Getting Started With Your Elder Scrolls Online Walkthrough: Why Most Players Quit Early

Tamriel is massive. Honestly, it's too big sometimes. You step out of the tutorial—whether you're escaping Coldharbour or waking up on a sunny beach in Summerset—and the game basically just shrugs and says, "Good luck." Most people start an elder scrolls online walkthrough looking for a rigid path, like they're playing a linear Call of Duty campaign, but ESO doesn't work that way. It’s a mess of timelines, zones, and "Choice A vs. Choice B" moments that don't always matter but feel like they do.

The reality? You can go anywhere. Leveling doesn't gate you from zones anymore thanks to the One Tamriel update years ago. But that freedom is exactly what kills the experience for new players. They get lost in the weeds of "Fetch 5 bear asses" quests and miss the actual meat of the story.

The Chronological Mess and How to Fix It

If you care about the story, your elder scrolls online walkthrough needs to start with the "Main Quest." This is the stuff involving the Prophet, Lyris Titanborn, and that jerk Abnur Tharn. If you bought a newer expansion like Gold Road or Necrom, the game might try to shove you into those zones first. Don't let it. It's confusing to meet a character who acts like your best friend when you haven't actually met them yet in the timeline.

Find a "Hooded Figure" in any major starting city like Vulkhel Guard, Daggerfall, or Davon's Watch. Talk to them. They'll start the "Soul Shriven in Coldharbour" quest. That is the true beginning.

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Following the "intended" path looks something like this:

1. The Main Quest (Coldharbour stuff).
2. Your Alliance Zone (Aldmeri Dominion, Daggerfall Covenant, or Ebonheart Pact).
3. The Mages Guild and Fighters Guild questlines (do these simultaneously).
4. The "Intermission" zones like Coldharbour itself.
5. The DLC/Chapter order: Orsinium, Morrowind, Clockwork City, Summerset.

That last bit is important. The "Daedric War" trilogy—Morrowind through Summerset—is arguably the best writing ZeniMax Online Studios has ever put out. If you skip around, the emotional payoff in Summerset won't hit. It'll just be another elf complaining about stuff.

Mechanics That People Actually Ignore

Let's talk about the stuff no one tells you. Light attack weaving. It sounds like a knitting term. It isn't. It’s the difference between doing 10k damage and 100k damage. Basically, you click your mouse (light attack) and then immediately hit an ability key. The ability cancels the animation of the swing, but the damage still registers. It’s a rhythmic "thump-click, thump-click" feel. If you don't learn this, you'll hit a wall when you try to do Veteran Dungeons or Trials later on.

Mount training. Do it every day. Go to the stables. Buy the speed upgrade. It takes 180 real-world days to fully max out a horse. That’s six months. If you miss days, you're just punishing your future self. Also, ignore the "Stamina" horse upgrade until the very end unless you really love sprinting for five extra seconds. Capacity and Speed are king.

Why Your Build Probably Sucks (And That's Okay)

Every new player tries to be a "hybrid." They want to swing a giant sword but also throw fireballs. In the early game, the scaling system makes you feel like a god, so you think it’s working. Then you hit Level 50 and Champion Point 160 (the gear cap), and suddenly a mudcrab is kicking your teeth in.

Pick a side.
Magicka or Stamina.

If you're using a staff, put all your attribute points into Magicka. If you're using bows or blades, dump it all into Stamina. Splitting them just makes you mediocre at both. You can always resend your points later for a bit of gold at a shrine, so don't stress about "ruining" your character. You can't. Even your race can be changed with a token, though those cost real money, so maybe pick a race that fits your playstyle from the jump. Orcs are great for raw damage. Bretons are the kings of not running out of magic.

The Hidden Grind of Crafting

Crafting in ESO is a long game. A very, very long game. Researching "traits" (like Divine or Infused) takes real-time days, then weeks, then months for the final pieces. Start researching the moment you find a crafting station.

• Deconstruct everything you don't use.
• Keep "Intricate" items for the XP boost.
• Sell "Ornate" items to vendors for gold.
• Don't bother "improving" gear to Gold (Legendary) quality until you are CP 160. It is a waste of resources you'll regret later.

The economy is weirdly player-driven. There’s no global auction house. You have to join a Trading Guild to sell your stuff to other players effectively. Look for ones in high-traffic spots like Belkarth or Mournhold. If their "Public Trader" is in a random cave in the middle of nowhere, they won't sell anything, and you're wasting your time.

Navigating the Group Content

At Level 10, you can start doing Random Normal Dungeons. Do one every day. The XP reward is massive. It’s how you power-level. But be warned: the community can be... efficient. You’ll likely get grouped with a Level 2000 player who runs through the dungeon at Mach 5. Just try to keep up. If you have a quest in the dungeon, say "Quest" in the group chat immediately. Most people will wait, but if you don't speak up, they'll kill the boss while you're still reading dialogue.

Fake roles are a thing too. You’ll see "Tanks" who are actually just damage dealers in disguise because they want a faster queue time. It’s annoying. It’s selfish. Don't be that person unless you're with friends who don't mind.

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Actionable Steps for Your Tamriel Journey

Stop looking for the "best" class. The meta changes every few months when a new patch drops. One week Arcanists are broken, the next week Sorcerers are back on top. Play what looks cool. If you want to be a teleporting lightning mage, be a Sorc. If you want to use weird green laser beams, go Arcanist.

1. Travel to your starter city (Vulkhel Guard, Daggerfall, or Davon's Watch) and find the "Hooded Figure" to start the actual story.
2. Visit the Stablemaster daily. Prioritize Speed first, then Inventory Space.
3. Join a Guild. Not just a trading one, but a social one. This game is a thousand times better when you have people to craft you "Training" gear, which boosts your XP gain.
4. Collect Skyshards. Three of these give you a skill point. Use an addon like "Skyshards" if you're on PC; if you're on console, you'll have to use an interactive map on your phone.
5. Unlock the Mages/Fighters/Undaunted guilds immediately. You gain reputation for these just by playing (killing undead or finding lorebooks), so you might as well start the progress early.
6. Focus on CP 160. That is the "true" end of the tutorial. Any gear you get before that is temporary. Once you hit 160, you can finally start building a "set" that you'll keep.

Don't rush to the end. The "endgame" is mostly just fashion and hard-mode raids. The journey through the zones is where the actual Elder Scrolls feel lives. Take your time, read the books, and stop trying to optimize the fun out of the game before you've even seen the White-Gold Tower.