Exploring Harathi Hinterlands

Wiki - Harathi Hinterlands

Renown Hearts: 11      Waypoints: 15      Points of Interest: 15      Skill challenges: 6      Vistas: 8

Date: 30. Aug 2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Staff

Zone Level: 35-45

Level at start: 44

Level at end: 48

High Moments:

• The Metaeventchain in this area is fun with an elementalist that uses a staff. All those aoes really come in handy. The centaurs always run in big groups and a Meteor Shower and Eruption help alot.
• Ran 3/4 of the map with the guild again. Its way more fun to play this game in a group than go about it alone. 
• Got a gold drop while in Harathi Hinterlands. I can't wear it myself but a friend assured me, it's good stats for a ranger. We will see if I can sell it.

Low Moments:

• I participated in an event but either it is bugged or I got trolled hard by the game. I had to defend 3 catapults from waves of centaurs. As I was alone, and it wasn't a group event, I thought: lets do this! I can kill a few of those horses on my own! The problem was, that the waves consisted of about 40 centaurs each. Of course I didn't make it. I will have to return to this one and see if it is normal.
• Well...Vistas...enough said.

Reward:

Items I got from left to right:

Strong Cabalist Hood of Hoelbrak (first item I could use from those rewards)
Penetrating Krytan Short Bow of Smoldering
3 Basic Transmutation Stones
40 Coarse Leather Sections

Exploring Bloodtide Coast

Wiki - Bloodtide Coast

Renown Hearts: 13      Waypoints: 15      Points of Interest: 18      Skill challenges: 6      Vistas: 7

Date: 30. Aug 2012 - 18.09.2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Staff

Zone Level: 45 - 55

Level range: 52 to 61 and 65 to 66

Same as Caledon Forest. One of my travel maps.

Did lots of daily achievements on this map so the level range is not representative at all. I don't have alot to say about the map as well.

Of cause I chose a map with the most underwater hearts possible while I was traveling. Hmm...maybe that's why I didn't like this map and it felt more like a chore than fun.
I remember the heart in the south near Whisperwell Bogs though. At first it was fun, looking for all those different combinations of ingredients. But as you couldn't make the same potion more than once it got old really fast. I still don't know how to get the eagle feathers and most likely never will. I was just glad to kill a few spiders from other players to finish the heart and be gone from there.

Reward:

From left to right:

Strong Pirate Pants of Infiltration

Ravaging Shoulders of Vampirism

3 Basic Transmutation Stones

40 Cotton Scraps

Exploring Caledon Forest

Wiki - Caledon Forest

Renown Hearts: 18      Waypoints: 18      Points of Interest: 20  
Skill challenges: 7         Vistas: 8

Date: 30. Aug 2012 - 18.09.2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Staff

Zone Level: 1-15

Level at start: 61

Level at end: 65

Can't really talk much about this map because I was doing this one over such a long period of time. I was travelling while finishing this map and because of that only played little bits and pieces.
Because of that I didn't discover any elaborate eventchains or went around with a group of people.
The lvls I received doing this map are not representative as well. I did my daily quests in this map over the timeperiod. I don't think you are able to lvl from 61 to 65 here, if you do the map in one sitting.

I look forward to doing this map on an alt to experience it more fully.

What I can tell everyone is,  that apparently I'm mad. My travelling companions thought I had gone off the deep end when I started shouting at my computer screen because I couldn't do a Vista. Another thing I don't like is underwater combat. I don't think my brain was made to think in 3 dimentions in mmos. I died more on this map doing underwater hearts, than the rest of my exploration adventures together.

