How did YOU clear maps?

AG2590 · August 11

Specifically, how did you clear maps in your own style? Did you do the main quests first and then the side quests and then grab the lorebooks/Munuds Stones/Sights/World Bosses etc? Or did you clear the optional stuff first and then do the main quests?

katanagirl1 · August 11

I used to do the main zone quest first and then go back and do the quests at the various points on the map.

With Gold Road I did the reverse and it seemed to work out better.

For base game zones however I think doing the main story quest for the zone would probably be best. I would also grab some mundus boon as soon as you can even if it isn’t the optimal one for your build.

Syldras · August 11

I just follow the main roads and do everything I find on the way. Usually, everything is completed in the end. If I miss 1 or 2 things, I'll look for them afterwards.

Sarannah · August 11

As someone who loves completing zones and questing, there isn't really a set move on how to do this. To be able to follow the story better in a zone, it is better to do all the sidequests first, before starting the main quest in that zone. This is the method I use for new content/expansions/DLC's. As this allows me to really follow the story.

If just clearing a zone I have already done in the past, following the main quest and picking up & immediately completing every side quest I run into feels best. Before moving on to the next part of the main quest. The main quest in zones is set up in oldschool MMO-style to lead you from questhub to questhub and to let you run into quests at set points. (not using persuade/intinidate often lets you run into lorebooks)

For points of interest, world bosses, mundus stones, skyshards, public dungeons, lorebooks... I just pick those up whenever I get near them. This always gets me the zones 100%, and the lorebooks most often 95%-100%. (just make sure to check sidecamps/buildings/ruins for lorebooks if you spot those)

PS: Have 100% completed all three alliance zones(cadwell's gold) on fourteen characters, and the first two alliance's zones(cadwell's silver) on the remaining six characters. The last six are a work in progress on cadwell's gold, 29 zones to go(not counting trainee islands).
PPS: Have 100% completed every other zone (DLC/expansion) atleast once as well.

MrGarlic · August 11

I have 50 characters across multiple accounts so map clears are time consuming. Therefore I limit what I call a map clear to the following;

1. All Skyshards.
2. Public Dungeon quests.
3. Main story line for that zone.
4. Mages guild Lorebooks

I don't have all expansions and DLCs on all accounts so I have to wait for the free ESO+ to get the zones I don't own.

In addition, I level guild and world skill lines and crafting (to 9 traits) on each character.

I keep track of them all in a spreadsheet. I believe spreadsheets are the 'real' endgame

MEBengalsFan2001 · August 11

MrGarlic wrote: »

I have 50 characters across multiple accounts so map clears are time consuming. Therefore I limit what I call a map clear to the following;

1. All Skyshards.
2. Public Dungeon quests.
3. Main story line for that zone.
4. Mages guild Lorebooks

I don't have all expansions and DLCs on all accounts so I have to wait for the free ESO+ to get the zones I don't own.

In addition, I level guild and world skill lines and crafting (to 9 traits) on each character.

I keep track of them all in a spreadsheet. I believe spreadsheets are the 'real' endgame

I can’t do that because life stuff happens for me. I haven’t finished all zones on one character and barely play him regularly. Been playing since game release on console.

kargen27 · August 11

With new content I get on my main character first and just wander around fishing without doing any of the quests. If I happen near a sight of interest or skyshard I'll grab those. When it comes time to do the quests I like doing the dungeon quests first and any side quests I happen on while finding the dungeons. I save the main quest until I have discovered everything on the map and think I have the side quests all done.
I used to start the main quest first and do the side quests as I happened on them doing the main. I think the story flows better most the time if the side quests come first.
Any other characters is all just haphazard as I do other things.

