The Elder Scrolls series has always been a bit of a financial powerhouse, and in the past few years, it’s reached new heights of popularity thanks to games like Skyrim, which introduced a whole new generation to the magical world of Tamriel.
The game’s open world features a variety of areas that you can explore, from bustling cities to remote forests. And, as with any open world game, your actions have consequences. For example, you might choose to hunt animals for food or sell them for money. In order to make money in Skyrim, you’ll need to understand the game’s economy and how you can affect it.
The Evolution of Money In The Elder Scrolls
Throughout its history, The Elder Scrolls series has included unique currencies that allowed players to purchase specialties like armor and weapons, customize their character, and even engage in trading. For the most part, these currencies followed the standard gold standard with a few exceptions.
In order to create an ecosystem that emulates real life as much as possible, The Elder Scrolls series has always included a mix of real and virtual currencies. While the gold standard still used in most other games, like Civilization, breaks down into four coins – meaning you get the same amount in every transaction – in The Elder Scrolls, each piece of gold is worth slightly less than its counterpart in real life.
Take the gold piece, for example. It was first included in the 2006 game Elder Scrolls Gold Edition, and has always been valued at 10 grams of gold per piece. In terms of the real world, it’s valued at roughly $1.50. So, $1.50 worth of gold in-game is the same as $1.50 worth of gold in real life.
After years of using gold, The Elder Scrolls introduced silver coins in 2008’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. These new coins are valued at 5 grams of silver per piece, which has a real world value of 40 cents. A few years later, in 2012, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim introduced the Denarii, which are valued at 1 gram of gold per piece. This is most likely due to the fact that a gold coin in Skyrim is worth more than its counterpart in a normal gaming environment due to severe inflation during the early 21st century.
With each new installment in the series, the developers have included a new currency, new items, and new features. While some of these additions were met with resounding success – such as Skyrim’s player-run shops or Oblivion’s skill-based character building – others haven’t been well-received, mostly due to the fact that they’ve interfered with the established gold standard.
The Problems With The Elder Scrolls’ Newest Coin
When it comes to making money in Skyrim, you have three options: rob merchants, hunt animals, and mine ore. While the first two options are straightforward enough, minning ore is where things get a bit more complicated. You see, in order to mine ore, you need to purchase a mining cart, which is basically a mobile mine with a mining laser mounted on it. The only way to make a profit from the endeavor is by selling the ore you mine to a merchant for either gold or silver.
The problem is that after years of playing as a gold member of society in The Elder Scrolls, experiencing extreme value inflation, and making tons of money through illegal trades, it’s become second nature to assume that all merchants are going to want to pay you in gold. But here’s the thing: while you might be able to buy all the gold you need – and more – with your Denarii, you can’t necessarily sell it. Because, at the end of the day, the value of your Denarii is still going to be determined by the number of gold pieces you have in your possession. So, if you’re using Denarii to buy goods in Skyrim, the value of your currency is severely undermined. The solution to this problem is to adjust your thinking and remember that while all merchants might want to trade in gold, not all of them are going to be willing to do so for your specific Denarii.
How to Make Money in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Without Robbery
If you want to make money in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion without hurting anyone, the best way would be to rob the banks. This seems like a no-brainer: after all, the game is called ‘Oblivion’ for a reason. You’re essentially playing as an outlaw, and it’s pretty much expected that you’ll rob whoever you can to finance your travels. Sadly, this might not be the easiest option. Because, in order to rob a bank, you need someone on the outside to help you break into the bank vault. And, as much as we’d like to help our neighbors, the fact is that sometimes we just want our money. So, while you might succeed in your endeavor and manage to steal all the gold you need, there’s still a chance that you’ll be caught and charged with a crime.
The Best Way To Make Money In The Elder Scrolls
For the most part, the best way to make money in The Elder Scrolls is to either rob the merchants or hunt animals. While both of these options might sound like a ton of fun, they can also be extremely dangerous. Because let’s be honest – being a law-abiding citizen is no longer an option in Skyrim. So, if you want to make some real money, you’re going to have to break the rules. And the fact is that, in Skyrim, there are a lot of rules. For example, you can’t kill people unless you’re in self-defense. Or, you can’t use poisons or addictive drugs. And you certainly can’t steal – except from bank vaults, of course.
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The point is that breaking the rules, even for just a little while, can put you on the wrong side of the law. So, for the sake of your wallet, it might not be the wisest decision to break the rules. Unless, of course, you’re on a quest for fame and fortune. In which case, why not? Breaking the rules always pays off.
No matter what your particular situation is in Skyrim, you’re not going to make a lot of money if you don’t know how to play the game. In order to succeed, you’ll need to master the art of thinking like a criminal. And the truth is, once you get this knack, you’ll be able to easily make a good bit of cash without too much stress or worry. So, until next time, keep your eyes open and your hands on your wallet.