Tips for New (and Old) Players

Hello everyone, and welcome! This guide was written after investing a respectable amount of hours into this game (which nearly sucked my soul and came close to ruining my life). During this time, I picked up many useful tips about various aspects of the gameplay that new players will find helpful when creating their first characters and spending their initial hours in the game. However, this doesn't mean that more experienced players won't discover something new or improve their already hard-earned knowledge. So, even if you've just reached maximum CP with your first character, you might learn something new here.

Also, kudos and a big thank you to the guild members who helped me during the slow, painful, and messed-up process that I call leveling my first character.

Add-ons

One significant advantage of playing ESO on a PC is the use of add-ons. There are many add-ons available that enhance various aspects of gameplay, such as experience tracking, combat logs, and more. However, in my humble opinion, the following add-ons are essential:

SkyShards by Garkin, AssemblerManiac and Ayantir

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

Skyshards are giant stones emitting a white light that can be found throughout the world or in delves. They are often hidden, and finding them can be a tedious task, especially if you don't know where to look. Collecting three skyshards grants you one skill point, which is crucial for creating a crafting character. Garkin's add-on conveniently marks all skyshard locations on your map, making them easier to find.

Lorebooks by Garkin, Kyoma and Ayantir

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

Lorebooks emit a blue glow (different from the usual golden glow) and are used to level up the Mages Guild skill line. This skill line offers useful spells for sorcerers and healers, such as Meteor, which unlock as you progress through the levels. If you plan to unlock these skills or if you're a completionist, this add-on is a must-have.

Map Pins by Hoft

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

Map Pins is a fantastic addition to ESO's map, allowing you to see unexplored points of interest, such as settlements, dolmens, delves, and more. It also helps track world event achievements, like "This One's on Me," where you find members of the Undaunted and buy them a drink, "Crime Pays," where you rob or buy from a merchant, and "Lightbringer," where you encounter two novice adventurers struggling to light a fire. Note that this add-on DOES NOT display Lorebooks and Quests, and according to its creator, it never will.

HarvestMap by Shinni

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

If you follow my advice to create a master crafter character or want to earn money by selling crafting materials, fishing, or chest hunting, this add-on is for you! HarvestMap shows resource nodes, chests, and fishing spots on the map. Its heatmap mode also highlights areas dense with resources for maximum farming efficiency, saving you time from aimlessly wandering in search of materials.

AwesomeGuildStore by sirinsidiator

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

At first glance, the default guild store interface is lacking. It misses essential features like search history, detailed filtering, subcategories, and more, making store searches frustrating. AwesomeGuildStore enhances the guild store interface by adding these features and more, ensuring you find what you need quickly and efficiently.

MasterMerchant by Philgo68

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

Understanding ESO's market is a huge advantage and can significantly boost your income. MasterMerchant collects data from your guild traders and provides insights such as item prices, sales frequency, your sales performance over time, and more. It's an invaluable tool that I highly recommend to everyone.

WARNING: There have been reports that MasterMerchant may cause random crashes in certain delves. While I haven't confirmed this myself, if you encounter any issues, simply disable the add-on before entering a delve and reactivate it afterward.

Tamriel Trade Center by cyxui

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

If MasterMerchant isn't to your liking, Tamriel Trade Center (TTC) is a great alternative. This add-on works differently by collecting data from every server listing, providing a more comprehensive view of price trends—not just from the guilds you're in. However, be aware that TTC is a heavier add-on and may require a more powerful PC to run smoothly.

Srendarr - Aura, Buff & Debuff Tracker by Phinix, Garkin, Kith, silentgecko

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

Srendarr allows you to track buffs and debuffs on yourself and others (even group members!). It tracks standard abilities listed in the Character window as well as special buffs like enchantments and gear procs that usually only show through graphical effects (or not at all). This is one of the best combat add-ons available and can make a significant difference, especially in PVP, since ESO lacks a built-in feature like this.

Bandits User Interface by Hoft

Download Link: Click here[www.esoui.com]

Bandit UI is my personal favorite for combat. This add-on simplifies and cleans up the interface, offering different UI styles, including one that resembles the vanilla interface but with timers for every skill and buff. Check it out if you prefer a more vanilla experience with added combat metrics.

Installing Add-ons

To install an add-on, all you have to do is follow these steps:

• Navigate to C:\Users\<your username>\Documents\Elder Scrolls Online\live\AddOns.
  
• Download the .zip file of the add-on you want and extract it to this folder.
  
