A Beginners guide to The Elder Scrolls Online

A Complete, easy to follow beginners guide for the MMORPG 'The Elder Scrolls Online'.
This guide is aimed at people who have never played and MMO before, and will cover all the basics, from simple movement to combat abilities, and give you all the knowledge you need to make a good start in one of the best MMO games ever made.
Patreon: www.patreon.com/joshstrifehayes
Twitch: www.twitch.tv/joshstrifehayes
Discord: discord.gg/GM2sCUX
Twitter: joshstrifehayes
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Timecodes:
00:00 - Intro
00:52 - What is an MMORPG?
01:22 - What Platforms can you play ESO on?
02:05 - Buying the Core game, and the expansions.
03:45 - ESO Plus
04:30 - Character Creation
04:53 - Alliances
05:20 - Races
06:00 - Classes
07:37 - Physical appearance
08:45 - Starting the Game
09:14 - Camera Control
09:36 - Movement
10:03 - Interacting with the world
10:16 - Non-Player Characters
11:11 - Taking items
11:40 - Stealing items
12:15 - User Interface
12:46 - Menu Overlay (Left Alt)
13:07 - Crown Store
13:25 - Inventory and Equipped items (I)
16:32 - Character stats (C)
17:24 - Magicka
17:45 - Health
17:55 - Stamina
18:11 - Major Stats
18:48 - Map and Travel (M)
19:45 - Map Progress
19:58 - Wayshrines
20:34 - Starting in another Zone
21:07 - Setting a custom map marker
21:24 - Combat
21:33 - Melee Combat
22:26 - Skills and Abilities (K)
24:40 - Hotbar Abilities
25:30 - Blocking and Bashing
26:13 - Looting dead enemies
26:25 - Magic and Ranged Combat
27:21 - Quickslots (Q)
28:11 - Quests (J)
29:23 - Starting a Quest
31:19 - Gathering and Crafting
32:50 - Crafting Skill lines
33:03 - Finding Iron Ore
33:48 - Refining raw materials
34:39 - Creating new Items
37:34 - Deconstructing Items
38:05 - Improvement
39:05 - Researching Traits
40:00 - Trading NPC's and Shops
41:16 - Guild Vendors
41:54 - Talking to Other Players
42:10 - interacting with other Players
43:23 - Death
43:55 - Equipment Durability Damage
44:14 - Levelling up
44:30 - Morphing Abilities
45:24 - Skyshards
45:58 - Mounts (U)
46:30 - PVP in Cyrodiil (L)
47:06 - Dungeons (P)
47:26 - Combat Roles. Tank, Healer, DPS
48:52 - Criminal System
49:50 - Outro
#####
ESO Wiki: elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Elder+Scrolls+Online+Wiki

[@pabond008]

"This button let's you access loot boxes. *Do not click on this.* " Love it.

[@rickygames6646]

I audibly laughed when he said that. He is a true hero.

[@teatimecowboy]

As a person who buys crates, I agree. Do not click on the crates.

[@wesleyhaight8791]

As a new player about to start the game, can I ask why we shouldnt click it?

[@rickygames6646]

@@wesleyhaight8791 lootboxes see in game gambling. Do not throw your money away on These.

[@wesleyhaight8791]

@@rickygames6646 cheers bud

[@jakeoliver9167]

I have autism and I’ve always struggled trying to start this game because help videos tend to be vague and assume I’ve played an mmo before. I just wanna say thank you for explaining it so well 😊 started the greymoor chapter with my wood elf warden

[@jaciebennett7452]

🥺🥺

[@meridiasbeacon7669]

Hope you've had a great journey so far, sincerely a fellow autist, playing since around 2016 :)

[@inactive7829]

Are you still playing? :o

[@jtk961]

@@meridiasbeacon7669 same here since 2015

[@DONEBRIBE]

You don't have autism at all.. People use that as an excuse

[@Cowboy1Brian]

my son just convinced me to get this game (it was on sale for $8 so it really didnt take much of a push) and I am a bit overwhelmed. i want to say thank you for this. I even appreciate the fact that you mention how difficult it would be to put something like this together, because I was thinking that very thing. this really helped me to understand some of the screens, and what Im looking at, and how I need to think in order to make the correct selections, choices, etc. although I dont have it all down after watching this the first time, I will save this in my library and revert back to it, repeatedly. Thank you.

