How do you decide which character to dedicate time/progress towards?

Glorious_Platypus · June 18

Hey so right now I have the problem of not having a definitive main.

I'm a returning player from 2024 and when I came back to my account I found that I wasn't interested in playing the vast majority of my characters. Interestingly enough, the 2 characters that remained, that I am still interested in playing, were both Dragonknights (one will be a healer and one will be a tank).

However, I recently got really tired of playing DK (either character) so I started to think about making new characters. Now I've come up with 3 new characters that I want to play, and they are all between like level 8 and 15. And there's also the two other DK's who aren't even 50 yet either so there's still a lot of story left on those characters well.

So, it's kind of overwhelming to have that many different options every time I log in and to think that each character will require probably no less than 500 hours each. Technically a good problem to have but I genuinely want to play each one to the fullest and I'm just like... -_-. I keep thinking that one of them will eventually surface up to the top and become the defacto main but that's just not happening and every day I play something different.

Any advice? Lol

freespirit · June 18

I'm thinking from the fact you appear to have four DK's that you enjoy their skillset?

Maybe redesign one of those as a pure DD?

I know what I enjoy and over the years I've tried every class, often because people have said something along the lines of "You don't know what your missing" or "They are the best class atm"

It really doesn't matter, if I don't enjoy it or it doesn't flow quite right for me, then it will never work.

I love my Templars, I quite enjoy my Sorcs and my go to PVP character is a Warden, I just don't get on with the rest and as I play to enjoy myself I stick with what I do like.

Play something you enjoy, don't be swayed by other peoples opinions, it's you, so do you!

AScarlato · June 18

I try to keep as few characters as possible as I am very bad at this.

I have done so many zones on throwaway alts that I wish I have done on my main, so now I try to focus questing and all crafting skills on my main at least.

I have a nightblade that is used for all "dark" stuff like TG, Dark Brotherhood, and Werewolf with the built-in Stealth being helpful. He was created before subclassing so it had made sense.

The rest I play really randomly based on my whims which change often.

Eldovar · June 18

I am the type of player that thinks: why play 5 characters and only do a parts of everything or restart endlessly...or make 1 character and do everything with it.

I have 1 main who basically went from zero to hero. Finished all the quests in every zone, every companion keepsake, every skill unlocked and levelled, every subclass max levelled, all scribing unlocked etc

This way of playing always made me feel like I constantly progressed through the years in the game. It was a special moment when I finished the final quest in the game and at this point I feel like 'completed the game'.

Danikat · June 18

I know this doesn't work for everyone but my approach is to not think about it. I have 5 characters who I intend to play through most of the game with (and 4 more for specific purposes) and I know I could spend ages working out which one I 'should' play or make some kind of schedule and push myself to stick to it, but I also know I don't want to do that.

What I do is log in, look at my character list and pick whichever one I feel like playing in the moment.

As well as having different classes and combat styles they have different RP backgrounds, personalities and themes and they're all exploring different zones and quest lines and picked up different side activities (one is levelling scrying, one is an antiquarian, one is into Tales of Tribute etc). So I pick either the one I feel like playing or the one doing something I feel like doing that day and play them. If I'm bored with it but still want to play ESO I'll switch.

Obviously some get played more than others, but that's ok. If I realise I'm rarely/never playing one I'll try to work out what I can do about it. Early on I made a character I expected to be one of my main ones (based on my main in a lot of other games) and barely played her because she was too similar to my other templar, and I couldn't find a build that fit her, which made it feel awkward to me. She was on hold for ages until the warden was added, which was perfect for her and fixed the problems.

Sometimes I just have to admit I don't like a character as much as I thought I would or that they're not working. My first idea for a necromancer got shifted over to Baldur's Gate 3 because the role-play that made the character work didn't fit the ESO story but did fit there.

I know that sounds like a lot of thought for something I said I don't think about, but the important thing is I don't need to plan it out when I'm choosing which one to play, I just pick the one I'm in the mood for at the time.

