ESO Endeavors will be added to Elder Scrolls Online as part of Update 30, in Mid-June. Endeavors is a system that’s part of the free update for all players and consists of weekly and daily quests. You do not need to own the Blackwood chapter to use the ESO Endeavors system. These quests will reward you with exp and gold, as well as a new currency. Let’s break it down. A true player friendly feature or just dodging regulations?
ESO Endeavors – more dailies?
Elder Scrolls Online is a huge game. With all its updates, chapters, and huge PVP map, there is always something to do. Each chapter brings new dailies to complete on top of the old dailies, crafting dailies, and PVP dailies. Furthermore, if you have an alt you probably still need to train their mount and research some traits. Daily dungeons to run and a daily reward to claim.
Now they promise to add even more to do daily. Doesn’t sound that good if your playtime is short and just want to do some questing or PVP. If you want everything done right it becomes a chore.
The Endeavors system on the other hand promises to be simple. The daily and weekly quests are automatically added to the Activity Finder menu, no need to pick them up at a capital. And most of them won’t be that hard to complete outside of your normal play style.
There is a limit to the amount of daily and weekly Endeavors you can complete. You can pick and choose the ones that are easiest for your play style. Once you complete your daily or weekly cap, the rest is locked and changes out at the end of the day/week.
Completion is automatic, rewards are received automatically and you get a simple notification when you complete one. Rewards range from gold to EXP and the new currency.
Seals of Endeavors
This new currency will allow you to buy any of the currently available Crown Crate items. You know those loot boxes they sell for Crowns. It’s a very welcome addition if you don’t feel like paying for Crowns. Or if you, by principle, don’t want to support gambling practices in gaming.
We have no idea how much any of the items will cost when it comes to their Seals of Endeavors amount. How much the dailies and weeklies will pay out and how long you will have to grind for one of the apex mounts. Nonetheless it’s a welcome addition, if the tasks really are easy enough.
A more in depth look at the system, rewards and tasks will be covered in the ESO Blackwood Review (coming soon).
ESO Endeavors – For the players?
It still begs the question, why? Is it because they want to give something to the players? Why would they give away some of the rarer items in game for free? Do they really care about people who never invest beyond the initial sale?
Well after doing some digging, it seems obvious Microsoft has their hands in this decision. Well, Microsoft with their Xbox Game Studios Loot Box Policies. Read them here.
Especially item number 2: ”Items in loot boxes can always be earned through play. All items available through paid loot boxes in our games will also be available through unpaid opportunity by gameplay (i.e. grinding).”
Staying in line with Microsoft’s policy allows ESO to remain a part of the Microsoft store for Xbox and Windows. And a part of the Xbox Game Pass service (which is a great deal with this simple trick btw).
You need a good PR department to sell an adaptation to regulation as a feature for the players. And they did well. Personally, I’m happy with it. But it will depend on the amount of grind I have to put in to get that mount. I also suspect it will be a completionist’s nightmare. But more on that when the update goes live.