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

Hope you both enjoy your adventure in Tamriel :D

[@CJ00014]

This has to be one of the best begineers guide to any game ever. Extremely complete and detailed. Didn't even feel the 50 minutes

[@westydiddly737]

Best tip: Stick to the roads when following quest marker 😁

[@anabnormaltuesday5416]

Thank you westy for the nice tip

[@regularfern]

I REFUSE

[@saeiih6104]

Skyrim had conditioned me to not follow this tip

[@sorrawitsriwan892]

Thank You

[@nullified___6429]

@@regularfern trust him, STICK TO THE ROADS

[@nsanchez_mke]

Been playing for 5+ years, but still watching the whole thing... Idk why this is so relaxing to listen to. Like daytime tv or something but for gamer

[@nsanchez_mke]

@grthym21 definitely eso. There's no sub and it's just better. The PVP is arguable. But for reference I'm still using max level gear from my first year in the game. Although expansion usually have strong gear it doesn't make everything else obsolete

[@nsanchez_mke]

@grthym21 also this video doesn't talk about the community. The eso community is so friendly I've only bumped in o 1 or 2 toxic people each year. There's awesome guilds with massive guild house complexes that have every crafting station (like 80+ crafted gear sets). Dps testing dummies, and dedicated crafters who help out.

[@nsanchez_mke]

@grthym21 also there's a free eso+ week right now. You get access to all dlc content and craft bag. Some content stays with you if you do the quest too. Like dlc crafting, guild and open world skills

[@zhalosupercell2486]

@@nsanchez_mke the most toxic thing I’ve seen is traveling to davons watch and finding to guys cussing each other out at the wayshrike

[@sandrabollock7808]

Nice to see a great video after all this time bringing new players in beautiful game well worth a play for Anyone given price of it now

[@Gengchen82]

I wished all beginner guides were like this, great job man.

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

Thank you, hope you have a great time in the game:)

[@DoctorObviously]

@@JoshStrifeHayes I agree, this is a great video.

[@JustShineLikeSky]

This is one of the most beautifully explained Tutorials I have ever seen. Your voice, your effort, the way you describe things is inspirational! I will start playing ESO and found your video. I wish all tutorials were that structured and well explained. Thank you so much!

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

You're more than welcome sky :)

[@ashleyakers3260]

yeah this is super high quality and exactly what i was looking for.

[@Patrick-qd1xz]

I agree 100% explained perfect u just got ur self a new sub thanks 4 the video

[@tessadavis5983]

This is super helpful thanks ✌

[@ronnietravis741]

I wish all guide videos were as good and detailed as this. good job man. thanks

[@invivo2005]

Started ESO because of this wonderful guide (and it being on sale). It astounds me to see the patron list before and now (11/2021). Always knew Josh will do well.

[@cmvgomj]

21:49 a fully charged heavy attack regenerates the corresponding resource. Duel wield, 1h, snb, bow = stamina, staffs = magic

[@toddofthelake1182]

Probably a dumb question but if you don't mind me asking what is snb?

[@cmvgomj]

It stands for sword and board which is just a 1h weapon and a shield

[@TikachooYT]

He also mentions your recoveries are less in combat. This is not true, if it's 2k, it's 2k in and out of combat

[@missgrimreaper2000]

Wow, I feel like even my mother could understand ESO with this video. Only MMORPG I ever played and I love it. Only reason i got it is because i love TES universe and i played all of the games except Arena, I didn't even know it was an MMO.

[@craigslitzer4857]

This is the only ESO beginner's guide that's actually scripted for beginners. Very nicely done. Cheers.

[@iso125de]

Hi Josh, great work. I‘m playing ESO for a few years now. This is the best and most comprehensive tutorial I‘ve seen so far. Kudos to you.

[@FremRacing]

Finally found a beginner tutorial created actually for beginners. Thank you, very well explained

[@HotRefuse]

I'm enjoying how this game looks and runs on PS5. I have a great PC, but I'm on that thing all day for work. It's nice to get great visuals and high frames while I'm sitting on my couch.