Casdha · August 11

I follow the linear path, I start with the main quest and as I go I clear all map objectives in the area between the last point and the next. I'm not sure about the newer stuff but the in Alliance zones some dialog will be different if it sees you have completed other steps of the side quest before you get to the next main quest objective. I got reminded of this today as I worked my way through Greenshade and the Wilderking quest line (first time in about 7 or 8 years).

bmnoble · August 11

If it is a brand new zone:
-Wayshrines
-Skyshards/Delve, Public dungeon quests
-World bosses/World events as I come across them and while there are still players active in a the zone
-Then every side quest point of interest in the zone(to make sure as many NPC's as possible show up for the celebrations
-Only then do I do that zones main quest

If I am on an alt, doing a zone my main has already finished, I will usually only do the Wayshrines and collect the Skyshards, depending on the zone I will do the group boss in the public dungeon, since some of my alts builds are not up to taking on some of the DLC ones, I don't always bother with the group boss. If I get around to quests I prioritise those that give skill points.

As for lorebook's I only collect enough to max out the mages guild on alts, my main found them all, after I find enough I will still collect extra's I come across but stop actively looking for them.

DoofusMax · August 11

I kind of take the lazy person's approach. The first goal is to find all the wayshrines or at least enough to minimize the hoofing (snag the low-hanging skyshards along the way). Once that's done, it depends. Alliance zones tend to work from one side the zone to the other, so start the zone story, clear everything on that side of the map and just keep clearing stuff as I work from mission to mission on the zone story. DLC zones don't tend to have that kind of progression, so I'll usually start by clearing delves and gathering skyshards. This also gets me most of the lore books, Striking Locales, and set stations, but also gets rid of a few side-quests. Once that's done, I'll do the zone story, which usually gets me most/all of the points of interest and their side quests. I do not trigger the last zone story mission until the rest of the map is cleared. World Bosses and DLC-zone World Events are an exception and depend on whether anyone is doing them as I'm passing by, but I'll do the Public Dungeon(s) as I get to them and try to snag all the bosses in one pass (the "Conqueror" achievement). By the time I'm done with the zone and ready to pick up that last zone story mission, the only things left are usually one lore book in the Group Dungeon, a World Boss or two, and the Angler achievement.

xclassgaming · August 11

when i did base game i just followed the main quest for all three alliances + the main quest and faction quests. then i went back to my first zone (stros) to do all the side quests delves etc until i reached my last (the rift) then i did the DLCs starting with Imperial city, craglorn orsinium tg and DB and then Morrowind

AvalonRanger · August 12

①Group dungeon

②Side quest

③Group Trial

④Finally do main quest

Because, I want to eat most delicious dish at the finishing timing.

TaSheen · August 12

I don't have a "process". I pick a character who would have an RP reason for questing in a zone, and go from there. I don't ever 100% zones. Not my thing at all....

Froil · August 12

I prefer to do everything else before the main quest, always have.

radiostar · August 12

I start the pre-quest from the crown store or the npc, and finish that. Then start the main quest in the zone, and instead of just moving to second part of the main quest, I do all the side quests in the area that I can. Then I move to the second quest and repeat. I keep doing that for the whole map. If anything is still there when I finish, then I go back do it. Helps understand the story mostly too.

Hapexamendios · August 12

I just do whatever. No particular order.

JinKC98 · August 12

When heading into a new zone, first thing first is to get those wayshrines on the map. Along the way, if I saw any Mundus stone or Striking Locale (eye symbol) or Skyshard, I approach and get them too.

Once Wayshrine part is done, start heading into each Delve, World Boss (with guildies or randoms doing daily) and the Public Dungeon and start clearing them.

Finally, pick up the first main quest of the zone and progress it. If the Main Quest sends me to a spot with a side quest, put main quest on hold and clear the side quest first, then back to main quest.

Sidenote: I also instantly picked up any quest found in some of the most random spot (spots not marked on the map). In DLC zones, there are usually some fetch quests, the kind of pick this up and bring it inside the city for this person quest, I usually get those done too soon as I saw them.

Shara_Wynn · August 12

Ignore the main quest giver who is always hanging out wherever you first enter a zone. Head to the nearest side story quest giver, then go around the map doing side quests while collecting skyshards, fighting world bosses, completing delves and public dungeons as I go.

