Based on extensive Youtube research and in game play, I believe your character build will depend on your personal goals for the game. Want to burn through content in your race to max level? Pair an area of effect damage spell with some sort of aoe stun/crowd control spell. Want to take your time and role play? Choose skills that match your race/class as you envision it. Want to be the next pvp emperor? Dunno, haven't researched that. My guess is that is where your min/max crowd will be concentrated. Personally, my first character will be a Bosmer Nightblade bow/dual wielding and crafting role player.

this is probably the only game I played were I would disagree with burning to top level as fast as possible. I think you miss out on a lot of fun of the game and a lot of loot and extras you pick up a long the way when you take your time.

you dont need to be level 50 to compete in Croydiil so there is really no need for a rush. I know this is how a lot of people play, and I have done the same in the past, but as I played the betas I gradually slowed my pace, and actually got a lot more out of the game

I agree, actually, I have never burned through content. It took me 8 years to max my troll hunter on wow, heh.

I for one don't like content or exploring. I prefer to max lvl and sit around. Did that in SWTOR and had the best time sitting at station for hours on end looking for groups. It was amazing.

ESO is like a fine wine. Picking the wine is like character creation. Drinking the wine is the questing. smelling the aroma is like reading the lore and rich story. Death is like spilling the wine on your favourite white shirt and when you have finally polished off the bottle, that's the End Game, this is until you go back to the shop for more and that's like new content, rinse and repeat!

I think I will be selecting something non-ideal such as an orc caster just to provide a bit more of a challenge

Thats the beauty that ESO provided for us, so many places to put skill points, that it gives us unlimited choices as what we really want for our class. I myself am going 1 hand / shield,, mad self heals, mad tankage, with some small dps to keep me going during solo/smaller pvp battles. & mad support. I will be focused on group pvp in cyrodiil mainly.

I'm going for a heavy single target dps NB on my first char. My second char I'll make a full breton templar healer.