Until 2019, MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch largely ignored The Elder Scrolls Online. However, he started playing just under five years after its release for his work. What obstacles await such a late start – and why is it worth it anyway?
Starting a new MMORPG is always a highlight. You dive into a new, previously unknown world and suddenly have thousands of new quests, tasks, and story content ahead of you. This is especially enjoyable when the game itself is still new and untapped. But ESO and I have a slightly different past.
Although I love MMORPGs above all, I couldn’t get excited about ESO at its release in 2014. The mixture of an MMO with different phases, where I could sometimes not see my friends, and the coercion to cooperate with other players, did not appeal to me at all. Moreover, there were still many bugs at launch.
Alexander Leitsch has been writing for Mein-MMO.de since 2018, primarily focusing on MMORPGs. He took his first steps in the genre in 2006 with Guild Wars. Over the years, games like WoW, Rift, SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and Black Desert were added – along with ESO. Outside of MMOs, Alex often returns to League of Legends and strategy games like Anno or Age of Empires.
Yes, I was downright put off by ESO in 2014. My lack of interest lasted five years, until I finally tried to dive fully into the game in 2019. The reason for this is unremarkable: ESO is simply one of the largest MMORPGs on the market – and as an MMORPG author, you can’t avoid playing it. However, such a late start brings numerous hurdles that I first have to overcome.
2019: Outdated tutorial, overwhelming story
For ESO, this specifically meant that I first had to play through the very old tutorial that introduced you to the main story and the basic mechanics. Right from the start, you could tell that the story in ESO is highly emphasized. And this is a significant problem when entering an MMORPG late.
Because the longer a game is out, the more story content there is. And by the time I can finally catch up with my friends or a newly found guild, weeks, months, or even years can pass. Yet, ESO caters to every player type. Through dynamic leveling, I can traverse any area in the world, in an order of my choosing.
At the same time, right after the tutorial I can jump into the then-brand-new expansion Elsweyr and face the dangerous dragons there. A clear advantage for ESO, which is why it is one of the most beginner-friendly MMORPGs out there.
Nevertheless, the story in the new expansion is a bit quirky for me. I repeatedly encounter characters with deep backstories. One of them is Abnur Tharn, an Imperial who assigns me tasks in Elsweyr. However, I had not seen him before, which makes sense if I dive straight into a new expansion. I only learned about his backstory much later.
Still, I get through Elsweyr well and later through the main story and the other expansions. Even now, in 2021, there are still some DLCs and the main story from the Daggerfall Covenant that I have not yet caught up on.
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“The content overwhelms me – but I have a plan”
Speaking of not catching up: ESO already had an incredible amount of content in 2019, which cannot be played quickly. Every single area in the game offers a coherent story, demanding many hours. Additionally, there are plenty of side quests that are also fully voiced. Just with quests and the story, I can wonderfully spend months. There are also open-world dungeons, instanced dungeons for four players, trials for twelve players, PvP content, crafting, and so on. Additionally, every year, new content comes in the form of DLCs and a major expansion – in 2021, Blackwood.
I was overwhelmed by all this content at the beginning of 2019. Where do I start and where do I want to go? What helped me was a system, a clear goal that I had in mind: to reach level 50 as quickly as possible, to experience the main story of ESO, and, of course, to play the latest expansion, Elsweyr. After all, I want to write more extensive articles and guides about it in the future.
By the way, I can recommend such a plan to anyone who is starting an MMORPG late. Through clear goals, you get structure in your adventure. Only after completing the story content did I start with PvP and crafting content.
Again, as a newcomer, I benefit from the fact that I can easily experience the story without worrying about the best build. Only in 2020, right before the release of the Greymoor expansion, did I delve deeper into the complex world of gear and sets.
“Ignore the players who complain on Reddit or in forums”
One important lesson that I really learned with ESO is to ignore frustrated hardcore fans. For example, if someone asks in a forum or on Reddit if they should still start with the MMORPG, they often get very mixed reactions. Some praise the game to high heaven while others criticize it terribly.
Experience shows that the truth always lies somewhere in the middle.
Helpful are often YouTubers who play various MMORPGs and provide impressions, gaming websites that often approach the matter more neutrally – or simply trying it out yourself. Because there are usually good reasons why most MMORPGs are still doing well years after their release.
“A late start is worth it almost always”
I have never regretted my late start in ESO; on the contrary. Since 2019, I have been playing regularly, have found a guild, and caught up on the most important content. In the meantime, I have spent hundreds of hours in ESO and it has become my second favorite MMORPG on the market, right after Guild Wars 2. Currently, I am leveling my fourth ESO character and trying to prepare them for Blackwood just like the others. What wonderful stories and what a wonderful world I would have otherwise missed!
Secure special issue and extrasBut not only did I start late in ESO. I also only tried other MMORPGs like WoW or Tera years after their release. With both, it was even more intense because there was also a wealth of content and a story to re-engage with. Especially WoW has incorporated countless new features and mechanics over the years that are not always logical or immediately understandable for newcomers. Nevertheless, these two MMORPGs were able to captivate me for a long time. So if you’re looking for a new adventure, you should also keep an eye out for “classics” in 2021!
“Joining Tamriel as a latecomer? Of course!”
2021 is a special year for newcomers to ESO. Not only is there a brand new tutorial that makes the entry shorter and easier, but for Blackwood owners, the new AI companions are a great support in the open world, especially for solo players. You can find out much more in our special edition about ESO Blackwood.