• Start the game and go to the Character Creation screen.
  
• Open the Add-ons menu and enable the add-on from there.
  
• WARNING: Ensure you tick the Allow out-of-date add-ons box, or the add-on may not work.

Lastly, I highly recommend downloading the ESO Toolkit app from the Play Store on your smartphone. It includes timers for hirelings, riding upgrades, alchemical recipes, and much more that will be useful on your journey.

Races and Alliances: Aldmeri Dominion

In the following Races and Alliances sections, we will go through every race's recommended classes, roles, racial passives, and information about each Alliance you will encounter in the game.

In Elder Scrolls Online, there are 3 Alliances and 10 Races to choose from. If you have purchased the standard edition, keep in mind that races are locked to specific alliances, except for the Imperials, who can join any of the three factions. This means that if you choose a certain race, like the Nords, for example, you will be forced to join their Alliance. This choice mainly impacts PvP; if you are a PvE player, you won't notice much difference. To manually choose both your race and alliance, you must purchase the Adventurer Pack from the Crown Store, which costs 1,900 crowns.


Our first Alliance is the Aldmeri Dominion. This faction is a combination of beasts and elves, so you won't find many humans here. Their main belief is that the races of men are young, naive, and have a tendency to create chaos, thus needing guidance to achieve peace and prosperity.

The Aldmeri Dominion comprises the races of High Elves (Altmer), Wood Elves (Bosmer), and Khajiit.

• Colors: Yellow, Silver
  
• Sigil: Eagle
  
• Leader: Queen Ayrenn
  
• Capital: Elden Root in Grahtwood
  
• Motto: For Queen Ayrenn!

Story

When word reached the High Elves of Alinor that the Imperial City had fallen under the control of the human supporters of Molag Bal, the Aldmeri Dominion was formed. The High Elves reached out to the neighboring races of Wood Elves and Khajiit with a plea that their combined forces might prevent the younger races of Tamriel from bringing disaster to the world, as they had so many times in the past. The High Elves were the original settlers of Tamriel and created the common tongue used throughout the continent today. They are also naturally proficient with magic. The Wood Elves inhabit the thick, near-impenetrable forests of Valenwood. They are supreme hunters, guides, and masters in sneaking and thievery. They are also the most gifted archers in all of Tamriel. The Khajiit, a proud feline race, are fearsome warriors, proficient with bladed weapons. They stand proudly at the forefront of every battle. The power and determination of the Aldmeri Dominion should not be underestimated.

Races

High Elf (Altmer)

• Recommended Starting Classes: Sorcerer, Templar
  
• Recommended Roles: Magicka DPS, Healer

Description: The High Elves, or Altmer, arrived in Tamriel thousands of years ago from Old Aldmeris. They see themselves, perhaps justifiably, as the ruling race of Tamriel. They are a highly cultured people, known for their breathtaking architecture and massive libraries of histories and creative works. They tend to be isolationists, largely remaining on Summerset Isle, and only emerge when they perceive a great threat to their homeland. They are powerful mages and warriors, and the de facto leaders of the Aldmeri Dominion.

Racial Passives	Description
Highborn	Increases your experience gain with the Destruction Staff skill line by 15% . Increases your experience gained by 1% .
Spell Recharge	When you activate an ability, you restore 200/400/625 Magicka or Stamina , based on whichever is lowest. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds. When you are using an ability with a channel or cast time, you take 1/2/3% less damage.
Syrabane's Boon	Increases your Max Magicka by 600/1200/2000 .
Elemental Talent	Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 86/172/258 .

Wood Elf (Bosmer)

• Recommended Starting Class: Nightblade
  
• Recommended Role: Stamina DPS

Description: The Wood Elves, or Bosmer, are mischievous, curious and nimble. Because their homeland of Valenwood is often attacked by the Colovian Imperials, Wood Elves are experts at the art of defense. They are also gifted archers, perhaps the best in all of Tamriel. The capital of the Aldmeri Dominion, Elden Root, lies in the heart of their homeland. It has evolved into a center of political and cultural importance and is of vital strategic importance in the battle to control Tamriel.

Racial Passives	Description
Acrobat	Increases your experience gain with the Bow skill line by 15% . Decreases your fall damage taken by 10% .
Hunter's Eye	Increases your Stealth Detection radius by 1/2/3 meters. Increases your Movement Speed by 1/3/5% and your Physical and Spell Penetration by 300/600/950 .
Y'ffre's Endurance	Increases your Stamina Recovery by 86/127/258 .
Resist Affliction	Increases your Max Stamina by 600/1200/2000 and your Disease and Poison Resistance by 660/1320/2310 .