Reward:

Rewards from left to right:

Mighty Magician coat of the Grove
Malign Glyphic Maul of Agony
2 Basic Transmutation Stones
40 Jute Scraps

Exploring Lorna's Pass

Wiki - Lornar's Pass

Renown Hearts: 15      Waypoints: 16  
Points of Interest: 43      Skill challenges: 8    
Vistas: 10

Date: 28. Aug 2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Staff

Zone Level: 25-40

Level at start: 34

Level at end: 40

High Moments:

• The view from the Vista near the Durmand Priory is breathtaking. You can see the whole valley and mountainrange from there. 
• I followed an eventchain that started at the False Lake. I had to collect Dwarven Artifacts for an NPC. After that was finished, the Norn took those Artifacts to his hideout. Once there, he discussed his findings with a Charr but both were interrupted by a pirate. He and his friends wanted a summoning stone back. We had to defend the Artifacts from those pirates. Once dealt with the pirates, the summoning stone needed to be escorted to a save place, Vanjir's Stead. Once there, another attempt to steal the stones was made, but i was successful in defending it again. The people at Vanjir's Stead wanted to destroy the stone and an Evil Masterlord spawned when they tried to do that. Sadly I couldn't stop him. It was a group event and he killed me. Would have loved to see, if the story stopped there or if it would have continued.
• I teamed up with a thief and that was really fun. Never really played with one before and I discovered alot about combofields between the thief and elementalist. Great fun.

Low Moments:

• Me and Vistas do not mix. That is a realization I made during this map. I had a hard time figurering out how to get up to most of them and if I did, I most certainly fell down at least three times before making it to the top. Need more practice!!!
• The servers were really acting up today. I got dissconected so many times I lost count. Hopefully the new Patch fixed that problem.

Reward:

No picture of the rewardchest. I dc'ed when I tried to screenshot it. At least I wrote down what I got before that happened.

Mending Shiverpeak Club of Serpent
Honed Pirate Shoulders of the Dolyak
3 Basic Transmutaiton Stones
40 Iron Ore

Exploring Snowden Drifts

Wiki - Snowden Drifts

Renown Hearts: 13      Waypoints: 18      Points of Interest: 11      Skill challenges: 6      Vistas: 6

Date: 27. Aug 2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Staff

Zone Level : 15-25

Level at start: 30

Level at end: 34

High Moments:

• A guildrun for a change. It was really fun even if a bit chaotic. We ran all over the map to get the completion. One needed that Waypoint another that Vista but it was fun non the less. The group split after a while and I did the hearts on my own. Was a really nice experience and I got to know some of my guildmates. Go Somnium!!!
• I didn't die once and got the achievement for surviving to 50k exp. Let's see how long that lasts hehe.

Low Moments:

• Nothing concerning the zone but the servers started to act up in the end. Got disconnected a few times and couldn't log in. But in the end I completed the map.

Reward:

In order from left to right:
Strong Worn Scale Helm of Melandru
Strong Bow of Peril
3 Basic Transmutation Stones
40 Thin Lether Sections

Exploring Rata Sum

Wiki - Rata Sum

Waypoints: 9     Points of Interest: 19      Vistas: 5

Date: 26. Aug 2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Level at start: 24 (just lvled before)

Level at end: 24 (almost lvled)

Rata Sum is really beautiful. Especially the Vistas around the town show of how great the city is (picture above). At first I couldn't find my way around all the layers the city has but after exploring it, it's really easy. I had a hard time with some of the vistas though. But that's more because of my lack of talent concerning jumping puzzles than they being hard to get to.

Reward:

No items for exploring cities it seems but the Basic Transmutation Stones are nice.

Exploring Gendarran Fields

Wiki - Gendarran Fields

Renown Hearts: 11      Waypoints: 22      Points of Interest: 16      Skill challenges: 7      Vistas: 8

Date: 27. Aug 2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Staff

Zone Level : 25-35

Level at start: 25

Level at end: 30

High Moments:

• Played the zone with a few friends and it flew by. It really is faster to play in a group than alone.
• I really liked the heart in the northeast of the map (Help Johan with his training duties at Vollym'S battle pit). There was an event going on at the time and it flew by. The Norn that held the fighting competition became a vendor afterwards and I got a nice Accessory from him.

Low Moments:

• The heart: Get back at the pirates for Joukje is hard. Or at least I thought it was. We encountered a Champion Pirate in the camp and wiped before we knew what hit us.
• Alot of players were exploiting an event at The Bloodfields. Seems it spawned every minute and gave you about 1k exp. Not really my style. I passed them all but I don't like people exploiting. It takes the fun out of the game.

