Warming up to the Idea of Addons in Elder Scrolls Online

Elder Scrolls Online is an MMORPG that allows independent developers known as "Modders" to create addons to the game that alter certain features for quality-of-life purposes.  These addons are administered through a 3rd party addon portal known as Minion that links to the addon folder and allows players to download a multitude of different addons that are updated on a regular basis each time the game is updated.  Historically, I have personally been against using any addons because I enjoy the feel of games as they were originally created, but during this current playthrough where I am starting over in Elder Scrolls Online, there is a need to ensure I am being efficient as I work my way back to being relevant with my character.  

Note: You must have Elder Scrolls Online downloaded before installing minion for it to work properly.

After installing the Minion software, the first thing the software asks you to do is locate the live addon folder where the addons you select to be downloaded will be directed to.  This pathway is almost always as follows:  

ThisPC->Documents->Elder Scrolls Online->Live->AddOns

Without establishing this connection, you cannot even download any of the AddOns.  It took me a couple of times for the software to accept the pathway that I set for these AddOns to be downloaded, and I had to restart the software a couple of times and even run it as administrator before it would accept the download path.  I may have even restarted my computer once to ensure everything was working right.  

In terms of what AddOns you would like to use, that is up to you.  As a minimalist, I simply wanted to add only the "Map Pins" addon to start, which allows me to see lore books, sky shards, chests, and other points of interest directly on the world map even before exploring the area, allowing me to be efficient in collecting those points of interest.  Map Pins seems to be a very light AddOn in terms of its intrusiveness as well, and it blends in nicely with the way the map is displayed normally.  After giving it a shot last night off stream, I appreciated how much easier it will now be to collect sky shards especially, one of the most important character-building points of interest that Elder Scrolls Online offers.

As I explore the game further and notice other pain points, I will be sure to update everyone if I decide to download any other AddOns in addition to the Map Pins.  For now, though, I feel this will be adequate to assist in developing my character more efficiently without taking too much away from the experience of the game.  Should you have any questions about AddOns in general or just want a place to hang out and grind, please come visit with any questions on my twitch live stream.

Until next time,

Blackboa