I've been an eso+ subscriber and I would be okay with losing the craft bag for eso+ but eso+ also needs some form of compensation value. Subscribers have lost value over time and it's to a point where craft bag is one of the few draws of subscribing. I agree that isn't healthy at all and juggling inventory of non+ players is part of why we've not had new crafting loot/updates despite this game's alchemy system missing so many ingredients the main games have or other things that I and a few people I know want to see.

I really don't want/need other things in game besides cosmetics at this point so I'd only really want eso+ to get new value via that. I don't care if it's double the crowns or a bundle of crates per season or what have you but it needs something. We used to get a crate a day per eso+ free week years ago, we used to have many other things related to eso+ that became freely available qol updates. I think that a bit of that was healthier for the game but it adds to the pain point of zos being pretty bad at rewarding loyal or long term players compared to throwing a bunch of treats at newer players. The new tome system doesn't even help with this as eso+ players get one free premium+ pass out of the 3-4 we possibly get a year....

Again, would like to see it removed/adjusted and also agree it's a toxic system that's holding the game back, but I also think a separate/parallel discourse is eso+ could use with some more incentive to exist because it's losing less and less value and not gaining enough back to warrant it existing or being worth it. Imo easy fix, like I said just throw more crowns or extra crates into the mix and I'd be happy. Don't think that's too much to ask for.

AzuraFan wrote: »

SgtSilock wrote: »

I believe the OP’s point is that the developers created a problem in the game that the crafting bag is designed to solve.

Yep, we all know that. We've all always known that. It is what it is.

You have these choices: Leave the game,

AzuraFan wrote: »

BretonMage wrote: »

I can't remember if someone has suggested this, but how about a cheap crown store token for a one-off access to your crafting bag? That way, you manage your inventory for most of the month/week and then when it builds up too much, you buy a token for a nominal sum, and stow your mats. That way it's more accessible for the player price-wise and ESO still gets some revenue.

I'd drop my sub and just buy the cheap token every once in a while. So sure, it might bring in some revenue, but the amount most likely wouldn't compensate for the loss due to cancelled subs.

The problem is this: If any proposed free or cheap solution removes the inventory pain point well enough that people don't feel the need to subscribe, then people will cancel subs. That's why it's so difficult to come up with another sub enticement to replace the craft bag. The new enticement would have to resolve an equally irritating pain point. And guess what? We'd have threads on here saying that new players are quitting because of it, and asking for it to be made free.

I think the crux of the argument is, would removing the feature from the sub keep the interest of new and returning players longer, who then might buy one of the thousands of cosmetics, houses, or other things they sell instead?

Hard to tell, but sometimes thinking about my overflowing bank (which I can't even use to move items around at the moment as it's at 150/90) and inventories makes me just avoid ESO entirely until I'm ready to dedicate enough time to make a sub feel worth it.

AzuraFan wrote: »

AScarlato wrote: »

I think the crux of the argument is, would removing the feature from the sub keep the interest of new and returning players longer, who then might buy one of the thousands of cosmetics, houses, or other things they sell instead?

That's a question mark. Some players would buy other stuff, but some wouldn't. Are new players who like the game but aren't willing to pay for a subscription going to spend money on other stuff? Some will, but some definitely won't because they want free and only free.

So yes, the question is whether a significant loss in revenue due to cancelled ESO+ subscriptions would be made up for by those players who wanted a free craft bag spending money on other things. ZOS apparently doesn't think so, or they'd go that route.

For me it's different. I'm easily enticed into cosmetics, and when I was enjoying the game over the holidays I even bought two of my guildmates the new house in Gold Road as gifts.

Now I am not really interacting with the community or game at all, let alone the crown store. Since I just have a huge inventory mess waiting for me, I'm just not playing until enough new content comes out to justify a sub.

AlnilamE wrote: »

SgtSilock wrote: »

jirusan wrote: »

Bruh the game is almost completely free, there has to be something to make it profitable.

