Skyshards, Lorebooks and Destinations: Improves or Destroys Exploration?

IvorySamoan

So I'm playing the game like a bit of a traditional TES game: something like 80% PVE / 20% PVP (only level 45 MagSorc at moment), enjoying the scenery and stories and starting to dabble more and more in the PVP side of things (Battlegrounds are fun and finally starting to understand Cyrodiil thank the maker!). I love exploration, but I find myself lacking in skill points a little (for new PVP worthy skills and crafting which I enjoy), but don't want to wreck my 'feel of exploration' experience in-game. I also am semi-RP'ing as a Mages Guild up and coming member...so those lorebook numbers wouldn't hurt either for boosting my MG level...

My question is, do adding these add-ons improve or destroy the 'sense of wonder' and exploration for you in ESO, and do you think if I go down this rabbit hole, I could be possibly be ruining the game for myself? Once I start using the add-on, I probably would find it too useful to turn off knowing myself...but then again, maybe I'm best not to install it in the first place?

#firstworldesoproblems
#skoomaaddictfromwayback

Anrose

With my first character, I found all the skydhards, lorebooks, and areas of interest in the classic TES style.

With the other 9 characters? I don't have time for that anymore. Addons, please!

cokkto

Don't use addons if you don't want spoilers. SImple.

Kyoma

Well.....skyshards all have a hint to their location in the associated achievement so they are relatively easy to find without an addon. Lorebooks have multiple locations within a zone and some also in multiple zones.

Radinyn

I never use addons for me they break the game.

runagate

There are two wildly different ways to look at this.

One is for people who have Hero of Tamriel achievement and can't be arsed to "explore" for skyshards on their 14th character.

Then there's new players. There's 2 main divisions of new players:

Those who want to explore and those that want to catch up to the people they meet so they can participate in what those people are doing whether it be pvp or Trials or whatever. I think that second group is really missing out, but especially knowing as many pvpers as I do I know unlike me most of them couldn't even point out Khenarthi's Roost on a map.

jcaceresw

Normally it takes time for those addons to get updated so I explore inch by inch the new zone like I did for Morrowind.

For my alts, I prefer to go straight to the point (skyshard and locations mostly) to save time redoing the new content.

Mayrael

Umm... Only you can answer this question. I can speak only for my self - I use this addon, because I have many alts, finding 399 skyshards + lorebooks on each of them would drive me mad.

Beardimus

Don't install Add On's for sure. Enjoy the game as intended. Follow the main quest, the alliance quest, clear zones as you go (Delves / Public Dungeon / Sky shards / Lore books - enjoy the journey

Don't 'farm' or 'grind' so go as you are and you will have Skill Points a plenty and way more longevity in the game.

add in's will make it joint the dots dull

Nugge

I turned off most add-ons when I explored Vvardenfell first time, as I would do for all new zones.
When I create new toons, I will have my add-ons active, since I have already explored the place (and yes, I tend to comb through the area to find everything .

menedhyn

I've never used those add-ons, but i'm far too invested in the whole exploration side to want to try them out. I'm not a new player, either - I just like to take my sweet time doing things. If you're in no great rush, I would encourage you to keep on exploring as you are. Stumbling across something new or seeing a new zone or city for the first time is one of the best feelings in the game IMO. All my best memories of the game stem from taking a more traditional approach.

Ilsabet

I use Skyshards, Lorebooks, and I think Lost Treasure is the one that shows me where to find survey and treasure map spots. I don't feel like my game experience is hampered any because I find way more to explore and see and do beyond finding skyshards or those little books or spending an hour hunting around for a place I may have seen before but I'll probably end up looking it up online anyway because I've got more interesting things to do with my time than track down exactly which tree next to a rock this map is showing me.

So basically for me the content of the game is what I find interesting and fun to explore, and I find less value in spending my time hunting around for books and dirt mounds. I use the addons so I can take care of that business quickly and then be on my way to the large amount of content that the game offers, even if that content amounts to an evening of wandering around gathering random mats and seeing what I stumble across.

Lieblingsjunge

Since you can choose whether you want them or not - no, they do not destroy.
I have no intention of memorising an entire map, where every skyshard/lorebook are, across my characters. Got 6 characters with lv8+ Mage's guild - if I had to do those without Add-On it would take me ages.

But if you're interested in roleplay/immersion/lore-side of things, I can imagine wanting to do them all without help is better.
But that's the good thing with Add-Ons - they're optional!!

