Recommended Order of Zones

[jenx]

For normal mode, here is my recommended order of zones.

The zones in square brackets are race specific, and so change for your race.

[Escape from Reknor] > [The Deep Bellow] > Norgos Lair > Derth Arena > Trollmire > Ruins of Kor'Pul > Heart of the Gloom > Lumberjack Village > Scintillating Caves > Rhaloren Camp > Old Forest > Lake Nur (1,2) > Unknown Tunnels/Thieves Den > The Maze > Sandworm Lair > Lake Nur (3) > Fortress > Ruined Dungeon > Golem Graveyard > Daikara > Temporal Rift > Tempest Peak > Ruined Halfling Complex > [Melinda's Sacrifice] > Dreadfell Ambush > Celia's Crypt > Elven Ruins > Lost Dwarven Kingdom of Reknor > Ardhungol > Vor Armoury > Briagh's Lair > Dreadfell Backup > Scintillating Caves Backup Sandworm Lair Backup > Maze Backup > Old Forest Backup > Ruins of Kor'Pul Backup > Trollmire Backup > Daikara Backup > [Deep Bellow Backup] > Tannen's Tower > Orc Breeding Pits > Flooded Cave > Grushnak Pride > Vor Pride > Gorbat Pride > Rakshor Pride > Slime Tunnels > High Peak > Final Battle > Atamathon

Notes:
1. For Lake Nur, I duck into level 3 after Lake Nur (1,2), and then return after Sandworm Lair, when I am stronger. T
2. I omitted Melinda's Sacrifice, as I never do it. It would appear about after Ruined Halfling Comlpex.
3. Orc Breeding Pits can be done as soon as it is found on the map, as can Flooded Cave, so I've put them first in the East after Tannen's Tower, but one can't always find them easily.
4. I've put the Prides in the order I like to do them, but by this stage, one should be able to do them in any order, if you are strong enough. But I would always do Rakshor last as I find it the hardest.
5. For some classes, this order needs to be adjusted. It works for any class with strong ranged attack (Alchemist, Archmage, Solipsist, Archer, Corruptor, Anorithil, etc). For close combat characters, some zones are much tougher and might need to be postponed.
6. I assume players know how strong they need to be for zones, once they have played a bit, and that they will use Far Portal as need be to reach certain thresholds of strength before progressing.

[ajfluffy]

You left out the two triggered zones: thieves den and melinda sacrifice.

You need to trigger thieves den before lvl 20 or so or you miss it and I try to go east before lvl 24 so that I can avoid triggering melinda until I return and can more easily handle all the casters.
--> to trigger these two, just walk around randomly in the west (including the icy portion above everything else)

[Strongpoint]

Is that for newbs? Than it's strange order

[Escape from Reknor] > [The Deep Bellow] > Norgos Lair >

Disagree, deep bellow is more nasty than both Norgos Lair and Trollmire

> Ruins of Kor'Pul > Heart of the Gloom>

Unsure, especially if no good light\infravision source aviable

Old Forest > Lake Nur (1,2) Unknown Tunnels >

Strongly disagree. Nightmares can kill easily and should be delayed to the point when you have more escape options.I often do it early when I want an early access for farportals but that's a suicide for a new player

Daikara > Temporal Rift

It may be just me, but I delay Temporal rift for way later point, it's a nasty place

[Un67]

Additionally, why is Orc Breeding Pit at the end? Wouldn't you want to knock it out as one of your first eastern dungeons to save you the trouble of dodging patrols all the time?

[Earwicker]

My first objective is always to find an easily accessible vault I can dump equipment near (don't need to open the vault for that.) So for me it's Kor'Pul 1-2 and Trollmire first or ASAP, and if I'm unlucky I may try Rhaloren Camp (at least the first floor) next, depending on char.

Usually, I'll do Lake Nur and (If I'm confident enough with my char) the Fortress right after the Old Forest. The Weirdling Beast is a tough nut to crack (yet still manageable once you get used to it), but generally I find Nur easier to handle if you don't delay it for too long. It seems (Nur 3, at least) more brutal when you enter the zone past level 20.

[jenx]

You left out the two triggered zones: thieves den and melinda sacrifice.

You need to trigger thieves den before lvl 20 or so or you miss it and I try to go east before lvl 24 so that I can avoid triggering melinda until I return and can more easily handle all the casters.
--> to trigger these two, just walk around randomly in the west (including the icy portion above everything else)

Thieves Den is actually Unknown Tunnels on the Minimap, hence I used that term.

But you're right, I omitted Melinda's sacrifice, as I never do it. So I've edited the list.

[jenx]

Additionally, why is Orc Breeding Pit at the end? Wouldn't you want to knock it out as one of your first eastern dungeons to save you the trouble of dodging patrols all the time?

agreed, changed.

[jenx]

Is that for newbs? Than it's strange order

[Escape from Reknor] > [The Deep Bellow] > Norgos Lair >

Disagree, deep bellow is more nasty than both Norgos Lair and Trollmire

> Ruins of Kor'Pul > Heart of the Gloom>

Unsure, especially if no good light\infravision source aviable

Old Forest > Lake Nur (1,2) Unknown Tunnels >

Strongly disagree. Nightmares can kill easily and should be delayed to the point when you have more escape options.I often do it early when I want an early access for farportals but that's a suicide for a new player

Daikara > Temporal Rift

It may be just me, but I delay Temporal rift for way later point, it's a nasty place

We'll have to disagree I think on your first point. I think Deep Bellows is one of the easiest zones.

Re Lake Nur, I've explained more above what I meant. I dip in early and then return.

I used to find Temporal Rift difficult, but now I have figured out the tactics, I find it very easy. I've done it below level 20 sometimes.

[Goncyn]

What does "Backup" mean in your list?

[Doctornull]

What does "Backup" mean in your list?

If you kill the boss of certain areas BEFORE you go to the East, then when you get back from the East, those areas have a new "backup" boss.

[blargplean]

is most of this still true?

[HousePet]

All of it is still true.

[tylor]

Nope, there is no upper level limit for thieves den. I just triggered it at level 32.

As for Prides, do "your" type of Pride last, so you are more likely to have high-level artefacts for your class dropped.

Also, order can be varied, depending on how confident you are and how much of respective resist you have:

Daikara, Tempest Peak: lightning.
Melinda's Crypt: blight, darkness
Vor Pride: fire, ice
Rak'Shor Pride: darkness, blight, ice
Charred Star: fire
Grushnak Pride: armor and/or defence

[blargplean]

cool! i have been using this as a guide sort of and then realized how old it was!

[jenx]

Nope, there is no upper level limit for thieves den. I just triggered it at level 32.

As for Prides, do "your" type of Pride last, so you are more likely to have high-level artefacts for your class dropped.

Also, order can be varied, depending on how confident you are and how much of respective resist you have:

Daikara, Tempest Peak: lightning.
Melinda's Crypt: blight, darkness
Vor Pride: fire, ice
Rak'Shor Pride: darkness, blight, ice
Charred Star: fire
Grushnak Pride: armor and/or defence

I don't quite agree on the need for resists, except for Tempest Peak at certain levels. But what is required for Tempest Peak is magic wild infusion.

I never pay any attn to armor or defence, so I don't think they matter really. fire and ice for vor's pride is good, but it all depends on play style and class. because resists are so often overriden by npcs, i prefer to invest in saves and healing/shields etc, and killng quickly.