Selling convenience and cosmetic items is the most common way. Inventory tabs, or in this case the craft bag, is a classic.

I believe the OP’s point is that the developers created a problem in the game that the crafting bag is designed to solve.

Well, the "problem" is that there are items in the game. Should we remove them?

I could definitely see streamlining some crafting materials (compressing the material levels down to 5, maybe turning all the style stones into mimic stones), but at the end of the day, the game is going to have items and the hoarders are going to hoard them.

One of the biggest obstacles to new players imo is the incredibly convoluted levelled crafting system, where you're forced to re-learn and re-farm every 9-10 crafting levels. I remember it being such a horrible experience that I honestly never want to create another character again.

So I am 100% in favour of simplifying the crafting system. Reduce style mats, reduce the number of crafting levels and their related mats. Even if it doesn't completely solve the inventory problem, players wouldn't feel like they were forced unfairly into a situation they need to pay their way out of.

kargen27 wrote: »

My point was that in that amount of time they didn't have time to max out the in game inventory slots and craft bag wouldn't be an issue yet.

Crafting bag is an issue very quickly. Many people will want to do things like deconstruct their equipment to level up their crafting skills and that's going to flood them with mats. They're too new to know what's worth keeping or junking. And they don't have coin for bag space. And then they see ZOS selling the solution to this problem. It doesn't leave a good first impression.

spartaxoxo wrote: »

kargen27 wrote: »

My point was that in that amount of time they didn't have time to max out the in game inventory slots and craft bag wouldn't be an issue yet.

Crafting bag is an issue very quickly. Many people will want to do things like deconstruct their equipment to level up their crafting skills and that's going to flood them with mats. They're too new to know what's worth keeping or junking. And they don't have coin for bag space. And then they see ZOS selling the solution to this problem. It doesn't leave a good first impression.

Absolutely. When I started on my first old console account, sometime before Thieves Guild came out, none of this was a thing, and inventory was manageable, but you were also not flooded with an endless barrage of different materials such as fragments of style materials to keep and collect in case you want to make even one piece in that style later on; the styles themselves were of a very limited number, and if you ran into inventory troubles as a newbie, maybe you'd skip out on levelling one craft in favour of another.
At this point, if you craft, it's a nightmare, and if you just decide not to craft (or not anymore), you lose out on a game system and on self-reliance for your gear and furniture, paying with fun lost and with extra gold you'll be spending on the marketboard. And then there's still too much inventory clutter.
Of course this is entirely by design, the solution to sell to the player needs a problem after all. But it's terrible design and always has been, and with the current overhaul of the monetisation strategy it's becoming even less justifiable.

My sub on the main account has recently run out (because I want to wait and see what the battle pass will actually be like, with many concerns still unanswered, and this coming season doesn't appeal to me at all), and when I log in to check for something casual to do, I'm greeted with extensive clean-up work to make the game playable again. Okay, first order of business, remove the hireling skills to stop further clutter. Easy enough. Next would be getting rid of all those surveys and writs left over because I won't be putting those materials anywhere nor crafting much, and I need inventory/bank space. And that's already such a chore to think of, I just log out instead. It's not about what's theoretically possible, it's simply annoying and leaves a terrible impression.

And I've played this game since forever. If I want to sit down one boring sunday and clean up my inventory mess, I can. But as others have said, what's a new player going to do with all this? They don't know what's important, what they'll need, they don't even know yet what game systems they'll want to engage with longterm and what's worth it to them to prioritise inventory space for. They'll just end up frustrated. And in a way, I think a new player has a much more clear and correct view of the situation than those of us whose minds immediately bend around workarounds because we're so used to it.

