The speed at which you can level up in this game has gotten a bit rediculous.

majulook · January 29

Been playing since beta, my main got to 50 about halfway through Coldharbor. Then the CP line stated got to CP160 as was just a couple of Zone before completing "Cadwell's Gold". Now at CP 2878 I am getting 3-5 CP per week with no double XP event, and 1 CP a day during events that have double XP.

Since getting to CP 160 on my original character I have fully leveled 10 characters to 50 and earned more that enough skill points for those characters to be useful in all aspects of the game including daily writs, Vet Pledges, Vet Tials. PVP Imperial City, Cyroiil, and Battlegrounds.

The last character I leveled took 20 hours to get to 50, and a a couple of months for skill points, undaunted, crafting skills, traits and horse leveling.

Leveling is so rapid now, its shocking. I guess its good for new players.

I am glad It took me the time it did with my original character.

The stories in the quests lines were great, the enjoyment of the game was worth the time spent. The soloing my first Wolrd Boss, Dolmen, Undaunted pledge, and being able to just barely able to hold my own in the original Craglorn. I have enjoyed it all.

Mik195 · January 29

SilverBride wrote: »

I love having a new character and I always take things slow. I don't use any experience scrolls or wear training gear, and I don't gear them up or apply any CP until they reach 50. I'm almost sad when I reach that point.

I apply the green tree on low levels because if I'm picking up resources I want the higher drops. I wish I could put level 160 gear on a new character and have the game scale it down to what the level should have. Constantly trading out gear is boring after doing on a few characters.

Grizzbeorn · January 29

There's no rule that says everyone has to level-up fast.
It's purely player-choice.

I've been playing since 2018, and I have a full roster of 20 characters. Only 4 (formerly 5) are level 50.
Most of the others are 30-40, and a handful are around level 20.

I feel zero pressure to rush ALL of my characters to level 50. I enjoy the leveling process, so I leave myself room to enjoy it.
Anyone else could do the same.

twisttop138 · January 29

I just returned from a 4 year break and am leveling a new toon to help me relearn the game even tho I have level 50, 950 cp toons. I will say I've leveled up quite fast with zones and daily random dungeons and daily battle grounds. I think though, that doesn't take away from doing zone quests. I have Caldwell silver on my main and will still do tons of zone quests, mages and fighters guild etc on this character. Being level 50 doesn't take this away. It's not like being max level means I can only do end game. Theres actually so much to do it can be intimidating at times, as I've mentioned in other threads. I sometimes log in and just stand there for 10 minutes trying to figure out where to start. Yes leveling is easy but that doesn't have to take away your questing experience. YMMV of course, this is just my opinion.

Ezhh · January 29

tyjoie wrote: »

Character 2: Level 31 - Arcanist - 17 hours, 44 mins. Completed Zones: Khenarthi's Roost, Auridon, Grahtwood.
Character 3: Level 27 - Sorcerer - 4 hours, 55 minutes. Completed Zones: Khenarthi's Roost, ~1/2 of Auridon. Literally made the character like yesterday.

Arcanist is a quite new class, so it seems you're saying the biggest difference in levelling speed has happened fairly recently?
I didn't notice any recent change myself, so are you sure it wasn't just an xp event?

I don't doubt it's quicker now than it was quite some years back, and there are definitely ways to speed level for those who want to - which is a very good thing, but I feel that nothing changed more recently.

xXSilverDragonXx · January 29

Is that with or without training gear? Or XP bonuses?

Varana · January 29

My main issue with the fast levelling is that once you get to level 50, there's nothing left to indicate that this is a new-ish character. It immediately jumps to display my 2.5k CP and so I feel like everyone assumes the character to be played as competently to mirror that level. Even though they're fresh out of the oven and haven't levelled half their skill lines, or activated various crucial skills, or me having sorted out a rotation and stuff.

As for questing, the experience doesn't change dramatically when you reach level 50, so it doesn't really matter that much. But I can understand players who come from traditional single-player RPGs where gaining levels is one of the most important milestones throughout the game, and who feel somewhat alienated by how little levels and level advancement mean in ESO.

twisttop138 · January 29

Icy_Waffles wrote: »

Yeah it was cool back in the day when you were leaving your first character, but now when I just leveled my 18th character, I completely DISSAGREE with your point. Heck let’s give us the option to begin at CP.The low level grinding and leveling is repetitive and boring.

