Talking with a Non-Player about ESO Classes

Have you ever tried to explain an MMO to a non-gamer? It can be the most fun and insanity you can legally have, as well as extremely frustrating. I got to talking with my sister about ESO the other day. I mentioned picking up a new game, and she asked about it. She's pretty cool but the only games she is interested in are casual ones, so an MMO like ESO is completely foreign to her ("Wait a minute," she says, can't you just use English! What the hell is an "MMO" anyway?" "A Massive Multiplayer Online Game. Technically i should say MMOG, or even MMORPG, because--" "STOP!") We haven't even gotten to what the game is about and already she's complaining of a headache. ("Well, now you know how I feel when you and Dad talk sports!" I reply.)

Eventually she decides to just not ask about the jargon, while I try and talk around words that aren't in Webster's Dictionary as much as possible. (xp? stats? leveling?--"Isn't that a carpentry thing?" she asks) And we finally get to character gen. "You pick a character class," I tell her, "that determines what your character can do." "Like playing offensive or defensive?" "No, any character can attack or defend."

There are four ESO classes, DragonKnights ("Do they ride on dragons?--Oh, you mean they turn into dragons!" "Sort of, not exactly. Maybe?") DragonKnights are the basic fighter class ("I thought the whole game was fighting, so why isn't everyone a fighter?"--long diversion there.) So, like I was saying, DragonKnight is the basic fighter class, they have a mix of physical attacks and magical attacks, and are really good at tanking. ("You don't mean they turn into tanks...right?" We interrupt this discussion with a special bulletin on MMO combat roles!)

Next come Nightblades ("Are they like assassins?" "Yes! Sometimes..they can be.") Nightblades, I explain are like D&D rogues. (And that was a mistake--"Oh god, not that stupid game again!") Ahem. So Nightblades can be really good at sneaking and attacking from ambush. They can also help other players by weakening enemies and stuff. They were the most popular class in the beta game. ("Of course they were. Who wouldn't want to be a sneaky, nasty assassin. Don't tell me--they're your favorite class!" "Um..Hm..look at the time!")

Sorcerers are the magic users of the ESO classes ("But you said the other two classes, Dragon-Whatsis and Nightblade use magic!" "Well, yes, but...ESO classes..." "Oh, never mind. Tell you what, let's go out for lunch together and talk about something real for a bit. What did you think of the NFL draft pick?") Does anyone else's family have the strange illusion that their games are real and yours are just some imaginary pretend thing?

We never didn't get to Templars...probably just as well. At least my family tries to understand my hobbies. That's a good thing...right?

How the Unique ESO class System Effects ESO Class Guides

Class guides make up a huge chuck of the game guides released for every MMO. Writers of ESO guides, however, face a class system unlike any seen before. Any class can use any weapon, synergy skills make classes dependent on eachother to use some of their best abilities, and there is no limit to the skill points a character can collect. All of these changes will have an impact on how the classes are played. Which, of course, has an impact on the ESO guides released for the character classes.

Unlimited SKill Points

Probably one of the most underappreciated aspects of ESO, unlimited skill points means there is no need to carefully place your points for the most effective build, following the same build as a thousand players before you. You can experiment and build your own character, and if it doesn't work, put points into other skills to balance things out. ESO class guides will need to balance time spent sharing the best possible character builds, with the near infinite options for customization to create new builds that are possible with unlimited skill points.

Limited Stat Points

Unlike other MMOs, ESO allows players to spend skill points on their Health, Stamina and Magicka. But players only get one stat point per level. The traditional obsession with placing skill points exactly where they need to go for most effect is now replaced with a similar obsession about stat points. ESO guide will need to give players solid information on how to spend their stat points to be able to power their character most effectively for the type of build they want.

Non-Class Skills

Most MMOs have class skills and craft skills. Craft skills don't generally impact character play outside of crafting, so class guides don't worry about them. ESO, on the other hand, as a wide range of non-class skills, including all weapons skills and guild skills, that need to be combined with the class skills for effective game play. A good ESO class guide will need to cover which non-class skills are most useful for the class in question, and the best way class and non-class skills can be combined. And as some guilds are restricted, class skill and stat point recommendations will need to include information on what skills or stats a character needs to get into their desired guilds.

