Prefered Area Order?

[Tempestfury]

Here is a question that I've been wondering about for some time.

After the Tutorial is complete, we have three different areas that are immediately opened up for us to explore, each of which has several quests and events for us to poke around in.

The Old Forest, of course, is the main story pathway. Introducing us to Brint - and through Brint, Brienne - quickly, allowing us to locate both Kiyoko, Viviane and Azyrran, as well as being the direction we need to go in for the Dog Days quest. Not to mention there is far more after the Old Forest than anything else so far. The Wayforst. The Frostwood, The Winter City, The Glacial Rift. Etheryn requires us to clear the Old Forest to recruit her, as does Agnimitra... basically, I'm pretty sure that the Old Forest is meant to be the first choice.

But that does not mean that the other areas do not have exciting events and people as well. We might not have as many companions, but the Foothills does provide us with the wonderful Arona, and it is where we find Berwyn as well, though they are no longer a companion. Zhara and Shar appear too, though they don't seem to be as popular as ladies. Shades of the Past leads us to the Foothills, and it leads as the pathway to Kor'Minos.

Finally, the Harvest Valley. Quintillus is found here, yay. But more importantly, the Harvest Valley has both the Centaur village and the Marefolk village. Both Ahmri and Atani, two beautifully popular and marriable ladies can be found in the Harvest Valley, so I will not be surprised if people go to the Harvest Valley just for them! And not to mention both villages have a lot of NPCs and interactions available to people as well. While we don't have as many quests or independent characters so other regions, I can see the Harvest Valley being quite popular.

So my fellow CoC2 players. Which option do you choose first? In what order do you 'clear' the three starting eras? Or do you just fool around with all three with no real rhyme or reason? I am quite eager to hear your thoughts on this subject.

 

[Savin]

The way area levels are broken down, the "most correct" order (and the way I usually putter around when playtesting) is Old Forest -> First Half of Harvest Valley -> Foothills -> Southern Harvest Valley.

 

[Tempestfury]

Interesting to know what the more 'official' route is meant to be. From the votes so far, people are certainly starting with the Old Forest.

 

[Emily Smith]

I do a mix depending on why I'm restarting a playthrough.

 

[Boshe]

Old Forest - Frostwood - Winter City

 

[Tempestfury]

Guess you really like Etheryn huh?

18 Votes in Old Forest - Harvest Valley - Foothills is winning heavily. With the other Old Forest route being a distant second. Everything else hasn't got more than one vote!

 

[PalletTown]

I do things differently. For me it's Old Forest - Foothills - Frostwood - Harvest Valley

 

[Tempestfury]

Leaving Harvest Valley till last huh? Interesting, why is that?

 

[Boshe]

Guess you really like Etheryn huh?

I actually just really like Kiyoko and have enough time left after Fluffhaus to unlock Winter City waystone and be back at Frosthound by bedtime.

 

[Tempestfury]

Hmmm, fair enough then.

 

[PalletTown]

Leaving Harvest Valley till last huh? Interesting, why is that?

I try to do all quests as efficiently as possible while still going to sleep every night. I rush Frostwood for the Kitsune quest for Lucky Strike so I can increase my money. After I recruit Arona, then I go Harvest Valley in order to reach the waystone. It generally takes 2 days to reach the waystone.

 

[Tempestfury]

Hmmm, fair enough, any reason why you tend to rush though things? Or you just like being efficient?

 

[Colourless]

Old Forest - Frostwood - Winter City

This.
Honestly I feel like narratively it really doesn't make any sense do go off somewhere else after Old Forest when you know that Kasyrra is fucking around to the north.

 

[Boshe]

This.
Honestly I feel like narratively it really doesn't make any sense do go off somewhere else after Old Forest when you know that Kasyrra is fucking around to the north.

Foothills don't sound like your problem until you get told to meet the minos. Harvest Valley has the whole-ass cat quest, Garth stressing you to check on the puppers and you need to deal with the centaurs to get Gweyr quest, even if it's technically not mentioned by the game in any way to my knowledge. Still pretty minor, compared to Winter City, but you could make a case for the scenario where you didn't grind xp on corrupted lupines and got your ass handed to you in Frostwood or listened to Evergreen and avoided getting your ass handed to you.

 

[WolframL]

The Foothills are an area of interest from the start because of, y'know, the orcish raiders camped out there. It's one of the places Garth asks you to check on, just like Pupperidge Farm in Harvest Valley. You can validly decide as a player (or in-character as the Champ) to check it out at basically any time after the start of the game and don't have to wait for Act 2 when you're forced to go through there.

Also, there's the whole optional yet lore-significant Fort Marrok quest which requires you to explore the southern part of the Foothills.

 

[Boshe]

I don't remember the in-game tone of it, but I think the orcs were posited as a much lower urgency matter than Barney and puppers getting done demon cult stuff to. Also, Garth quest prompt only happens three days after Garret quest, so a whole day after you could be done with Winter City and is a bit too meta to wait at Frosthound for without any in-game indication for.

 

[PalletTown]

Hmmm, fair enough, any reason why you tend to rush though things? Or you just like being efficient?

There are a few reasons that I try to maximize time efficiency in CoC II. I actually managed to do all act 1 quests (except Attitute adjustment, Nothing like housework, Caparison Hunter, and Golden Carrot) in 27 days while going to bed every night to maximize Kiyoko time. Nothing link Housework and Caparison Hunter are just less tedious to due in act 2 and I don't like attitude adjustment.

 

[WolframL]

I don't remember the in-game tone of it, but I think the orcs were posited as a much lower urgency matter than Barney and puppers getting done demon cult stuff to.

They're still mentioned by Garth in the unskippable section just after the tutorial (with a comment that people are afraid to leave town now) and you're reminded to talk to him about the issues plaguing the region just before you get control again, at which point he can talk further about the orcs and the risk they pose. You're given entirely valid in-character reasons to go checking out the any of the starting zones, which is kind of the point.

 

[Resawar]

The best path for me is:
Old forest to pick up Brint, then spend the day "lost" in the forest and to grab Kiyoko day 1. Then Day two I talk to Garth and then head out to the Foothills to farm out Marked Mercs and harpies and "look" for a way around the forest while also looking for orcs. With day 3 we head down to check on the farm and find cultists lurking around and now have a reason to go down south to help secure the road for food, and now I have a nice reason to visit each area and by the time I'm done ill be level 3 and can head up to deal with the old forest as a whole.

 

[Tempestfury]

Well, 41 votes in and the Old Forest has crushed it with 33 of the votes. 20 going to Harvest Valley second, 13 going to the Foothills second. Only 'Mixed' has 3 votes, everything else is sitting at 1 or 2.

Dominant result, but each combo does have at least 1 vote, which is interesting to note as well.

 

[A1teros]

In my case, I have to run Harvest Valley first to justify Brienne so immediately after getting Brint I have to sprint down to the armor and then time my arrival back at the Frosthound so Atugia brings me in and passes the time to night so I can't see Sanders, then I get Dog Days immediately when I wake up and have to run off to save Garret. If I were playing normally though I'd probably go Forest->Harvest Valley->Foothills.