After being a newbie...

[Nomad]

<p>I have five or six characters that are entering their 20's (I am finding out what class suits me the best) and I am not sure where to go next.  Obviously the old world areas of Nektulos and Thundering Steppes look like options, but I also have all expansions, so it looks like Butcherblock Mountains is another option.  </p><p>What is your favorite post-newbie area and why?  I generally solo because of limited playtime and nearly all of my characters are evil.  Not for any other reason than I hated Greater Faydark and Qeynos and loved the Darklight Wood and Neriak.</p><p>Thanks!</p>

[Calthine]

Butcherblock is well worth the time, IMO.

[Isisalthea]

I like Thundering Steeps and Butcherblock.  So much to do in both.  Nek also has some interesting quests.  Oh dear to much to do and so little time.  I usually have a couple in one area and then a couple in another area and trade back and forth between them.  My favorite over all is Thundering Steeps.

[Gnobrin]

Such wonderful information already!  It's all a matter of who you want to help and what you're hankering to kill, now.  Thundering Steppes is as outstanding as Butcherblock or Nektulos.  I like killing the big things myself, so the giants in Thundering Steppes is always first on my list as well as those accursed gnolls that keep capturing me when I get too close. ::Bonks a gnoll on the head with his big ole' wrench!:: ~Gnobrin!

[Krystara]

I loved Thundering Steppes.  I got lost a lot in Nektulos, but if you have a better sense of direction than I do, it has some fun quest lines also.  I haven't played in Butcherblock yet, but my little fae should be out there soon.

[Wrapye]

If you haven't adventured much in any of the zones, then any of them should be good.  Some of us who have been around for a while get a little tired of doing the same old quests time and again, so Butcherblock Mountains provides a nice change of scenery. Nektulos Forest used to be such a dangerous place to go.  Aggro mobs all over the place, even after they got rid of the fish that wouldn't stay in the water.  It is a lot safer to travel the roads now, but going cross-country will run you afoul of flora that will debuff you.  Nek has gone from dangerous to annoying, IMO.

[Aalrahil]

Personally I really love Butcherblock, there's some really good questlines that help you organize your adventuring, and there's a lot of different areas that are fun to poke around in. You can't go wrong with the Thundering Steppes either, of course, especially if you haven't adventured there before.

[TheSpin]

<p>Once you hit level 20 there are some very worthwhile armor quests to do.  You can probably ask in game for help finding them.  They are especially cool because it's class specific armor with unique looks.</p><p>My personal favorite quest lines in the 20s are the ones with the fp miltia in nek and the one that starts near the exit of the beach in nek.  Everything in BBM is worthwhile as well.</p><p>If you decide you want to give grouping a shot, Wailing Caves is going to be great for pretty easy grouping because nothing's too much over 20 there.  Blackburrow is also fairly easy in the low 20.  Fallen Gate and Stormhold would be the more challenging (but probably more rewarding) options.  Crushbone is also an excellent dungeon and is located in greater faydark.</p>

[Winterborne]

My only experience so far is Nek forest which I'm finding to be quite challenging. I'm past level 30 and I still haven't completely mapped the place or even found everything I'm looking for. It is a dangerous zone, it's true. There's a ton of aggressive mobs and environmental dangers. Most annoying are those stupid wasps that seem to sting your butt as your bending over to harvest something. I think I gained a level on smacking those things alone. Annoying as some things are, I like challenges so I stick it out there. I don't run into many people though, so I have to assume most prefer Thundering Steppes and Butcherblock. One thing about Nek forest is that I feel they really captured the mood of the zone well. Yeah it dark, bothersome, aggressive and difficult, but if it were full of sunshine, daisies and gooey gumdrops it wouldn't be Nek forest now, would it! You gotta be tough to survive Nek forest! There's giants and ravenous wolves, flaming bats, sickening spiders, goblins and ghouls, pirates and all sorts of other stuff who's sole determination is to see you suffer!! Ahem, try it sometime.

[Nomad]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.  I think that I will head to BB.  I have spent some time trying to get out of Nektulus with my Frogloc that betrayed Qeynos.  Leaving Haven and trying to get out of Nektulus was a bit of a pain.  That zone is huge and maze-like.  Plus the debuffing flowers are annoying.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />