The Elder Scrolls study guide

The Elder Scrolls Online not for you? Perhaps it’s not quite what you think. Here are ten things that prove it’s worth a chance

There’s no such thing as a game, or even a genre, that everybody likes. For many players, the idea of an MMORPG can be intimidating – they can be a huge time commitment. So why make an exception for The Elder Scrolls Online?

Well, in the words of creative director Rich Lambert, it’s designed to be a “true Elder Scrolls experience”. If you like the offline RPGs, this should be for you too. As a result, it differs from many others in the genre in some important ways. Take our virtual hand as we guide you around some corners of Tamriel you might not have been aware of.

01 NO TO THE GRINDSTONE

Let’s talk about the biggie: grinding, the practice of carrying out routine tasks (usually killing enemies) over and over till you’ve levelled up. It’s become so commonplace – arguably too commonplace – that plenty of offline single-player games expect it of you nowadays. Still, it’s undeniably a concept associated with MMORPGs.

While TESO isn’t completely free of the grind, it’s nowhere near as demanding as you might expect. Firstly, and most importantly, the entire world, aside from events specifically designed for groups of players to tackle together, scales to your level. What’s more, it scales up and down, whether you’re on your own or not. This means that you are truly free to explore anywhere at any time, without worrying about whether the enemies you encounter might be a dozen levels above you.