Stealing in ESO just became a lot less profitable with yesterday’s v2.06 patch.
Yesterday, ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS) launched v2.06, an incremental game patch that fixed a number of issues (you can read the full game patch notes here). Among the fixes was a Justice System tweak that nerfed the amount of money a thief could make stealing armor and weapons.
While most ESO thieves (myself included) were concentrating on picking pockets and looting barrels, a Skyrim Fansite reader named Ryan first suggested to me that large amounts of money could be made by pilfering weapons and armor from Tamriel vendors. Turns out he was absolutely correct, and stealing in ESO truly became a means to make a lot of money in a relatively short period of time. A thief could maintain a steady revenue stream by simply stealing swords, axes, helmets, shields, and the like from unwary vendors. A thieves pockets could be filled quickly, and fences would pay top gold. In The Elder Scrolls Online, crime really did pay.
v2.06 Patch Nerf
Other players besides Ryan had adopted a similar play style, as evidenced in this ESO forum thread. Ransacking armor and weapon vendors may have perhaps been one of the better kept secrets in Tamriel, but ZOS put a damper on the practice with the v2.06 patch. As of yesterday morning, the devs:
Reduced the monetary value of stolen armor and weapons to approximately one third of the original value.
Players can still make money stealing in ESO, just not as much. By slashing the value of stolen armor and weapons, thieves wishing to pursue this play style will basically have to steal 3 times as much to make a similar amount of money.
You can still make money stealing armor and weapons in ESO. Just not as much.
Final Thoughts
So what do the readers of the Skyrim Fansite have to say about this latest fix? When stealing in ESO, did you plan your heists around armor and weapon vendors? Now that the practice has been nerfed, how will you make up the lost revenue from stealing? Share your thoughts and opinions in the Speak Your Mind section below. Until next time fellow travelers!
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Shane Scarbrough
Shane Scarbrough is the founder of the Skyrim Fansite. He's a business owner, video game journalist, and role playing game aficionado. When he's not working he enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games. He's currently on his third playthrough of Skyrim, and is playing as a Templar in The Elder Scrolls Online. You can find Shane on Google+ and FaceBook.
I’d loot some armor off a vendors table and all but it’s completely valueless….
Big fat 0 on the value!
I’d take it to a blacksmith’s,woodworker or clothes maker station to deconstruct it and get no items or experience.
Pickpocketing is chance based so even with 80% chances you’d still get caught
Guards are truly unkillable and deal extreme damage with their levels hidden tried to heal and got blasted for 60% of my health….me a level 20 at the nooby area thinking the guards would be weaker…not at all.
if a tree falls down and no ones around to hear it does it make a sound? ….shouldn’t right?
when if a mark is killed and nobody but me is around to hear his cry should his bounty be registered?
killing a mark after failing a pickpocket attempt and suddenly now every single guard in all of elder scrolls online knows i did it……. How?……this…bloody psychic guards….every single elder scrolls…..skyrim had witnesses you could kill to remove the crime they saw you commit…..why not this?
today in the game i was going though some ruin with these “vanguard” guys inside auto attacking me.
no problem killing them that was easy.
come outside to see more of the same vanguard dudes that have been attacking me…
So i attack them and get a bounty for assaulting them….
……..Why are the same dudes that where attacking me in there telling me out here?
………the best part was the quest which made me look into these “vanguard” and turns out oh…there are evil…..and i have to kill them all again……..and their leader…….
As much as im enjoying eso….these things are massive knockbacks to me enjoying the game! >:(
just a big brick wall in the fun that i was having.
JellyHead
8 years ago
I am cool with it….. takes more time but pick-pocketing and stealing high lvl chests in bank areas and homes are more profitable.
I’d loot some armor off a vendors table and all but it’s completely valueless….
Big fat 0 on the value!
I’d take it to a blacksmith’s,woodworker or clothes maker station to deconstruct it and get no items or experience.
Pickpocketing is chance based so even with 80% chances you’d still get caught
Guards are truly unkillable and deal extreme damage with their levels hidden tried to heal and got blasted for 60% of my health….me a level 20 at the nooby area thinking the guards would be weaker…not at all.
if a tree falls down and no ones around to hear it does it make a sound? ….shouldn’t right?
when if a mark is killed and nobody but me is around to hear his cry should his bounty be registered?
killing a mark after failing a pickpocket attempt and suddenly now every single guard in all of elder scrolls online knows i did it……. How?……this…bloody psychic guards….every single elder scrolls…..skyrim had witnesses you could kill to remove the crime they saw you commit…..why not this?
today in the game i was going though some ruin with these “vanguard” guys inside auto attacking me.
no problem killing them that was easy.
come outside to see more of the same vanguard dudes that have been attacking me…
So i attack them and get a bounty for assaulting them….
……..Why are the same dudes that where attacking me in there telling me out here?
………the best part was the quest which made me look into these “vanguard” and turns out oh…there are evil…..and i have to kill them all again……..and their leader…….
As much as im enjoying eso….these things are massive knockbacks to me enjoying the game! >:(
just a big brick wall in the fun that i was having.
I am cool with it….. takes more time but pick-pocketing and stealing high lvl chests in bank areas and homes are more profitable.