[@philipauster6957]

I bought Tamriel Unlimited before watching this video (PS4). I can't find the Standard edition disc version. Is it ok to start online with Tamriel Unlimited? I've been on Skyrim for almost a year now. Thought I'd give ESO a try. Thanks for any advice.

[@emily-ht4of]

@@philipauster6957 yes, they renamed the base game “The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited” you’ve got the right thing

[@philipauster6957]

@@emily-ht4of thanks for clarifying this. This game is certainly different play style than Skyrim. I'm debating whether to go the ESO Plus cause I'm having to destroy a lot of stuff because of limited shortage space.

[@birdnoir5841]

You are probably the only person here in the MMO and gaming sphere with a relatively big following who talks about this game. Which is a shame, it's really good

[@ghoulfood4743]

Just discovered this video. I am currently level 12 and play on PS4. The weapon crafting guide was especially useful and now makes a lot more sense! Thanks!

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

No problem Ghoul, hope you enjoy the game :D

[@michaelnapper4565]

This video is like an ice cold drink of water on a hot day. Josh, you are a wizard. A ninja. Some guy. Thank you sir.

[@L1NKN]

This is my favorite MMO and it's the game which got me into MMOs.

[@Tuttifrutti_Extrafruchtig]

My little nephew got into mmos recently. I play mmos for 20 years and for me every new mmo, that is released, is to intuitive for me. I have no patient to explain simple actions. I have shown JSH's video and now he is playing ESO. He even made notes for himself. :D Thank you very much for this tutorial :)

[@KaijuStormWolf]

Wow... this just dropped as I was installing ESO after watching your "should you play..." videos...

[@syafiquegigs]

ESO got a sale today at Steam and Im finally able to purchase it (I'm broke lol). This guide is extremely useful for newbies like me who never ever play any kinda of MMO. Cant wait to start, thank you for the tutorial!

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

You're welcome, enjoy the game :D

[@GnarledStaff]

Oof, dont get it through steam if you can avoid it

[@user-gd2rg8xg2y]

@@GnarledStaff been playing the steam release for ages, and its fine its also an extremely popular platform for eso in general

[@skaterextralarge]

As guides / tutorials go... this is probably the best ive come across and not just for ESO. Incredibly good video man, great job. Thank you

[@zacharysoares1985]

I've been playing ESO for five years and loved this video great job bud.

[@miglehp4592]

Thank you Josh this really helps me pickup Eso again, I stopped playing because I felt very lost when I started.

[@michaelcoffey1991]

Tremendous guide Josh I wish I had a quality video like this for the game back when we started. I hope this gets the many many views this high quality video deserves. Kudos Sir

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

Cheers Michael, ill keep making the best stuff i can :)

[@nsanchez_mke]

The crafting breakdown is actually really good. Starting after 35:00

[@michaelh7630]

This is an absolutely amazing, professional-level intro to this game. Wonderful topic and discussion structure, excellent narration, great visual accompaniment to the narration. Many thanks to you!

[@daltonarthur922]

Best beginner guide I've seen on ESO. Looking forward to seeing more of your amazing content!!

[@JamesOKeefe-US]

Truly wonderful guide and of course even better with Josh' voice and humor! 👍 If only all guides were this comprehensive and well written. Outstanding! Thank you for doing this and saving many of us dozens of hours.

[@Nettiaz]

This is the best guide I found! Explains everything clearly and systematically which is perfect for a new beginner. Thank you!

[@cmbianchi1]

As others have noted, you have done an amazing job explaining this. All other so-called beginner guides seem to think viewers already know about the "compass" or the "left ALT" key - these are the minute details that I appreciate so much!! Thank you!

[@JordanStar7]

Just started ESO and so happy I found this video. So helpful!

[@carlhuff9515]

Started my adventure 2 months ago. I'm very addicted to the grind. Thanks for the in depth guide very well done!😀

[@GnarledStaff]

Error: heavy attacks gain stamina for melee and magicka for staves- they dont use those resources

[@user-co3gv7oh7j]

i was looking for something like this, perfect thank you, just subscribed.

