Elder Scrolls Online review

Also, a quirk of using the mouse to aim your attacks rather than using a target locking system means that you're all too often left staring at screen-filling obstructions. If your opponent is standing on higher ground, on the arch of a bridge say, then by aiming at them the camera will find itself ensconced in the grass behind you. Likewise, when battling in a dungeon, beware of stalactites when aiming at smaller foes at your feet.

"But what about the first-person camera?" you may be inclined to ask. Well, about that... It's great for getting a close look at the world, but as an alternative viewpoint for combat it's almost essential not to use it. To be effective in a fight you need a wide view of the battlefield - especially true when grouping up with friends.

The more you delve into TESO, and the more you play with your character, the more rewarding combat becomes. Skills are tied to all kinds of things, from the race you choose, the class you plump for and the weapon you happen to be wielding at any given time. Our main character is a Nightblade with a skillset based on dual-wielded daggers. We unlocked abilities which allowed us to teleport over to foes, deal devastating damage to those with low HP and even to siphon the energy from them to fill our own, often ailing, health bar.


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A little later, we'd tweaked ourselves into a light armour-wearing archer, with a fiery bow charged with Soul Gem energy. We learned how to pepper enemies from afar, dealing huge damage while our heavily armoured chums took the brunt on the front lines.

Later still, we found another calling. With a powerful staff looted from a dungeon run, we could lay down walls of fire before ramming foes into the air and then nailing them with our previously learned health-sapping skills. The sheer variety on offer is glorious, especially once you get to level 15 and unlock two weapon sets which are interchangeable, along with their skill bars.

It might have been unwieldy, but crafting in Skyrim was still a huge part of the game for many. An axe you put together yourself was easier to become attached to. In TESO you can still build your own gear, but now you're able to keep hold of it for longer, thanks to an improvement system that rewards you for delving into its intricacies. Using the materials that you find through adventuring, you're able to research new traits and upgrades for weapons.

There's an element to crafting that we don't like, however. Unlocking skills, whether those be crafting or combat, eats up your skill point resource, which stocks up upon levelling or by discovering Skyshards in the world. Having both crafting and combat tied to the same points pool means you'll often have to pick one over the other.

As such, many of the useful skills that crafters will enjoy using, being able to see nodes in the world more easily, for example, won't get picked until you're well into the game. That said, you're able to re-spec all of your skills once you make it to your faction's main city, so this isn't necessarily a deal breaker in the long run.

The Elder Scrolls Online fan-run item market endorsed by Zenimax Online

Psst. Hey you, looking to score a Beech Lightning Staff of Flame in The Elder Scrolls Online? I know of a place that could hook you up. The fan-run TESO Elite Forums has set up an unofficial marketplace, where you can post the stuff you’re looking to buy or sell. The marketplace has even been endorsed by developer ZeniMax Online.

The whole reason this third-party marketplace exists is because there isn’t an official, in-game auction house in TESO. As gameplay designer Nick Konkle explains to Shoddy Cast, ZeniMax decided not to include a global auction house (a common feature in many MMOs), because it could devalue the best gear in the game. It’s not clear, then, why ZeniMax would endorse a workaround that accomplishes something similar.

TESO Elite’s marketplace seems pretty functional. You post the item you want to buy, sell, or trade, which server you’re on, and there’s even a feedback system to keep everyone honest. If you want to take full advantage of it, the forums even include a simple how-to guide.

We have reached out to Bethesda for comment on why it's endorsing a third-party market. In the meantime, be sure to read Chris’ review of The Elder Scrolls Online.

Elder Scrolls Online recommends third-party auction forum for trading

One of the more interesting omissions from Elder Scrolls Online's feature set is a lack of an in-game auction house, as the team preferred guild stores instead. But that hasn't stopped the fans from filling in the gap and even the developers from pointing players to the workaround.

ZeniMax tweeted a recommendation today that fans check out TESO Elite's Marketplace forum as a facilitator of in-game trading: "Looking to buy, sell, and trade in-game goods and services in #ESO? Then @TesoElite's new marketplace is for you."

The studio previously explained why it decided to omit an auction house from the MMO: "You don't necessarily want to do a global auction house for a game with one giant server because that generally leads to all the best gear being available at very, very cheap prices. A lot of times that can trivialize the game. You cannot have a healthy economy when there are no restrictions on getting the best stuff in the game."

Elder Scrolls Online News - The ESO Post-Launch Wishlist

Yep. We aren’t even live yet and I’m already looking ahead to what’s next for The Elder Scrolls Online. That’s not to say that I feel the game is deficient in launch features, but half the excitement of playing a new MMO is pondering about where it will go next. I’ve got a couple of things I’d like to see, so let’s jump into it.

Elder Scrolls Online News - A Look at the Game Via the Numbers

It looks like Early Access is over, folks.  Elder Scrolls Online's servers have gone down for one last bit of maintenance in preparation for the game's official launch on 4/4. However, the servers are scheduled to open back up later tonight at 7pm EDT.  

In the meantime, why not join the other bored players in our launch thread, or hang out here and chat about the game, donuts, or even the game and donuts?