Base UI, Why Hath Thou Forsaken Me?
Without a doubt, Elder Scrolls Online is a fun, involved, beautiful game, so I couldn't understand why anyone would want or need addons for it. And then I tried using ESO's guild stores. And crafting. And herbing. And finding my way around. And then I understood entirely why Elder Scrolls Online is built to incorporate player made addons.
For all its prettiness, it's as if Molag Bal sucked the soul out of ESO's UI instead of my character. So, I've done what I do – I adventured across the internet collecting recommendations, trying them out, and sharing my favorites to help improve the game's overall quality of life.
For Starters…
I highly recommend downloading the Minion Client rather than trying to use the Curse Client or manually searching and downloading and installing from esoui.com.
If you're new to Elder Scrolls Online, or otherwise unfamiliar with how to use Minion Client or addons, take a look at Deltia's favorite addons video: here. He goes into detail on how to install the client, how it works, and how to set up your addons in game.
10. Advanced Filters
Before and after AdvancedFilters.
I know I made it sound like ESO's UI was completely devoid of any warmth or friendliness, but the truth is that I very much enjoy the little tabs that separate out different categories of items you've acquired.
Improving on this, however, is Advanced Filters, which breaks the categories down into subcategories – like taking “Materials” and dividing them by the crafts they belong to. Same with “Consumables,” which is broken down to foods, drinks, potions, and so on. The inventory will be one of the most persistent challenges you will face in Tamriel. Arm yourself wisely or be overcome.
Verdict: Useful
Bonus: Clean it up a little more with Inventory Grid View.
9. MiniMap by Fyrakin
Lookit the sliders. LOOK AT THEM. And the coordinates all just RIGHT THERE.
Suggesting a minimap in an Elder Scrolls game? Blasphemy, I know. True to other Elder Scrolls games, there's the compass bar at the top of the screen, but investing in a minimap is useful for more than providing quick, easy direction to us, the directionally challenged.
In addition to cutting down on the relentless mashing of M and letting us maintain our situational awareness, it can be as large or small as you like, anywhere you like it, in a small variety of shapes. Also, most minimaps work with other addons on this list such as Skyshards, LoreBooks, and HarvestMap. Fyrakin's was the most recommended and so it is the one I ended up choosing for myself.
Verdict: Useful
8. Wykkyd's Gaming Suite
Hop forward to 26:02 to hear what Deltia has to say about the Wykkyd addons.
Okay, so it's probably cheating to include a suite – and I won't be going into detail on each and every addon in the suite – but there were just too many good Wykkyd addons, so you may as well grab the whole Suite and pick and choose which ones you want. I'm a minimalist, but even I have a few active; notably the Toolbar and Enhanced HUD, with aspirations of one day needing the Outfitter.
The Toolbar kindly displays on it almost any and all information you might want to know – what time it is, what zone you're in, your name (in case you forgot it), what level you are, how far into that level, your inventory space, gold, accumulated repair costs, how many soulshards you have and how many are filled, the state of your weapon enchantments, and so on.
And, of course, you have control over where the toolbar shows, what it shows, and how it shows it.
Wykkyd's Enhanced HUD maybe isn't necessary, but tidies things up, cinching your health, magicka, and stamina up in a nice little central pyramind.
Verdict: Useful
7. Sous Chef
To ginseng or not to ginseng? Remember kids: Stealing Is Bad. But, if you have to, steal wisely.
To anyone interested in cooking in Elder Scrolls Online, this addon will more than prove why it's made my particular list. It does all of the dirty work that a sous chef should do, providing all of the information that you might otherwise only be able to get if you have access to a cooking fire – what ingredients you have that can be used in recipes you actually have, how many different recipes you have that an ingredient can be used in, helping you decide what to pick up and what to discard out on your adventures (Inventory Boss is hardest boss), what type of ingredient it is, etc.
It also displays a large check mark next to recipes in guild stores and out in the world to let you know if you have it already or not – even checking across multiple characters to see if they have it, if you set it to do that. It also color codes your recipes in the provisioning window according to their rarity, which is very helpful.
Verdict: Useful
6. Harvest Map
A quick example of what HarvestMap is, how it appears on your maps, and even how to install and tweak it.
If you're a crafter or a farmer or you need to know where you can find cornflower in a hurry, this addon is near invaluable, because ESO doesn't display harvesting nodes on its map. With Harvest Map, however, after you harvest an herb or jute, a rune, bundle of wood, mining node, even chests and skins of water and fishing holes, a symbol is made on your map and minimap. The symbols will even appear on the compass bar.
These symbols are unique between material types, but can also be colored to your specifications to help them stand out further. And, because herbs share nodes, you can mouse over a node to see what you've picked from that particular node before. Just remember: its thoroughness is based solely on the items you've spotted on your own initially and then collected.
