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So, is it still possible to "do quests in any order you like?" (minor spoiler)

Lyserus
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Just finished Summerset quests.

One thing I noticed is, there is a huge lot of things will happen differently if you never did Morrowind quest lines first. Or even, never finished vanilla first
I did all the dlc/chapter quests in order of their release, so I'm fine with it, I very much like it even.

But I wonder how players never did Morrowind/Clockwork experience Summerset?
Edited by Lyserus on June 23, 2018 5:15AM
  • MLGProPlayer
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    Quite simply, the story doesn't make sense if you do Summerset first.
  • Lyserus
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    Quite simply, the story doesn't make sense if you do Summerset first.

    Exactly, I mean if you do Summerset first then Morrowind, Clockwork AND vanilla (Darien) won't make sense.

    And some extremely fishy ones like do Clockwork and Summerset together (Sotha Sil- Real or Fake?)

    I like seeing previous characters appear tho, it gives a sense that we are actually progressing through timeline with chapters.

    But I can't help thinking how will the new players ended up on summerset first will see the other parts of the game
  • Oakmontowls_ESO
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    I assume the events of the dlc still happen even if you don't do them. So some other person saved sotha sil or defeated Molag Bal.
  • Lyserus
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    I assume the events of the dlc still happen even if you don't do them. So some other person saved sotha sil or defeated Molag Bal.

    But, supposely you can still do them
  • Oakmontowls_ESO
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    Lyserus wrote: »
    I assume the events of the dlc still happen even if you don't do them. So some other person saved sotha sil or defeated Molag Bal.

    But, supposely you can still do them

    I'd chalk that up to it being a video game. Kind of like how the game is now post one tamriel
  • londonvictoria
    I was wondering this, as have started with summerset! I love the story aspect of the game, so think I might head back to the beginning and start there.

    I'd like to carry on the psijic questions though, as I seem to be one of the weird ones that quite likes running around finding the breaches. I get to see all the areas and collect skyshards and mats along the way.

    Is the psujic storyline independent of the main quest??
  • londonvictoria
    Oh, and where do I go to start the original quest?? I'm AD
  • VaranisArano
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    Oh, and where do I go to start the original quest?? I'm AD

    Go to Auridon and talk to the Hooded Figure right outside the Vulkel Guard wayshrines to start the Main Quest and your faction storyline,
    Edited by VaranisArano on June 23, 2018 12:34PM
  • VaranisArano
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    Summerset is definitely part 3 of the Daedric Wars arc, and a lot of it is going to be anticlimactic if you do Morrowind and Clockwork City afterwards.

    My actual recommendations for quest,order are here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/413807/what-order-should-i-do-esos-story-arcs-a-guide
  • TheShadowScout
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    Summerset is definitely part 3 of the Daedric Wars arc, and a lot of it is going to be anticlimactic if you do Morrowind and Clockwork City afterwards.

    My actual recommendations for quest,order are here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/413807/what-order-should-i-do-esos-story-arcs-a-guide
    And that recommendation:
    1. Start a new character and wayshrine to your Alliance's Starter City
    2. Accept the Main Quest from the Hooded Figure
    3. Complete your Alliance's Main quest in order alongside the Fighters and Mages guild quests for that zone, and the Harborage quests for the Main Questline. Originally the Main Quest progressed at every 5 levels, but now its not necessary to wait.
    4. Coldharbor Questline is the prerequisite for completing the Main Questline.
    5. Having completed the Main Questline, accept Cadwell's Silver and Gold to experience the other Alliance questlines.
    6. Experience the Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, Imperial City, and Orsinium DLCs and Craglorn, in whatever order you want.
    7. Begin the Daedric Wars plotline with Morrowind -> Clockwork City-> Summerset.
    ...is -still- the best way of doing things IMO!

    Otherwise there will always be small immersion-breaking "wait, whutnow?" moments.
    I endorse this recommendation, and strongly suggest that -everyone- follow that order for maximum storyline enjoyment... ;)
  • Tyrobag
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    Morrowind/Clockwork were made well so you can play them and the MQ in whatever order you want, Summerset however makes very little sense if you didn't play the rest of the story first (which makes it very annoying to be forced to start new characters there).
  • londonvictoria
    Ah, that sounds an ideal path to follow.

    Except for starting a new character. :)
  • VaranisArano
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    Ah, that sounds an ideal path to follow.

