The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) offers many opportunities to take on difficult challenges. MeinMMO author Larissa Then usually can’t just leave things as they are. However, in ESO, she doesn’t care about progress for the first time. Even though she plays ESO casually, meaning she doesn’t invest much time, it works.
I have been playing ESO since the beta. And often only on the side. For my work at MeinMMO, I have dived deeper into the subject for the first time. Although I am now playing ESO more intensively, I am still quite casual – progress can wait.
I would actually consider myself a die-hard gamer who invests a lot of time and energy into games. And I need that for my enjoyment of gaming. Stagnation somehow makes me nervous. As long as I can remember, I have either played MMORPGs completely or not at all. However, in ESO, I become a casual player.
What does casual mean? The definition isn’t quite clear. For me, a casual player is someone who either can’t or doesn’t want to invest so much time in a game. Or someone who plays just for fun and isn’t necessarily focused on progress. The latter applies to me – but only in ESO.
Relaxed gaming instead of hardcore grinding
This is what my day in ESO looks like: When I feel like playing The Elder Scrolls Online, I log in and see what the day brings. By now, I have dizzying numbers of characters to choose from. I just enjoy creating them in ESO.
I don’t necessarily skill them according to guides. I try things out and test a lot. Also regarding armors and weapons. Due to the versatile possibilities of character customization in ESO, there is always something new to discover.
When leveling, I am also not in a hurry. I prefer to take a close look at the areas and play them to 100%. I enjoy questing, and some quests I find so great that I could play them anytime.
Moreover, I am already looking forward to the latest chapter Greymoor, which is just around the corner. It takes us into the world of Skyrim and surely has some new quests in store. If you want more information about the latest addon, we at MeinMMO recommend our special edition:
Apart from questing, I have also tried grinding in ESO to level two characters up to level 50 as quickly as possible. But even then, the goal wasn’t necessarily in focus; I just wanted to try it out.
In other MMORPGs, such a playstyle would be unthinkable for me. I would have gone crazy or completely quit.
This is how it is in other games: Usually, my enjoyment of gaming is tied to a certain level of progress. I want to reach the endgame quickly and play the hardest content. If I can’t invest much passion into a game, I would rather stay away from it altogether.
Most of my life has probably been spent in World of Warcraft. I gave up my role as a raid leader in WoW when I graduated from high school. I didn’t have the time to play intensely enough.
I started again with Legion. However, when it came to raiding mythically in that addon, I gave up my WoW career in favor of my master’s studies.
I didn’t even consider just playing World of Warcraft casually. And certainly not raiding four times a week and spending countless hours on preparation. That wouldn’t have fulfilled me.
Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) I initially played for the quests like in ESO. But I quickly ended up in a guild and eventually landed in a progression raid of the hardest level. When our guild fell apart, I stopped playing.
It was similar in Guild Wars 2. I had my fixed group for dungeons, fractals, and PvP. When I got two legendaries, our guild and thus the group fell apart. So I also hung up GW2. And these are just three of the games I could never really play casually.
What if?
This is how the “normal” Larissa would play ESO: Compared to other MMORPGs, I am very relaxed in ESO. Otherwise, I need to progress quickly for my peace of mind. I usually try to make the most of my characters. So how should I actually play ESO?
In ESO, the “normal” Larissa would first read up on everything about the class and the best race for it for a new character. Then have a guide open on the side to choose the best build.
I would probably have all classes leveled to 50 multiple times with who knows how many champion points. Also, a solo build for each one, so I could complete the dungeons in ESO by myself.
And why don’t I have that? Quite simply, because I don’t want to. In ESO, I throw my usual playstyle overboard. I can’t tell you why that is.
Maybe it’s due to the open world and level adjustment. I can go anywhere at any time. My level and my equipment are almost irrelevant. So I don’t necessarily have to achieve something to play certain content.
But probably it’s just the game feel. In ESO, I feel like casually playing. I want to log in whenever I like and do what I want. No fixed raid dates or other obligations. And there’s probably nothing wrong with that.
How is it with you? How much are you focused on progress in games?
