You’ll be able to find out for yourself if crime does indeed pay when Update 6 for The Elder Scrolls Online launches early this year - the focus is firmly on the less heroic side of adventuring.
A new Justice system will finally allow you to indulge your criminal side, looting NPCs and stores, murdering citizens and beating up mouthy peasants. Of course, if you get caught doing any of these things the consequences can be unpleasant.
Essentially the update will bring the game more in line with its single-player cousins, allowing you a lot more freedom in how you interact with the world. Getting caught committing crimes will, like in Skyrim or Morrowind, raise your bounty level. Three bounty levels will decide how aggressively guards will pursue you.
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Disreputable – The guards will generally ignore you unless you approach them.
Notorious – You’ll be chased down by the guards, who enlist other guards to assist in the pursuit.
Fugitive – You are Kill On Sight to the guards. To lower your bounty at this level, you must either wait for it to decay over time or find a fence that can assist you in paying it off.
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New fence stores will allow you to sell of your ill-gotten goods a few at a time, and there’s even a new ‘Legerdemain’ skill tree that will make you better at all things larcenous. In short, a welcome element of roleplaying and freedom that ESO sorely needs. Also on the way in Update 6 is a new Champion system for veteran adventurers which works a bit like Skyrim’s constellation upgrade trees, and improved provisions and recipes.
The Elder Scrolls Online is set to lose its subscription fee model this March 17. The title will change to The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, and instead of a required sub you’ll be able to sign up for a paid premium membership service, which will net you future DLC as well as a monthly stipend to spend in the new in-game Crown Store.