Don't like them - don't use them. Let us that's not interested in lore, roleplay or immersion have our add-ons that helps our progression.

victoriana-blue

It's up to you, but ime most add-ons have settings that give you just enough information to help without ruining the exploration experience. And FWIW there are lots of little things, like skeleton musicians or the hideaway of star-crossed lovers, that aren't marked at all. I'm still discovering new-to-me things more than a year after I started playing, and I'm one of those people who picks a direction and wanders.

If you need skill points, you can always run a few group dungeons, explore all the delves you find, and do the quests in public dungeons. Or do your zone & main quests and level your PvP rank, no sky shards required.

If you spend your time poking around zones and looking in nooks & crannies, you'll find most of the lore books as you go. I only installed the Lore Books add-on when I hit Mages Guild 8 and wanted Meteor, though ymmv on that (you could rp it as getting info from other guild members?).

As for Destinations, it's really modular: you can use it to add compass icons/make compass icons appear farther away, only turn on the markers for irritating achievements, or just mark public dungeon bosses. I have it set to show places where random encounters can occur so that I can swing by if I'm in the area, among other things.

I love the Sky Shards add-on; for Morrowind I turned map markers off and increased compass distance because my computer's draw distance was ***, and I still had that experience of stumbling across nice surprises.

(For the record, I'm the kind of player who did the Library of Andule quest without guides and I'm still super-proud of my Explorer title.)

ThePrinceOfBargains

In a true Elder Scrolls game, I'd never use these map add-ons. But in ESO? For me, exploring a largely inactive world just has no appeal. The add-ons are a must. I don't care about seeing every corner of the map. I can see most of what I care to see with the add-ons active.

menedhyn

Lieblingsjunge wrote: »

Don't like them - don't use them. Let us that's not interested in lore, roleplay or immersion have our add-ons that helps our progression.

Agree. Choice is a wonderful thing.

Tasear

It's like being give a map. You have a choice to take it

SirAndy

Anrose wrote: »

With my first character, I found all the skydhards, lorebooks, and areas of interest in the classic TES style.
With the other 9 characters? I don't have time for that anymore. Addons, please!

maboleth

No, never used any addon, in any TES game, except unofficial patches and MM in ESO.

You have hints/riddles for skyshards in your journal. And yes, showing them on my map would ruin my immersion.

IvorySamoan

victoriana-blue wrote: »

It's up to you, but ime most add-ons have settings that give you just enough information to help without ruining the exploration experience. And FWIW there are lots of little things, like skeleton musicians or the hideaway of star-crossed lovers, that aren't marked at all. I'm still discovering new-to-me things more than a year after I started playing, and I'm one of those people who picks a direction and wanders.

If you need skill points, you can always run a few group dungeons, explore all the delves you find, and do the quests in public dungeons. Or do your zone & main quests and level your PvP rank, no sky shards required.

If you spend your time poking around zones and looking in nooks & crannies, you'll find most of the lore books as you go. I only installed the Lore Books add-on when I hit Mages Guild 8 and wanted Meteor, though ymmv on that (you could rp it as getting info from other guild members?).

As for Destinations, it's really modular: you can use it to add compass icons/make compass icons appear farther away, only turn on the markers for irritating achievements, or just mark public dungeon bosses. I have it set to show places where random encounters can occur so that I can swing by if I'm in the area, among other things.

I love the Sky Shards add-on; for Morrowind I turned map markers off and increased compass distance because my computer's draw distance was ***, and I still had that experience of stumbling across nice surprises.

(For the record, I'm the kind of player who did the Library of Andule quest without guides and I'm still super-proud of my Explorer title.)

Thanks everyone for your responses - think I'm going to poke about without any for a good while: nearly L50 now after a marathon gaming session today, so maybe jump on some addons once done all the faction quests and Morrowind.

One question though, for the Skyshards and Lorebooks addons, do they start with the ones whited out that you've already found? (filled in from install, just showing the hollow ones that I haven't found yet?).

Enemy-of-Coldharbour

Anrose wrote: »

With my first character, I found all the skydhards, lorebooks, and areas of interest in the classic TES style.

With the other 9 characters? I don't have time for that anymore. Addons, please!

^This.

Simit

There a good reason to explore if indeed you require one, im on console so dont have luxury of mods, so yeah i aint nor prob ever will discover all, but i dont mind i get more than enough skill points without shard hunting for my needs, books annoy me, dont think imanaged lvl mages guild yet.

Problem with console is minimizing game an having to start the sad excuse of a browser which in turn means constantly reloading webpage, sometimes it goes well an sometimes it dont, not to mention the console hates u for it an nigh end up with console crashing or the game. I've seen myself minimize eso on p4 start browser get black screen then message saying "no system memory"

Well come to next gen gaming where my pc fae 2005 did things faster n better.

