Even today, lost souls wander in Tamriel, searching in vain for an auction house in the world of The Elder Scrolls Online, until a desperate question in the chat about “Where?” reveals the truth: “No, there isn’t one!”.
Weeks before the release of the highly anticipated fantasy MMORPG, we brought attention to this fact. We associated it not only with dangers and disadvantages but also with much potential and some advantages.
Players are effectively forced, at least at first, to engage with other people. In online role-playing games, auction houses have become standard content, where trading usually occurs through a programmed intermediary. Not so in Tamriel, where different rules apply.
Exciting scenarios unfolded in our minds. With this decision, trading guilds are logically assigned a high significance. They can thereby exert a great influence on the economy. You can read our contribution on this topic here; it’s worth it: The Elder Scrolls Online – the Rich, the Poor, and the Beautiful in Tamriel – all without an auction house.
There is no trading house or similar in TESO. Since this question has come up more frequently lately, the developer Zenimax has issued an official recommendation on how one might still achieve their goals:
Looking to buy, sell, and trade in-game goods and services in #ESO? Then @TesoElite‘s new marketplace is for you: http://t.co/ufnKNCTBMV
— Elder Scrolls Online (@TESOnline) April 10, 2014
They advocate for trying out trading forums, in this case at TESOElite. Some time ago, the studio explained why they chose this path.
[pull_quote_center]You cannot ensure a healthy economy if there are no restrictions on the best items.[/pull_quote_center]
As all players are on a megaserver, the risk is high that an auction house could become flooded with the best items. This would quickly lead to price imbalances and detrimentally trivialize the game. One might think of the failed auction house from Diablo 3.
