When I bought ESO in June of 2018, I had already spent several months lurking and reading threads here. Before I jumped into the game, I read every article on ESO on UESP.

So I knew I'd get to start the game with Jiub on the ship, and reprise my TES III: Morrowind fun for a bit. And then I knew how to get to the starting areas for each faction. But then, ESO isn't my first rodeo - for WoW and RIFT I had to use google a lot....

Scaletho wrote: »

The MAIN QUEST, a very interesting history and the very beginning lore of all Daedra/Molag Bal invasion and influence on Tamriel, is completely disregarded because the newbies are not properly oriented to start this way.

They are thrown clueless at some place completely far from their real starter city, and somehow need to guess what to do and which quest would they play first.

Why do ZoS create the game's starting experience this way?? Is it the "free to do whatever you like" motto? The result is a mess.

The first time I play ESO I was thrown at Vvardenfell. Because I bought the game with this DLC included, I guess.

My toon was a BRETON, Daggerfall Covenant. DAGGERFALL. DC alliance. But I didn't start in this city. Instead, I was in Vvardenfell (dark elf a.k.a. members of Ebonheart Pact ) and didn't get a clue about what to do. Eventually, just by chance, I made it to Daggerfall and found the main quest there together with DOZENS of other quests -- alliance main quest, side quests, etc.

If at least the newbies were directed to their starter city and pointed more clearly (that creepy lady calling to the shady encounter don't do at all) to the main quest...

The result is a huge confusion, some newbies taking quest completely out of context, while others (somehow) go directly to Cyrodill and PvP, knowing nothing about PvP fight.

Sorry, so sorry, but I think this is a disrespect to the amazing, complex and beautiful ESO lore and Main Quest importance.

I've said it before so I mostly agree with the OP. I wouldn't go as far to call it a disrespect to anything but it is really annoying to me as a player.

I started at Summerset. I got through the tutorial and then I began questing in Summerset. People were oddly calling me an outsider even though I LITERALLY knew nothing else about the world - Summerset was all I knew. I stayed in Summerset basically until I hit CP and I'm not even sure how long it was before I finally left the island.

When I did though, I was really bothered to find out that there were other versions of familiar characters who no longer recognized me (looking at you Razum Dar). I landed in the starter zone before making my way to Grahtwood. I was just wandering aimlessly.

Looking back, as someone who only really knew Skyrim at the time, I wish the main path in ESO would have been more clear. I wish I would have began in the starter zone. And then once I had an idea of what the main quest was, I would have the choice to continue or do all the "side quests". I don't like meeting the same character who I've grown fond of and realizing that they have no idea who I am. I know some people won't like this idea but I don't mind if I'm not allowed to do one quest until I finish another before that. That's continuity. I wouldn't mind if I couldn't travel to Solitude until I helped Ravenwatch in Rivenspire FIRST.

Consider this constructive criticism ZOS: You spend countless hours trying to create a beautiful game that won't be appreciated because you've designed it to be skimmed over. Players aren't forced to slow down, understand, or appreciate anything. We can literally just follow quest markers and smash the A button until we get the next quest marker. The way things are now, it really does encourage brainless, uninvested gameplay. The only time consuming thing about the game is the repetitive grinds. I wish the quests were what was demanding, not the grinds.