ESO guides that focus on specific classes will still need to cover classic MMO class guide information such as synergies between class and race, how different classes can most effectively work together in group play, and which combat roles a class is most suited too. But a good ESO class guide will also adapt to the changes ESO has made in the class and skill systems, and include information that most MMO class guides would never need.

ESO Builds for Solo Play

Most discussions of ESO builds focus on group play--how to make a DPS, or healing, or tank build. What are the best synergistic spells for a Sorcerer? That kind of thing. But some people, even in MMOs, prefer solo play. So today we'd like to take a look at some good builds for solo play in ESO.

A good solo play build needs to have a good mix of combat abilities. It needs to do enough DPS to take down enemies, enough of a tank's hardiness or healer's buffs to survive the fight.

Probably the best character class for solo play is Nightblade. ESO builds for Nightblade would be able to take advantage of high stealth abilities to sneak around enemies without aggroing them. This means that players can avoid unnecessary fights with groups of enemies too large to survive. This ability alone makes Nightblade's one of the best choices for solo play, especially when combined with their fighting abilities.

The other good class for solo play is Templar. While Templar characters down have the sneaking abilities of Nightblades, the do have an entire skill line dedicated to healing. Since they don't have the Nightblade's stealth abilities, they can use heavy armor without hurting their chances of evading enemies. Massive healing and heavy armor give the Templar a better chance than most of surviving large groups of enemies on their own, while the Templar's other skill lines give them enough damage-dealing to be effective in solo combat.

Both Nightblade and Templar ESO builds will need good weapon skills to manage in solo play. Since the classes can use any weapon,which weapon to use is largely up to the player. However, for an effective soloing character, you'll want to build up at least two weapon skills--one for ranged combat and one for melee. Ranged combat almost always means bow or crossbow. Melee has a wider array of options including short swords, long swords, paired weapons, sword and shield, staff and more. Some races have bonuses to favored weapons styles, so take that into consideration when picking the weapons skills you want to perfect.

When building a character for solo play, don't worry about synergistic skills. While these skills are awesome for ESO builds geared towards group play, they don't offer any bonus when soloing. If the basic skill, with out the synergy bonus, is something you find useful, get it. If not, don't worry about it.

Finally, for solo play you will want more of a balance between Stamina, Health and Magicka. Definitely put more points into the stat you need to power your abilities--if most of your abilities use Stamina, then Stamina should get most of your points. But make sure Magicka and Health have enough points to last through combat. You won't have teammates throwing buffs to help you refill your stats in solo play.

Of course, you don't need to choose between solo play and group play, it's possible to create an ESO build that works equally well with both play styles--but if you want to build a character specifically for solo play, this is the way to do it.

Introduction to Elder Scrolls Online Classes

So, the latest big-name MMO is coming out next week. While The Elder Scolls players have been going nuts for a year over the coming release, a lot of gamers have been content to wait for the release to check out the Elder Scrolls online. After all, who knows what a company known for making great single-player games will do when making the transition to creating an MMO?

So far, it's actually looking pretty good. To give you an idea, here's a look at the Elder Scrolls online classes.

DragonKnight: All classes in ESO have skill lines based on a themes related to the classes description. For the DragonKnight class, whose description says they train in a specialized martial art, the skill lines are based on martial abilities and draconic powers (yes, you can get wings to fly over(or into) the battlefield.) DragonKnights are strongest as tanks or DPS, but they have some healing skills and a few battlefield control abilities.

Templar: Templars get their powers from the heat and light of the sun. They have the only pure healing skill line in ESO, making them ideal as healers, but they also have some good DPS and buffs, so they double as strong DPS fighters. With good skill choices they can also be played as tanks.