This system can't be justified anymore. In my eyes, two things have to happen. The immense amount of clutter needs to go in general. We have how many styles now? Get rid of style materials and by the Three, get rid of fragments of style materials, we already have the mimic stones. Variety of fashion is great, and fashion scrolls is endgame, but that means something has to go.
Declutter other systems too.
Consider getting rid of the levelling differences in materials for the crafts.
And then make the craft bag either basegame or simplify it all so far that it becomes obsolete. I'm sure the professional game designers know much better what to do in practice than I do as a forum user from my armchair, but it can definitely be done somehow.

jirusan wrote: »

It is heartwarming to see how many people here fight "for the new players" rather than just to have a free bag for themselves. Tamriel needs more people like you.

Or it is both? People who want to see the game succeed realize the game needs new and returning players or it will die.

Many are also disheartened and have seen people try the game and get frustrated and leave over this issue. Maybe you haven’t, but I see this all the time. I also remember being new and not being able to loot in dungeons until I gave up and bought $100 of assistants. Even then I still had to mess around with my inventory every dungeon since new players don’t have a lot of gold and have small bags. Players are impatient and just clear bosses while you do this.

It is a common concern, hence this topic being recurring on a regular basis.

AzuraFan wrote: »

Companies have to make money to stay afloat, and MMOs have to make money to remain live.

I'd find this argument more compelling if ESO wasn't otherwise monetized more than any game I have ever played in my life.

ESO subs are a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands upon thousands of dollars I've spent here.

On a similar note, I've played XIV twice as long as I have played ESO and spent 1/5th as much, and that game's sub is mandatory past the free trial period.

The inventory issue becomes a non-issue as soon as you understand which items are useful and which are not.
One has to know what one needs.
This comes with experience. Which new players do not have.

The valuable stuff that one doesn't need is easily sold on traders.

AshenArcanist wrote: »

After reading the comments about the craft bag, I still feel it's essential. I understand why some people want it free. But ESO is a live service game. Servers, updates and support require ongoing revenue. The craft bag is part of that model. If core systems were free, the platform wouldn't be sustainable. We can debate pricing - but the game has to make money to exist.

3/2/2026

Thank you for that very clear response. MMOs require a load of cash to create, and a continuing source of income to exist and expand. They need to get that money... one way or the other. (By the way, these forums had a cost to create and have a cost to maintain... just saying.)

Let's compare an ESO subscription cost versus "a large pepperoni pizza once a month."

(I'm going to copy and paste this because I don't want to type it all out.)

ESO Subscription annual lump-sum for 12 Months: $139.99 (~$11.67 / month) (less than12 bucks a month) (I've been subscribing since June 2019, the Elsweyr chapter, on an annual basis).

Key Benefits of ESO Plus:
(The game continues to evolve.)

DLC Access: Full access to all DLC game packs in the Crown Store, including new zones, quests, and dungeons (excludes the most recent "Chapter" expansion).
Monthly Stipend: 1,650 Crowns per month to spend on in-game items like mounts or pets. (If you pay the full annual price, you get a lump-sum of 19,600 Crowns.)
The Craft Bag: Unlimited storage for crafting materials, which is widely considered the most valuable utility perk.
Bonuses: A 10% increase to Experience, Gold acquisition, and crafting research speeds.
Storage: Double bank space and double furnishing space in player housing.

And, unlike those who want to treat Elder Scrolls Online as some kind of a charity deal, those who pay a subscription actually actively support the development of the game. Thank you.

As for the pizza, let's say 15 to 20 bucks depending. And you only get to eat it once and then it's gone.

As for ESO, you get to play it everyday for as long as you want for the whole month. Now, that's a good deal.

I have to add that my seventh year of subscription is coming up again in June and I still have 10,000 Crowns left to spend on whatever I want. Other than the subscription cost, I never make any other purchases on the Crown Store except by spending my annual Crowns. For me personally, the subscription is very cost-effective.

AScarlato wrote: »

AzuraFan wrote: »

Companies have to make money to stay afloat, and MMOs have to make money to remain live.

I'd find this argument more compelling if ESO wasn't otherwise monetized more than any game I have ever played in my life.

