Where do I go after level 20?

This question pops up a lot on the Newbie board over at SOE.

It’s a good question. Sony has focused a lot of attention on the 1-20 and 45-80 experience but 20-45 can be hellish to make it through, and is, most likely, where the most casualties occur in terms of people leaving the game.

Why? A couple of reasons. Lack of groups, and lack of direction. Which are intertwined.

Around level 20, assuming you’ve started out in Darklight, Kelethin, or Timorous Deep, you’ll be directed to Butcherblock.  Butcherblock has some nice quest lines, although it is not the most travel-friendly of zones, and you may find yourself doing a lot of running back and forth across the zone, especially for the first several quest lines, which are at opposite ends of the map.  Still, it’s the best option for those who prefer solo play and like questing.

Be that as it may, once you leave your newbie area, you are going to end up in one of 3 places: Butcherblock, Nektulos, or the Thundering Steppes. These two zones are part of the “Old World” and although they have each gone under the knife once or twice to keep their faces wrinkle free, some of the underlying bone structure is in need of adjustment, still.  Each one has some nice quest lines, particularly Nektulos Forest, but they may seem time consuming and tedious to the new player who is coming from Timorous Deep, Darklight Woods, or Greater Faydark, where the 1-20 quests are very polished.

My advice for new players is to venture into the dungeons, as well as the overland zones.

Start with Fallen Gate in the Commonlands, then move to Stormhold in Antonica, then the Ruins of Varsoon in Thundering Steppes, and then Crushbone Keep in Greater Faydark. Around 30, try your hand at the scripted Nektropos Castle in Nektulos Forest.

By this point you should be well into your 30’s if not approaching 40, and can venture to Runnyeye in the Enchanted Lands and the Drafling Tower in Rivervale (truly one of this game’s most underrated dungeons). You can take another breather and go into the scripted Deathfist Citadel in The Orcish Wastes of Zek.

At this point your options begin to open up again and you can try out solo content and some nice dungeons. At level 45 you can head to the Sinking Sands for some great quest lines, or you can return to Steamfont in Faydwer for some fantastic solo questing and easy leveling. In the Sinking Sands, the Clefts of Rujark await you at level 50, as does Klak’Anon in Steamfont. If you want to see the most breathtaking dungeons in the game to date, check out Permafrost in Everfrost, and Solusek’s Eye in Lavastorm. Getting to them might be a challenge, but find a solid group and delve in … they are worth the effort for their amazing visuals!

After that, you can go to Tenebrous Tangle and begin the quests there. The Sanctum of the Scaleborn is one of the game’s largest dungeons, as well, and a popular grouping spot for the low 60’s.

Lesser Faydark has some nice quest lines to take you up to your 60’s, and then the Loping Plains can take you to 70 — and at 70 you can head to the new Ruins of Kunark content!