Faster way to level up for "Non-Grinders"?

MerkzM8

So I'm the kind of person who hates grinding and would rather watch paint dry than grind, but it seems to be the only way to rank up remotely fast. I'm putting as much hours into the game if not more as the people who grind and I'm only vet 9. Some people can go from v1-14 in the space of 42 hours, I have over 500 hours into one character and I'm still v9. In my opinion they should make it so i make equavilent XP to those who grind, doing quests. I don't see why they can't? Since they are adding in the Catch-Up Mechanic, why not add in a Veteran Level Catch-up or some way for us "non-grinders" to be of equivalent XP gain to those who do grind?

nimander99

It took me from June 2014 till February 2015 to hit VR14 on one character, just enjoy the ride. Ignore the community, MMO's are NOT a race regardless of the mindset of most people who play them.

tinythinker

MerkzM8 wrote: »

In my opinion they should make it so i make equavilent XP to those who grind, doing quests. I don't see why they can't? Since they are adding in the Catch-Up Mechanic, why not add in a Veteran Level Catch-up or some way for us "non-grinders" to be of equivalent XP gain to those who do grind?

They've reduced the XP needed for vet ranks a few times, including the most recent patch. I don't grind, and am taking my 5th character through Cadwell's Silver/Gold. I am already 3 1/2 vet ranks above the content of the zones I am working on and will be at vet 9 and on the way to vet 10 by the time I finish Cadwell's Silver. It used to take completing each zone (all quests/locations) through Cadwell's Gold to get that far.

ZOS does offer a 10% XP bonus to subscribers, though, and you can buy XP boosters from either players or the crown store to level even faster.

Cuyler

Do all the achievements

Asherons_Call

Get ESO plus, pop an XP potion, complete every quest in sight, kill every mob that stands in your way. I'm V10 and just starting caldwells silver, but I completely cleared Cyrodiil first. (Every quest, delve, dolmen, skyshard)

BlackguardBob

I made VR 16 just today after 4 months of playing every single day since console launch. I never grind, don't PvP, don't group up, and play entirely solo. I still haven't finished Cadwell's Gold so imo, there is no need to grind at all for xp just to level up.

I haven't got every skyshard and I haven't done (nor ever will) complete all dungeons and I don't drink xp potions.

Paazhahdrimaak

Cuyler wrote: »

Do all the achievements

Hunt them achievements! Earn all the levels!

GreySix

nimander99 wrote: »

It took me from June 2014 till February 2015 to hit VR14 on one character, just enjoy the ride. Ignore the community, MMO's are NOT a race regardless of the mindset of most people who play them.

This.

NewBlacksmurf

The fastest way and most efficient is a combination of doing VR public dungeons in Cyrodil (not IC)
And doing silver n gold zone quests

If you're not going to grind

owenspuppiesb14_ESO

From 9 to 16 wouldn't take long at all grinding. But I would imagine it would take forever questing. I think that's why most people grind and I don't see any way to fix it because whatever they do is still going to make grinding even faster.

ahstin2001nub18_ESO

my alternate solution to the new cap/catch-up, was aimed at also aiding in contending with the VR progression. id say it largely got ignore or lost in ideology...

no dice, difference is, i can't tell you what i used to say any more- "don't worry about VRs, worry about CPs. they are more important long term"

Usara

MerkzM8 wrote: »

I have over 500 hours into one character and I'm still v9.

Then you're doing it a bit wrong
Or maybe not, but if you're enjoying the scenery, listen to all the dialogs and chase torchbugs to relax and fish in Bleakrock... ^^ Nothing wrong with it of course ! But it sure will take longer to reach the end ^^

Like @nimander99 said, you don't have to level as fast as the others, but on the other hand, you can't take your time and want to level at the same pace than people questing fast.

I have six vr16.
One of them did grind in Hircine when it was the place to level fast. Because my guild needed a NB quickly, so I leveled quickly. For another, I grinded zombies from vr3 till vr11.
All the others went through (painful) questing.

My fist char did everything of course. I did not left a zone until I had explored every nook and crany, I unlocked every achievements (including Maiq and Lightbringer/Merchants/Beggars but the fishing ones). Took me close to 3 months to reach vr10.
My latest chars just do the main quests of each zones, and all the shards/delves for the skill points. Mage guild for the book (sorry Valaste, you can't compare with 2 Skill Points :x)
If I'm not vr16 by the end of Caldwell Gold, I do the dailies in Cyro.

I'm not playing much my rerolls lately, but usually it takes me 20-25 hours to reach lvl 50 and the rest... I'd say around 1 month total to level to vr16. Bit more, bit less (depends if I used xp pots or not...)
And yeah I skip all the dialogs.

PBpsy

You want a faster way to level so you can grind the various grinds without grinding the pre-grinds that lead to the grinds that lead to the true grinds?
No you can't have any meat if you do not grind your pudding.
/SMH

Tarum

I plaid one character for the double of your time and I was just Vet4, in a Vet2 zone, making almost everything.
Just rerolled from scratch, selling everything and using the money to buy few dwarven motifs: my vet4 Orc is now level 6 with empty bank and no money.

Why have I started from scratch? Because even if reading, I was playing passively, following Quest Pins, not enjoying the world.
In older games like Morrowind, you just play to explore, reveal lore, going into adventure: there's no reason because this game should not give you the same feeling. Leveling up is just something that happens while you play, not an end.

I'm using True Exploration addon and Pinkiller to make quests without hints and pins. I made it from Veteran 1 to 4, but I really burnt all the pre-Vet game, so it's why I rerolled.
This is prettymuch a Morrowind-esque approach, and even if 5% of the quests givers doesn't tell you exactly where to go you disable the addon for a moment.