    Except for starting a new character. :)

    Yeah, that's my recommended path for anyone who wants the original pre-One Tamriel questing experience. And even that does require doing or skipping the new tutorial and wayshrining back to the starting point of the Main Quest.

    Unfortunately, in the case of new characters, I think Summerset is fine as a standalone except that Morrowind and Clockwork City are really anti-climatic and make much less sense if you do Summerset first.

    So even for brand new players, I'd still recommend doing the Daedric Wars arc of Morrowind -> Clockwork City -> Summerset in order if they have all the content and want to actually experience the story in an order that will make sense. Summerset is a fantastic climax to the Daedric Wars arc, but its definitely Part 3 of the story.
  • ADarklore
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    Quite simply, the story doesn't make sense if you do Summerset first.

    Honestly, MUCH of the in-game quests don't make sense if you do them out of order when you consider that many of them give different dialogue if you do other quests first. It's irritating that ZOS made ESO a 'free-for-all' and basically turned a story-driven MMO into a cluster-mess! I really feel bad for new players coming in with no idea the proper order to do quests so as to get the best overall story.
    CP: 2105 ** ESO+ ** ~~ ***** Strictly a solo PvE quester *****
    ~~Started Playing: May 2015 | Stopped Playing: July 2025 | Returned: March 2026~~
  • londonvictoria
    I am sooooo confused.

    I decided to leave the summerset/psijic questlines and head to my faction start location (vulkhel guard). Now I seem to be on track with that quest line (helping the queen at the moment)

    But is that my faction quest line, or the main story quest line??

    I also seem to have a quest waiting to be done in my journal called 'soul shriven in coldharbour', which I have read is part of the main quest, but the location I have to go for in that is in summerset!

    So I was planning on ignoring that as a summerset quest, but now wondering if that's actually the one I need!
  • VaranisArano
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    I am sooooo confused.

    I decided to leave the summerset/psijic questlines and head to my faction start location (vulkhel guard). Now I seem to be on track with that quest line (helping the queen at the moment)

    But is that my faction quest line, or the main story quest line??

    I also seem to have a quest waiting to be done in my journal called 'soul shriven in coldharbour', which I have read is part of the main quest, but the location I have to go for in that is in summerset!

    So I was planning on ignoring that as a summerset quest, but now wondering if that's actually the one I need!

    Helping Queen Ayrenn is your faction storyline. If you follow that questline, it will take you through Auridon, Grahtwood, Greenshade, Malabal Tor, and Reaper's March helping the Dominion. Then it will rejoin with the Main Questline as you start Coldharbor's zone quests. In my opinion, the AD questline is pretty fantastic.

    The Main Quest is the Soul Shriven in Coldharbor. You should be able to start it in Vulkhel Guard if you are AD by talking to the Hooded Figure who will approach you near the wayshrine. Or you can probably do it in Summerset? It shouldn't make a big difference, since it will take you to the game's original start and will end with you on your faction's starter island. If you are AD, that's Khenarthi's Roost, which is a great place to start the AD questline (though you haven't missed too much if you started in Auridon, but its still well worth doing as the AD questline makes much more sense done in order). Go through the starter island, and when you go back to the mainland, the NPC who starts the Main Quest should pop up telling you where to meet him. That Main Quest line will eventually intersect with the Faction Quest like I said above, when both quests send you to Coldharbor.


    In summary, this is the pre-One Tamriel order to doing the Faction/Main Quest, but don't stress too much if things aren't exactly working out that way:

    Create your character, wayshrine to your starter city, take the Hooded Figure's quest and start the original opening to the Main Quest.
    Starter Island(s)
    1st Zone (start fighters and mages guild, start Haborage quests for Main Quest, writ certifications, etc.)
    2nd-5th zone, doing fighters guild, mages guild, and Main quests as you level up, until you've finished your alliance, guilds, and stopped getting Main Quests.
    When you get the "Messages Across Tamriel" quest, you'll gather the 3 faction leaders and prepare to assault Coldharbor
    Do the Coldharbor quests. These are prerequisites for completing the Main Quest.
    Complete the Main Quest
    Talk to Cadwell about doing Cadwell's Silver and Cadwell's Gold which are the other faction's questlines.



    So my recommendation would be to go do that Soul Shriven in Coldharbor quest. You'll be able to go back to where you left off helping Queen Ayrenn with no problem and the storyline will make more sense in places once you have started the Main Quest.
    Edited by VaranisArano on June 24, 2018 1:17PM
  • Cruxanero
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    Edit: Nevermind. ;)
    But while I'm at it: Is there a way to completely delete a post?

