#emerald marsh

I figure a good place to begin is with the three Starter Zones, since that's one of the first big decisions a new player has to make!

After your account has been approved and you've selected a class from the offered list, you'll be asked to choose which of Palette Quest's three Starter Zones you'd like to begin your adventure in:

From left to right, they're called the Dahlia Fields, the Emerald Marsh, and the Vermilion Jungle. Each zone has a set Starter Town where you'll spawn the first time you log into the game. They all have distinct environments with unique benefits and drawbacks, and the "best" choice will depend entirely on what you're wanting to get out of your time in Thisland.

Here's a little three-part guide so you can choose the best Starter Zone for your goals:

Dahlia Fields

Emerald Marsh

Vermilion Jungle

All the abundant vegetation in this Starter Zone shines an emerald green. Very sparkly. A little... too sparkly. The waters are sparkly too, despite their murkiness, and are full of oversized lily pads strong enough for players to stand on.

The Emerald Marsh is well known for an abundance of pale pink Will o’ Wisps, able to lead Adventurers to both treasure and ruin - depending on their luck. Their prevalence speaks to the large Fey and larger Dryad presence in the Marsh, which is home to the (yet unexplored) Great Willow Tree!

Speaking of treasure, the Marsh is full of it! It’s estimated that thousands of items - and perhaps even towns - can be found in the mud. They don’t seem easy to find, requiring wisp guides and hours of work to unearth.

It's worth noting the minor internet discourse over the name of this Zone - apparently the "marsh" in Emerald Marsh is a bit of a misnomer. The ecologist gamers claim it's actually a swamp, and some insist on calling it the "Emerald Swamp" despite the official, in-game name.

Why start here?

The Emerald Marsh is a good place to begin your Palette Quest journey if you're interested in treasure hunting, exploring ruins, or getting a headstart on finding a boat to explore the Sea. It also boasts some of the most diverse and detailed plant life of all the known Zones, making it a fun place for people that enjoy gardening.

The local Starter Town, Verde, is the smallest of the Starter Towns. Most of the reasons people have for visiting the Marsh involve leaving town to go treasure hunting, so Adventurer retention isn't high. This can be good for those who want to settle down somewhere without a lot of players, but also means that Verde doesn't cater to us as much as places like Goldenlock.

The Marsh is also not a great place to go for grand-scale exploration. It's bordered by the Mountains to the West, the Sea to the East, and the River to the South. Basically, the only way to go to any other Zone is to cross the River into the Fields and spread out from there. If discovery is your main goal, you're better off literally anywhere else.