[@jacquelineflores5188]

A God send 🙏🏼🙏🏼 I started a bit ago so I got the basics but there was still so many that just felt confusing. This was amazing, thank you !

[@kingslaphappy1533]

What a great guide! You have the perfect voice, pacing and knowledge for this. Well done!

[@h2t26]

It's been over 2 yrs since I played ESO, and needed a quick refresher since when I logged on I was just lost forgetting everything. So this was pretty helpful even for a somewhat veteran. I could just skip to what I need and move on. Thank you!

[@rickopika6480]

You sir did an amazing job.

[@VznceEmpire]

Thank you Josh im so lost without you even if this video is two years old i manage to understand the game now and im so happy about it your the best ive been ruining my time so much in the last years trying to play it but wasn't sure how to play properly. Thank you again BEST BEGINEER GUIDE EVER ❤️

[@oxkarebearxo7040]

I've never played this game and after watching your video i'm seriously considering in purchasing the game. Your guide is quite detailed and has help me make a decision on actually giving it a try. Thanks for your vidéo, i went ahead and subscribed to your channel also. :)

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

Cheers bear :) Pick up the game when its on sale if you can, and remember theres no monthly sub :)

[@slawomiraraczynska6246]

Great tutorial, simply and very detailed. Step by step. Extremely helpful even for not very beginners. Thank you so much!

[@silentrabbit4799]

Thank you I'm new to this game and it helped me a lot👍

[@dr.zespert]

this is the best most extensive guide i’ve found for not only elder scrolls online, but ANY video game ever. thanks!!

[@Coolsome2]

bro that was the best introduction ever. ive been playing the game for a few weeks but i needed a little more insight when comes to crafting and what not. thank you for the content.

[@tbone9474]

I love how you can both listen to this as a genuine step by step tutorial, or a condescending jerk holding your hand. Your voice is perfect for this

[@punishersnake4888]

i started this game about a week ago... been looking for a guide to help get started... the people who make every single other guide besides this one has their head up their own asses and doesnt explain anything... you in one video have helped me more than the last 10 videos i have watched... great job and thanks for the help

[@tygs9326]

This is a brilliant video. Very professional and enjoyable to watch/listen to. Great detail and organization. Excellent work friend 👍

[@lucilleashton4572]

Necromancer tank FTW! Edit: 21:43 Holding down a heavy attack unlike the other TES games does not consume stamina but actually returns it, same goes for magicka with staves! Edit 2: Tanks in TESO shouldn't be expected to hold every enemies threat, it's practically impossible there is no aoe taunt, however some enemies were more of a threat to DPS/healers and should be the tanks main target. Edit 3: It's a really great guide for imho a really great MMO. I love how you don't need the most recent chapter or DLC to attain the best gear, I love how class doesn't dictate combat direction, just abilities, You may not be able to pull the 140k DPS meta pricks pull without some of the DLC content, but you can still be able to pull 30k-50k DPS which is more than enough for most social content such as dungeons, and most trials. The thing that has pissed me off the most since launch, and I believe this ideology has mostly been stopped by the majority of players, is the meta nerds stating "Only dragon knights can and should tank" And has been something I've worked against ever since Vvardenfell (morrowind) dropped and Wardens were released. As soon as Necromancers released I've main tanked a Necromancer and have never ran into any issued regarding damage reduction or capabilities. As I stated in a prior edit, Tanks can't hold threat on every enemy as most encounters have a lot of enemies, though I do attempt to pull as many to me, it's all the same if none were agroed, There are specific enemies that can squish everyone but the tank and it's those trash mobs that get primary focus alongside bosses. If any new players do read this comment the most valuable information I could ever give is this: Play the game at your pace, don't rush to level 50 or CP 160, those will come in time. If you have a question don't feel ashamed or scared to ask in zone chat, while a lot of people might seem hostile because of their shit posting it's all in good fun and usually isn't intended to be hostile towards any one player, a lot of us experienced players have no problem stopping what we're doing to aid you in whatever it is you need answered or for content you need done whether it's a world boss, dungeon or quest help. Play the game how you want to no matter if it goes against the meta, TESO has been constructed in a way that no matter how bad your bars or equipment is done, you can still do pretty much any content with some exceptions. Have fun exploring the continent of Tamriel!