Khajiit

• Recommended Starting Classes: Nightblade, Templar
  
• Recommended Roles: Stamina DPS, Magicka DPS, Healer

Description: The population of the proud feline Khajiit has dwindled in recent years following a devastating outbreak of Knahaten Flu. They owe a great debt to Ayrenn, Queen of the High Elves, for her help in restoring order from the chaos that followed the plague. They have a wry wit and a hedonistic outlook, but they are fearsome on the field of battle. They are the strong arm of the Aldmeri Dominion.

Racial Passives	Description
Cutpurse	Increases your experience gain with the Medium Armor skill line by 15% . Increases your chance to successfully pickpocket by 5% .
Robustness	Increases your Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery by 30/60/90 .
Lunar Blessings	Increase your Maximum Health, Magicka, and Stamina by 305/610/915 .
Feline Ambush	Increases your Critical Damage and Critical Healing by 4/8/12% . Decreases your detection radius in Stealth by 1/2/3 meters.

Races and Alliances: Daggerfall Covenant

The second Alliance is the Daggerfall Covenant. Their main goal is to prevent their people from experiencing poverty and suffering due to dwindling trade routes. To achieve this, the Covenant aims to dethrone the pretender Emperor and take control of the Empire.

The Daggerfall Covenant is comprised of the races of Bretons, Redguards, and Orsimer (Orcs).

• Colors: Blue, White
  
• Sigil: Lion
  
• Leader: High King Emeric
  
• Capital: Wayrest in Stormhaven
  
• Motto: One land! One Emperor!

Story

The Daggerfall Covenant is a compact between the peoples of northwest Tamriel—Bretons, Redguards, and Orcs—that forms an alliance of mutual defense, with a vision of establishing peace and order across Tamriel. Indeed, the kings of the Covenant take the Remans as their model, claiming to be the spiritual heirs of the Second Empire. So this is the modern Daggerfall Covenant, an alliance of the Redguards of northern Hammerfell, under King Fahara’jad, the Orcs of the mountainous northeast, under King Kurog of Orsinium, with the Breton King Emeric of High Rock presiding from his palace in Wayrest. At its best, it is a noble alliance of honorable and chivalrous peoples, representing all the best aspects of the First and Second Empires. And from this solid foundation, perhaps a third, even mightier Empire shall arise, providing all the peoples of Tamriel the benefits of mutual respect, vigorous trade, and reverence for the Divines.

Races

Breton

• Recommended Starting Classes: Templar, Sorcerer, Nightblade
  
• Recommended Roles: Magicka DPS, Healer

Description: The men and women of High Rock were once ruled by High Elf overlords. Some Elven blood still runs in their veins, giving Bretons an innate grasp of magic that distinguishes them from the other human races. Passionate and flamboyant, intelligent and resourceful, the Bretons are renowned and talented craftsmen, shrewd merchants, gallant cavaliers, and inventive wizards. They can also be proud and quarrelsome. Tales of warfare between the kingdoms of High Rock account for much of their history, but most revere the Eight Divines and value prosperity over glory.

Racial Passives	Description
Opportunist	Increases your experience gain with the Light Armor skill line by 15% . Increases your Alliance Points gained by 1% .
Gift of Magnus	Increases your Max Magicka by 600/1200/2000 .
Spell Attunement	Increases your Spell Resistance by 660/1320/2310 . This effect is doubled if you are afflicted with Burning, Chilled, or Concussed. Increases your Magicka Recovery by 40/80/130 .
Magicka Mastery	Reduces the Magicka cost of your abilities by 2/4/7% .

Redguard

• Recommended Starting Classes: Dragonknight, Nightblade
  
• Recommended Roles: Stamina DPS

Description: The Redguards of Hammerfell are talented and athletic warriors, born to battle. A desert people, their ancestors migrated to Tamriel from the lost continent of Yokuda. Their culture is based on preserving ancient traditions and defying their harsh environment. They prize honor and dignity above all else, combining a deep reverence for the divine with a suspicion of all things magical. Their capital is the merchant port of Sentinel, but their roots are deep in the sands of the Alik’r Desert. In their youth, Redguards endure a rite of passage in the desolate wastes of Alik’r as a test of endurance and discipline. Only the strongest survive.

