Efficient Leveling Tips

Phazzle · April 2014

ESO Guide: Efficient Leveling

Hey, hey, hey. It’s been a wild ride in Tamriel so far. Just hit level 20 over the weekend and wanted to share some of the strategies that I use to make questing in ESO more efifcient. These tips can help you get the most out of every hour of gameplay and level faster.

Effective Use of Consumables

Consumables give you an edge and help you stay alive!
Don’t stockpile your consumables. If you have a stack of 20 potions, you are doing something wrong—unless, of course you just bought them! When you see the specter of death, quaff a potion so you have a chance to avoid using a Soulstone—you should also have a stack of those handy so you can avoid that walk back to the questing zone.
Food and beverages are also a great way to keep yourself alive. Keep an eye out for traveling vendors who sell potions and hit up the inn keeps for food and drinks; or, craft them yourself! A food buff can provide around 10% to 20% more health, which can be the difference between a life and death on tough pulls. It may be expensive up front, but it pays for itself in savings on repair costs.

Get the Skyshards mod, so you never miss a Skyshard!

Putting every available point in your abilities helps ensure you are killing mobs quickly. Next to leveling, the best way to get skillpoints—the only other way, in fact—is to get Skyshards.

read more...

Phazzle · April 2014

Skyshards is an awesome mod that can help you find Skyshards on your map so you don’t miss anything while leveling. It is an absolute must-have.

Grind

Sometimes it is tempting to try to skirt mobs in an effort to complete quests faster. But, doing this will only slow your advancement as you miss out on valuable experience from grinding mobs. In ESO, you slay your way to your next quest objective. It is also tempting to run group dungeons repeatedly as you level. While this can be fun and exciting, you don’t get much experience from running them. They are good for gearing, however, so you should run each one once as you level to gear out your character, but avoid getting too caught up in them.

Speed reading

There are some wonderful stories in ESO, but quest text and books tend to bog you down and consume valuable grinding time. One of the few complaints I have about ESO is that it can sometimes feel like you are studying for a final exam instead of playing an MMO. But, that does not change the fact that quest text and books are a critical part of the game. Ignore them at your own peril.
Skimming the quest text can save time. I have found that they usually put the quest objectives in the last line of each paragraph. Additionally, they also hide tantalizing secrets in books. For instance, I read one book where they discussed performing a ritual at a specific site on the full moon to summon a wolf god! Who knows where that information can lead?

"Discretion is the better part of valor"

We all get that feeling when we die. “What did I do wrong? I’m a better gamer than this.” It’s good when it pushes you forward, but if you let your pride get in the way of your questing then shame on you! If you die more than two times within a five-minute span (especially if you die in the same way) then you should probably go do lower level quests for awhile. Try to avoid mobs that are more than one level higher than you and you’ll probably be ok. On the other hand, certain mobs, especially platies can be tough on you even if they are the same level. Use your discretion, and know when to run!

ESO is not about the destination, it’s about the journey

ESO is a game, not a full time job. Make sure that whatever you’re doing you’re enjoying it. Want to run a dungeon 10 times with your buddies? Do it! Feel like spending 10 hours at the guild store picking items? Enjoy. Sick of grinding? Run and sneak past mobs. It’s not all about getting it done fast, it’s about having a good time! Ignore all the rules. Just make sure you are getting the most out of your ESO experience!

deathly809_ESO · April 2014

Just do every quest you come across and find them all. Kill everything in your way. Read every bookshelf. I think I covered it.

Phazzle · April 2014

Good summary

Phazzle · April 2014

Just thought of something else. It is best, when riding your horse to alternate sprints in so that you are moving with max speed.

deathly809_ESO · April 2014

Phazzle wrote: »

Just thought of something else. It is best, when riding your horse to alternate sprints in so that you are moving with max speed.

What? I think I know what you are talking about (and it was shown to be wrong).

Phazzle · April 2014

Really? Does the horse move slower when it gets tired? Didn't think of that. Retracted.

deathly809_ESO · April 2014

You can just hold down the sprint button and it will always spring even when it runs out of stamina, it is a bug. Some people say tapping the spring makes them run faster lol.

