you to level both Blacksmithing and Legerdemain skill lines simultaneously:

 

↖ Tip 5. Understand Attribute Points

As you level up, you earn attribute points that specialize your character's skills. Some skills require magic, while others require stamina. Allocate your attribute points according to the primary characteristic your character will use. Traditionally, players focus on one characteristic at a time, but with hybridization, it's more relaxed. For example, you can play a stamina-based skill even if all your attribute points are in magic. 

 

How to Allocate Skill Points?

Determine Your Playstyle	Before spending skill points, it's important to decide on your preferred playstyle. ESO offers several different classes and skill lines, each with unique abilities and playstyles. Consider whether you want to be a damage dealer, healer, or tank, and choose the appropriate class and skills accordingly.
Focus on Core Skills	As a beginner, it's recommended to focus on acquiring and leveling up your core skills. These skills are often available at the start and form the foundation of your character's abilities. Invest skill points in skills that align with your chosen playstyle and provide essential tools for combat or support.
Level Up Class Skills	Each class in ESO has its own skill line, consisting of abilities that are specific to that class. Investing skill points in your class skills are crucial, as they often synergize well with your chosen playstyle and provide unique advantages. Level up these skills as you progress to unlock more powerful abilities and passives.
Invest in Weapon Skills	ESO allows you to use various weapons, each with its own skill line. Experiment with different weapon types to find the ones that suit your playstyle. Once you have chosen your preferred weapon(s), invest skill points in the associated skill line to unlock new abilities and passive bonuses.
Utilize Armor Skills	ESO features different armor types, including light, medium, and heavy armor. Each armor type has its own skill line with abilities that provide defensive bonuses and utility. Invest skill points in the armor skill line that complements your playstyle and the role you want to fulfill in a group.
Upgrade Passive Abilities	Passive abilities are skills that provide ongoing bonuses without needing to be actively used. These abilities enhance your character's attributes and resource management or provide other benefits. Allocate skill points to upgrade passive abilities, as they can significantly improve your character's overall performance.
Plan for Skill Morphs	As you level up your skills, you will unlock the ability to morph them. Morphing allows you to choose between different versions of the same skill, each offering unique effects. Take time to consider which morphs best suit your playstyle and allocate skill points accordingly.
Unlock Crafting Skills	ESO has an extensive crafting system, and investing skill points in crafting skills can be beneficial. If you are interested in crafting your own equipment or consumables, allocate skill points in the relevant crafting skill lines. This will unlock new recipes, improve your crafting abilities, and provide access to rare materials.
Experiment and Respec if Needed	ESO is a flexible game that encourages experimentation. If you find that your initial skill point allocations don't suit your playstyle or you want to try something different, don't hesitate to respec your skills. You can visit a Rededication Shrine in major cities to reallocate your skill points for a fee.
Continue Learning	As you progress in the game and gain more skill points, continue to learn and adapt your character's build. Explore additional skill lines, such as guilds, PvP, or world abilities, and allocate skill points accordingly. Stay updated with ESO's patches and expansions, as they may introduce new skills and playstyle options.

 

Once you've created your character, the game will offer a tutorial to teach you the basics. However, it's not mandatory to do it. You'll have the freedom to choose your starting area. To follow the story in chronological order, it's generally advised to start in the zone of your alliance. If you prefer a specific region, you can travel there using a shrine and use the zone guide to find the beginning of the quest.

 

Conclusion: 

Remember that TESO is an open world, so you're free to explore and engage in various activities. However, it's recommended to avoid PvP until you have a good knowledge of the game mechanics. As a new player, you won't have a mount initially, but you'll unlock one at level 10. In the meantime, you can use shrines to teleport or buy a mount if you prefer, although it's better to save your gold for Inventory and bank improvements.

 

To unlock more skills, equip different weapons and armor. For armor, equip at least one piece of each type (light, medium, heavy) to level up the respective skill lines. For weapons, equip and use the specific weapon to gain experience in its skill line. Ensure you have at least one skill from each line on your skill bar during combat. This way, the skill lines will gain experience even if the skills are unusable without the correct weapon equipped.