Glorious_Platypus · June 18

freespirit wrote: »

I'm thinking from the fact you appear to have four DK's that you enjoy their skillset?

Maybe redesign one of those as a pure DD?

I have just the 2 DK's, but they are my oldest characters and one is 45 and one is 46. I was thinking about deleting the argonian DK and remake him as a Necromancer, but am currently undecided on that. That's a lot of progress to throw away.

Eldovar wrote: »

I am the type of player that thinks: why play 5 characters and only do a parts of everything or restart endlessly...or make 1 character and do everything with it.

Yes but how do you decide on which character to do all that on

AScarlato · June 18

Eldovar wrote: »

I am the type of player that thinks: why play 5 characters and only do a parts of everything or restart endlessly...or make 1 character and do everything with it.

I have 1 main who basically went from zero to hero. Finished all the quests in every zone, every companion keepsake, every skill unlocked and levelled, every subclass max levelled, all scribing unlocked etc

This way of playing always made me feel like I constantly progressed through the years in the game. It was a special moment when I finished the final quest in the game and at this point I feel like 'completed the game'.

I'd love for this to be my main someday. I just get so sidetracked by alts, especially as a RPer where I constantly had new story ideas. Also after a couple of years of RP my character ended up with so much baggage... lol

wolfie1.0. · June 18

I have around 50 accounts. And over 300 characters...

So here is what i do. I ask myself. What is it that i want to accomplish. I set goals.

Then I ask what characters are best for doing that?

Then I go with it.

Right now my primary account is almost at 2960 cp. My primary goal is to reach 3600 cp by this time next year

My third goal is to collect all of the legacy surveys that I still have.... i have over 800 left across my accounts.

We will s3e which one I get.done first

freespirit · June 18

It should also probably be mentioned "What is your main aim?"

Do you just want to play the stories or do you want to complete all the Dungeons and Trials on hardmode?

If you are looking for the latter then possibly a bit more thought needs to go into your chosen class, although ofc with scribing and subclassing that has become a bit easier to achieve.

Throwing away progress is part of the game, it's best not to get stuck on that tbh.

I could easily say to you "Necromancer, oh you don't want to do that" but that is my opinion.

I could also easily say pick Templar too, I can solo pretty much everything that can be solo-ed in the base game, add in a companion and non base game gets easy too.

I have several accounts and on one I am doing a complete playthrough just on a Templar......... did I mention I love Templars???

SandandStars · June 18

Mostly hair color.

Udrath · June 18

I always just pick a class and race theme I like, and then play it like I would if I had just started the game fresh. Usually I do this once or twice a year, and stick to the class for a very long time.

Dojohoda · June 18

Since account wide achievements became a thing, I don't have a main anymore for gameplay. My main is the one that eats the new recipes and motifs, that's my criteria for my main.

For gameplay I use a character that can get the job done. Examples are tank, healer, dd, sneaky, speedy, pvp. I might have more than one character built for some of those jobs.

Luneca · June 19

I chose the character that had the most siege. Because all I do is fire siege.

Glorious_Platypus · June 19

freespirit wrote: »

It should also probably be mentioned "What is your main aim?"

Do you just want to play the stories or do you want to complete all the Dungeons and Trials on hardmode?

If you are looking for the latter then possibly a bit more thought needs to go into your chosen class, although ofc with scribing and subclassing that has become a bit easier to achieve.

Throwing away progress is part of the game, it's best not to get stuck on that tbh.

I could easily say to you "Necromancer, oh you don't want to do that" but that is my opinion.

I could also easily say pick Templar too, I can solo pretty much everything that can be solo-ed in the base game, add in a companion and non base game gets easy too.

I have several accounts and on one I am doing a complete playthrough just on a Templar......... did I mention I love Templars???

Good question to ask.

To answer - I do want to do the trials (eso's equivelent of wow's raids, right?) but only for completion. I will pug them and don't care about hardmode.

What do I really want to do?