    But is that my faction quest line, or the main story quest line??

    Helping the queen is indeed the Aldmeri Dominion questline, and the first main quest is the mentioned quest "Soul Shriven in Coldharbour".
    The main quest doesn't take place in Summerset, but since that's your default starting location the starting point for the main quest is there now, apparently. Just go to the location specified in the quest log and start the main quest, do nothing else on Summerset. The other main quests won't take place there (in fact, not even the first quest does, you just have to start the quest there).
    Edited by Cruxanero on June 24, 2018 1:19PM
  • londonvictoria
    Amazing!! Thank you so much for your answers. I had no idea that starting with summerset would be so confusing!!

    I'm also a little confused in that I joined the fighters and mages guild in summerset, but don't seem to actually have any quests from them (which I believe should be the dolmens and more book stuff?)

    As I have eso+ should I also jump in and join assassins and nightblades??
  • VaranisArano
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    Amazing!! Thank you so much for your answers. I had no idea that starting with summerset would be so confusing!!

    I'm also a little confused in that I joined the fighters and mages guild in summerset, but don't seem to actually have any quests from them (which I believe should be the dolmens and more book stuff?)

    As I have eso+ should I also jump in and join assassins and nightblades??

    The Fighters and Mages guild quests will start in your Alliance zones. So if you go to the guild halls in Vulkhel Guard for AD, they should have a quest for you. You'll talk to the Guildmasters, basically, and they'll get you started.

    With ESO+, you can go ahead and join the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood if you want. The main quests for those guilds don't have any connection with the other Alliance or Main Quests, but there are some recurring characters from all the other factions that show up or are questgivers for side quests in the Gold Coast (Dark Brotherhood).
    Edited by VaranisArano on June 24, 2018 1:42PM
  • ADarklore
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    Amazing!! Thank you so much for your answers. I had no idea that starting with summerset would be so confusing!!

    I'm also a little confused in that I joined the fighters and mages guild in summerset, but don't seem to actually have any quests from them (which I believe should be the dolmens and more book stuff?)

    As I have eso+ should I also jump in and join assassins and nightblades??

    This is what I do on a new character that I start. Once done with the 'chapter' tutorial, I then Wayshrine to my Alliance zone- for AD it would be Auridon and city of Vulkhel Guard. Once off the Wayshrine, you'll be approached by two different people... one offering you the Wrothgar quest the other offering you to meet her benefactor (which is the "Soul Shriven in Coldharbour" quest starter). Before actually DOING any quest, I run around to join and accept quests for Mages, Fighters and Undaunted guilds along with picking up the DLC/Chapter starter quests... and then I visit the Outlaw's Refuge to accept Dark Brotherhood and Thieve's Guild quests. Then I Wayshrine to both Hew's Bane to open up skill line and Anvil (kill an innocent) to get access to the Blade of Woe (which comes in handy during even non-Dark Brotherhood quests).

    From there, I typically complete the Main quests (Soul Shriven) up until I am told to meet Razum-dar in Skywatch... instead, I 'wayshrine to guild members' for all zones and run around unlocking all Wayshrines in each zone while collecting open-world Skyshards and Lorebooks. Once all zone Wayshrines are unlocked, I then start grinding Dolmens until I reach level 50. Usually when I start grinding Dolmens I'm already in my early level 30's... but I prefer grinding Dolmens because 1) it quickly levels your Fighters guild skill line, and 2) grants me my favorite title in the game, "Daedric Lord Slayer". Once I reach level 50, I go back and finish the entire main quest to get access to the best, IMO, single-target Ultimates in the game- Soul Assault.

    Then I return to the main Alliance quest and take it to completion, then finish the DLC/Chapter intro/starter quests... then head to Wrothgar, Morrowind, Clockwork City, and finally Summerset in that order.

    Of course, this is coming from someone who is max CP... so the entire reason I rush to level 50 is so that I can put on my final top-level golded gear and not have to worry about switching my training gear every 10 levels; I have crafted training gear for levels 1, 6, 10, 20, 30 and 40. Yeah, I'm a bit OCD, but it definitely helps. ;)
    Edited by ADarklore on June 24, 2018 1:46PM
    CP: 2105 ** ESO+ ** ~~ ***** Strictly a solo PvE quester *****
    ~~Started Playing: May 2015 | Stopped Playing: July 2025 | Returned: March 2026~~
  • londonvictoria
    Looks like I have a plan!
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