Racial Passives	Description
Wayfarer	Increases your experience gain with the One Hand and Shield skill line by 15% . Increases the duration of any eaten food by 15 minutes
Martial Training	Reduces the cost of your weapon abilities by 2/4/8% . Reduces the effectiveness of snares applied to you by 5/10/15% .
Conditioning	Increases your Max Stamina by 600/1200/2000 .
Adrenaline Rush	When you deal damage, you restore 333/666/1005 Stamina. This effect can occur once every 5 seconds.

Orsimer (Orc)

• Recommended Starting Classes: Dragonknight, Nightblade
  
• Recommended Roles: Stamina DPS, Tank

Description: Though other races often regard the Orcs as barbarians and even beasts, these noble warriors have an ancient culture forged from endless warfare in their harsh mountain homelands. Orcs live under a simple code of honor by which the strong survive and the strongest rule. As the greatest smiths in Tamriel, their weapons and armor are prized by warriors everywhere. During the reign of the Second Empire, when their kingdom of Orsinium was finally granted provincial status, its restoration helped solidify their devotion to the new Daggerfall Covenant.

Racial Passives	Description
Craftsman	Increases your experience gain with the Heavy Armor skill line by 15% . Increases your crafting inspiration gained by 10% .
Brawny	Increases your Max Stamina by 333/666/1000 .
Unflinching Rage	Increases your Max Health by 300/600/1000 . When you deal damage, you heal for 700/1400/2125 Health. This can occur once every 4 seconds.
Swift Warrior	Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 86/127/258 . Reduces the cost of Sprint by 4/8/12% and increases the Movement Speed bonus of Sprint by 3/6/10% .

Races and Alliances: Ebonheart Pact

The third and final Alliance is the Ebonheart Pact. Not long ago, the people of the Ebonheart Pact were invaded by the Akaviri, a nation from beyond the seas. The three races of the Pact united to resist the invaders with great success. Now, with the Empire in crisis, the Pact feels threatened by the other Alliances and the forces of Molag Bal. As a result, its armies stand ready to ensure the safety of their people.

The Ebonheart Pact is composed of three races: the Nords, the Dark Elves (Dunmer), and the Argonians.

• Colors: Red, Black
  
• Sigil: Dragon
  
• Leader: High King Jorunn
  
• Capital: Mournhold in Deshaan
  
• Motto: Blood for the Pact!

Story

Jorunn, of Eastern Skyrim, is acting High King of the Great Moot, but he does not rule absolutely. His decisions must be ratified by all three races in a unique form of governance called The Great Moot. He is down-to-earth, humorous, and has an iron will to succeed. The alliance was born in dark times, when Nord, Dunmer and Argonians fought as one to repel the invasion of the Akaviri slavemasters. Their greatest strength is the adversity they have overcome. While the Pact is the most fragile alliance of the three thanks to the distrust and former hostilities between the three races, its resolve to conquer the Ruby Throne and its military might are unquestionable and a force to be reckoned with.

Races

Nord

• Recommended Starting Classes: Dragonknight
  
• Recommended Roles: Tank, Stamina DPS

Description: The Nords once conquered most of Tamriel, and as a result, feel a certain entitlement to rule. They broke the power of the Ayleids, nearly drove the High Elves out of High Rock, and conquered much of Resdayn, the precursor to Morrowind. The Nords are excellent with arms. They are quick to anger, boisterous, and strong. They are natural-born warriors who fight with an ecstatic ferocity that terrifies their enemies.

Racial Passives	Description
Reveler	Increases your experience gain with the Two Handed skill line by 15% . Increases the duration of any consumed drink by 15 minutes.
Resist Frost	Increases your Max Health by 333/666/1000 and Frost Resistance by 1540/3080/4620 .
Stalwart	Increases your Max Stamina by 500/1000/1500 . When you take damage, you gain 1/2/5 Ultimate. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds.
Rugged	Increases your Physical and Spell Resistance by 866/1732/2600 .

Dark Elf (Dunmer)

• Recommended Starting Classes: Dragonknight, Sorcerer
  
• Recommended Roles: Magicka DPS, Stamina DPS

Description: The Dark Elf homeland of Morrowind has been invaded many times by the Akaviri and the Nords. This history of conflict has transformed the Dunmer into hardened warriors. They also have a natural affinity for magic and great intellect, making them skillful sorcerers.

Racial Passives	Description
Ashlander	Increases your experience gain with the Dual Wield skill line by 15% . Reduces your damage taken from environmental lava by 50% .
Dynamic	Increases your Max Magicka and Max Stamina by 600/1200/1910 .
Resist Flame	Increases your Flame Resistance by 1540/3080/4620 .
Ruination	Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 86/127/258 .