Four things:
1. Experience all the story.
2. Find and purchase my dream house, then furnish it to my liking which might require achievements, crafting, etc etc. I still haven't found "the one" house yet, but I will eventually, and I've only seen a fraction of what's available. Then once I do, I'll concentrate on getting it. Then once I get it, I'll get to work on furnishing it.
3. Experience all classes / roles, so that I can finally decide on the one that I like the most.
4. Collect every single item within a certain subset genre of items (I'm not telling you what it is, but I have an obsession)

Glorious_Platypus · June 19

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

I have around 50 accounts. And over 300 characters...

I'm blown away by this. Nay, I'm flabbergasted. I just can't imagine. That's insaaaaaaane

Glorious_Platypus · June 19

freespirit wrote: »

I could also easily say pick Templar too, I can solo pretty much everything that can be solo-ed in the base game, add in a companion and non base game gets easy too.

I have several accounts and on one I am doing a complete playthrough just on a Templar......... did I mention I love Templars???

I would probably be maining Templar right now if SPEARS were a weapon type in this game. Templar has that one spell that looks like you're throwing a spear made out of light but it's a poor approximation of the actual fantasy of a spear user.

Glorious_Platypus · June 19

update: I made a new Necromancer today and I think I'll be concentrating on him for a good while

DoofusMax · June 19

Glorious_Platypus wrote: »

Any advice? Lol

500 hours per character is probably closer to "I want all the skill points" than it is to getting a well-skill and well-kitted character. But yes, doing either is a time-commitment. After a bit more than five years, I have characters of all classes on my main account, they're all well-skilled for the kind of content I like to play, and it's more a question of "who do I want to be today?" than it is "what needs to be done for this character?" Prior to that point, the routine was "knock out crafting dailies and then decide who needed skills and skill points."

But I started from the idea the ESO was going to be my time-sink and the rest was just figuring out how I was going to spend that time. I've taken sort-of breaks from ESO over the years, but made it a point to log in and at least knock out crafting dailies on one character (3-ish minutes) before going on to no-life something else for a while. Starfield and Borderlands 4 didn't last very long, Cyberpunk 2077 did (ESO was actually my taking a break from Cyberpunk), Expedition 33 ate a few months, No Man's Sky ate a bit from time to time, but ESO has remained the consistent time-eater. Once you've decided where your time is going, then the rest mostly takes care of itself.

Except for one throw-away character who was needed to check something which could only be checked by a low-level (didn't feel like going to PTS for that), I haven't deleted a character since I back-burnered an alt account in 2022 or 2023 (pared it back to one "keeper") and I deleted a long-time lowbie on EU a few months ago because I was going to start new one anyway (only one character on EU). Aside from those, which had practical reasons for the deletion, if I make a character, I keep it.

All of that out of the way, I'm not exceptionally happy with my Necro. It's just not an enjoyable class (lingering effects from nerfs a couple of years ago), so he does his dailies and moves aside for others. My DK is also close to that status, but I really need to just make time to play her so I can redo her build and probably rekit her. She's still fun to play, especially since the refresh, but her build is just really dated and I've just not made the time to do that.

EDIT to add: I'm a solid believer in every account having one crafter that gets first dibs on everything (motifs, furnishing plans, recipes, etc.). Other characters can do as they do, but one crafter who can make whatever any other characters need is just about required. Because I have multiple characters and multiple characters create their own headaches, I've got "spare" deconners, scryers, and the like. But the crafter started out as the "do it all" character.

BXR_Lonestar · June 19

Its easy, my first character. He's the one I do all my story quests on. He's the one I typically grab when SHTF in hard content because he's my most well built-out healer.

Gabriel_H · June 19

Oh that's an easy one. I only have one.

Glorious_Platypus · June 19

BXR_Lonestar wrote: »

Its easy, my first character. He's the one I do all my story quests on. He's the one I typically grab when SHTF in hard content because he's my most well built-out healer.

Wait so I don't have to do the story on each of my characters? Doesn't it give like... bonuses, skill points only available from quests

Melivar · June 19

I have my original Nightblade who pretty much does all of my questing and learns all the things and stuff when things come up. Will sometime respec for other content but as built is a mediocre DPS at best.

