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New QoL Idea: Tamrielic Navigators

APGaming
APGaming
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Hi everyone,

I'd like to propose a small QoL change to the way players can access different zones across the game. I welcome ZOS to take this idea and run with it, just make sure to make the system immersive and lore-friendly.

I propose a fast travel system called "Tamrielic Navigators". With this system, any zone can be accessed through a short conversation with one NPC in each zone's major city. It would be cool if this was expanded past just zone capitals to make the whole world feel connected, but for a start, this is my proposal.

There are three types of Tamrielic Navigators. They only differ depending on which type of city you are traveling from. Sea Captains in coastal cities, Carriage Drivers in landlocked cities, and Portal Masters in extraplanar cities. Each city could have a different NPC with the same diologue, or just have the core three required to make the system work. Here is more detail:

1) Sea Captains are located at the docks near each major coastal city.

[Abah's Landing, Hew's Bane]
[Alinor, Summerset]
[Anvil, Gold Coast]
[Bleakrock Village, Bleakrock Isle]
[Daggerfall, Glenumbra]
[Davon's Watch, Stonefalls]
[Evermore, Bangkorai]
[Gonfalon Bay, High Isle and Amenos]
[Leyawiin, Blackwood]
[Lilmoth, Murkmire]
[Mistral, Khenarthi's Roost]
[Necrom, Telvanni Peninsula]
[Port Hunding, Stros M'kai]
[Senchal, Southern Elsweyr]
[Sentinel, Alik'r Desert]
[Solitude, Western Skyrim]
[Stonetooth Fortress, Betnikh]
[Sunport, Solstice]
[Vastyr, Galen and Y'ffelon]
[Velyn Harbor, Malabal Tor]
[Vivec City, Vvardenfell]
[Vulkhel Guard, Auridon]
[Wayrest, Stormhaven]
[Windhelm, Eastmarch]

2) Carriage Drivers are located on the outskirts of land-locked cities that do not have access to a large, navigable body of water.

[Belkarth, Craglorn]
[Dhalmora, Bal Foyen]
[Elden Root, Grahtwood]
[Marbruk, Greenshade]
[Markarth, The Reach]
[Mournhold, Deshaan]
[Orsinium, Wrothgar]
[Rawl'kha, Reaper's March]
[Riften, The Rift]
[Rimmen, Northern Elsweyr]
[Shornhelm, Rivenspire]
[Skingrad, West Weald]
[Stormhold, Shadowfen]

3) Portal Masters would be located in an appropriate place in each extraplanar city.

[Cipher's Midden, Apocrypha]
[Fargrave City District, Fargrave]
[The Brass Fortress, Clockwork City]
[The Hollow City, Coldharbour]
[Wretched Spire, The Deadlands]

When talking to any of the three types of Tamrielic Navigators, the player character is presented with three diologue choices:

[I'd like to travel to a city located along the coasts of Tamriel]

[I'd like to travel to a city located in Tamriel's interior]

[I'd like to travel to another plane of existence]

The player is given the above corresponding lists for each mode of travel, and after the loading screen concludes, the player will spawn in their selected zone at the docks, carriage stop, or portalmaster.

With the above change, current navigator NPCs like Captain Jenassa and Ciryelda can be removed (or become some of the new Tamrielic Navigators) to help standardize the new system. The endless pile of carts and boats at the Alliance capitals and starter cities can also be removed and replaced by this system. To be clear, access to neighboring zones through gates should not be impacted by this change. We all want to see an interconnected Tamriel with both a holistic navigator system and the ability to walk directly between zones that border each other where possible.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on how this system can be better. I'm not a game dev, but I imagine this wouldn't be a massive undertaking to get working. I really just think at the end of the day, it will give both RPers and new players a standardized way to travel across the beautiful world of Tamriel.
  • ESO_player123
    ESO_player123
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    What is the difference from Wayshrines? They literally connect you to every zone there is.
  • LunaFlora
    LunaFlora
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    good post and i am not against this idea.

    i also think Wayshrines are already sufficient.
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  • APGaming
    APGaming
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    What is the difference from Wayshrines? They literally connect you to every zone there is.