Verdict: Very Useful
5. Skyshards
They're your destiny.
Skyshards mean skillpoints means gotta catch them all if you wanna be the very best (like no one ever was). This addon makes finding them fairly easy, dotting your maps with symbols over their locations, some even having notes attached to them, if you scroll over them, adding details to help you navigate. If you'd rather stumble across them organically, savor the depth of immersion that is the joy and legacy of any Elder Scrolls game, then maybe play through once without the addon.
If, however, you're pushing for a build that is extra skill-intensive, this addon is an absolute and blessed must.
Verdict: Very Useful
4. LoreBooks
A quick overview of LoreBooks, as well as a quick tidbit on how to install addons if you're not using Minion.
Finding and opening specific books, lore books, is another necessary evil. Or mostly necessary evil. While I know there is great fun to be had in discovering them on your own, and non-lore books can improve skills, so every book is worth your time, but if you're looking for a way to get chummy with the Mage's Guild, finding lore books is it. The frustrating thing is that there are so many books out there which aren't the Mage's Guild's beloved lore books, and they're easy to miss when they're surrounded by mobs.
This addon marks on your map where actual lore books are. I mean, I guess the purple glow gives them away as something special, but CONVENIENCE. Mmmngggghhh… delicious convenience.
Verdict: Very Useful
Bonus: Check out Destinations to find even MORE hidden points of interest and/or Lost Treasure to help you better find the locations of crafting survey maps.
3. Research Assistant *
Skip to 2:35 to see Research Assistant or watch the whole thing to get an idea of this guy's preferred mods – several of which are also on this list.
This addon marks armor and weapons in your inventory to let you know 1.) if you've learned that armor or weapon's trait so that you might be able to craft items with that same trait, 2.) if the item is worth extra experience upon deconstructing it, or 3.) if it's worth more gold being sold at a vendor than its other counterparts. These details go a long way toward keeping you from ripping your hair out after you realize you sold something you should have saved for researching.
If you're familiar with the armor and weapon crafting in Elder Scrolls Online, or you plan to go into armor or weapon crafting, you'll understand why this addon is where it is on my list. Myself, I am surprised I got through this description without a flood of expletives. Good job, me!
Verdict: Vital
Bonus: Pairs well with, or can be substituted for, AI Research Grid.
* as of this publishing, it is the only of the mods on my list which hasn't been updated for the game's latest gigantor patch. However, it's worked fine for my setup.
2. Foundry Tactical Combat / Combat Cloud
An overview of FTC provided by Atropos, the addon's creator. To see them working together, check out Deltia's addon video.
For immersion purposes, there is absolutely no combat log in ESO to let you know the what and the how much of your combat – Foundry Tactical Combat provides this. It also provides the ability to track your buffs and debuffs and see your combat text scrolling in real time up your screen, showing what ability you've just used, how much it hit for, and whether or not it crit; i.e. all the things you need to know to become more effective at living. Nummy, nummy numbers.
Meanwhile, Combat Cloud offers further refinement of what you see and don't in combat situations, in addition to allowing you to set up alerts for health, magicka, and stamina as well as execution range and a host of other details. Though it's not necessary to use both, they compliment each other so brilliantly that I totally ship them.
Verdict: 01001000 01001110 01001110 01001110 01000111 01001000 00100000 01001110 01010101 01001101 01000010 01000101 01010010 01010011 00100001
1. AwesomeGuildStore
This almost perfectly illustrates my thoughts on and love for this addon… without all of the rabid cursing and minutes long tirades I'd likely incorporate.
This addon is so close to perfection. While most of the addons on this list are situational or more relevant if you're interested in one aspect of the game or the other, EVERYONE has to deal with the guild store, making this addon my absolute #1 pick, despite how simple it is.
It expands on your ability to search in guild stores. That's it. Without it, you may as well punch yourself in the face until you decide you don't want whatever it was that sent you to a guild store to begin with - it would be a better use of your time.
As I said, it adds to the modes and methods of searching. But, best of all, it lets you search BY THE ITEM'S NAME, or even just part of it, saving you from scrolling through page after page after page... ad infinitum… and the inevitable eye strain and rage. Whoever decided to leave that out of the base function in game is a very bad person. To the creators of this addon: you're my heroes.
Verdict: You Need This Addon Like The Flowers Need The Rain
Bonus: Check out Master Merchant to help you sell your goods in guild stores.
Naturally, there are way more addons out there than I can put into a list of reasonable length. I squeezed in as many as I could. (*cough* Lootdrop! *cough*) But, I sincerely hope this has served as a good starting place for some, or provided useful alternatives for others.
And now, Ima go see a man about a horse (at last!). As always, feel free to add to the list in the comments.
