Bethesda and Zenimax's The Elder Scrolls Online does much to differentiate itself from other MMOs. Having decades of lore from the Elder Scrolls franchise available certainly helps stitch together a cohesive and engaging story, but its gameplay elements are also unlike any other MMO on the market.

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Being a story and choice-driven game, The Elder Scrolls Online boasts one of the most immersive questing experiences, but that's not to say it's lacking in end-game content, in fact, the opposite. With a suite of expansions and DLC available to players new and old, there's never been a better time to start exploring the vast world of Tamriel set thousands of years before the events of the main franchise.

10 It's Less An MMO, More An RPG

While The Elder Scrolls Online has plenty of end-game and community-building content (perhaps one of the best crafting guild systems in any MMO), it's the exploration and story that make the game what it is today. Player choices matter, quests are engaging and interesting, and there's an almost overwhelming number of builds each basic class can follow.

When one looks at games like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2, the main draw of new expansions and content is the end-game. For The Elder Scrolls Online, that content is there for players who want to experience it, but the majority of the game is spent immersed in the narrative.

9 Loot All The Things

Backpack space is certainly an issue for new players, especially if they don't have upgraded bags or bank space. Nonetheless, players can loot just about everything in the world and sell it to vendors for a tidy profit – that is, if it wasn't stolen.

Where The Elder Scrolls Online really differs from other MMOs is in its worldbuilding and interactivity. Players can take everything from cheese wheels to weapons laying on the ground, but unfortunately, it's not possible to drag corpses and make them do silly poses.

8 Don't Sell Old Gear, Deconstruct It Instead

The Elder Scrolls Online crafting system takes much inspiration from its single-player counterpart games. In Skyrim, players can deconstruct weapons into smaller parts that are then used for crafting. It's no different in ESO.

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It's wildly tempting to sell all the gear the character doesn't need at the nearest vendor to free up space. Instead, look for a crafting bench that will yield profession experience and new crafting materials from unusable gear.

7 Try Out Every Skill Tree

Another way The Elder Scrolls Online differs from other MMOs is in its skill tree system. Just because a player chooses to be a Nightblade, it doesn't mean they can't use ranged spells or learn hybrid skills that might not fit the traditional rogue archetype.

While each class has its own particular focus (Dragonknights are great tanks, and Wardens are fantastic support), they can all use just about every weapon and armor set found in the game, provided the player has the skill to wear such gear. The game doesn't hole the player into a specific role, so be sure to spend some time and explore the options available to each class.

6 Just About Everything Scales

It's become a recent trend within MMOs and RPGs for the world to scale to the player. What this means is that it doesn't matter where the player decides to pick up quests; they will always be scaled to the player's current level.

One of the exceptions to this is the PvP area, Cyrodiil, where players are automatically scaled up to Level 50. Players can start out in the traditional starting areas, or decide to skip it all and head straight for later-game areas without being under-leveled.

5 Heavy Attacks Regenerate Magicka and Stamina

This is something not many Elder Scrolls Online players take full advantage of. Heavy attacks with all weapons will restore resources to the player. This means a heavy sword swing, a charged staff attack, or a power shot can equally restore magicka and stamina.

This benefits hugely from the hybrid class builds encouraged by the game. A sorcerer can restore magicka with a charged staff shot from far away just as well as she can charge into battle wielding a two-handed sword, for example.

4 Don't Attack NPCs (Even If It's An Option)

On the subject of interactable environments in Elder Scrolls Online, NPCs are fully interactable and even killable. But just like in the single-player Elder Scrolls games, don't expect to get away with it easily without careful planning.

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It's best to sheathe weapons when in areas with lots of friendly NPCs. A single wild swing could set the city guard on the player, ruining progress and incurring a hefty fine.

3 Traveling Between Wayshrines Is Free

The cost of fast travel in The Elder Scrolls Online can be a bit inhibitive to new players with little money to their name. However, by finding a nearby wayshrine to travel from instead, players can avoid the cost of fast traveling in the field.

With that said, it's certainly best to explore the world and not try to skip the amazing content the game has to offer. If players do find themselves far away from a quest target, check the map for the nearest wayshrine to get there quickly and on the cheap.

2 Quests Come From Random NPCs

Most NPCs in ESO are fully voiced with unique dialogue and tips for the player. Many NPCs that offer unique quests aren't marked on the map, and the player has to instead come across them organically while exploring.

Be sure to talk to every friendly NPC and run through their dialogue to see if there's anything unique they can offer. Chances are, they're looking for a missing person, or better yet, looking for their missing garments.

1 There's A Lot To Be Found Off The Beaten Path

While many MMOs will guide the player linearly through pre-determined paths toward the end-game, The Elder Scrolls Online puts the focus on exploration, questing, and becoming immersed in the world of Tamriel. While the single-player Elder Scrolls games each focus on a particular province within Tamriel, The Elder Scrolls Online features a huge array of areas encompassing nearly the full map of Tamriel.

Some are new, such as the Alik'r Desert and Summerset, while others return as familiar favorites, such as Morrowind and The Rift. The best pro tip new players need to know is that The Elder Scrolls Online doesn't care if it takes years to get to max level. Instead, it is solely focused on creating an immersive and beautiful experience that just so happens to have hundreds of thousands of other players running around too.

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