The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) offers many addons on PC that make your life easier. MeinMMO author Larissa Then shares a list of her favorite addons for ESO in 2020, what they can do and why they are so practical.
Ah, MMORPGs on PC and their addons. If you want to play a game really well, you probably need them. The little additional mods that are supposed to make life easier in the game. But opinions vary. While some consider addons indispensable, others don’t use any at all.
I myself would see myself between both factions. I really like addons, but I don’t overdo it. I don’t like it when too much of the base game is lost in the interface. When I think back to how my screen looked in the WoW addon Wrath of the Lich King, when I was still the raid leader – terrible.
In ESO, the addon frenzy is limited to the essentials for me. But without these little adjustments, I couldn’t play ESO anymore. I want to tell you in this list which mods those are, what they can do and why I like them.
New: The best addons for ESO in 2022 can be found here.
Minion for Addon Management
What can the addon do? Minion itself is not an addon for the game, but a manager for your addons. You install Minion and then you can conveniently search for addons and update them through the program.
In the process, Minion recognizes the games on your computer. So you can use it for other games besides ESO.
Why do I like it so much? When a guild member recommends a new addon to me or I happen to stumble upon an interesting one, I can conveniently download it via Minion. I save myself the hassle of manual installation. Admittedly, it’s not complicated, but I still like to save time.
Also, I check Minion almost daily to check for updates. If a newer version of an addon is available, I can just click on update and it’s done. It takes a few seconds.
Bandits UI for the Interface
What can the addon do? Bandits UI is an interface addon. With it, you can set up your entire screen and your displays. It includes settings for the group window and for the life and co. of your character. You can even display it directly on the crosshair, so at the point you focus on in combat.
Additionally, you get a minimap if you want one and the option to display a DPS meter and compare it with other Bandits users. Essentially, Bandits is an all-rounder that allows you to do almost everything.
Why do I like it so much? I love Bandits because I simply can’t live without a minimap. I tried at the beginning, but I miss something. Well, I could also have a minimap with another addon like Voltan, but Bandits provides it automatically, saving me another addon.
I also like to adjust my screen a bit. It shouldn’t be too cluttered, but my character stats and the group window need to be clear. Especially since I, as a healer, like to keep track. Also regarding buffs.
And the best part is: I can play it with a pink pony if I want. That makes my bars pink, and there’s a pony attached. That may not be okay from a roleplay perspective, but deep down, I’m still a girl.
SkyShards for the Skyshards
What can the addon do? SkyShards, as the name suggests, shows you the skyshards on the map. You can also see them on the minimap and walk directly to them. This saves you from tedious Googling for guides and ensures you don’t miss any shards.
Skyshards give you a skill point when you’ve collected three of them. Collecting them can significantly boost your character.
Why do I like it so much? I could also get a complete package with map pins, for example, which shows you absolutely everything on the map according to your wishes. But I’m already satisfied with SkyShards.
I admire the patient explorers who look into every corner and on every balcony and search for the shards themselves. When it comes to skyshards and lore books, unfortunately, I don’t belong there.
I love questing and have already shared my favorite quests with you. In hindsight, I’ve always been annoyed when a skyshard was left behind on the way. I avoid that now with the addon. It also shows me which shards I have already collected on the character.
LoreBooks for the Book Search
What can the addon do? With LoreBooks, it’s similar to SkyShards. You get books displayed on the map. If you’ve already collected them, they disappear.
This way, you always have an overview of where unread books are located while leveling or questing and don’t leave any behind.
Why do I like it so? I would probably walk past the books even more than the skyshards. The latter at least shine. However, I want to learn a lot about the lore while playing, especially regarding my interest in roleplay in ESO.
Master Merchant for Trading
What can the addon do? Master Merchant is a trading tool. You can view your sales and those of the entire guild. This way, you can always get an overview of current prices or make a good bargain, as they are marked by the addon.
If you sell items yourself, the addon remembers your price. This saves you work next time if you don’t want to adjust the gold. You can also search for items or filter them through the addon.
Why do I like it so? The extension makes buying and selling items and potions really easy. It also remembers how much I last set the items for. It saves time and provides clarity.
In addition, you can see who the top seller of a guild is and who is not. I’m not in any guild that focuses on trading. But for those special guilds, it’s definitely a cool tool.
Dustman for Loot
What can the addon do? With this extension, you can quickly get rid of unwanted junk from your inventory. As soon as you talk to a merchant, your loot is sold off.
With Dustman, you can set what is considered loot and what is not. For example, you can mark small potions or fishing gear if you don’t want them. This way, you have maximum control over your inventory.
Why do I like it so? I don’t know if it’s just me, but my inventory in ESO is chronically full. So I’m quite grateful that I can mark everything as loot that I would sell anyway.
This way, I just talk to a merchant and my inventory is surprisingly empty and tidy again. Maybe I should also get an addon for the inventory.
ESOTheater for Fun
What can the addon do? With ESOTheater you can simply open a window by entering /esotheater. It’s quite small and offers 10 emotions for quick access that you can customize individually.
You can also select many other emotes and filter by action through a separate window.
Why do I like it so? I mainly got this addon for work. I take many screenshots of faces and poses for the articles at MeinMMO. But even in everyday gameplay, it’s just cool.
Sometimes we stand at the Harrowstorms, which according to my colleague Jürgen Horn are cooler than dragons. There we wait for them to spawn and just do emotes. We laugh our heads off and spent about 1.5 hours in ESO without actually achieving anything – as usual.
I find the selection of emotes via the menu too cumbersome. I play in gamepad mode and it takes forever to execute an emote. I can’t memorize all the chat commands either. Therefore, ESOTheater is quite practical for pulling pranks.
If you want more info about addons, we at MeinMMO have a more detailed list. There you will find 18 cool mods for your ESO gaming pleasure.
Which addons do you use? Or are you from the faction that completely refrains from them? Let us know in the comments!