[@potatoplayz3087]

Now this is what I want when looking for help to start a game. You sir have done an amazing job and definitely subscribed

[@Tanstaafl_74]

Holy crap look how small the patreon list is. Come a long way in just a few years. Kinda wish Josh did videos like this still, he's so good at it.

[@essence9323]

I just bought this from the Open World sale on Steam for $8. This was sooo helpful to a beginner like me. You explain everything so simple and easy and answered all my questions I had trouble finding online. Thank you.

[@Tipsey_McStagger]

Thank you very much for your help. Im a complete newb to MMORPG and have never played a Skyrim game. All I wanted to do was find out how to craft stuff and I just could not find anything that made sense to me until I found your video. Amazing. Thank you!

[@centaurld6442]

Hello Josh, your video is extremely well done, very useful in learning the game, the world and everything you can do in the game. I appreciate your effort. Thank you.

[@bixbites]

been playing for a few weeks now and figured i had a good handle on stuff, but this really helped clarify some things that have been confusing me. love the videos, dude!

[@geminibutts]

This is such a nice video :) I wish I had this video when I first started mmos! I'm just trying eso again (the first time was years ago before I'd played an mmo and I was overwhelmed), this is so helpful!

[@manuhendriks4302]

"Don't trust a big butt and a gemini" Doja cat - Juicy

[@financeranger]

Very thorough and professional vid mate, ESO is downloading now!

[@medea27]

What a brilliant guide! Many people (including many game studios!) make 'instruction manuals' which detail the nuts & bolts of a game & the gameplay - a 'guide' imparts wisdom & insights which empower a player to learn their own way, regardless of their experience with the game or the genre. It's the little things, the seemingly insignificant insights that make all the difference to learning something new - even just knowing it's OK to make mistakes because there's numerous safety nets to help you return to the game. And your delivery is spot-on as usual - this is far better than most tutorials the studios create, a true guide in every sense of the word! 🧐👍

[@carthage7836]

I dont know if youll be reading this but Thank you so much. Appreciate your time and effort!

[@simonemartinello7528]

Fantastic video Josh. Great work. Very detailed. Super useful. Thank you very much.

[@Miyakies]

Thank you for this tutorial. I didn’t feel dumb when watching this, it was very easy to follow along and understand! Thank you again ☺️

[@Musky577]

Thank You! Just started playing a couple days ago and this video finally made crafting make sense to me!

[@PSzg]

Great comprehensive guide for the beginners. Thank you very much.

[@sunidaze]

It's crazy coming in 9 months later and seeing how big the text is on your Patreon List.

[@theace9104]

This is the best beginner guide i have ever seen for eso, thanks very much

[@nymeria9361]

Thank you SO much for the detailed info about the game. Just bought it today and will play it after I’ve watched the entire video ~

[@magmahawk583]

There’s a 10th anniversary sale on steam and this is now my main guide for starting the game, love this video

[@dagetheevil1]

I appreciate this video so much, I'm very familiar with MMOs in general, but recently started ESO for a new experience

[@amigazo3972]

This is the most insane guide for beginners ever seen. Good job man! :D

[@nicolefarrington2199]

Thank you so much for this video! I am a massive oblivion/skyrim lover and brought eso a few years ago….. but have never been able to get into it as it all seemed just too over my head but this video just breaks it all down so brilliantly! So here’s to having another go now it all makes a bit more sense! Thanks

[@Nadiahardcandy]

I’m a noob to this game so thanks so much for putting this on. I cooked dinner and watched it and now I’m going to take a crack at the game ❤️

[@clashclash433]

Thanks for making this video it helped me a lot! Loving the game so far :)

[@mzorkot5644]

Holy shit.. im so glad i watched this! Great job mate ❤️ real helpful

[@beccasbrushstrokes9528]

New to ESO but loving it. My firs experience with an MMORP setting and it's great! thanks so much for the informative video.

[@antihero8603]

I've been playing the game for over 300 hours now, but I am still learning new things through this guide. Thank you, sir!