Argonian

• Recommended Starting Class: Templar
  
• Recommended Roles: Healer, Tank

Description: The Argonians are possessed of a cool intellect, and are well-versed in the magical arts, stealth, and the use of blades. They are also guerilla warfare experts, long accustomed to defending their borders from invaders. They often serve as the scouts and skirmishers for the forces of the Pact.

Racial Passives	Description
Amphibian	Increases your experience gain with the Restoration Staff skill line by 15% . Increases your swimming speed by 50% .
Life Mender	Increases your healing done by 1/3/6% .
Argonian Resistance	Increases your Max Health by 333/666/1000 and your Disease and Poison Resistance by 660/1320/2310 .
Resourceful	Increases your Max Magicka and Max Stamina by 333/666/1000 . When you drink a potion, you restore 1000/2000/3125 Health, Magicka, and Stamina.

Races and Alliances: Imperials

The Imperials are playable if you purchase them from the Crown Store for 2100 crowns or if you purchased the Imperial Edition of the game. They are unique in the sense that they can choose any of the aforementioned factions they want. With the Empire in Crisis and their home province of Cyrodiil ruined due to the war and the Daedric forces, many Imperials became rogues that fled to the other provinces and took up arms for the other factions in a desperate attempt to restore their land to its former glory.

• Recommended Starting Class: Dragonknight
  
• Recommended Roles: Tank, Stamina DPS

Racial Passives	Description
Diplomat	Increases your experience gain with the One Hand and Shield skill line by 15% . Increases your gold gained by 1% .
Tough	Increases your Max Health by 600/1200/2000 .
Imperial Mettle	Increases your Max Stamina by 600/1200/2000.
Red Diamond	Reduces the cost of all your abilities by 2/4/6% .

Classes Overview

Classes in ESO are flexible character roles equipped with unique skills that players can customize for various purposes within an adventuring party. Unlike traditional MMOs (looking at you, WOW) with restrictive class skills, ESO offers significant freedom to tailor builds to any role, regardless of class. This flexibility is enhanced by Skill Points, allowing players to create builds focused on specific attributes.

In practice, this means that you can combine any Class with any Race and any Weapon you prefer. Want to be an Orc that runs as if possessed by Sheogorath in Cyrodiil, healing and buffing his teammates, while he shoots arrows from his bow? Go for it, you crazy fellow! Of course the meta dictates that some combinations are better than others, but this doesn't mean you can't play the game however you want.

Therefore, all classes in ESO are versatile and capable of filling any role—whether Magicka DPS, Stamina DPS, Tanking, or Healing—although some classes have innate strengths in particular areas. You can equip any armor set (light, medium, or heavy) and upgrade skill lines for any weapon, with class-specific skills being the primary differentiator in builds.

When creating a build, you typically can choose to focus on:

• Magicka: Often used for ranged DPS or healing.
  
• Stamina: Suitable for melee DPS, using bows, or tanking.
  
• Health: Primarily for tanking roles.

Choosing the right class can influence your performance, especially when considering specialized roles like Magicka tanks. Remember, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. It's also important to take some time to consider the right race to match your build's desired bonuses.

Suggested Class Roles

While all classes can adapt to various roles, some have unique abilities that make them more suited to certain playstyles:

Class	Stamina DPS	Magicka DPS	Tank	Healer
Dragonknight	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Poor
Necromancer	Good	Poor	Excellent	Good
Nightblade	Good	Good	Good	Good
Sorcerer	Good	Excellent	Good	Poor
Templar	Good	Excellent	Poor	Excellent
Arcanist	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Good
Warden	Good	Good	Good	Excellent

When picking a class, consider the roles and playstyles you prefer. While all classes can perform any role (at least in theory), some are naturally inclined towards specific strengths. Make sure to experiment a bit and find the best fit for your adventuring style.

Assign a character as "Master Crafter"

Crafting is a crucial aspect of the game, as it provides multiple ways to earn money. For example, gathering higher-level materials such as Ancestor Silk, Rubedite Ingots, and Lorkhan's Tears can be significantly more profitable to sell compared to lower-level materials like Jute, Iron Ingots, and Clear Water. To unlock the ability to find these valuable resources in the world, you must invest skill points in the Crafting skill lines and level them up.

