Introduction
Making money is an important part of every MMORPG, and Elder Scrolls Online is no different. Possible ways of becoming reach in ESO are quite unique as far as MMOs go and can feel a bit counterintuitive, however. Many of you may think “Hey, I don’t have problems making money!”... yes, but how long does it take You? The most important part of farming gold is the efficiency of earning it, the more you earn per hour, the less time is required for sustaining yourself, and making a profit. With this guide, we aim to help you optimize your Gold earning endeavors, so that you have more time for fun in-game activities, and don’t feel burned out after hours of farming. In order to evaluate certain Gold-making activities, we have devised a point system, which will help you choose a farming method that suits you the best.
Point system explanation
We have granted from 1 to 10 points to every activity in each of the following categories: Time Consumption, Fun Factor, Risk Level, Potential Profits and Initial and Sustained Investment Needed. You can check the meaning of those scores in the table below (scoring system in some categories may feel unintuitive or reversed, but this is necessary in order to make the Total Score straightforward).
Also, please keep in mind that those scores are subjective and may vary greatly from your own experience and/or opinion!
Time Consumption - A higher number means LESS time needed for the activity (this includes mainly setup time needed at the start of the venture, and the minimal time investment needed for an activity to make it profitable). | |
Fun Factor - A higher number equals MORE Fun to be had while performing said Activity (this is probably the most subjective category). | |
Risk Level - A higher number means LOWER risk associated with the said activity (by risk we mean the probability of losing money or not making a profit while performing said Activity). | |
Potential Profits - A higher number means HIGHER potential profits (a Gold/hour invested is also taken into account). | |
Initial Investment Needed - A higher number means that LOWER initial investment is needed (the amount of Gold that has to be sunk to start and maintain an Activity; the Gold could be saved with more time investment in some cases). | |
Total Score - This shows how easy and profitable said activity is overall, the HIGHER the number, the better. |
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How to earn Gold
1. Trading |
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Time Consumption | 9 / 10 |
Fun Factor | 6 / 10 |
Risk Level | 8 / 10 |
Potential Profits | 10 / 10 |
Initial Investment Needed | 3 / 10 |
Total Score | 36 / 50 |
Description - Buy stuff cheaply and then sell said stuff for profit. A lot of people sell items for very cheap; your goal is to capitalize on that. | |
General Strategy - Arm yourself with some Gold (yes, this method will require quite substantial initial money investment, but you can also start with a small amount and slowly build up. However, the more money you invest initially, the higher profits you will get), and start checking the most popular Merchants (most popular = mostly the ones in the most populated areas). Set a minimal item price to filter out the trash, and start checking available listings. What you want to do next, is to buy everything that is listed below its regular Market price (some research may be needed if you don’t know all the prices), and then sell what you bought for a regular Market price. This has the potential of making you astronomical amounts of money, but the best “deals” usually do not stay at the Market for long, so you might want to check Merchants on a more regular basis. |
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Tips and Tricks | |
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2. Farming in Deshaan (Forgotten Crypts and World Bosses) |
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Time Consumption | 5 / 10 |
Fun Factor | 5 / 10 |
Risk Level | 8 / 10 |
Potential Profits | 7 / 10 |
Initial Investment Needed | 8 / 10 |
Total Score | 33 / 50 |
Description - Your main goal will be farming Bosses located in the Forgotten Crypts and around the rest of the Deshaan location in order to drop some High-end Set Gear. | |
General Strategy - Prepare your character for Solo PvE content, and make your way to Deshaan, locate the entrance to the Forgotten Crypts (it is located at the North-Western end of the Deshaan area) and then start running it over and over, and over again. In between the runs you might want to kill various World Bosses located around the area, just to keep things a bit more interesting (they are located in the following points of interest: Druitularg’s Ritual Altar Dire, Bramblepatch, Caravan Crest, and Mabrigash Burial Circle). The main prizes to be looted here are the parts of the following Overland Sets: Mother’s Sorrow, Plague Doctor, and Night Mother’s Embrace. Keep in mind that the drop chances are random, and your profits will somewhat depend on your RNG. | |
Tips and Tricks | |
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3. PvP Battlegrounds |
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Time Consumption | 4 / 10 |
Fun Factor | 8 / 10 |
Risk Level | 8 / 10 |
Potential Profits | 5 / 10 |
Initial Investment Needed | 6 / 10 |
Total Score | 31 / 50 |
Description - Battlegrounds award you with Alliance Points (AP), the currency that can be exchanged for some widely needed items and gear which in turn can be sold to other players for Gold. | |
General Strategy - Set your Character up for PvP, gear up and start farming Battlegrounds. Each completed BG will award you about 7500-16000 AP, you generally earn more for winning, and having a larger impact (Damage, Kills, and fulfilling objectives affect your AP reward). When you earn enough AP or get bored, or tired, or frustrated, you go to the Battlegrounds Merchant (they are located in the Gladiator’s Quarters of the major cities: Vulkhel Guard in Auridon, Daggerfall in Glenumbra, Davon’s Watch in Stonefalls, Alinor in Summerset, and Vivec City in Vvardenfell) or Elite Gear Vendors located in Cyrodiil, and buy items and/or gear for your hard-earned AP (check the Market prices in order to determine what items/gear pieces will give you the best AP/Gold ratio). This method is quite fun (if you are a PvP oriented Player), but requires some initial investment in a form of a Descent PvP Gear (you can, of course, go in naked, but you’ll earn much less AP that way). | |
Tips and Tricks | |
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4. PvE Content Farming in Cyrodiil |
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Time Consumption | 4 / 10 |
Fun Factor | 7 / 10 |
Risk Level | 5 / 10 |
Potential Profits | 7 / 10 |
Initial Investment Needed | 7 / 10 |
Total Score | 30 / 50 |
Description - Join one of the Cyrodiil Campaigns with a group of friends (or guildies, or random people), and make your way into Imperial Sewers, fight your way to the Centre and defeat the Boss for loot, but beware of the enemy Players. | |
General Strategy - This method will require you to join or assemble a group of at least 4-5 people (groups larger than 12 are not advised, because only 12 players will get loot after encounters). When the group is ready, join a Campaign, preferably the least popular one, as enemy Players tend to cause a lot of problems (Cyrodiil is a dedicated PvPvE zone after all). When you get into Cyrodiil, make your way to one of the Imperial Sewers Entrances (they are located around the middle of the map), enter them, and make your way to the central chamber. In the middle of the said chamber, there will be three portals; this is where your PvE fight will take place. After defeating a few waves of trash mobs, and three Flag Carriers, the Simulacrum of Molag Bal will spawn. The Boss and hiss Flag-Carriers are carrying some notable items, such as Key Fragments, Skins (Boss only), and Pets. All of these items (Skin especially) can be sold for a high profit. This method, while straight forward, is quite risky, as you and your group will be exposed to enemy Player attacks during the Boss encounter, so have eyes around your head, and clear the room of hostile Players before finishing the off the Boss. | |
Tips and Tricks | |
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END NOTE Elder Scrolls Online presents a lot of opportunities for money-making, and we have described just a small portion of them. Every player will for sure find his favorite way of making a lot of Gold without getting too bored or exhausted. Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comment section below. We also plan to add further Money-making activities to the list in the foreseeable future. |
Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Bethesda Softworks.