It's been a while since I was new so I don't feel I can accurately vote. I do think there are a lot of things that could be done though. An advanced combat tutorial, better descriptions in sets (role/usage/how many players the proc hits/etc), revamped build suggestions and maybe links to build websites made by creators zos have partnerships with, a quest menu that shows the ideal order of doing quests...

The game itself is good, don't get me wrong. The new player/character experience, while improved, is still overall negative. For me, the biggest problems are the amount of legwork it takes to get a character up and running, and the sheer amount of content that's dumped on me. The game is 10 years old and many of us are on our 20th toon; I wanna create a toon and start on the content.

Here's what I see as problems:

1. Quest delivery is intrusive. There are simply too many NPCs that hound the player into doing their quest. The moment I create a new character, I get hounded to talk my benefactor. The moment I land in Necrom, I'm seeing Leramil in at least 5 different spots. It's too much. If I'm a new player, I'm still likely getting my bearings and having things dumped on me doesn't help with that. Every person I've managed to get into the game has said the first experience is overwhelming. Solution: Plant NPCs in one place and let me adopt them at my own leisure.
2. Chronology is hard to understand. I have no way of knowing what the chronological order of any of the content is. Sure, I can read a book series in any order, but there's still some chronology inherent to the content. Solution: Use the Stories menu to store the zone quests just like Dungeon quests. In that menu, provide some information about chronological order and it's relevant prologue quest.
3. Acquiring skill lines is tedious. When I create a new toon, I have to make sure I go through equipping multiple sets of armor, get a kill with a restoration staff, talk to the guilds, get crafting certified, and go to Cyrodiil. Solution: The moment I get out of the tutorial, I should have all skill lines unlocked. All guilds, all armors, weapons. All of it. Start em at 0 or 1, but have them unlocked. And especially if I'm a seasoned character, those lines should be unlocked as soon as I skip the tutorial.
4. Horse training takes the joy out of the mount experience. Let's say I'm a new character and there's a shiny mount in the store. I drop ~40 on it and then trot slowly along while players can literally walk faster than me. That's not a fun experience, I'm sorry. Solution: Horse training should be account wide and purchasable in one setting like bag and bank upgrades.

from what i remember it's positive.

but it probably helps that this isn't my first Elder Scrolls game nor first mmo

Good recent thread on this here, though there have been many.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8010433

In summary, it's pretty bad. No, that's too polite. It's utterly dreadful.

Soarora wrote: »

TaSheen wrote: »

I loved that I didn't HAVE to follow any given questing experience. I wandered all over for the first couple of years I played -- I eventually finished the Prophet MQ (after about 18 months) and then went on to Cadwell's Silver and Gold. Then I quested wherever sounded like fun, and I still do that to this day.

I hate being "railroaded" in games - so this one suits me perfectly. I can do anything I want, in any order I want to do it, whenever I feel like it.

It is a good option but I have seen people stress about quest order, so an in-game menu showing the order of quests would be beneficial for those who are overwhelmed.

Yes, I've always agreed when people have suggested that sort of thing. I just don't have any use for it myself. Obviously, if it existed (well, I know there's a couple of places to get at least part of the quests in order) I wouldn't bother with it, but likely there would be a lot of people who would be happy.

Had a few problems when I take new quests because it doesn't make the new quest the main quest in focus - especially in the latest event where I got a quest from Breda to go fishing in Shadowfen but my pointers were telling me to go to Glenumbra to take down three anchors for the Fighters Guild.

I keep having to go in to reset the quest I had just been given. Not a problem for me but probably confusing for new players.

If it wasnt my first MMO or Elder Scrolls game it would really suck. What scales with what stats. That magicka adds to spell power etc. Scaling even for casual players is always somthing of interest. Not understanding the basic building blocks of how you make even a moderately ok character has huge impact down the line. Like it doesnt need to explain item sets and sets at CP160 vs before that. However, having somthing that clearly alerts you to all guilds and somthing that lets you know the goal is not level cap its really CP160. Somthing that would let you know that it takes months to train your horse so get going on it now.

One of the games biggest strengths is some of the build creativity or the idea of it anyways.(even though its mostly a deception). That is a huge draw. The issue with huge freedom though is that there is often a large mastery curve to understanding basic interactions of stats and skills, AND that you also have the freedom to destroy yourself. For example stamina stacking healers or magicka stacking tanks. Can you do it in normal base game dungeons and overland? Yes. Will anyone do any content with you outside of normal base game dungeons though? Never unless they are up for the troll. As with almost every MMO ever made, if you are a conscious player, choice is an illusion at best and a trap at worst.