Phazzle · April 2014

Oh, lol! That's nice

Phazzle · April 2014

I just spent half an hour kiting gargoyles in "The Lightless Remnant." I didn't see the hint "Use the gargoyles to smash the statues." Moral of the story...pay attention to hints

Stautmeister · April 2014

But, that does not change the fact that quest text and books are a critical part of the game. Ignore them at your own peril.
Skimming the quest text can save time. I have found that they usually put the quest objectives in the last line of each paragraph. Additionally, they also hide tantalizing secrets in books. For instance, I read one book where they discussed performing a ritual at a specific site on the full moon to summon a wolf god!

Im laughing so hard when i see people crashing on an star sign puzzlie because they didnt read ^^

Phazzle · April 2014

did not link to the specific article in op. here is link.
http://esotraveler.blogspot.com/2014/04/eso-guide-efficient-leveling.html

Moonchilde · April 2014

On skill point farming, I found that spending a healthy portion of those extras on Enchanting and the crafts that produce your arms and armor allows you to create green or blue gear without waiting for drops, and to imbue it with bonuses that cap your weaknesses and enhance your strengths.
If you want to be able to overcome the threats in your zone, keeping fresh top-quality enchanted gear will drastically increase your survivability and ease of progress.

Phazzle · April 2014

Definitely. Skill points invested in trade skills always pay off. I am leveling cooking right now, but I should look into smithing for the reasons you mention.

lupusrex · April 2014

Reading through the books is almost never essential to your progress, but they are usually interesting and sometimes funny. Eventually you'll get the ability to recall any book you've looked at, so you can spend a while just reading through your mental library if the urge strikes.

There have, however, been some quests where you need to pay attention to something written in a book or elsewhere. A couple times I've needed to write down the order of something or otherwise take notes. It's been years since a game made me do that, so it was kind of refreshing.

Phazzle · April 2014

Agreed. It is refreshing to play a game that you can't play in your sleep.

Phazzle · April 2014

@Stautmeister‌

I went through that one the other day. It was actually a fun puzzle if you pay attention to the text on the placards. It took me awhile to figure out the order but once I did it was quite satisfying. Nothing like an orc setting another orc free!

ghofmann · May 2014

deathly809_ESO wrote: »

You can just hold down the sprint button and it will always spring even when it runs out of stamina, it is a bug. Some people say tapping the spring makes them run faster lol.

I don't think it is a bug, actually. You can sprint as long as u want even after you run out of stamina, but, once your out of stamina, one hit from an enemy will knock you off. The more stamina your horse has, the longer you can sprint AND not get knocked off your horse.

Phazzle · May 2014

@ghoffmann. Yeah, you're totally right. I had that epiphany last night.

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/90749/an-early-look-at-craglorn-patch-1-1#latest

Phazzle · May 2014

Hooray! Level 50 in just about 4 played days! Now I just need to steel myself for veteran leveling!

Phazzle · May 2014

Arrgh! Vet ranking is so tough. I had to struggle through half of rank 1 with substandard gear and mobs give very little xp. I have found that it is easier and more efficient to sneak past most fights. Veteran ranking will certainly be a different ballgame. Expect a vet ranking guide soon!

Phazzle · May 2014

Here is my guide to veteran ranking, as promised. Enjoy!

http://esotraveler.blogspot.com/2014/05/efficient-veteran-ranking-guide.html

Artemiisia · May 2014

hint to be able to carry more, if and when u can get two horses, train one for speed that you use for exploring new zones, and another as a mule for carrying loots, that way when you go to a dungeon you use the mule with the wayshine closet to it, where u can carry like 140, instead of maybe 115 items.

got the imperial edition so I could make two horses right from the start

saves both time and you can loot "crappy" things to sell to vendors afterwards

Phazzle · May 2014

@Artemiisia‌

Good call. I just started training my horse and I was going to buy another but I opted for more bank space, oh well. Fortunately, as a med armor wearing orc I can run faster than most horses, lol.

Polyscikosis · May 2014

The whole point of "guides" is to allow others to learn from what you ALREADY HAVE.... please stop.

your "guides" arent....

Phazzle · May 2014

Polyscikosis wrote: »

The whole point of "guides" is to allow others to learn from what you ALREADY HAVE.... please stop.

your "guides" arent....

I knew it would happen eventually. After thousands of views you are the first person to express hostility. Congrats! What, exactly, are you so upset about?