Nightblade: For most of the Elder Scrolls online classes, ZeniMax seems to have made an effort to break with MMO traditions. Nightblade, in contrast, is pulled straight from the rogue of fantasy MMOs. Skills focus on stealth, assassinations, sneak attacks, and poison. A well played Nightblade can make a powerful battlefield controller, but they can also hold their own in DPS if they need to. Nightblade are the most popular class in the beta game, and one of the best for solo play.

Sorcerer: Elder Scrolls online classes all have some spell casting abilities. The game doesn't have any real divide between fighters and spell casters (and Sorcerer's can definitely hold their own in melee). What Sorcerer's have that other classes don't is the ability to summon. Sorcerer's skills are built on control of storms and storm spirits. So if you want to be able to summon a storm and plant it in the middle of your enemies, Sorcerer is definitely the class for you. Ditto if you want to be able to fling lightning around like Zeus in a temper. Sorcerers abilities include good DPS and battlefield control. They also have some nice buffs and debuffs that make it possible to play them as tanks if someone wants to.

ESO has a number of differences with most MMOs, one of the biggest as far as classes go is that any Elder Scrolls online class can use any weapons or armor. While Nightblade's get some nice benefits from using light armor, theycan totally use heavy armor if they prefer the extra protection. Similarly, sorcerer's have benefits from using staff weapons, but can use double swords if that fits the players fighting style better.

Elder scrolls online leveling guide for Nightblades

Nightblades are among the versatile of the ESO classes. Combining elements of rogue, evoker and alchemist into a new and powerful combination Nightblades can be played in a variety of ways and are the favorite class among ESO beta testers. For those folks chomping at the bit for the official release who can’t wait to get their hands on some of the Nightblades high-level awesomeness, here’s a quick Elder Scrolls online leveling guide specifically for Nightblades.

Go Big or Go Home

While there are some ways Nightblades (and ESO in general) differ from traditional MMOs, one thing that is the same is you get more xp for killing challenging enemies. So fight above your level whenever possible, take on sidequests the moment they are available, and generally kick as much high level butt as possible.

Max Your Skills

You definitely want to invest in Sneak, as well as skills like Conjuration, Mysticism and Alchemy that improve your Magicka. However with all the “Oh Shiny!” of the Nightblades skill set it can be tempting to points into everything. Don’t. You are far better of choosing a few attacks and bringing them to their maximum. Those two or three really powerful attacks will take down more (and higher leveled) enemies than a dozen low level attacks. Remember: specialize, specialize, specialize.

A full length Elder Scrolls online leveling guide will give you detailed suggestion on which skills are the most useful to you, but if you don’t get one, use your own best judgement and max out those skills.

You’re a Rogue, Act Like It

Alright, so Nightblades aren’t JUST rogues, but seriously. Don’t go barreling head first into combat. Attack from the shadows. Take out as many enemies as you can without aggroing their friends. Scout the terrain to find hiding spots where you can go to ground to heal. Attack, retreat, attack again, whittle them down with ranged attacks before getting up close and personal. The Nightblade is a sneaky, adaptable guy. Use that. If you can kill your enemy with a single hit from the shadows, do it! If you can’t, then you still got in one hit that he never saw coming and couldn’t defend against.

Don’t Be Afraid to Group

Nightblades might seem like solitary figures, but they can work really well in a group, taking a variety of rolls including tank, DPS and support depending on how you build them. According to some Elder Scrolls online leveling guides, getting together with a small group (2-4 players) will let you take on fairly high level enemies, while still getting massive XP bonus even after the XP is split between the players. That’s because the XP bonus for the high level opponent makes the XP gain higher, even split, than taking on enemies at your level alone.

While you are at it, don’t forget to spend some time on crafts for the useful bonuses, and exploring to pick up hidden quests, Skyshards and lore books. Joining the Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood when they come out will also give you access to additional quests which can help you level faster.

A Mini Elder scrolls online leveling guide

So you want to gain the Ruby Throne and be the rule of Tamriel. That means you’re going to need to kick a lot of butt, which in turn means you need to level up, fast, so you can dominate in PvP. If you are serious about reaching your dream, you’re going to want to pickup a full length Elder scrolls online leveling guide sooner or later, but in the meantime, here are a few tips to get you started.