As to your point about a starting level boost. Many games do this, though many of those games raise max level with each expansion. I would like something like this though it's not really a QOL must have for me, choices are always better. Hell even fallout 76 is introducing a max level boost in their next update even though it's not really needed, but as I said, choices are always better. I would for sure think about buying one.

sans-culottes · January 29

spartaxoxo wrote: »

I actually think it's at a good spot. But I wouldn't be opposed to a way to let us dump exp into something else. I remember in one game I played there was this little fairy helper you could level with your exp. The helper had small little skills she could use to help you. The skills were extremely minor aide that weren't anything people paid much attention to but they loved the ability to feed her exp so they didn't level up. There were different fairies you could equip with different skills and they required a ton of exp to max out. So you could pretty effectively level as slow as you wanted to or not at all for a long time.

It let everyone control their own pace.

Neat! EQ had a similar thing with Alternate Advancements. I’ll admit to finding that older system preferable to the current CP schema. Something like this could easily supplement, rather than replace, current systems, too.

licenturion · January 29

LootAllTheStuff wrote: »

Ingenon wrote: »

Now that I have fully leveled multiple characters, I would like the option in the in-game tutorial to skip leveling. Just dump my new character on the beach in their faction starter zone as level 50.

Oh, and let me pay the gold up front at the stable for all the mount training once I fully level my first character. 45,000 gold (250 * 180), I will happily pull out my banker, pay it all at once and be done with mount training for each subsequent character.

A very different game, but when Gearbox unexpectedly released a 5th BL2 DLC as a promo for BL3, they gave players the option of starting in the new DLC at level 30 in Pt.2 with a whole bunch of skill points to spend and a levelled gear set. For the many who'd played multiples of every class through the game from the start to finish, this was a very welcome way to get reacquainted with the game and characters while experiencing new content for the first time. It's model, not least because it added options for returning versus new players.

They added this to borderlands 3 last year as well. Once you hit max level on 1 character/class, you can create new max level characters with every skill point unlocked.

With that patch they also added a loot filter. Everything below a particular level (color) you set get scrapped automatically when you pick it up. Something I wish Diablo and ESO had as well...

Stx · January 29

I disagree only because of how leveling skill lines works. The thing that ruins the leveling experience for me is feeling like I need to slot certain abilities to level them or the skill lines. That and it takes too long to unlock the skills. You need to be level 42 to unlock sun shield for Templar as an example. Or on sorcerer, you may not want to run Daedric skills or storm skills depending on your character, but if you want to gain access to those passives you need to keep a skill from those lines on your bar. Overall leveling just isn’t as fun as playing with a maxed out character and it has nothing to do with endgame content.

Desiato · January 29

I don't think it's a problem at all because levelling a character is only a small part of its development.

For me, the vast majority of the work comes from obtaining skill points and levelling skill lines. With this in mind, I can't imagine why anyone would bother power levelling because one can easily get to level 50 passively just by focusing on the other aspects of development.

Actually, it's beneficial to take advantage of the low level stat bonuses to compensate for the lack of abilities and passives. SO many players have useless level 50 characters because they power levelled them to 50 only to see an uphill climb ahead of them and lose motivation. I theorize many of the useless "fake at every role" characters we see in random normals are characters like this.

Arunei · January 29

I personally hate leveling and wish I could make it faster. 40-50 is a slog to me, and having access to so few Skills as you level can make it a pain on Classes that don't get solid AoEs early on (and aren't using Weapon or Guild Skills that are AoE and available early).

Warhawke_80 · January 29

Many folks just aren't in love with the leveling grind...actually aside from the Trinity and Classes it's my least favorite thing about MMO's

I honestly think an expanded CP system would be so much better than levels...but hey that's just me.

Udrath · January 29

There’s still incentives to do the quest beyond cp160 for easy skill points, gear, style. For example you have to do the entire High Isle + Galen to get the sword the knight guy uses from the trailer.

Desiato · January 29

Arunei wrote: »

I personally hate leveling and wish I could make it faster. 40-50 is a slog to me, and having access to so few Skills as you level can make it a pain on Classes that don't get solid AoEs early on (and aren't using Weapon or Guild Skills that are AoE and available early).

It's pretty easy to do some minor prepping to give a new character an AE ability via scribing. I keep some extra scripts for upcoming characters. The quest to access the scholarium is quick and is the first thing I do with a new character.

This applies to any shortcomings a new character may have.

Taril · January 30

Desiato wrote: »

For me, the vast majority of the work comes from obtaining skill points and levelling skill lines. With this in mind, I can't imagine why anyone would bother power levelling because one can easily get to level 50 passively just by focusing on the other aspects of development.