I highly recommend investing in all the crafting-related skill points on at least one character. Since your bank space is shared across all your characters, you can craft gear with your master crafter, deposit it in the bank, and then withdraw it with another character. Moreover, if you manage to research at least 9 traits for every piece of gear available, you'll have the opportunity to take orders from guild members and other players to craft gear for them at competitive prices.


As illustrated in the image, a crafter capable of creating highly sought-after sets, such as the Julianos set, can easily sell them for a substantial amount, like 10,000 gold. Therefore, mastering all crafting skills is an excellent strategy to both save and earn money in the game.

For new players, I suggest assigning your first character as a master crafter. You'll start gathering materials much earlier, allowing you to dive deeper into the game while saving precious time by researching all the equipment traits as early as possible.

Combine grinding and questing

Many players consider farming mobs as an effective strategy to power-level their characters. This approach can be quite effective, especially if you follow a well-written guide (not like this one, lol) to find the ideal mobs to target. However, I believe that a more balanced approach—doing all the quests in each area while grinding at the same time—is the best way to maximize the benefits of both strategies.

By combining quests and grinding, you will:

• Obtain both gold and experience from quests and mobs
  
• Acquire special gear from quests, often part of sought-after sets that you can use, deconstruct, research, or sell
  
• Gather gear from mobs, which can be deconstructed for valuable materials and crafting experience
  
• Earn additional experience for every landmark you visit
  
• Explore the world and earn achievements like Hero of the "X" Alliance, Skyshard Hunter, and more, along with their rewards such as armor dyes, titles, and other cosmetics

I strongly recommend that your first character, or at least one character in your roster, fully explores the entire map and completes every available quest. This approach offers a combination of rewards and steady leveling, although it might not be as fast as simply grinding mobs in specific areas until you're bored to death.

Understand how the market works

In this game, your greatest need will be money—money, and more money. The most effective and profitable way to accumulate vast amounts of septims gold is to engage with the market.

In addition to the in-game guilds like the Fighters, Mages, and Undaunted, players can create and join their own guilds, with the ability to be a member of up to five guilds simultaneously. Guilds offer two key services: guild banks and guild traders. Here, we will focus on the latter and the player-driven economy they influence.

Every guild can hire merchants from the in-game Gold Coast Trading Company, who are stationed throughout the world. Hiring a merchant allows a guild to open its store to the public, enabling non-members to purchase items from that specific trader. This is crucial if you want to make money by selling goods, as it's important to know where to sell what items and which guilds to join. For example, guilds with merchants in capitals like Wayrest, Mournhold, and Elden Root tend to see high sales volumes due to heavy player traffic. Similarly, guilds in large cities such as Stormhaven, Rawl'kha, and Stormhold, where many players congregate, also experience substantial sales. Conversely, merchants located in remote or low-population areas typically see less business.

It's important to note that each merchant is contracted to a guild for one week at a time. While a guild can retain the same merchant for consecutive weeks, guilds must bid against each other for the most profitable merchants, and the highest bidders win. This is why many guilds enforce rules like "make 10k worth of sales or you will be kicked."

This is where add-ons come into play. Since ESO doesn't provide an easy way to track the sales performance of specific items, tools like MasterMerchant are invaluable. They help you monitor sales and prices, enabling you to adapt your selling strategies accordingly. For instance, if you try to sell a basic, unenchanted ring, it’s unlikely anyone will buy it since it offers no benefits. Similarly, pricing a simple Rubedite Sword at 1,000 gold when it typically sells for 120 gold will deter buyers. However, if you price an item that has seen consistent sales—say, 10 sales in the last 5 days—at a reasonable amount, it's almost certain to sell within a week.

Here are some additional tips:

• If you prefer playing PVP, purchase Akaviri motifs with Alliance Points and sell them for gold.
  
• Split expensive stacks; for instance, you'll sell four stacks of 50 Ancestor Silk for 4,000 gold each more easily than a single stack of 200 for 16,000 gold.
  
• Relist items that haven't sold within 15 days and adjust their prices to reflect market changes.
  
• Remember, gear quality affects price: White < Green < Blue < Purple < Gold. The higher the quality, the higher the price.
  
• Certain items, like Alkahest and low-level potions, can be sold for higher prices to in-game merchants than to guild traders.

Start upgrading your riding skill ASAP

The Riding Skill system in ESO allows you to enhance one of three abilities while using a mount. You can upgrade one ability every 20 hours at a stable, with each upgrade costing 250 gold. Each ability has a cap of 60 points, meaning you will need a total of 180 points x 20 hours = 3,600 hours or 150 days to fully upgrade your riding skill, and this will cost 45,000 gold—assuming you don’t purchase riding skill upgrades from the shop with real money. The abilities you can upgrade are:

• Speed: Increases your mount's speed by 1% per upgrade, up to a maximum of 60%. This is extremely useful in Cyrodiil (PVP).
  
