ESO is a mess

The Elder Scrolls Online – it's a mess. I dove into the game roughly a month back, only to quickly drop it again due to its somewhat unfriendly welcome to newcomers. Let me explain.

My First Hour of Playtime

After creating my character, I was guided through a standard MMO tutorial quest. When I finished it, I found myself facing several portals leading to unfamiliar places. After some exploring, I figured out that "Khenarthi's Roost" was where my faction began, so I headed there. A cinematic played, and I ended up on a beach without much explanation. Feeling lost, I decided to call it a day.

The First Few Days

In the following days, I mostly did unexciting quests that involved talking to NPCs and fought enemies that posed little threat compared to my natural health regeneration. In an attempt to make things more interesting, I teamed up with a friend for cooperative questing. Sadly, we couldn't share our progress, which was very disappointing.

The Search for Answers

On my fourth day in the game, I finally turned to the internet for help. To my surprise, I learned that there used to be a completely different starting point for new players. Determined to get on the right track, I quickly traveled to my faction's capital and found a "hooded figure," which started an introduction quest. It was a relief to finally have some direction, even if it took four days. But my excitement was short-lived as I found myself back on Khenarthi's Roost's beach after completing the intro.

Is Google Necessary to Play this Game?

Frustration grew as I still had no clear objective or main quest to follow. More research followed – should I return to the capital again? This time, an elderly character gave me the backstory I needed and assigned me the task of saving the world, or something like that. Yet, once more, I was left without a main quest or any real goal. Frustrated and disheartened, I made the decision to stop playing, never having reached level 10.

In Summary

• Somewhere along the way, the developers decided to change the starting point for newcomers, and it left me lost and confused.
• The world quests, which often involve mundane interactions like "go talk to someone," lacked the excitement and engagement found in other games like GW2.
• PvE combat felt monotonous, with enemies failing to pose a significant threat compared to my passive regeneration.
• The game failed to provide adequate introduction and explanation of its crafting and other systems.

While The Elder Scrolls Online offers a vast world to explore, it struggles with helping new players get started and enjoy the early game. With some improvements and better guidance, it has the potential to be a more welcoming and enjoyable experience for everyone.