Yes, The Elder Scrolls Online is absolutely worth playing even without any DLC

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Even without any additional DLC content purchases, the base game of The Elder Scrolls Online delivers an incredible amount of value and hundreds of hours of adventure. With its vast open world, deep progression systems, and traditional Elder Scrolls flavor, ESO is worthwhile for new and returning players alike.

An immense base game that stands on its own

The Elder Scrolls Online base game, also known as "Tamriel Unlimited," includes a staggering amount of content even before considering any DLC additions. Here‘s a quick rundown of what you get:

• The entire continents of Tamriel to explore, including 23 unique zones and iconic cities like Daggerfall, Mournhold, and Riften covering over 400 km^2 of land mass
• Over 750+ hours of fully voiced story content spread across 8 different factions, significantly more than previous single player titles like Skyrim and Oblivion
• Hundreds of delves, public dungeons, world bosses, and points of interest for you to discover at your own pace
• The three alliance main questlines culminating in the intense Coldharbour finale against Molag Bal
• The Fighters Guild, Mages Guild, Psijic Order, and Dark Brotherhood skill lines to progress through
• Hundreds of thousands of armor and weapon combinations for experimenting with character builds
• All classes, weapons, guilds, PvP modes, crafting systems, etc. fully unlocked and ready for you to try

According to gamerant.com, this means you get access to the complete core Elder Scrolls experience with well over 100 hours of story content alone. Everything except the DLC zones are included and accessible right from the start.

Tons of content that rivals full RPG titles

To put in perspective just how much content is included in the base game, here is a comparison of the estimated hours of gameplay:

As you can see, ESO matches or exceeds other flagship RPG titles like Skyrim and The Witcher 3 both in terms of core story content and 100% completion time. And that is even before factoring in the social elements like dungeons, guilds, and PvP which make up the true "multiplayer" portion of this MMORPG.

So if you‘re looking for a game that will last you hundreds of gameplay hours filled with quests, combat, progression and exploration, ESO absolutely delivers even without any DLC.

You aren‘t missing as much as you think without DLC

It‘s easy to feel like you might be missing out on important content by not having access to some of ESO‘s DLC game packs. However, a deeper look shows that you can still experience the majority of what this game has to offer:

• The additional zone DLCs like Vvardenfell, Summerset, Elsweyr, and Blackwood mainly offer new environments and questing, rather than critical systems
• The new classes like Wardens and Necromancers provide alternate character build options, but the base classes remain fully competitive
• Things like the Antiquities skill line or new PvP modes round out existing features rather than gate them
• Gear sets from DLCs offer horizontal progression, but aren‘t necessary for competitive play
• According to digitaltrends.com, players have even cleared some of the hardest veteran raids in the game without using any DLC gear sets

While DLCs provide additional options and content, the core gameplay and progression systems are all included in the base game. You can absolutely experience most of what ESO has to offer without ever buying a DLC.

You have access to all key features and social elements

Almost everything you need for a full MMORPG experience is already present in the base game:

This shows that you can experience all major aspects of ESO‘s gameplay even without DLC. Key activities like crafting, grouping, PvP, questing, and housing are all present without being locked behind additional purchases.

Enjoying ESO without ever buying DLC

Even if you plan to never purchase an ESO DLC, there are plenty of ways to get hundreds of quality hours out of the game:

• Focus on your alliance zone first. Don‘t worry about DLC zones yet, play through your alliance‘s full storyline and side quests first.
• Play at your own pace. There‘s no rush to see everything. Take your time and don‘t burn yourself out grinding.
• Join group activities. No DLC needed to take down world bosses in a pick-up group or run dungeons with a guild.
• Craft, upgrade, and improve. Invest in crafting professions to create stronger weapons, armors, potions, and food to help progress.
• Get involved socially. Join player guilds centered around housing, trading, PvP, questing or end-game PvE.
• Experiment with builds. All classes and skill lines allow hundreds of build options even without DLC additions.
• Try out PvP. Alliance War, Dueling, and Imperial City PvP is 100% free and doesn‘t require any DLC.

There are so many paths to enjoyment that don‘t require any DLC purchases. Focus on community, building your character, taking on group challenges, and immersing yourself in the world.

Is ESO Plus worth subscribing to?

ESO Plus is an optional $15/month membership that unlocks all current DLCs (except Chapters), provides a Craft Bag, grants bonus XP and gold, and gives monthly Crowns to spend. Here are the key pros and cons:

Pros:

• Full access to all DLC zones and dungeons while subscribed
• Infinite crafting material storage with the Craft Bag
• 10% bonus XP and gold acquisition speeds up leveling
• Monthly 1650 Crown allowance lets you purchase DLCs permanently

Cons:

• Need to maintain monthly payments to retain DLC access
• Doesn‘t include the latest Chapters (Morrowind, Summerset, etc.)
• Subscribing for DLCs can be more expensive long-term than buying them outright

Overall, ESO Plus is a great option if you play consistently and want the convenience of access to all current DLCs without permanent purchases. But it is still completely optional – you can always buy DLCs selectively based on your needs and take advantage of frequent sales.

The Elder Scrolls Online offers incredible value even without DLC

Let‘s summarize the key points:

• The base game alone provides hundreds of hours of adventures across the entire land of Tamriel
• You still get the complete core Elder Scrolls experience including traits like exploration, lore, and character progression
• All classes, professions, weapons, zones, and major features remain fully playable
• The DLCs offer optional additional content, but aren‘t essential to enjoy most of what ESO has to offer
• Thanks to level scaling across zones, you aren‘t locked into any set paths or progression gates
• According to mmorpg.com, ESO has a welcoming community of players that value socializing and helping newcomers

So if you enjoy completing quest chains, experimenting with builds, taking on bosses, testing your skills in PvP, crafting the perfect set of armor, or just wandering the world aimlessly, ESO is absolutely worth it even without any DLC. The base game provides endless adventure across Tamriel for just the initial purchase cost. DLCs expand an already massive experience, but avoiding them won‘t diminish your enjoyment of this incredible MMORPG. Give ESO a try and experience the hundreds of hours of quality content packed into the base game!