Reward:

Items I got from left to right:

Ravaging Magician Boots of Vampirism
Honed Mace of Blood
1 Black Lion Key
40 Iron Ore

Exploring Wayfarer Foothills

Wiki - Wayfarer Foothills

Renown Hearts: 16      Waypoints: 17      Points of Interest: 19      Skill challenges: 8      Vistas: 10

Date: 26. Aug 2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Staff

Zone Level : 1-15

Level at start: 20

Level at end: 24

High Moments:

• The Vista at Gaerta's Summit is beautiful. The first time I saw those statues I wanted exactly something like this. 
• I loved the Metaeventchain on the map, the one that ends at Frusenfell Creek where you fight the elemental. That was a fun experience.
• Lots and lots of events in this map. I loved how it send me all over the place and I didn't even notice. It was fun to get swept up in those mini stories of the NPCs.

Low Moments:

• The Help Bjarni honor the Hare spirit is a pain when no event is going on. Those rabbits sure are strong.
• *Face Palm* At the heart: Help Albin mChronicler trade with the Jotun tribe I noticed, that sleep deprivation has an effect on me. I was almost finished with the heart when I noticed, that I could trade items between the Jotun in the camp. That would have been helpful knowledge before I spend all that time hunting down rabbits and ores.

Reward:

In order from left to right:

Healing Shiverpeak Warhorn of Agony
Healing shiverpeak Short Bow of Agony
1 Black Lion Key
40 Rawhide LeatherSections

Exploring Plains of Ashford - 1.0

Wiki - Plains of Ashford

Renown Hearts: 16      Waypoints: 18      Points of Interest: 17      Skill challenges: 6      Vistas: 10

Date: 29. Aug 2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Staff

Zone Level : 1-15

Level at start: 15

Level at end: 19 (one skill point won't lvl me to 20)

High Moments:

• The Skill Point south of the Ascalon City Ruins is a hard one alone. It's underwater and those skale are hard to deal with. That selfhealing is a pain. Died a few times trying to get it but it was worth it. I eventually managed to get it. Yay!
• The Viewpoint near the Shards of War is beautiful. 

Low Moments:

• The Skill challenge near the Ashford Forum is/was bugged. Needed to wait for a server restart to finish the zone.
• The south-east part of the map was a bit boring. There were no events while I went through the area but alot of players. It was abit like old MMO times. Everyone was pouncing on the mob that just spawned to tag it so we would get contribution to the heart. I hope this won't happen alot.

Reward:

Can't tell what rewards I will get because that skill challenge still won't work.

Edit: Got the Skillpoint and therefore the rewards for the zone. So here it is:

In order from left to right:

Ravaging Steam Scepter of Accuracy
Strong Swindler coat of the Flock
3 Basic Transmutation Stones
40 Thin Leather Sections

Exploring Queensdale

Wiki - Queensdale

Renown Hearts: 17      Waypoints: 16      Points of Interest: 21      Skill challenges: 7      Vistas: 9

Date: 25. Aug 2012

Character: Istarwyn

Race/Profession: Female Human Elementalist

Weapon/Spec: Scepter/Dagger and Staff

Zone Level : 1-17

Level at start: 1

Level at end: 14

High Moments:

• It's the HEADSTART!!!
• Loved the event at the Greatheart Weald. We had to kill a Champion Oakheart that was corrupted. It was a nice way to show what is still in store for us in the future.
• Hmm...dont't know if it is a bug, but when I switched between overflow server and normal server all the farming nodes were open again. 

Low Moments:

• No activity in the swamp. Would have liked to do the event with the Shadow Behemoth.
• Sometimes there were alot of people at events. We steamrolled those. But it was expected for the headstart.
• The sever problems were a downside too but these were expected as well. Have yet to see a game start without any problem.

Reward:

          In order from left to right:
          Resillient Krytan Short bow of Agony
          Mighty Swindler Pants of the Pack
          3 Basic Transmutation Stones
          40 Jute Scraps