    Unless this has changed, most base game zones require you to step foot in them before you unlock a wayshrine. For newer players, this would help them reach those zones easier. I do agree, wayshrines currently work best for the vast majority of players. This is a system more for connecting the world in a slightly more immersive way.

    It's also classic Elder Scrolls to have a feature like this, similar to the Silt Striders of TESIII: Morrowind (I'm aware we have this currently in Vvardenfell and Telvanni Peninsula, it should stay in place) and the carriage/boat systems in TESV: Skyrim.

    To me this idea is less of an alternative to wayshrines, but more of an alternative to the carts and boats that crowd outside cities everytime we get a new zone (i.e. outside Mournhold).
    Edited by APGaming on March 7, 2026 3:27PM
  • ESO_player123
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    APGaming wrote: »
    What is the difference from Wayshrines? They literally connect you to every zone there is.

    Unless this has changed, most base game zones require you to step foot in them before you unlock a wayshrine. For newer players, this would help them reach those zones easier.

    Is it really a bad thing that a new player should explore and discover locations on their own? I thing it would be really confusing for a new player to be presented with a long list of locations to choose from of which they know nothing about. There is a reason some changes to quest givers were made not so long ago to reduce the amount of information that bombards a new player.

  • tomofhyrule
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    APGaming wrote: »
    What is the difference from Wayshrines? They literally connect you to every zone there is.

    Unless this has changed, most base game zones require you to step foot in them before you unlock a wayshrine. For newer players, this would help them reach those zones easier. I do agree, wayshrines currently work best for the vast majority of players. This is a system more for connecting the world in a slightly more immersive way.

    It's also classic Elder Scrolls to have a feature like this, similar to the Silt Striders of TESIII: Morrowind (I'm aware we have this currently in Vvardenfell and Telvanni Peninsula, it should stay in place) and the carriage/boat systems in TESV: Skyrim.

    To me this idea is less of an alternative to wayshrines, but more of an alternative to the carts and boats that crowd outside cities everytime we get a new zone (i.e. outside Mournhold).

    But the basegame zones also specifically have navigators already.

    Furthermore, if we're considering new players, the basegame zones also have an intended story direction. They're not as easily accessible specifically because the story proceeds in a certain order.

    I do agree that having a million carts is unneccesary and those should go. But if we want to go to DLC zones we have wayshrines. And if we want the basegame story, we have navigators or overland paths that make narrative sense.
  • Horace-Wimp
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    I would be happy if they simply removed fees from wayshrines. I don't mind spending 73 gold from time to time but short of that I just use my housings to get around. Takes a moment longer that being at a wayshrine but it sure is awesome. Especially if I'm in an dungeon or delve and want to get somewhere else ASAP.

  • AlnilamE
    AlnilamE
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    We already have navigators. Most zones are just two hops away from wherever you are even if you don't have any wayshrines there.
    The Moot Councillor
  • scrappy1342
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    But the basegame zones also specifically have navigators already.

    and mostly all they do is mess around with my quest tracking and complicate things >.> easy enough to port to a friend/guildmate if you have no way of getting to whatever zone, but i'm pretty sure as the game is, there is either a ship, cart or wayshrine (new zones will have the first one unlocked for you) to get wherever you need to go even if you have no friends or guildmates
    pcna
  • Arunei
    Arunei
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    I would be happy if they simply removed fees from wayshrines. I don't mind spending 73 gold from time to time but short of that I just use my housings to get around. Takes a moment longer that being at a wayshrine but it sure is awesome. Especially if I'm in an dungeon or delve and want to get somewhere else ASAP.
    This, it's not a very good gold sink and can actively prevent newer people from being able to get around at first, people who don't have friends or Guilds yet and have no idea the current 'navigators' exist and don't habe CP to make Wayshrine traveling cheaper or any to make their character/Mount not as slow as molasses, and also don't have any Houses lol.
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  • SpiritofESO
    SpiritofESO
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    AlnilamE wrote: »
    We already have navigators. Most zones are just two hops away from wherever you are even if you don't have any wayshrines there.