• Stamina: Acts as both your mount's health and stamina. It allows you to sprint for a period and is reduced each time you take a hit while mounted. If stamina reaches 0 due to enemy attacks, you will fall off your mount. Each upgrade increases stamina by 1%, up to a maximum of 60%.
  
• Capacity: Increases your bag capacity by 1 slot per upgrade, up to a total of 60 extra slots. This does not affect your bank space. This upgrade is similar to bag and bank space upgrades, but it is less expensive.

You should upgrade your mount's abilities based on your specific needs. For example, if you frequently participate in PVP in Cyrodiil, I highly recommend maxing out Speed first, followed by Stamina. If you have a crafting character and like to collect gear and materials, prioritizing Capacity is a good choice.

Additionally, every 20 upgrades in a single ability grants a cosmetic enhancement to your mount, such as a bridle for speed, armor for stamina, or saddlebags for capacity. There are four mounts available for purchase from the stables, with the cheapest one costing 10,000 gold. You can also buy mounts from the Crown Store with real money, but keep in mind that they are available on a rotating basis, so check the store regularly if you have a specific mount in mind.

Find the guild that suits your needs

Keep in mind that each guild you join will typically have specific goals. Some guilds focus on the market, aiming to make large sales and keep their members wealthy and satisfied. Others are centered around PVE content, organizing trial, dolmen, or delve runs to farm equipment. Meanwhile, some guilds are dedicated to mastering PVP, coordinating raids and attacks against enemy factions in Cyrodiil. Of course, this doesn’t mean a merchant guild can’t host PVP events, or a PVP guild can’t participate in trading activities, but you get the idea.

It's up to you to decide which guilds align with your interests, so it’s best to ask a guild recruiter about their focus beforehand. For instance, if you enjoy trading, joining a PVE-focused guild that doesn’t have a merchant might not be the best choice. Remember, you can be a member of up to 5 guilds at a time, and your guilds are shared across all your characters, so choose wisely. To join a guild, head to major cities and capitals and wait for recruiters to advertise their guilds in the /zone chat, or ask a friend to invite you to their guild.

Lastly, ALWAYS make sure to read each guild's rules and regulations to avoid being kicked unexpectedly.

ESO+ vs Buying Crowns

TL:DR

Buy ESO+ if you spend many hours online every day or if you have the budget to enjoy its benefits. Purchase DLCs with Crowns if you are a casual player who logs in occasionally for shorter sessions. I suggest doing this after you have completed the base game and explored every base area.

Analysis

A major topic of debate is whether ESO+ is worth it or if buying Crowns to spend on DLCs and expansions is the better choice. Keep in mind we are discussing additions like new classes, dungeons, areas (e.g., Vvardenfell or Wrothgar), and factions (e.g., the Thieves Guild), not cosmetics like costumes, personalities, and mounts. Before deciding which option is better for you, let's examine what each method offers.

ESO+ Benefits

• Access to all DLC game packs available in the in-game Crown Store
  
• Free Crowns for the in-game Crown Store (1,650 Crowns per month of subscription)
  
• Access to the Craft Bag (Unlimited storage for crafting materials)
  
• Double bank space
  
• Bonuses to progression (10% increase in experience, gold, and inspiration gains, and 10% faster trait research)
  
• Double furnishings & collectibles space in player housing
  
• Exclusive ability to dye costumes
  
• Double capacity for Transmutation Crystals
  
• Exclusive free items (such as collectibles like costumes)
  
• Exclusive Crown Store deals (discounts on select Crown Store items)

Buying Crowns benefits

• Purchase DLCs from the store with Crowns and keep them forever (or until the game servers shut down)
  
• ...erm
  
• That's pretty much it

First of all, let's make something clear: ESO Plus does NOT make the game pay-to-win, contrary to some complaints. There is absolutely nothing in ESO+ that gives a competitive edge in PVP, for example. It simply provides faster leveling for those who don’t want to spend too much time reaching maximum CP.

In my opinion, deciding whether to choose ESO Plus depends on whether you plan to spend many hours in the game every day. Aside from the cosmetics, the other bonuses are quite useful, and it's worth investing your money if you plan to dedicate, say, at least 7-8 hours daily during your subscription. This is the only way to fully benefit from the game’s offerings, such as acquiring rare gear, earning Crowns, and farming resources abundantly. Remember, whatever you obtain from DLC areas will remain in your account even after your subscription ends.

