Do you kind of go with it or grind your characters to achieve maximum level the quickest way?

Megabear

I started this game about 1 month ago. Married with full time job. I am CP 70 (?) and have lvl 50 Sta/NB (crafting char), lvl 41 Mag/Templar (main), and lvl 28 Mag/Sorc (ex-main).

I did not grind at any point. No Dolmen groups and definitely no staying in same place killing same mobs over and over. All I did was run around and mainly farm Skyshards, finish all Delves & Public Dungeons (can solo with templar, not with NB), and do some main quests to mix things up when I felt like it. Oh, and if I happen to run into WB/Dolmen with some people in it I'd jump in to get it out of the way. Not the quickest way to level but I enjoy it! Also, I would have needed to get around to farming Skyshards anyway so I thought I'd just get it out of the way early. I'm not interested in getting to CP 600 any time soon. Just enjoying the game and leveling various characters is my goal.

That got me curious though. Anyone else just kind of play the game without trying to get to the end game? I have a feeling I'd be in the minority. I also assume many players used to do the same, but not anymore since they've played the game so long that just exploring the game itself becomes repetitive enough to be indistinguishable from regular grind.

Lavennin

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

It's probably more of a new player vs old player thing. I imagine things get pretty dull after you do all of them for several times.

Voxicity

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I've never grinded levels.

However I did consider it when next week comes around so I can release a stamward build video but I still think I'm just gonna take it chill and enjoy the leveling process again. Haven't leveled a character in about a year so I'm looking forward to exploring vvardenfell with my partner and listen to her get all nostalgic

itehache

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I have never grinded xp.

Even though I have some alts just for fun, I play my main 90% of the time. I was not in a hurry to level up as I wanted to discover the game at my own pace.

I have now 645cp after playing for 1 year.

Rouven

I grind in a sense that I have one character that focuses on thief achievements, another does cadwells line (although prob most will do this at one point) - another doesn't skip a book, another does the harvesting etc

Not when it comes to levels.I may play a lower level character if I run out of enlightenment - depending on my mood.

Eshelmen

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I grind when I want to grind, not when the game asks me to!

LordSkyKnight

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I'm in no rush to reach any max level or champion level. I don't play all the time either. I have taken large chunks of time off over the years as well. What's the damn rush. You have these people who burn through the content then howler that they have nothing to do.

Sakiri

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I'd grind to 50 if I had a partner to.

Violynne

Mixed. I grind, sure, but about half of the time I just go where fate takes me

I "go with it" until I hit level 50.

After that, I have to go Skyshard farming. Yes, "have to", because the level scaling in this game pretty much forces me to do so if I want to stay viable. At level 50, I also start using CP (I don't like using them early because I want to see how my character does between 40 and 50 to help reset my bar/rotations).

After I acquire enough skill points, then I return back to the game's regular channel.

EleonoraCrendraven

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I have 3 characters now and I never grindet xp. There is so much do to, so many achievements and so much fun you can have by playing the game... there is no need to do so. ESO is RP game and not a "kill-as-many-mobs-as-you-can-to-reach-maxlvl" game.

zaria

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

Very little grinding for this one, grinded my templar from level 32 to 50 after returning to ESO to get her up to CP 160+ so I could get decent drops and she helped gain cp levels then questing or doing other stuff.
Has grinded a bit with friends outside this.

theher0not

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I always finish my own faction story(Cildharbour included) , Figters Guild, Mages Guild and Main Story before I start preparing for end game.

Sometimes I will do dungeuns or some Cyro before finishing but I don't start the serious gear grind before I finish those things.

Malakor

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

For me the journey is more important than the destination. I reach levels when I reach them.

lygerseye

Long time player... Did all 3 faction stories on two different characters, trying to get all quests, locations, skyshards, delves, dolmens, etc.

Now on all my new alts I power-run through all the zones and level up just the skill lines I need for that build. Most of my XP comes from discovering and running to the next place (using XP potions, Ring of Mara, all training gear, and take advantage of any double-XP events). Only do delves & pledges for the end-game gear.

Patriick

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I grind alts to cp160 for the gear but after that it's pretty much just slow rolling. I was never in a hurry with my first character/main.

Tyrobag

Mixed. I grind, sure, but about half of the time I just go where fate takes me

Once you've played through all of the zone quests 4 times, it gets to the point where you have to just grind in order to test new builds. Although I do build in a few certain quests at the end of the grind to get the last few levels.

Troneon

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

Never grinded just played the game, pretty much CP 600. Like 10-15 to go I think.

I work 4 days on 4 days off so when I do have time to play I always had max enlightenment ready and waiting, CP cap hardly ever goes up.

Waste of time to grind in my opinion unless you are one of those people who needs it now now now now or going for leaderboards etc.

90% of content can be done in blue gear with good sets/builds anyway, even group content.

Tandor

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I've been playing continuously across two accounts since PC launch and have a single lvl 50 character with 170 CPs plus assorted alts between about 10 and 44.

As you might have guessed, I don't grind or power-level ! I just play the game at my own pace and do a lot more than just xp'ing for levels.

N1ckelsNd1mes

Mixed. I grind, sure, but about half of the time I just go where fate takes me

I have 'rolled with it' to get 3 characters to 50, one in each faction. since then i have done quick leveling. just main story line quests for skill points and skyshard hunted. then focused on mob kills for xp. but those were builds for a purpose. my main character, i play for fun, or to get gear to fill up guild stores. i haven't experienced pvp much, just dueling and a random wander into cyrodill here and there.

Queo

Mixed. I grind, sure, but about half of the time I just go where fate takes me

I prefer to go with the flow, some times ill look at a toon and say... i need to get you to the next phase lets go grind... but i hate doing that.

whiteshadow711jppreub18_ESO

No, I regularly grind or get power leveled

I grind my Characters to Max level then work on the rest.

skyshards, lore books after getting to max level.