Once I have completed all the peripheral stuff, then I will start the main story line quests. That way I get to have everyone there at the end to congratulate me on how amazing I was

AG2590 · August 12

Thank you so much for all of your replies! I'm still relatively new and having so far completed Stonefalls, Deshaan and Shadowfen has been an incredible experience! I'm finally in familiar lands (Skyrim) and very excited!

Artim_X · August 12

I do each zone in order (makes the experience feel more logical and I might get commentary from recurring NPCs), but I clear all optional stuff in a zone first to ensure that I maximize the number of peeps for the end of zone party and to unlock all the wayshrines 🥳

Enemy-of-Coldharbour · August 12

Wayshrines
World bosses/events
Fishing
Skyshards
Side quests
Main quest

Elsonso · August 12

I do the main quest as my goal, but as this unfolds, I divert and do side quests, delves, public dungeons, world bosses, and incursions that are in the area. If the main quest follows a path, rather than randomly jumping around, this tends to be a fairly orderly way to complete the zone.

If I can solo the world bosses, I will do that. If I cannot and the zone is an old zone with no one doing the world bosses, I will just let the world bosses live in peace. If they promise not to attack me, I won't hit them back.

Before the main quest ends, I will make sure that I have done all of the stories in the zone. ZOS likes to put the people who were helped in the final scene, so if they do that, I get a crowd of people I have interacted with before.

After the main quest ends, I will clean up any missing non-story content, like delves, incursions, skyshards, etc.

sunsrest · August 12

I start with prologue and continue to the first quest of the main quest line, then do a few side quests and delves in the area, then go back and do a chunk of the main quest, then back to side quests and delves again, and so on, if I stay away from the main quest for too long I'll forget the details, ideally the final quest in the zone should be the last one from the main quest line

El_Borracho · August 12

Wayshrines
Skyshards (including delves and public dungeon)
Zone story quest

Prologue is a maybe, but have been doing them more often

Side quests are usually a no. Most are too long and don't offer much

Shadesofkin · August 12

AG2590 wrote: »

Specifically, how did you clear maps in your own style? Did you do the main quests first and then the side quests and then grab the lorebooks/Munuds Stones/Sights/World Bosses etc? Or did you clear the optional stuff first and then do the main quests?

With each area that the main quest of the zone takes me I run around and fulfill any side quests I find before moving on to the next main quest marker.

Except on Alts. Those are just strictly main and guild quests for the skill points and such.

Welanduz · August 12

First of all, I explore the capital. In doing so, I fulfill my membership in the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood

In the past, I did the main quest first so that I could also have the research experience at the same time. However, I then noticed that at the end of the main quest, only the quest givers of the completed quests appear (in the "final room") and have further (sometimes funny) dialogues! So now I do the side quests first and then the main quest.

The last step is that I display all the nodes found using the HarvestMap add-on and can see any "white spots" on the map.

greetings,
Welanduz

cyclonus11 · August 12

I do all side quests, delves, public dungeons, and world bosses first. Then the zone story questline. I try to maximize attendance at the zone party at the end.

joergino · August 12

I don't. I cleared everything on my main character, all the others will at best get all the skyshards in a couple of centuries.

DP99 · August 12

I do all of the side quests, delves, dungeons and stuff first before doing the main quests so that I can get all of the guests at the end celebrations. Then I go and take care of the World Boss and other daily quests to knock out the achievements for those. Any other achievements, I'll take care of later on bit by bit while just playing daily and doing daily endeavors or whatever else strikes my fancy.

DreamyLu · August 13

My way to play is to do a bit here and there around where I am, based on mood of the moment. I don't follow any logic nor any time line. I like a lot to let things go over time and some day, complete eventually. This lazy way to play ensures a nice feeling of freedom and prevents grinding, but it means to accept being slower than others for nearly everything.

fedouva · August 13

AG2590 wrote: »

Specifically, how did you clear maps in your own style? Did you do the main quests first and then the side quests and then grab the lorebooks/Munuds Stones/Sights/World Bosses etc? Or did you clear the optional stuff first and then do the main quests?

I think you should do everything gradually, as it is comfortable and do not need to chase clarity, just play.