Power leveling to 50 actually aids in that "Majority of work"

Since being at level 50, you gain the most experience from everything, so you level skill lines and skills the fastest possible, as these all use flat exp requirements.

You also gain access to all dungeons, meaning you can do all the dungeon quests for skill points (Dungeon Finder permitting as there is that whole thing about people racing through dungeons so you can't do quests schtick).

You will be getting level 50 items drop, which will allow you to gain maximum crafting experience from deconstruction (As well as gaining level 50 materials from this and also having level 50 resource nodes appear in the world allowing you to acquire actually relevant crafting materials)

Then of course, being level 50 you will also have access to any Mythics you've collected, so even if you've not got armour sets you can still get boosts from general enhancement items like Pale Order, Torc of the Last Ayelid King, Mora's Whispers as well as utilize those QoL ones like Oakensoul or Velothi (With Oaken also mitigating the lack of skills hugely by not only providing you with a bajillion buffs, but also mitigating the need to skill up 2 different bars)

With the final benefit being that when you're at level 50, and you're working on all these long term goals like getting skill points and leveling skill lines, you'll be progressing towards the long grind to CP1600 where you can cap a character's power (Via having all passive CP bonuses and a full suite of 12 active nodes to equip)

robwolf666 · January 30

@OP I know, I've just hit level 35 and I've only just got to Deshaan. So, without using XP scrolls or potions I might add, I've only had to do Bleakrock, Bal Foyen and Stonefalls to hit level 35... way too fast levelling these days. Used to be you'd be hitting level 35 in the 3rd or 4th zone of you're Alliance. It's made worse by the fact XP scrolls are handed out like candy in Daily Rewards, just like those tri-potions which make learning Alchemy a bit pointless - it takes away some, if not a lot, of the challenge of overland PvE when you've got potentially thousands of potions in storage.

Lower the XP for stuff ZOS!

sans-culottes · January 30

robwolf666 wrote: »

@OP I know, I've just hit level 35 and I've only just got to Deshaan. So, without using XP scrolls or potions I might add, I've only had to do Bleakrock, Bal Foyen and Stonefalls to hit level 35... way too fast levelling these days. Used to be you'd be hitting level 35 in the 3rd or 4th zone of you're Alliance. It's made worse by the fact XP scrolls are handed out like candy in Daily Rewards, just like those tri-potions which make learning Alchemy a bit pointless - it takes away some, if not a lot, of the challenge of overland PvE when you've got potentially thousands of potions in storage.

Lower the XP for stuff ZOS!

Given that everything scales to your level, this defeats much of the “fun” of leveling up.

Bo0137 · January 30

ESO is designed around everybody being max level. Low level players are scaled up. They just don't have as many skills or item sets as other players. So reaching max level is like freeing your character from chains; it's like a tutorial.
With that being said, I see absolutely no problem being easy to reach max level.
I don't think there shouldn't be a grind. There is a grind, and a much appreciated one, with the champion points. I play for 10 years now and I'm sitting at around 2200 CP, which I believe is not even halfway there (exp-wise). The CP system is very good already. People should not worry with reaching level 50.

xylena_lazarow · January 30

Nothing stopping you from playing slowly if that's what you want?

katanagirl1 · January 30

robwolf666 wrote: »

@OP I know, I've just hit level 35 and I've only just got to Deshaan. So, without using XP scrolls or potions I might add, I've only had to do Bleakrock, Bal Foyen and Stonefalls to hit level 35... way too fast levelling these days. Used to be you'd be hitting level 35 in the 3rd or 4th zone of you're Alliance. It's made worse by the fact XP scrolls are handed out like candy in Daily Rewards, just like those tri-potions which make learning Alchemy a bit pointless - it takes away some, if not a lot, of the challenge of overland PvE when you've got potentially thousands of potions in storage.

Lower the XP for stuff ZOS!

Some players need to be able to quickly level up alts for PvP or trials so I disagree. If leveling is too fast for you then just don’t use those xp scrolls. Personally I save those for new characters because I like to level up quickly. Getting to level 50 is not the end of the grind, I always have a lot of skills that still need leveling after that. It may take me a few weeks or even a whole month to get all the skills leveled for a particular build.