[@L1NKN]

Keep up the good work Josh!

[@WhipDarling]

This is an absolutely brilliant guide. I picked up the game a while ago but was completely lost as I started!

[@lmmc7708]

wow i was waiting for this

[@DaigakuYT]

Just started playing and this guide is absolutely fantastic. Thank you!

[@lorisan-9059]

Thank you so much for creating this video! My bfs friends have refused playing Elder Scrolls with him, but he loves it! He’s asked me to play, but since he’s helping his family with financial troubles, he can’t afford another Xbox. This month will mark our 6 year anniversary, and luckily I’ve bought him an Xbox series x in order to play with him (we currently have one xbox console). Although he has explained how Elder Scrolls works, watching this video has helped me understand so much more. You’ve helped me and other spouses/friends prep before diving into the experience of playing Elder Scrolls. Again, thank you! I hope he enjoys the surprise c!

[@Whit3hat]

I am starting my ESO journey, so excited thx for this

[@eranramis52]

This is a really good guide! It helped me very much

[@ademiranda2]

Great tutorial, thank you. I don't play these type of games anymore because the thought of learnig how feels overwhelming. This was helpful.

[@thatchanguy]

Josh, just started ESO since I got it on the Steam sale. Looking forward to settling into it (already got my Earl Grey drink)!

[@raisingthebar2149]

Did I misunderstand or did that say over TWO MONTHS wait time to learn a trait? Man. And I thought waiting three days for a warframe to build was rough.

[@redderater6062]

Actually it said that from start it takes 4 months, it takes 2 months to go from rank 8 to 9

[@user-et8vm9cc3t]

@@redderater6062 Wait... am I supposed to stay at that workbench for days to learn the trait?

[@redderater6062]

@@user-et8vm9cc3t no you can leave it, but it will take a long time before you can learn another trait for that profession

[@user-et8vm9cc3t]

@@redderater6062 Oh, cool, thanks. But I guess I can still forge stuff and deconstruct, right?

[@GnarledStaff]

@@user-et8vm9cc3t Yes

[@funroom4367]

Thanks a lot! I watched a lot of the beginner guides and this one is the best.

[@dupre7416]

Excellent video. I've been playing for three months and I learned quite a few things.

[@phillipmerriman5603]

I just started playing and this is the best guide I have found. Thank you.

[@Dan-mz9pv]

i very much appreciate the effort you put into this video, it helped me a lot as a new player, well deserved subscribe and patreon sub

[@saraesat8935]

I just downloaded the game and I found this is so helpful. Thank you so much

[@JoshStrifeHayes]

More than welcome sara :)

[@ShadySydeGaming]

Watching this Video has made more excited to play ESO, Currently downloading. I can't wait :D

[@9Nails]

Thank you for this video. Best tutorial I've ever watched

[@oscarespada393]

I used to play a lot WoW and yesterday started playing eso. And love how I created a Paladin-hunter.

[@darlingrichardjames9362]

This is the perfect Beginners Guide video, impressively so. Thank you!

[@Cx787]

Very cool guide. Never play before but this make it all more easy yo understand. Thanks !!

[@LotsOfChocobos]

I've been playing ESO now for a few years and with a few thousand hours and this is the best complete beginners guide i've ever seen somewhere. A few corrections though: - 21:40 doing a heavy attack doesn't cost you stamina, but it gains you stamina back, so it doesn't deal less damage when you have no stamina left - 25:23 Abilities only take ~1 second to cool down instead of a few, that's also called a global cooldown that all abilities share, so if you use one abilitie, all abilities go on cooldown for ~1 second Other than those 2 things, it's a really good guide. Thanks for that, it makes the for beginners very confusing game, less confusing!

[@FLUFFY788]

Thank you for this!!! I'm extremely new to the game this guide is extremely helpful!!!!

[@louisoost121]

great Guide, really enjoyed it. The scenery is really nice and there really is a shit ton to do.

[@Paul_Hardy]

I've been playing this for years and knew almost nothing about the crafting system until now. Great guide.

[@viento9983]

Life saver guiide!! Have been wanting to get into MMOs for some time now.