ESO subs are a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands upon thousands of dollars I've spent here.

On a similar note, I've played XIV twice as long as I have played ESO and spent 1/5th as much, and that game's sub is mandatory past the free trial period.

Oh you sweet summer child. I wish I had game passes for Black Desert Online to send out. That would put things in perspective.

Personally, I can't remember the last time I bought crowns outside of the sub, and I have 25k crowns left after I bought some weapon skins that looked cool.

It's a matter of thought and organisation imo.

Way back in 2014 I made the decision to sell everything to start with, therefore allowing me to raise money to unlock all possible bag and bank space.

Once that was done I worked on one craft at a time, still selling everything else, luckily I had purchased the Imperial Edition so I didn't need to save up for a mount.

I was doing the "fun stuff" straight away, that being questing and watching the stories unfold, the loot from that gameplay was sold too, or actually put on to wear. Only things I didn't sell were soul gems and lock picks.

New players today come in several categories notably the "I want everything and I want it NOW!!" or "I'm here to play a game, I will collect and grow as I go!".

I'm in a Guild that caters for new players, we can spot those that will stick around and those that won't very easily these days. It has to be said though, whenever the question "What will make my game experience better?" is asked, whatever the time of day, whoever is online, 95% of the answers will revolve around trying ESO+ for a month.

Oh and I've seen several people suggest that style materials could be reworked as we already have mimic stones that could take their place.... that is likely a lot more work than many people realise..... how many furnishing plans are there now? 100's? 1000's? Each of those plans uses a style mat and currently you cannot use mimic's in place of those

spartaxoxo wrote: »

I think a free craft bag that is inferior to the paid bag would probably help while minimizing the amount of subs lost.

We'd need a free craft bag that makes inventory manageable (otherwise people will still complain, and some new players will still leave the game because of inventory), but also preserves the value of the paid craft bag. I believe those two requirements are in conflict, and so it would be difficult to satisfy both at the same time. If a free craft bag is good enough to stop the complaining, then it would likely be good enough for people to unsubscribe and just go with the free one. That's probably why ZOS is trying to help in other ways (stacking surveys and writs, etc.) while preserving the value of the craft bag.

Another alternative is to simply give a free month to new players upon purchase so that they get to actually just play the game without having to worry about it. Alongside a free week to anyone coming back that's been gone longer than 3 months. That's a bad enough ratio they wouldn't leave on purpose just to trigger the bonus but gives breathing room for real returning players to become familiar with the game again before being bombarded with inventory woes.

That's a good idea. It would have to be made clear to the player that their inventory situation is temporary, otherwise when the craft bag is taken away, it would upset people. But it would give new players a month to try out the game without struggling with inventory, figure out what they need to keep vs. what they can sell or throw away, etc., so when the trial month is up, they'll have a better idea of if they want to stick around (whether they intend to sub or not). And it would give returning players who don't want to sub but don't want to deal with their inventory a week to sort their inventory out.

AzuraFan wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Another alternative is to simply give a free month to new players upon purchase so that they get to actually just play the game without having to worry about it. Alongside a free week to anyone coming back that's been gone longer than 3 months. That's a bad enough ratio they wouldn't leave on purpose just to trigger the bonus but gives breathing room for real returning players to become familiar with the game again before being bombarded with inventory woes.

That's a good idea. It would have to be made clear to the player that their inventory situation is temporary, otherwise when the craft bag is taken away, it would upset people. But it would give new players a month to try out the game without struggling with inventory, figure out what they need to keep vs. what they can sell or throw away, etc., so when the trial month is up, they'll have a better idea of if they want to stick around (whether they intend to sub or not). And it would give returning players who don't want to sub but don't want to deal with their inventory a week to sort their inventory out.

I agree it's a good idea. It won't stop people from complaining though, because once the free month is over, there will be those who will complain it should always be free.

I'm sure ZOS will figure out a balance between giving people a bit of help, whilst also preserving the value of ESO+.