Nor new I have played since Beta....
But...
I created a Arcanist last year and it was absolutely a horrible experience, go to a city and get verbally assaulted by NPC trying to get you do start their specific quest. I did know enough to ignore them, and just get the things done to get membership in all the guilds Mages. Fighters, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood, Undaunted. The get to 50 doing quests, delves, dungeons. and the like that, would give me skill points. Also collect skyshards, train mount, open up all wayshrines, and get crafting maxed out.

I feel bad for new players as there is so much to do, and at low level you see players with what appears to be level in the thousands it must be very disheartening.

The main quest line is hidden at the start of the game and the newest chapter. The main quest should be sticky at the top of your quest stack until you at least get to the Harborage. Not that you have to do it just have it there so players know about it.

While the question is extremely general and could be anything from trying to figure out the game, how other players have treated them, technical issues, and more, I feel the experience as a fairly recent new player was a positive one.

I started ESO less than three years ago so the experience is still fairly fresh. Like with any MMORPG, there was a lot I did not know and needed to be figured out. This should be expected. Fortunately, ESO has a great player base with members who have provided a lot of useful information. That tends to be the best place to peruse, finding the sites that have helpful information. I also sought a good build. After kissing a few frogs I found a guild that had a lot of players active in that guild and were helpful.

In the end, it is a great designed game and I enjoyed the experience exploring the game with fresh eyes and learning how to play it.

Positive as it can get, for a casual gamer and elder scrolls franchise fans it absolutely is. That's couple tens/hundred hours in you're up for "surprises" usually.

If people think ESO's new player experience is bad, then you'd be shocked at other MMOs.

ESO has a phenomenal new player experience. Yes, things like the chronology of quests are a bit off-putting, and yes, they could do a better job of teaching new players the importance of certain mechanics, items, or consumables, but for the most part, practically everything in this game outside of PvP and veteran content is approachable from day 1 - not many other MMOs can say that.

There's also not nearly as much grind in this game as practically every other MMO on the market. The only true "grinds" in this game nowadays are the mount upgrades, a couple of the guild skill lines, and crafting research. Base game (or easy to acquire) gear is still 100% viable or often meta. Loot grinds don't really exist anymore outside of lead drops thanks to the sticker book/curated drops.

Nearly everything in this game can be respecced at any time, meaning that new players can try things out without being locked into something until they reach max level.

Average

1/ Trade - very unfriendly to new players as it requires membership in a trading guild.
Most casual friendly guilds do not have the ability to supply a kiosk for multiple reasons:
cost, time sink in bidding wars, trading conglomerates buying up multiple kiosks (multiple trade guilds run by the same person). Most new players do not yet have the abilities, knowledge, or even desire to be in trading guilds as they --want to play and learn the game. Requiring that they join trade focussed guilds right off the hop is a big negative experience and drives people into leaving or plain ignoring this aspect of the game. Solution not possible with current system setup. The current system is very much being "gamed" by veteran long time players. I did so myself for awhile. It is very newb unfriendly.

2/ Dungeons - very unfriendly to new players. Normal dungeons where one would expect a new player could learn to tank/heal/dps at their own pace, a pace they find comfortable, is impossible.
Normal dungeons are over run with speed runners looking to max their transmute counts. The solution - forced joining a guild and do guild runs. This puts people in the position of performance anxiety right off the hop, and forced guild membership before they are comfortable with either.
System as is does not enable new players to --learn their roles at their own pace.--
Note: Another mmo has recently come out with AI followers that enable players to do normal dungeons with a group of AI's enabling the --learn your role at your own pace--before being subjected to umm --the community--. Since Eso does have Compaions, this seems like it could be possible here as well.

Also beg in game for gear appropriate to dungeons.

Also --leaving mechanics out to make normals "easier" is a bad solution as it removes experience, instead toning down mechanics would be better so they gain the experience of them.
(Common problem in all mmos.)

Personally I have played either tank or healer in a lot of mmos, I didn't bother in Eso after my first few normals when hearing from community (groups) things like (usually far more rude):
"Hey meathead, we don't need friggin tanking, speed run for transmutes scrub."
I continued to buy dlcs and dungeons even though I would never do them, to financially support the company though.
Vet players constantly complain that there is no training of people in their roles, this is solvable.

3/ PvP- If a player wanted to join Cyro from the very beginning they have 2 choices, be farmed or be farmed.
Level 10 they gain access. No gear so they have to beg in game for someone to make them gear. Gear they have no knowledge of.
They then can join either 10-49 campaigns and be farmed by vets in high end gear setups or join the top campaigns and do same, OR join a Pvp guild and get carried until they hopefully learn their characters, roles etc.
Pretty much same for bgs experience.
Supplying new players with appropriate gear, better design of rating system, maybe even an AI bg where new players could gain knowledge, experience the maps, etc.

Yes, I do know groups, join guilds etc is the endgame of any mmo, forcing new players to do so and be subjected to the gaming community (some of it very bad) before they have a certain level of confidence is bad design and common to most mmos.