One of the most confusing – and often annoying – things in MMORPGs like Elder Scrolls Online is making gold. Gold is essential for upgrading your gear and generally functioning as a member of Skyrim society, but it can be so difficult to make reliably that we spend hours upon hours of playtime just trying to make a living. And ZeniMax doesn't make it easy for us, either, Elder Scrolls Online lacks a global trading system, and its economy runs with a certain amount of infuriating mystery.

All hope is not lost, however. There are ways to generate reliable gold per hour – crafting, looting, trading, gathering, and occasional thug activities can make you wealthier than you ever thought possible, with the right strategy.

Please note that some of these strategies assume that you're a subscriber to Elder Scrolls Online Plus and have access to its perks of a 10% gold earning increase, double the bank space, and the lovely Bottomless Craft Bag. We've also included a Helpful Addons section for each strategy, but these add-ons are for PC players only. We're sorry, console players.

Resource Grinding

One of the best things about Elder Scrolls Online is that you can find resources EVERYWHERE. All you have to do is explore Skyrim and pick up whatever you come across on your way; food, logs, metal, cloth, and all sorts of other bits and bobs that other players are inevitably going to want. Going on gathering adventures can also put you into a position to find crafting motifs and recipes, as a bonus; these can sell for a lot of cash, and you can acquire them while also gathering resources to sell.

While you're on your travels, make sure that you're deconstructing any unwanted equipment and glyphs when you're at their crafting stations for extra resources to sell. You can also allocate skill points into hirelings, which can mail you rare materials every 12 to 24 hours. They increase the possibility of finding more valuable items more often, without you having to grind them yourself.