Does ESO Plus Increase Inventory Space? The Definitive Guide
Yes, ESO Plus significantly increases your inventory space. Specifically, it doubles your bank inventory slots. Beyond that direct increase, the most impactful inventory-related benefit is access to the Craft Bag, an unlimited storage container for crafting materials. This alone frees up massive amounts of inventory space. Let’s delve into the details of how ESO Plus affects your inventory and other related aspects of inventory management in Elder Scrolls Online.
Understanding Inventory Management in ESO
Inventory management in ESO can be challenging, especially for new players. You constantly acquire items: gear, crafting materials, potions, food, and more. Without proper management, your bags will quickly fill up, hindering your adventures. ESO provides several ways to increase your inventory capacity, both with and without an ESO Plus subscription.
Base Inventory and Upgrades
Every character starts with 60 inventory slots. You can increase this by:
- Bag Merchants: Located at marketplaces, these vendors sell pack upgrades. You can purchase upgrades in increments of 10 slots, increasing your maximum inventory to 210 slots. The cost increases with each upgrade.
- Mount Capacity: Visiting a stable allows you to upgrade your mount’s carry capacity once every 20 hours. Each upgrade adds one inventory slot, up to a maximum of 60 additional slots from your mount. This is an independent boost to your inventory.
The Game Changer: ESO Plus and the Craft Bag
ESO Plus truly transforms inventory management. The key benefit is access to the Craft Bag. This bag provides unlimited storage for all crafting materials. These materials include reagents, ores, wood, fibers, provisioning ingredients, and more. The Craft Bag is automatically populated as you gather resources, eliminating the need to manually move items.
The Craft Bag dramatically reduces the burden on your regular inventory space, allowing you to focus on storing gear, potions, and other non-crafting items. This is a major quality-of-life improvement and often cited as the primary reason players subscribe to ESO Plus.
Bank Space and ESO Plus
The other direct inventory benefit of ESO Plus is doubled bank space. Your bank is a shared storage space accessible to all characters on your account. Doubling it provides significant relief, especially if you like to collect sets, keep spare gear, or hoard valuable resources.
Without ESO Plus: Is it Playable?
While ESO Plus offers substantial advantages, playing without it is perfectly viable. You can manage your inventory through:
- Character Alts: Creating multiple characters to act as mules for storing items. This is time-consuming but free.
- Guild Banks: Joining guilds that allow members to deposit items in the guild bank. However, access and usage may be restricted.
- Strategic Selling/Deconstructing: Regularly selling unwanted items to vendors or deconstructing them to extract materials.
- Careful Inventory Planning: Minimizing the number of items you carry by focusing on what you truly need.
It takes more effort to manage without ESO Plus, but it’s absolutely doable, especially early in the game.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Inventory and ESO Plus
Here are some common questions related to inventory and ESO Plus in The Elder Scrolls Online:
1. What is the maximum inventory size in ESO?
The maximum inventory size is effectively unlimited with ESO Plus and the Craft Bag. Without ESO Plus, the maximum physical inventory slots are 210 (through pack upgrades), plus 60 from mount upgrades. However, this doesn’t account for bank storage.
2. How much does it cost to upgrade inventory slots at a bag merchant?
The cost increases with each upgrade. Early upgrades may cost only a few hundred gold, while later upgrades can cost several thousand. Expect to pay upwards of 2,000 gold for each increase when you approach the maximum number of slots.
3. How often can I upgrade my mount’s carrying capacity?
You can upgrade your mount’s carrying capacity once every 20 hours. Park your alts at the stable to maximize carry capacity.
4. What happens to items in the Craft Bag if my ESO Plus subscription expires?
The items remain in the Craft Bag, but you cannot add any more until you resubscribe. You can still withdraw items from the bag, effectively freezing your crafting material storage at the point of expiration.
5. Does ESO Plus include all DLCs?
Yes, ESO Plus provides access to almost all DLC game packs, excluding the most recent Chapter. Check the official ESO website for the latest information on included DLCs.
6. Is ESO Plus worth it just for the Craft Bag?
For many players, the Craft Bag alone makes ESO Plus worthwhile. The convenience of unlimited crafting storage drastically improves the gameplay experience.
7. Can I share items between my characters without ESO Plus?
Yes, you can use the bank to share items between your characters. However, bank space is limited without ESO Plus.
8. Where do I find bag merchants?
Bag merchants are located in most major cities and towns, typically near marketplaces. Look for the bag icon on the map.
9. How does ESO Plus affect bank space?
ESO Plus doubles your bank space, providing significantly more shared storage for your account.
10. What other benefits does ESO Plus offer besides inventory management?
ESO Plus includes access to most DLCs, monthly Crowns (the in-game premium currency), bonus experience points, increased gold and inspiration gains, increased furniture placement limits in housing, and the ability to dye costumes.
11. Is ESO playable without ESO Plus?
Yes, ESO is fully playable without ESO Plus. However, managing inventory will be more challenging.
12. Are there any storage chests I can build in houses?
No, you cannot build storage chests. You must purchase them with writ vouchers, tel var stones, or Crowns.
13. What are some tips for managing inventory without ESO Plus?
Focus on only carrying essential items, regularly sell or deconstruct unwanted gear, use character alts as storage mules, and join a guild with a usable guild bank.
14. What kind of items should I sell to make quick gold?
Runestones, food, cooking ingredients, low-level potions, and fish are all good options for selling to vendors.
15. What is the best way to get writ vouchers for storage chests?
Daily crafting writs are the most consistent way to earn writ vouchers. Focus on completing these writs daily to accumulate vouchers quickly.
Conclusion: Is ESO Plus Right for You?
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to subscribe to ESO Plus depends on your play style and priorities. If you find yourself constantly struggling with inventory management, the Craft Bag and doubled bank space are game-changing benefits. However, if you’re a casual player or prefer to manage your resources through other means, playing without ESO Plus is entirely feasible.
Remember to consider all the other benefits of ESO Plus, such as access to DLCs and monthly Crowns, when making your decision. No matter your choice, The Elder Scrolls Online offers a vast and engaging world to explore. The mechanics and the gaming in general create a learning environment, where trial and error, strategy and decision making are at the core of the game’s philosophy. For more information on the educational aspects of gaming, visit Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ or GamesLearningSociety.org.