I know this might sound a bit contradictory, but personally, I don't use ESO Plus despite its fantastic benefits. I don’t consider myself a regular player, as I play the game for about 3-4 hours daily, and sometimes I might not log in for 2-7 days (or months, lol). This means I would simply be wasting my money. It’s not worth it because I can't commit the time needed to, for example, fully explore Gold Coast or collect all the materials required to craft DLC gear.

If you are a casual player like me, I strongly recommend buying the DLCs you prefer with Crowns. This way, you avoid the pressure of feeling like you have to play the game constantly to get your money's worth.

And remember, this is just my personal opinion. Ultimately, you can subscribe to ESO Plus for one month, see if you like it, and decide for yourself.

Understand you need to invest A LOT of time

The Elder Scrolls Online is an expansive game with incredibly rich content, at least in my opinion. It requires a significant amount of time to learn and even more time to master. So, take your time, relax, and immerse yourself in its world. Whether it's fishing, crafting, and exploring, or taking on trials, delves, and epic sieges in Cyrodiil, there's plenty to do, and you're sure to find something you enjoy.

Just remember, you can't do everything at once, so take it easy and enjoy yourself! Also, be kind to other players, especially if they're new, and forgive their mistakes when you can. We've all been in their shoes, and someone helped us at some point.

Cheers, and thanks for reading my guide! Any suggestions or additions are always welcome, as long as they're expressed politely. Trolls and toxic comments will be given the boot. If you ever find yourself on the EU PC server, feel free to drop by and say hello!

Update Log

29/5/18

• Added MapPins, HarvestMap, and AwesomeGuildStore to the Add-Ons section.
  
• Added the ESO+ vs Buying Crowns section.
  
• Updated the authors' names in the Add-ons section.

26/6/18

• Added four Races and Alliances sections with details about each race and faction in the game, including racial passives, recommended classes and roles, and information about the three factions.

29/7/18

• Added Tamriel Trade Center to the Add-ons section.

6/8/18

• Added Srendarr - Aura, Buff & Debuff Tracker to the Add-ons section.

11/8/18

• Added Bandits User Interface to the Add-ons section.

13/11/18

• Corrected some typos.
  
• Updated the ESO+ vs Buying Crowns section with the new subscription benefits.

19/3/19

• Updated all Races and Alliances sections with the new passives each race received.

02/09/24
By the Eight Nine, I never expected this guide to become so popular! I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone. I had some spare time to revisit it, so:

• Cleaned up the text in all sections for better clarity.
  
• Updated the Racial Passives for all races with the most recent changes.
  
• Added Classes Overview Section.

[Dhaell]

Thank you for your amazing guide but the only thing i need now is how the fuck i launch the game

[Phobos]

@ᛒᛚᚨᚲᚲᚹᛟᛚᚠᛖ Races are traditionally tied to specific alliances, however, with the "Any Race, Any Alliance" Pack from the Crown Store, you can play any race in any alliance. While racial bonuses provide small advantages tailored to specific playstyles, all races are balanced, and these bonuses do not make the game Pay2Win. The Khajiit, by default, belong to the Aldmeri Dominion unless the race pack is unlocked to allow them in other alliances.

[ᛒᛚᚨᚲᚲᚹᛟᛚᚠᛖ]

New player here. For some reason I can only choose three races (No Cat race) Is this normal or should I pay money only to unlock the other races? (basically Pay2Win)

[LeafLizard]

My Argonian is an Arcanist healer

[Phobos]

@sldkfjsldajfdslafkj

Thanks for your feedback! I'll consider adding a section on classes in the future—great suggestion.

As for the master crafter, the ideal approach is to make your first character the one who does everything: quests, farms mobs, and completes all map objectives. This way, your crafter can gather the necessary resources while leveling up and exploring.

There are no racial bonuses to crafting. I don't think they will ever add one, as that would unbalance the game and would create nightmares for ZOS.

[noobkiss]

Good idea. thanks.

[$2 Hero]

You never mentioned classes. Like I don't even know if this game has archery lol. Also does your master crafter kill and quest or just sit at crafting station while your other toons gather all resources? Any racial bonuses to crafting?

[Snevets]

Great guide! Thanks!

[Under Age]

Many thanks sir

[Jay]

TK,good idea