Then I have a few characters who I prefer to play for Dungeons and Trial content. Necro Tank, Templar Healer and Sorc DPS. Some questing done to reexperience content that was fun, some just to hit necessary Skill Points to have all the pretty things.

I have 18 total characters who were all play things, new classes, alternate specs before they made things easy, and to help me max out the anniversary event via crafting dailies. That's pretty much all they are used for these days.

Gabriel_H · June 19

Glorious_Platypus wrote: »

BXR_Lonestar wrote: »

Its easy, my first character. He's the one I do all my story quests on. He's the one I typically grab when SHTF in hard content because he's my most well built-out healer.

Wait so I don't have to do the story on each of my characters? Doesn't it give like... bonuses, skill points only available from quests

Yes the main quest and the zone stories give skill points but there are so many skill point sin the game that you don't need to do them.

Back in a mo with a screenshot:

Glorious_Platypus · June 19

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Back in a mo with a screenshot:

Woah. What addon is this?

Arunei · June 19

The character I started my account with is the one I do everything on in terms of crafting, questing, most Events (aside from Jubilee, I do Crafting Writs on all my characters during that), and such. I have a few other characters I do actual content like Dungeons on, tho it's usually my WW I do stuff on these days. Most of my other characters are RP characters who I don't touch the game itself with (again other than for the Jubilee).

Do you want all of your characters to be developed with a bunch of Skill Points who can all do everything? Or are you fine with having one character do everything and the others just kind of exist doing their own thing whenever? Ultimately at the end of the day, the only way one can really decide on which character to develop is to see how you feel about each character.

If it helps you really only need one Crafter, so you really only need one character to give all your Furnishing Plans, Style Pages, Recipes, and Motifs to. That character doesn't have to be one you do Overland content on, and the character you do content on on doesn't have to be the one you do Trials on. Having different characters for different things you do might help in deciding, since it's then not a matter of "which single character do I focus on". You could have a character dedicated to doing each of the different things you want. Tho that could also make it harder to get numerous characters set up.

Gabriel_H · June 19

Glorious_Platypus wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Back in a mo with a screenshot:

Woah. What addon is this?

https://www.esoui.com/downloads/info1863-UrichsSkillPointFinder.html

DoofusMax · June 19

Glorious_Platypus wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Back in a mo with a screenshot:

Woah. What addon is this?

Urich's Skill Point Finder

katanagirl1 · June 20

I would get one of your characters up to level 50 with 160 cp (champion points) so it will be easier to level up others first. Once you do that you can assign cp to new characters right away.

M0ntie · June 20

I've got about 15 characters. I made a couple of each class, one stam and one mag before the armourer came in.
I have a main character that I do overland and zone achievements on. She was the first one that I made - a NB. NBs were meta at the time for dps. I don't especially like NBs, but I like this character. I also was doing achievements on her before account wide achievements came in and have just gotten into the habit of doing achievements on her.
The other characters I play when I feel like, or their particular class/skills are required for something. They are all fully levelled.

Horace-Wimp · June 20

Glorious_Platypus wrote: »

...Any advice? Lol

Sorcerer or Templar.

Glorious_Platypus · June 20

M0ntie wrote: »

I've got about 15 characters. I made a couple of each class, one stam and one mag before the armourer came in.
I have a main character that I do overland and zone achievements on. She was the first one that I made - a NB. NBs were meta at the time for dps. I don't especially like NBs, but I like this character. I also was doing achievements on her before account wide achievements came in and have just gotten into the habit of doing achievements on her.
The other characters I play when I feel like, or their particular class/skills are required for something. They are all fully levelled.

Heh. Yeah my very first character is deleted and long gone by now. Don't even remember the name. The 2024 one I mean. I actually played also when the game first released a very very long time ago and of course that one's gone now too lol.

katanagirl1 wrote: »

I would get one of your characters up to level 50 with 160 cp (champion points) so it will be easier to level up others first. Once you do that you can assign cp to new characters right away.

This is a good suggestion, thanks.