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The latest patch 5.4 newsBreakfast Topic: What's the best quest zone in the game?
by Olivia Grace 
Feb 11th 2012 at 8:00AM
The screenshot is a fine example of this. Sure, it looks like Gilneas, but it's actually a little pocket of Blasted Lands southwest of the Dark Portal. Unfortunately, I was on my Horde warlock when I happened upon this little coastal settlement, so its inhabitants were less than friendly to me!
What are your favorite zones to quest in, and what makes a great questing zone? For me, the vital components are atmosphere, looks, convenience of travel and geographical layout, and quality of quests. A zone has to look good -- my preference is for dark, mysterious zones like Duskwood -- and have a great feel to it. I think the feel is some combination of continuity in the looks and the quest content, plus a sense of what's going on in the zone, a bit of a story that I'm part of. Travel has to be convenient -- in long, thin zones, there has to be a way to get around. Obviously, this is tantamount where you can't fly!
And the layout of the quests has to be convenient, too. I hate doing a whole bunch of quests in one area and then moving to another area, only to have to go back to where I started. And having to go back to the same place again and again. That's just me, though. And lastly, the fewer "bring me nine basilisk gizzard" quests, the better. I don't care if they're to make your soup or for a satanic ritual -- it's still dull!
Badlands, since its Cataclysm rework, has some amazing quest lines -- it's now on the list of vital places I'll always level through -- but visually, it doesn't do it for me. My favorite? Duskwood, by a long shot! How about you?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 5)
wesleyshawn Feb 11th 2012 6:26PM
I haven't played WoW since the summer, but I had to get in on this topic to show love to my favorite zones. I mostly played alliance, and on that side, Redridge was my favorite zone to level through after Cata. And, I have to admit that I ended up loving Vash'jir after trying to hate it for so long. Before Cata, no zone leaves me in awe more than the Storm Peaks in Northrend. Great memories.
Post-Cata:
1. Redridge Mountains
2. Vash'jir
3. Badlands
Pre-Cata:
1. Storm Peaks
2. Zangarmash
3. Westfall
Estal Feb 11th 2012 8:18PM
HELLFIRE!!!
/ducks
(Seriously though, I'm not sure the zone is really that badly developed. I think its more that every alt I make has to quest there, and so it just gets overdone. Having some choice = good. I really really hope Blizz remembers that in MoP, I got the impression from blizzcon they don't...)
Hurbster Feb 11th 2012 10:04PM
I'd say Nagrand. Still the best looking zone (imo) nice relaxing questing, ring of blood - ect.
Post Cata - as an Alliance player it's pretty tough to find one that isn't completely depressing or a pop-culture sink to play through. It's also indicative of how poorly (if any) characterisation of the Alliance leaders that we got in Cata was compared to the Horde.
Best of a poor bunch would be Duskwood.
I'm just not a fan of the extreme streamlining we have in the 1-60 zones now.
phiplipian Feb 12th 2012 1:35AM
Pre-Cata I really couldn't tell you what question zone I liked most. None of them really stood out to me. But now my favorite leveling zone in the entire game is, bar none, Eastern Plaguelands. It's not even close. I've leveled 3 characters since Cata came out and all have had the pleasure of meeting Fiona and the paladin pals.
Dark Trepie Feb 12th 2012 2:42AM
Playing through Ashenvale and Stonetalon with my Draenei paladin gave me a passionate hate for anything Horde. Especially orcs. I was more than happy to head to Southern Barrens and give them hell when asked too. Gave more than a few Horde players hell too for those atrocities. But that's what you get for playing on a PVP server.
Dark Trepie Feb 12th 2012 2:52AM
Forgot to add the other zone that stirred such feelings was EPL. I recall playing through that on my BE mage and being FURIOUS when the dwarf pally in that caravan got kidnapped. I was blowing cooldowns all through that zone while rescuing him.
qeqivah Feb 12th 2012 7:30AM
Stormpeaks was my favorite. The music was awesome and the scenery majestic. In general, I liked Northrend the most of all the continents.
Awesome Feb 12th 2012 8:21PM
Eastern Plaguelands. Although it's extremely linear, I like how the whole zone had a storyline, and one overarching adventure, coupled with a few side-quests that interact with the main quest (like the zombie troll). One of the most awesome questing zones out there.
Runner Up: Gilneas. Until I end up on Darnassus.
ceinwyn_huntress Feb 12th 2012 9:03PM
I love the revamped Eastern Plaguelands, with the caravan and its characters, who you basically travel around with (and quest with) through the zone. I agree with Olivia about quest layout, and the new EPL definitely fulfills that requirement now -- SO much easier than riding the length of the zone to turn in every quest at Light's Hope!
I also have a soft spot for Darkshore -- it's one of those zones in which you really feel the effects of the cataclysm. I'll never forget the first time I had to search the coast for the bodies of NPCs that I had interacted with in Auberdine, or when Azshara shows up at the end. Sad and chilling, respectively.
rkaycom Feb 12th 2012 9:53PM
Eastern Plaguelands (for Alliance). I love the idea of traveling with a caravan of recruit paladins, out to make a name for themselves :-)
Evelinda Feb 13th 2012 7:36AM
Don't make me choose!
Ghostlands was the first zone I fell in love with. It's a fantastic zone, haunting, traumatised, full of excellent quests, and the struggle to restore the zone to blood elf control feels monumental to me. I've done the zone more than half a dozen times, and i always enjoy it.
Nagrand is another favourite. Everything is so unified, you're doing all you can, forging alliances, felling giants, in order to preserve whichever civilization you're defending. Not ti mention the fact that champion of the mag'har was the best quest line ever.
I also love zul'drak. It starts out fairly slow, fairly unexciting. Go hum, doing quests to kill undead for the argent crusade, boring. Then you find yourself bringing down an old friend/enemy, who you brought to power in a previous zone, which is immensely satisfying. Then you work your way through the zone, and come face to face with the tragedy of the drakkari, and how they sacrificed their gods for the power to protect themselves from the scourge, all for nought. Powerful stuff. Also you get to ride a giant and smash things.
There's really just so many great zones, i could go on for pages, i'm sure...