Maybe ZOS should make some anti-XP scrolls if so many players think there is such a need for it. Then you can earn only say 50% of the XP you would normally get. I wouldn’t use them myself for any reason, that’s just crazy.

karthrag_inak · January 30

OP thinking cp 160 is some kind of leveling endpoint makes khajiit want to just playfully pinch their cheek. That's absolutely adorable

TaSheen · January 30

karthrag_inak wrote: »

OP thinking cp 160 is some kind of leveling endpoint makes khajiit want to just playfully pinch their cheek. That's absolutely adorable

Well, at least it's the "leveling end point" for gear. Which is why I'm in this game as opposed to others I've played in the past....

Vevvev · January 30

tyjoie wrote: »

metheglyn wrote: »

I remember a quest in early Reaper's March I couldn't beat, and had to come back at a higher level for, so he definitely wasn't 50 at the start of it.

I couldn't kill the Dark Mane for the life of me. Idk if it was because Nighblades were so weak back then, or just because I was terrible at the game, but regardless its a memory I still have like 10 years later, struggling for ages and then finally beating him. Nowadays? Super easy, barely an inconvenience. I miss those days so much.

It's a combination of things from leveled zones going away, your knowledge of the game increasing, and damage scaling and survivability being scaled differently. If you stay on top of keeping your gear appropriate to your level in ESO then overland content is going to be a cake walk sadly.

I remember when my Nightblade struggled to do certain fights, and I'd spam stuns all the time till ZOS added a stun cooldown on the NPCs

. Now I understand the game so well that even with RP clothes and only a cheap weapon I can pretty much win any of the fights in overland.... which contributed to my burnout of the game

Stx · January 30

I feel like skill lines take too long to level. I feel like while leveling to 50 you should be able to max out at LEAST two weapon skill lines.

I am leveling another Templar right now who has only ever equipped a two handed weapon straight from level 1, and has had one weapon skill on his bars the whole time. I am currently level 43, and my two handed is level 39 lol. Don’t get me started on class skill lines.

karthrag_inak · January 30

TaSheen wrote: »

karthrag_inak wrote: »

OP thinking cp 160 is some kind of leveling endpoint makes khajiit want to just playfully pinch their cheek. That's absolutely adorable

Well, at least it's the "leveling end point" for gear. Which is why I'm in this game as opposed to others I've played in the past....

Oh, khajiit isn't trying to be insulting. Just that there are so many things to level, and so far to go, getting to cp160 is just the start of things.

robwolf666 · January 30

katanagirl1 wrote: »

robwolf666 wrote: »

@OP I know, I've just hit level 35 and I've only just got to Deshaan. So, without using XP scrolls or potions I might add, I've only had to do Bleakrock, Bal Foyen and Stonefalls to hit level 35... way too fast levelling these days. Used to be you'd be hitting level 35 in the 3rd or 4th zone of you're Alliance. It's made worse by the fact XP scrolls are handed out like candy in Daily Rewards, just like those tri-potions which make learning Alchemy a bit pointless - it takes away some, if not a lot, of the challenge of overland PvE when you've got potentially thousands of potions in storage.

Lower the XP for stuff ZOS!

Some players need to be able to quickly level up alts for PvP or trials so I disagree. If leveling is too fast for you then just don’t use those xp scrolls. Personally I save those for new characters because I like to level up quickly. Getting to level 50 is not the end of the grind, I always have a lot of skills that still need leveling after that. It may take me a few weeks or even a whole month to get all the skills leveled for a particular build.

Maybe ZOS should make some anti-XP scrolls if so many players think there is such a need for it. Then you can earn only say 50% of the XP you would normally get. I wouldn’t use them myself for any reason, that’s just crazy.

I already said that I don't use XP scrolls/potions, they're not needed any more. ZOS should make them a rarity again like they used to be.

As for making the entire game easy for the handful of people who want to level up alts for PvP, only to then complain about said PvP when they get there... hardly seems fair or logical.

VoxAdActa · January 30

I simply do not understand the desire to play a half-finished character without a full complement of skills and with under-leveled gear for longer, and I understand even less the desire to make everyone else play that way, too.

Especially when the solution for the first part is so easy. Just never slot the fifth skill on any class/weapon line, never morph the fourth skill, don't use anything past the first skill on the guild/world lines, keep a bunch of lower-level passives under max, keep the higher-level passives empty, and wear CP10 gear. Boom, same experience as leveling. Problem eliminated. No need to force the rest of the player base to do it with you.

TaSheen · January 30

Well, it's (for me at least) an each to her own thing. I love running my low level girls. It's fun. I don't have any interest in forcing others to do so, however!