FAQ: What Race and Class Will You Play in The Elder Scrolls Online? .

As part of our ongoing coverage of The Elder Scrolls Online this weekend we asked some of our writers a question that has plagued many since the MMO was first announced. What Race and Class combination will you play first? From the sounds of it we may have an office war on our hands as the answers are varied and cover all three factions. Have a look at their answers.

Finch: As a fairly hardcore PvP enthusiast, I always tend to focus on what racial abilities might benefit me the most during my killing sprees in battlegrounds (or whatever they’re called in ESO). Orcs have always been my favorite race in any MMO, because they usually have a huge brutish stature and just look menacing overall. Even though, I felt like the dark elves would benefit me the most.

Also, when I pick a class, I tend to favor the ranged classes (like archers or hunters, etc) since this type of gameplay appeals to me the most. You know, running around kiting people all day is the bees’ knees. But since ESO doesn’t have this particular type of class, it’s up to you to decide what weapon you use with which class. From the 4 classes, I chose to play the nightblade since the armor looked pretty badass in the customization screen!

So yeah, basically the combination of a dark elf nightblade wielding a bow is probably going to be my thing, since dark elves give added bonus to archery and 50% fire resistance (sounds useful doesn’t it?) I’ll be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

Daniel Owens: Generally I am always pulled towards the rogue class in any MMORPG, it’s just a preference that goes back even to my early singleplayer RPG days. I like being a thief. However I am trying to break old habits and experience something new for once.

Normally if I had of chosen rogue I may of played either a Khajiit or an Imperial character, but I am really liking the idea of joining the Ebonheart Pact. My race choice will therefore be a Nord, and to mix things up from my usual playstyle I will be playing a Dragon Knight.

I hear that the Dragon Knight is very versatile and can use all weapons and armor. Their Dragonic Power skill tree is also allegedly great on the battlefield. As PvP will most likely be my focus as I progress, I would say this choice would seem very fitting to me.

 

Maressa: For me picking just one character to start with is difficult. I’m that person with a server full of alts wishing she had more character slots. Already I have tons of great ideas and I really can’t decide which to play first.

Of course, since I have to pick one for the article I’ll talk about my bow wielding Bosmer Templar. She is going to lean heavily on her bow and the Templar part comes in for heals. There are several reasons for this pick. My first ever MMO experience was with Everquest back in 1999. There I played a Wood Elf. So for me this is a way to go back to my roots.

But I was also drawn to the Green Pact of the Bosmer. And the fact that they’re cannibals. All of this in my mind will come together to make a very interesting character for roleplay. Sure, I know that there are going to be a lot of Bosmer bow users, but that’s because they have a special connection to eachother passed down through years of fantasy fiction.

Best of all I will be able to support Ardua’s crazy Khajiit by keeping him healed while staying well out of the action.

Darak: In many games, Orcs are the bad and ugly villains. To Bethesda’s credit, they changed their minds about it quite soon. I’ve begun playing the Elder Scrolls series long ago with Daggerfall, its second installment. At that time, Orcs were still the evil guys and you could not choose them as playing characters.

But this changed with Morrowind: the Orc race (or Orsimer) was raised to full playability. So, is there anything better than getting in the shoes of a greenskin? And I’ll go for the most obvious choice, a Dragonknight, since usually I like to experience a game with a strong melee character before trying something else.

I have the feeling orcs are like the klingon in Star Trek: shunned and hated at first, then praised for their high sense of duty and honour. And I hope that ESO will help shed more light on the Orc race, with their tribes, their ways, their beliefs… and since the entire continent of Tamriel will be covered, there is the chance we will finally see again Orsinium, their homeland, in a less pixelly way than in Daggerfall.

 

DeadEyeMcDuck: When playing MMORPGs, I normally go for ranged glass-cannon classes like Warlocks and Mages. I’m a big fan of dealing oodles of damage and having a low mortality rate, but I’m afraid things will be different here in Elder Scrolls Online. First off, I’m still hung up on Skyrim—so bad that I’m looking to pick a class that’s somehow connected with ‘Dragons’ regardless of playstyle.  That game is probably the reason why my gaming backlog became this big, so please bear with me.

Anyway, I’m thinking of rolling a Nord Dragon Knight (Yey! Dragons!). While I may not be proficient with melee characters, my adventures in the land of Skyrim has taught me the blissful feeling of hacking and slashing through countless enemies with a bloody axe (it’s actually pretty hard to resist). I might revert back to spell casters once get my fix, but I honestly don’t see that happening any time soon.

Karrotkayk: I have always favored characters that can deal damage from a relative distance. I don’t like getting in the thick of things too much and stealth killing is almost a foreign concept. No tanking and no rogues for this one. The last time I’ve been a warrior in an MMO, I embarrassed the class so bad there’s no looking back.

From then on, I’ve been a spellcaster in every MMO I’ve played: a mage, an elementalist, a totem-toting shaman, and a shadow priest. I had Lydia sort of tank for me while I deal spell damage to enemies in Skyrim. Suffice to say, I’ll be a wandering Altmer sorcerer in Elder Scrolls Online, fighting for the Aldmeri Dominion faction, providing support to my comrades, and casting DoT spells with my skills from Storm Calling.

I’ll most likely be a male sword-wielding High Elf just so I could entertain my fantasies of having torn affections for Queen Ayrenn and a certain Nord Dragon Knight. That, and the fact that they are touted as excellent magic users and warriors (oh, dear?!) should work to my advantage.

 

Ardua: My first class and race combination? Oh a few days ago I’d have waffled on that. There are twenty years worth of lore to pick and choose from. There is a richness to the world that admittedly, you don’t really get with some other MMOs unless they’ve chained genius writers to the desk. It happens, I’d happily point at the Secret World for that, but here with The Elder Scrolls, the richness is present and also lost on me. I’ve not really played the single player ones.

So with that, how could I choose? One button and one voice over. Easy as pie.

Class, I got a nifty little teleport in the assassination line of Nightblade. I just fell in love. Will it be any use in the PvP I plan to engage in? No idea. Showy as hell though. It may be silly but having been toying with various classes and abilities, the swooping teleporting strike just won me over.

Race? Again all of the answer above about choice and richness hold true. Raz however, best friend and helpful face to any new Aldmeri Dominion players… Between the writing and the voice acting he won me over. Not just to the idea of the faction but to the race of the Khajiit.

So what will I be playing?

This one will be a sneaky Khajiit Nightblade. Perhaps behind you, perhaps not. Fun, no?

As you can see this weekend we’re going to need to make borders in the office, buy some of those desktop trebuchets and prepare for war. We might as well rename MMOGames to Cyrodiil. If you’re looking for more coverage on The Elder Scrolls Online be sure to check out our video featuring combat, crafting, and more. Or have a look the reviews we will be publishing all weekend. But most importantly don’t forget to tell us in the comments what you plan on playing. Who knows, our trebuchets may turn on you next.

Can’t wait to get your hands on The Elder Scrolls Online, check out our Elder Scrolls Online Early Access Preview while you wait!