This post's original content has been deleted.
I support this - the "Mistlocke resident" portal option was a good way to just get veteran players back into the groove of things without having to go through the usual motions (in both starter quests and exposition) of acclimating to the setting, as if we're starting out for the first time.
It also supplied more roleplay opportunities for those who didn't want to be typecast as a bogstandard portal rat - something that would make sense in Sanctuary, with its thousands of residents and previous inhabitants in Lower and Upper.
i usually just grab a ring, stone and then go fight umber hulks, or something myself.
You don't have as much gear, but it's more fun.
Same time, Having a few more thematic starters is cool, like being caught on a fleeing ship and only having a narrow chance to escape to land and a portal, or something. It could be easy enough to start a app optional portal that lets you join the workforce of Sanctuary, or a lower gang start or something too.
You could even have players that start out with a group housing and easy food, but are in debt bondage and begin seeking adventure life to pay off their 10,000 coins debt, or something.
I would love to see a sanctuary beginning. Where you are a resident of sanctuary who desires to become an adventurer, or a similar lower start.
We are talking about them, sure enough, but it's quite guaranteed that such starting would not make you a citizen of old times or anything. Starting there so you don't need to go through the more detailed guidance and all that stuff is very legit request though.
Paha edit: I still don't like mere yay or nay speech. Last warning to everyone.
Perhaps I could suggest what we had in late EFU: M of a "ShipwrecK". Your PC was in the Underdark on the Dark Lake and his vessel waylaid, awakening in the Canal Ward after "Washing up". Could even do a small quest where you fight kobold pirates or something similar as an alternative to the "Hardcore" prelude. Perhaps a softcore prelude, so to speak. That way you have no connection to Old Sanctuary but can still be a grizzled lowersman or similar without "Portal rat does basic quests".
I fully agree with this and find, for the most part, the "noob run" to be nothing but an annoyance and waste of time (at least for veteran / experienced players players). The current implementation should be a suggested route for actual new players as it lends them the chance to briefly learn the basic area design / flow of the areas.
I would suggest a little more creativity on the design of these new portals as the option in the last setting was a rather massive setback in terms of the small basic survival supplies. With the setting being more difficult than prior it might be wise to think about the "balance" of things when stuff is handed out or we will likely continue to see the silent sprint to level 4 that is really a saddening sight in such a quality world.
I suggest for us to go nostalgia mode and bring up slaves prelude: the escapes of Sorrowfest Island. It could be spiced by the ever possibility of being hunted again by the slavers during their career and it could be scripted that the presence of the player in some areas could randomly spawn slave hunters (!).