Fighters guild, if needed, will be grinded during the level up, there are plenty of places to grind that have daedra/undead ETC.

Legerdemain can be leveled quite quickly if you know the trick.

Thieves guild is done by quests and stealing.

Dark Brotherhood can be leveled by performing lots of Hits (assassinations).

Danikat

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I've never seen the point in rushing to level up, and the fact that the people most likely to complain that there's nothing left to do also seem to be the ones most likely to rush to max level confirms to me that I'm better off playing this way.

If anything I go to the other extreme. I've been playing for just over 2 years and I still don't have a level 50 character. I've got 6 between level 10 and 40-something, plus one I've kept on the NA server (don't remember one level) and various ones I've deleted.

But they've all done every quest in the areas they've been through, fully explored the maps, talked to everyone, and I've done random things like spent ages trying to climb things which are not intended to be climbed.

Arcon2825

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

I've been grinding for skill morphs to be available and some XP just half a level before CP 600. The other times I've been doing what came to my mind.
No need to rush things, I'm still doing the quests on my toons.
Maybe I'm too stupid for effective gameplay

zyk

If I was a new player, enthusiastic about ESO and aspiring to complete trials and/or PVP, I would probably grind to the CP cap.

If I was a new player and enjoyed the single player questing and/or social gaming, I would not grind at all.

As an experienced player, when I develop a new character, I do not grind because level 50 will be achieved just by collecting skill points and leveling skill lines.

Rappakon

For my first couple characters all I did was quest and explore and try and do everything on the map before I moved on. Doing the same quests got old fast so for the next 8 characters I grinded away to hit max level in just a few days. If you are new definitely play the game as intended because if you rush to max level to do end game content you won't know whats going on and won't be any good.

Wolfenbelle

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

OP, back when Cadwell's Silver and Gold were necessary to unlock other faction zones, I did every quest with three characters. I mean all quests in every zone, not just the main story quests. Also back then, there were veteran levels v1 thru v16. I leveled them by a combination of questing and some grinding when group grinds in Craglorn were a thing. After all that was changed in the game, maybe sometime around when Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild were released, I started a new NB character, got her to about level 20 by questing, then shelved her.

So I have a templar, sorc and DK max leveled by what might be called the old fashioned way in this game, but really only use my first character, the templar, daily. The DK is shelved and I'm re-gearing the sorc for Morrowind. Have not decided about a Warden, but would level it by questing if I start one.

I also have a full time job and family, plus I moved from California to North Carolina in 2015 just at the time CP was released, so I fell far behind the people who started the game the same time I did. So I just kept plugging along with minimal grinding, just quests, dailies, thieving and such until I caught up.

Linaleah

Mixed. I grind, sure, but about half of the time I just go where fate takes me

mixed. I've done dolmen grinds a little. they are awesome to level new skill lines without worrying too much about dying while your character in a "hit like wet noodle" stage plus there are achievements, fighter's guild skill line and some nice drops associated with them. otherwise, I find pure mob grinding mind numbingly boring. when its part of a quest - ok, since the goal is usually quickly achieved there, but otherwise. blech. its the main reason why my werewolf skill line is still not maxed out

alexkdd99

In most games any toon past my first I grind to max level as fast as possible.

With eso however grinding to max level is only part of the journey top end game. You still have to do quest/ hunt skyshards for skill points. Level one or more guild factions.

So with eso I try to spread my grinding out, but getting to level 50 is still the main priority. Then I can switch gear out and I won't be looting gear that will be worthless. It is extremely annoying to get a level 40 something item that if it was 160 would be worth a few hundred thousand.

Fiskerton

First toon is a completionist. Do all quests, all skyshards, all crafting, all everything.

Second+ toon is going to dolmen grind.

Rainwhisper

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

There wouldn't be any point to grinding for me, since I play for exploration and questing. I don't PvP or do end-game, veteran content.

Nestor

Yes, I just kind of go with it most of the time

Even when I am leveling alts, I don't grind. Well, the very last one I did just by doing dolmens because I wanted to see how gimped he would be come L50. I also did not spend any champ points on him until L50. Yea, he was gimped, even with the champ points added in, he was pretty useless.

Grinding to L50 is about the worse thing you can do. Sure, you reach L50, but you only have 64 skill points, not enough to flesh out a character. Anyone who just grinds to 50 will still have a bunch of grinding ahead of them to have a useful character.

Instead, it is so much better to do something like the OP did. I came up with the follow method to level Alts with One Tamriel. All the characters hit L50 and were able to do something in the game. And, it really took the same amount of time as a Dolmen Zerg Grind. But my characters were fleshed out and ready to go when I was done

1. I collected all the Skyshards in the zone. I avoided any and all quests other than those that show up in the delves that have skyshards. These quests do not give set items for rewards so no loss there.
2. I would farm the dolmens a few times to get set jewelry that helped my character
3. I would do the Public Dungeons including all the bosses
4. Then I would move to the next zone.

In doing this, I could fully gear up my character with level appropriate stuff, and it was helpful gear. May not have been the best, but you don't need the best while leveling. Any gear I farmed from Dolmens or PD's is repeatable, so I can get it at CP160 by just repeating. Then, I had all the content quests left for me once I reached CP160 as those can give you sweet Set Drops in good traits you want. And, Quest Experience is huge for gaining CPs once your past CP160. Kind of a waste before that.

In about 8 zones, I would be fully leveled in Mages, Fighters, Class, 3 Armors and Weapon Skills. Leaving only Undaunted to level, although I would get to almost 3 in that from Dungeon Achievements.