One thing that quickly came to my attention when I started the game was that I could join with my character the mage's, fighter's and undaunted guild, without even having to do a quest about it.

Now, am I the only one that get's annoyed by that? I mean, why someone running a completely non-mage character is able to join the mage's guild and achieve the same rank as someone running a full-mage character? It doesn't make any sence.

In skyrim, at least, you had to perform a tier 2 spell in order to enter Hogwarts. It was easy though, but if your character had no magic abilities whatsoever, you were not be able to do it. And rightfully so, why would a magic school accept you if you can't even perform the basic magic spells? Here in ESO, joining those guilds is as easy as talking to a characters and clicking "I accept with terms and conditions" in every conversation window that pops up. Then, you are able to do every single quest in those guilds without ever using any kind of magic (or physical weapon, in the case of the fighter's guild).

Idk, I just like to feel that I have to earn the right to be on one of those guilds, and I have to earn the right to be able to rank up in them as well.

Pretty sure getting to Hogwarts involved a bit more than that. I seem to recall running at a station wall, boarding a train, then sitting in a self steering boat.

Anyway, I believe the intent is to serve in the guild by doing missions for them, with less focus on how you actually get them done.

It could because in ESO the Mages Guild and the Fighters Guild serve different purposes from other ES games so they're more inclusive? Maybe my [censored] archer/ranger who doesn't cast spells and likes to shoot things with her bow is the reason why the more modern mages guild has stricter entry standards

I had issues after defeating gutsripper. Where was the next quest?? And I don't think ESO is gonna keep it that way for launch... gold reward, experience and automatic entrance to the guilds? that didn't seem to be the real intent, just a band-aid fix to as temporary issue is what I got out of that.

If anything, I'd say that it's handled better than other recent Elder Scrolls games.

To advance in the Fighters Guild, you have to fight Daedra. That's the main (only?) way to advance the skill line. You can't increase your rank without doing this.

To advance in the Mages Guild, you have to collect lorebooks. Even if you only have rudimentary magic skill (and just the act of advancing in the Mages Guild gives you access to magic, even if you opt not to unlock it), you're advancing the guild's cause in a scholarly way.

I see no reason for the Undaunted to have any particular requirements. If you can pull off these daring dungeon runs, that should be enough.

But if you are an archer that doesn't cast spells, then you shouldn't be able to join the mage's guild. The mage's guild is supposed to be for mages. In the same way, your character should be able to join the thieves guild and a mage that know nothing about stealthing should not.

The same argument could be applied to the mages guild in every Elder Scrolls game. You've only ever been required to cast rudimentary spells (if that) to join the guild. And since the skill system in ESO definitely doesn't make it easy to determine whether your character is a "true mage," it's silly to expect them to have some kind of filter.

It was odd that they granted you member status after just meeting you.

I am more concerned with how long it takes to increase rank in the Mages Guild. All I wanted to do this beta weekend was test the level 4 spell "Entropy" from the Mages Guild, and even after completing all the available MG quests, and collecting all the lorebooks in the first two regions + several dungeon books and others as well, I couldn't even get to level FOUR. I was very disappointed.

Since it looks like you only level to 10 in the guild, I'd actually say that makes sense.

In Oblivion, any class can join the mages guild. There is no membership fee either.