How come I'm limited in styles for blacksmithing?

Caroloces · May 2014

I've been developing my blacksmithing skills with my main character for awhile now. I've been dutifully doing the Research and deconstruction to improve levels and generally enjoying the process. Today, I decided to make an armor set for my alt character, who is an orc. I wanted to use the mineral that creates in the orc style, which is manganese. When I attempted to create the armor, I noticed that manganese wasn't one of the choices I had for styles. So I thought, I'll just buy it from a merchant. Then I discovered that I had some Manganese in my inventory, and also some in the bank, yet it didn't show up as a choice in the "create" area for styles. I also noticed that some other "style" minerals like Corundum for Nords wasn't showing up either. My blacksmithing is at level 13. Anyone know what's going on here?

garrodben_ESO · May 2014

Need to use Motif books to learn the styles. Every character starts with the style of their race learned. There is a motif book for each style that you can find in containers (trunks, backpacks, desks, cabinets, etc..). There is a total of 14 known motif's though at some point there was mention that there was 15, no one I believe has figured out what the 15th is supposed to be.

understeer · May 2014

The style does not descriminte.

Caroloces · May 2014

Thanks! Always learning something new. That's what makes this game great!

ArRashid · May 2014

There is an Akaviri style available, but there is no motif for it. You can only get it's items from PvP in cyrondil I think.

AlexDougherty · May 2014

garrodben_ESO wrote: »

Need to use Motif books to learn the styles. Every character starts with the style of their race learned. There is a motif book for each style that you can find in containers (trunks, backpacks, desks, cabinets, etc..). There is a total of 14 known motif's though at some point there was mention that there was 15, no one I believe has figured out what the 15th is supposed to be.

Indeed, I have Bosmer, Breton, Orc (twice) and Argonian styles learnt across several characters, plus their own race of course.

Important thing to note is that apart from the player races each motif has a minimum crafter level, for example Deadric requires you to have either Blacksmithing/Woodworking/Clothing at craft level 9 (I think).

Food4Thought · May 2014

AlexDougherty wrote: »

garrodben_ESO wrote: »

Need to use Motif books to learn the styles. Every character starts with the style of their race learned. There is a motif book for each style that you can find in containers (trunks, backpacks, desks, cabinets, etc..). There is a total of 14 known motif's though at some point there was mention that there was 15, no one I believe has figured out what the 15th is supposed to be.

Indeed, I have Bosmer, Breton, Orc (twice) and Argonian styles learnt across several characters, plus their own race of course.

Important thing to note is that apart from the player races each motif has a minimum crafter level, for example Deadric requires you to have either Blacksmithing/Woodworking/Clothing at craft level 9 (I think).

I think the reference of "15" was from a Dev interview from a while back. On my spreadsheet from beta I had allowed for 15 books so I had to have gotten that number from something I read. And considering how limited we were in information back then, it must have come from an interview at some point.

As for the level requirements for the final four motif styles ... I didn't notice there was a level requirement for them myself.

Just goes to show you learn something new everyday.

Caroloces · May 2014

Are the motif books generally difficult to find? I have a couple of more styles than my original character's race so I must have picked them up at some point without being actually aware of their significance. Now that I understand this process, I'm paying more attention and looking everywhere, but I'm not having much luck finding them.

Rosveen · May 2014

charles.cavanaughub17_ESO wrote: »

Are the motif books generally difficult to find? I have a couple of more styles than my original character's race so I must have picked them up at some point without being actually aware of their significance. Now that I understand this process, I'm paying more attention and looking everywhere, but I'm not having much luck finding them.

Yes, they are. They used to be easier to find, but the drop rate was decreased a while ago. I don't know if it was changed back. It's purely luck based, so you'll probably have to spend quite a lot of time rummaging through furniture before you find them all. Or you can try buying them from other players, they go for about 1k (varies between servers and alliances).

Chalybos · May 2014

Rates are still fairly low. Lucky for me I snagged them all early on (other than the high level ones).