    Wayshrines, caravans, carts, boats, personal homes, mages guild portals are all together an efficient means of transportation, so I don't think that we need to have "an NPC to talk to to go somewhere."

    Personally, I never pay for wayshrines any longer... I just teleport to my Cyrodilic Jungle House (outside) or the Sugar Bowl Suite (outside) and I am only steps away from the wayshrine. My very first home was the Sugar Bowl Suite in Rimmen back in June of 2019, which was the Elsweyr chapter and it was free!

    Newbies can and should figure it out for themselves. They do not need to have their hand held. Exploration and "figuring things out" is a core component of MMOs.

    By the way, exploring to find new wayshrines is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with a Zone.

    :smiley:
    Edited by SpiritofESO on March 7, 2026 8:07PM
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  • spartaxoxo
    spartaxoxo
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    I like this idea. They could put the extra planar navigator in the Mage's Guilds. And they could replace the already existing ship and caravan captains with these. Then they could remove those tiny boats or carts that are supposed to move you across continents somehow that they tacked on for the chapters.
    Edited by spartaxoxo on March 7, 2026 9:25PM
  • GloatingSwine
    GloatingSwine
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    APGaming wrote: »
    What is the difference from Wayshrines? They literally connect you to every zone there is.

    Unless this has changed, most base game zones require you to step foot in them before you unlock a wayshrine. For newer players, this would help them reach those zones easier.

    Is it really a bad thing that a new player should explore and discover locations on their own? I thing it would be really confusing for a new player to be presented with a long list of locations to choose from of which they know nothing about. There is a reason some changes to quest givers were made not so long ago to reduce the amount of information that bombards a new player.

    This seems like more of a request for alts. If you fire up a new alt they won't have access to wayshrines in base game zones other than each alliance's starter.
  • ESO_player123
    ESO_player123
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    APGaming wrote: »
    What is the difference from Wayshrines? They literally connect you to every zone there is.

    Unless this has changed, most base game zones require you to step foot in them before you unlock a wayshrine. For newer players, this would help them reach those zones easier.

    Is it really a bad thing that a new player should explore and discover locations on their own? I thing it would be really confusing for a new player to be presented with a long list of locations to choose from of which they know nothing about. There is a reason some changes to quest givers were made not so long ago to reduce the amount of information that bombards a new player.

    This seems like more of a request for alts. If you fire up a new alt they won't have access to wayshrines in base game zones other than each alliance's starter.

    Th OP specifically said that it would help newer players. It could be helpful for alts, but I think it would be better for new players to discover locations as they progress through the game.
  • agelonestar
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    Not a bad idea.

    With additions to the game over time - quests, surveys, antiquities, etc - you can often need to access a zone that you have yet to “unlock”. The OPs suggestion would help get around that.

    Of course, another option would simply be to unlock the wayshrine in the main city of each zone.
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  • cyberjanet
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    Home Tours are a great way to reach new zones and get wayshrines. Visit a house, step outside. Plus, you can even admire the house if you're so inclined.
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  • Sordidfairytale
    Sordidfairytale
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    I have a suspicion that the Rumors system is going to do something similar. You'll be tasked with going somewhere and by accepting the quest, the NPC will transport you to the nearest wayshrine to the objective.
    The Vegemite Knight
  • faerigirl
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    AlnilamE wrote: »

    Personally, I never pay for wayshrines any longer... I just teleport to my Cyrodilic Jungle House (outside) or the Sugar Bowl Suite (outside) and I am only steps away from the wayshrine.

    :smiley:

    I have houses all over tamriel and don't generally use the wayshrines for the big/expensive jumps.

    TLDR- Go get some houses people!
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