In the long way, Playing is never productive, it's fun, but honestly a waste of time (not to sound harsh), everyone's plays just for Fun. If you like to rush it, than you could grind or automatically follow pin questst, Or, you could disable them and enjoy a fantastic Tamriel like in previous The Elder Scrolls game.
There's no one that rush your game, if you have more fun Exploring, talking with NPC, doing some pvp, than just enjoy the adventures. I also have disabled the quest givers to have a better replayability, so I don't run always in the same quests and I enjoy listening to NPC that ask for help.

Addons I use for this are:
-True Exploration (add fog of war like in older games in the map, but so you can see where have you passed)
-Pinkiller (remove pins, you chose wich ones).

If you are on console, you can disable questgivers for the reason I told... anyway you will always be too high level, even if you don't do all the quests.

Sorry for my bad English not Exactly my language.

stojekarcub18_ESO

To each their own, I much prefer questing and delving to mindless grinding. If for nothing else, the change on scenery.

notimetocare

Personally I will say you do want to grind, but by no means do you HAVe to only grind. At some points grinding is just TOO good to avoid. I have talked about it on some grinding videos on youtube. At this point, YOu can either do just questing which will go really slow, or you can focus on main quests, delves and world bosses (that are in the way of you going lorebooks/skyshards/quests) as they just end up being bonus xp for a kill. As for world bosses, if you cannot solo them, do not wait to kill them. Depending on your factions, some times will be far better to grind.

Sausage

Thats why they have CP-boosters but its only 50%. I dont see any other way, if you're extremely slow then you have to pay.

Alucardo

I levelled a megaton accidentally while grinding tv stones in IC. I'm trying to keep my NB in BWB, but he went from level 37 to 46 in a few hours. It was horrible.

Wreuntzylla

Most of my VR16's came from doing the dailies in Cyrodiil. I typically only do 3 a day: Cropsford, Bruma and Cheydinahl.

I would tell you how fast it is but better to find out for yourself... Can start doing them at level 10.

StrykerTheElite

before you pop your xp potion you should finish 5 - 10 quest don't complete the quest, have them ready to complete then pop xp potion and then turn in the quest.

Grandsupercoder

As a non-grinder myself, I personally think the most enjoyable way to ` level up ` a character is to level up all the necessary skills evenly not just the character level itself. As mentioned by other forum members here, you can grind and hit VR16 within a week if you are desperate ( lots of guide online ). ESO is an amazing game as it doesnt force you into doing just the one thing. You can be a crafter (like myself), PVP expert, trader, etc. Eventually we all hit VR16. I reached VR16 a few weeks back and have been playing on Xbox one since console launch. Every player has a different journey to reach the endgame and make sure yours is enjoyable and not to turn it into a chore as you are NOT getting paid by ZOS to level your character.

Keep having fun.

Mettaricana

Cyrodiil dailies all 5 towns like 50+ quests easy as pie if using ecp pot its about 1-2 vet levels a day if not about lil ocer 1 level yhough if you have low patience skip weynon priory and chirrol hellish run around.

TheShadowScout

I really hate grinding, but luckily the game does not require one to do that to level.

Just doing everything in the cadwells zones will take you far, and doing the cyrodil dwelves and dailies will easily take you the rest of the way.

Yes, grinding is faster. I am also of the opinion it also makes peoples brains liquefy and slosh around in their heads, and wonder why some seem incapable of noticing the loss... but hey, each to their own ways of having fun. But as I see games like this, the fun is not in completing them in record time and then complaining about the "lack of content", but to enjoy your way through them. Even several times (8 characters here, all in veteran ranks by now, not bored doing cadwells over and over again yet...).

AngryNord

How about - actually playing the game?

Malmai

AngryNord wrote: »

How about - actually playing the game?

No.

Tan9oSuccka

AngryNord wrote: »

How about - actually playing the game?

Agreed. I raise a mug of mead with Juniper berries to you.

Why rush through everything to get to max level? Why would one not take the time and read the wonderful dialog from the Naked Nord or Barefoot Breton quests? I would mention the similar elf quest, but who cares about them.

THEDKEXPERIENCE

I'm not a fan of grinding either but have recognized that a little bit of it can be necessary at times. So what I do is set aside 30 minutes, go to (redacted), pop an XP potion, and use soul splitting trap to fill grand soul gems while I'm grinding. I can fill about 200 in those 30 minutes and look at them as my prize for grinding.

AngryNord

Malmai wrote: »

AngryNord wrote: »

How about - actually playing the game?

No.

OK. But don't come QQ'ing that there's "no content" in this game then.

MerkzM8

Thanks for all the feedback I noticed a couple people say play the game, which I have been doing, but I want to get to endgame as soon as possible and enjoy the amazing endgame content that this game has to offer.

Robo_Hobo

Maybe enlightenment could affect Veteran Rank xp as well as CP xp, since it only works for a limited amount of daily playtime, it would encourage non-grinding as opposed to grinding without.

But I think the recent Vet level xp reduction is good enough as it is personally, on top of the other options already available.

traigusb14_ESO2

MerkzM8 wrote: »

Thanks for all the feedback I noticed a couple people say play the game, which I have been doing, but I want to get to endgame as soon as possible and enjoy the amazing endgame content that this game has to offer.

There isn't a whole ton of endgame stuff.The game isn't structured like that. it is mostly just more normal "game."

All the new DLC will scale to level, so not really endgame there either.

The closest thing to that style content is Trials... and there are only 2 of them... both don't even scale to max level.