Can get selected mods for skyrim on console, i dont n never will expect pc choices on console but quality of life ones like lorebooks places would be great

Osteos

Anrose wrote: »

With my first character, I found all the skydhards, lorebooks, and areas of interest in the classic TES style.

With the other 9 characters? I don't have time for that anymore. Addons, please!

This is how I did it as well. The war in Cyrodiil isn't going anywhere, take your time and enjoy the game!

victoriana-blue

IvorySamoan wrote: »

victoriana-blue wrote: »

It's up to you, but ime most add-ons have settings that give you just enough information to help without ruining the exploration experience. And FWIW there are lots of little things, like skeleton musicians or the hideaway of star-crossed lovers, that aren't marked at all. I'm still discovering new-to-me things more than a year after I started playing, and I'm one of those people who picks a direction and wanders.

If you need skill points, you can always run a few group dungeons, explore all the delves you find, and do the quests in public dungeons. Or do your zone & main quests and level your PvP rank, no sky shards required.

If you spend your time poking around zones and looking in nooks & crannies, you'll find most of the lore books as you go. I only installed the Lore Books add-on when I hit Mages Guild 8 and wanted Meteor, though ymmv on that (you could rp it as getting info from other guild members?).

As for Destinations, it's really modular: you can use it to add compass icons/make compass icons appear farther away, only turn on the markers for irritating achievements, or just mark public dungeon bosses. I have it set to show places where random encounters can occur so that I can swing by if I'm in the area, among other things.

I love the Sky Shards add-on; for Morrowind I turned map markers off and increased compass distance because my computer's draw distance was ***, and I still had that experience of stumbling across nice surprises.

(For the record, I'm the kind of player who did the Library of Andule quest without guides and I'm still super-proud of my Explorer title.)

Thanks everyone for your responses - think I'm going to poke about without any for a good while: nearly L50 now after a marathon gaming session today, so maybe jump on some addons once done all the faction quests and Morrowind.

One question though, for the Skyshards and Lorebooks addons, do they start with the ones whited out that you've already found? (filled in from install, just showing the hollow ones that I haven't found yet?).

Yep! Both add-ons (and Destinations, for that matter) will look at your journal/eidetic memory and automatically mark off what you've already done.

zaria

Used web page for skyshard map on first character, mostly did it then done with zone to find the missing.
Now I use addon found I missed plenty of quest locations I have missed to, I moved on then I got the quest achivement for zone and no obvious nodes left

Nemesis7884

Eso is SUPER ALT UNFRIENDLY with the way achievments, shards, lorebooks etc work....and i think this only hurts the game financially....usually more alts means more different themes and more stuff one might buy i the cash shop...

Asardes

I went without on my first character, but on the next ones finding the shards, lore books and quests on my own proved to be a chore so I installed addons.

RaddlemanNumber7

I regard exploration, and searching for things like lore books, skyshard and treasure containers as part of the fun of playing the game. I do not use any add-ons. I think that they would kill this facet of the game and remove a source of enjoyment.

I deliberately refrain from making any effort to remember where books and skyshards are when I find them. Every time I play a new character I have to go look for them again. I'm sure this helps keep the game feeling fresh.

Azuramoonstar

tbh no, i'm not a huge fan of addon on, but in no ways do they really ruin the experience. From a lore standpoint, explorers have come before you. You can consider those addons as guides your fellow adventures wrote, or maps they made to guide you a long. Not once in any game are you the "only one".

Its more organic to have a map, and ask for guidance from those around you. those addons can be "spells" stuff to help you find stuff. TES does have spells to find you stuff. like "detect" my mage in morrowind was good at using that school of magic, and delved into the caves using it to find rare items to sell.

Play any hardcore RP MUD and the world is built on those who came before it. People will escort you around, mentor you and the like.


if you don't want to use them, that is ok but if you find it easier, i see no reason to limit yourself arbitrarily when you can incorporate it into your rp.

Azuramoonstar

Nemesis7884 wrote: »

Eso is SUPER ALT UNFRIENDLY with the way achievments, shards, lorebooks etc work....and i think this only hurts the game financially....usually more alts means more different themes and more stuff one might buy i the cash shop...

most cash shop stuff is tied to the account. Also every mmo is alt unfriendly as you need to reply everything anyway.

It was only very recent that mmo added jump potions, which come from korean f2p mmo, due to how south korea is with internet (pay by the min/hour and most gaming is done in net cafe)

Aelorin

You love exploration, and a bit of roleplay. As do I.
Those addons will kill immersion.

My advice is: Explore and quest an entire zone without those addons.
When you finish the whole zone, you can activate those addons, and find your missing books and skyshards that way.