Pick a Play Style and Stick with It

Solo and group play require different skill sets and play styles. If you want to level up as fast as possible, pick one style to specialize in and sick with it. You can always branch out later, but to get the most experience you need to power through your quests, and that means having your build optimized for the game you are playing. So pick one, don’t waste your skill points trying to do both.

Go with a Class that Suits You

Play style is big. In theory, DragonKnight and Nightblade are likely to be the two fastest leveling classes in solo play, just because of how flexible they are. However, if your play style favors casting abilities, then you will actually level faster with a Sorcerer, who works with your strengths. Check out an Elder scrolls online leveling guide for more ideas on how different play styles can impact leveling speed, and remember to go with what works for you.

Use Your Crafts

Yeah, we know. Crafting in most MMOs is more of a distraction from leveling then a way to level faster. The thing is, crafting gives you an advantage with gear and consumables. Being able to make your own food means you can always have a food buff. Creating your own weapons and armor will keep you alive longer in combat. With alchemy you can create potions that give you bonuses in a fight. Finally, glyphs made with Enchanting can do everything from kill your enemies faster to boost your survival rate.

But the bonuses from all these crafts together, and you vastly increase your ability to survive quests on the first run through—which is one of the best ways to level quickly.

Explore Everything

ESO doesn’t hand out every quest in the game if you just follow the blinking lights. Some quests you need to go looking for. While many of the good quests will be written up in an Elder scrolls online leveling guide, ESO is new enough that not all the quests will have detailed write ups, and even if they do you know the devs will add new quests. In order to find some of the quests, you are going to need to explore the world. Exploring will also help you find lore books and Skyshards, both of which will get you extra skill points.

5 ESO Tips for TES Fans

Every video gamers has their favorite game type and style. For many long time TES fans, their prefered game is a single player RPG with lots of world building and flexible character design. If this sounds like you, then the latest TES installment, Elder Scrolls online, is a radical departure from their preferred game type, and its possible you've never played an MMO before.

If you are leery of where TES is taking your favorite game series, but still want to give ESO a try, here are five tips to make the transition easier for you:

1) Consider picking up an ESO guide. A good ESO guide will introduce you to the characteristic MMO features of ESO, helping you learn how this installment is different from what has come before. If you do pick up an ESO guide, make sure that then one you get is written for people who are new to MMOs.

2) Focus on solo play. Just because ESO is a MMO doesn't mean you have play with a group or PvP. Infact, there is only one place for PvP--Cyrondil. If you just want to play ESO as a single player RPG, you can totally do that. Just building your character and set off into the world. Leave the chat closed, and have some fun.

3) Learn along with a friend. If you have a friend who is also a long time TES fan, you might want to play together, instead of soloing. This way you can get an introduction to how group play can work with someone you trust. WOrking together, you can take on Tamriel, complete quests, and figure out the MMO stuff that is strange to you.

4) Don't get too caught up in the classes. In traditional TES games, you could pretty much build your own class, but that doesn't work very well for an MMO, so ESO has four pre-built classes. Each of these classes has their own strengths, but they are far more flexible than most MMO classes. Some MMO players get real caught up in matching the right class to the right race, and which class is the most powerful and similar power gaming. If you are new to MMOs don't worry about any of that. Just pick that class what seems to most closely match your usual TES play style. Once your comfortable with the game you can always come back and try other classes.

5) Join a good player guild.Player guilds in MMOs serve several purposes, but one of their main ones is to bring players together so they can help eachother. Look for a smallish guile (20-50 members) that is interested in supporting its members. Long time MMO players in the guild will be able to answer your guestions and help you out of tight spots. Plus, as an experienced TES player, you'll know a lot about the world that long time MMO players won't, so you can helo them when they have questions.

Since ESO hasn't even come out yet, your best bet for the moment is to pick up an ESO guide and start getting familiar with what you can expect. Then once the gam starts, use tips 2-5 to get yourself up and running. You'll be ESO expert in no time.