"World Explorer" and Why It Rocks

A Title and a Tabard!

I'm not an achievement junkie, but I do love titles. There are titles in Warcraft for all sorts of accomplishments; downing bosses, completing meta-acheivements, taking part in holiday events, and raising reputations, among others. Unfortunately, many of these can only be accomplished at level 80, due to dungeon requirements. There are however, a handful of awesome titles that are open and available to those below level cap, and one of these is "World Explorer."

I have recently set out to complete this achievement on a third character, and was met with comments of astonishment. "That takes so much time!" or "I just don't have the patience for that!" But you know what, compared to "Seeker" and "Loremaster," "World Explorer" is not only a piece of cake, but also a rewarding experience that can be handled at just about any level, (provided you have exceptional tenacity) and provides both a title for those collectors such as myself, as well as a pretty cool looking tabard for finishing the Northrend leg. And hey, if you're going for sheer numbers, you can't go wrong with the individual achievements granted for each and every zone.

So much world to see!

"World Explorer" is best done after level 60, when one achieves a flying mount. Obviously all Vanilla world zones require the exclusive use of ground mounts, but being able to fly across Outlands and Northrend saves not only time, but potential deaths and repair bills as well. It is even possible to complete this achievement sub-60, though it will require some awfully creative running! I've put together a list of some considerations to make while working your way through this epic journey, enjoy!

Don't forget the poultry!

1. The Plan. What zones are already complete? Is there a logical way to run from one unfinished place to another? Finding a good loop to make can minimize the time it takes. Make a strategy!
2. Opposing Factions. These zones can be troublesome, especially if you are doing your exploring at a lower level and will have to deal with higher-level guards. Figure out a good loop to make while keeping clear of potential dangers.
3. Hearthstones. Some zones are just plain annoying. My personal least favorite to explore is Azshara. While beautiful, it's crescent shaped, it has weird hills, it has water. Azshara is the one zone I always hearth out of upon completion. I'm sure everyone has their own least-favs, consider those routes in your plan!
4. Gathering. You can make a really amazing amount of money if you want to take extra time to complete "The Explorer." On my server, low level ore such as Mithril sells for huge amounts of money. Stopping at nodes while exploring is completely worth the extra time.
5. Flight Paths. Now is a really great time to pick up those paths you never bothered with before. Stonetalon Mountains? That goblin between EPL and WPL. Grab them all, you never know when you might need to use them with the world getting ripped apart in a few months.
6. Companion Pets and Mounts. You can knock off a few little achievements during your travels relating to both pets and mounts. These guys are sold not only outside of the major faction cities, but interesting off-the-path locations as well. Don't forget your Ancona Chicken from the Mirage Raceway in Thousand Needles!

So there you go, get exploring!