Hello,
While playing this game, it quickly turned into a backtracking nightmare of side quests, but since I have a liking for solving complex puzzles I decided to figure out if it is actually possible to complete all the quests in each area without visiting any location twice.
In this thread I will share the results of this effort, which is mostly a set of maps with a lot of arrows on them. It turns out 95%+ of the game can actually be done without backtracking, but on higher difficulty you need to manage your potions carefully. The paths shown on the map must be done exactly in the right order and sometimes also with the right companion to make sure every quest is available (and every nearby shard is revealed) and can be completed/conveniently picked up when you get there. The routes are also ordered in such a way that the sub-stories follows the intended timeline and NPCs can be talked to in the right order.
The arrows were drawn quickly so they may not exactly be going over every item, secret and codex entry etc that needs to be picked up. The arrows also assume you talk to every questgiver along the route and at the end of the route. I added some important tips to each map. By accident I may have drawn an arrow over an inaccesible area, but I don't think this will be an issue. The icons on the maps come from game-maps.org, you can find full walkthroughs for each quest there, I only added the numbered arrows and the red 'j's for red jenny cache locations.
The Hinterlands
This guide assumes the player wants to pickup companions and unlock the main quest ASAP, however if the player wants the opposite of that, I believe route 7-12 can be completed before 4-6 without causing backtracks, if varric quest is obtained and order is strictly followed, afaik only a red jenny cache will be missed and Viv needs to pickup an agent at the crossroads later.
1. Trigger the quests at [05] and [06] along the way, but don't go into the calenhad ruins, don't even pickup the shard right in front of you, only activate both oculara, close the rift and setup camp.
3. Must have Solas for Amulet, after setting up camp you should have the power to go to Val Royeaux
AFTER VAL ROYEAUX
4. This is only for picking up Blackwall and looting the shack, go back to Haven when it is done and talk to Blackwall, Vivienne and Varric until their quests are available.
5. Now you can loot the ruin with Blackwall, you can also do this later.
6. Cassandra is must, Viviene recommended. Make a detour '6a' to kill the apostates ASAP is recommended if you want to advance the main quest before route 11 without losing this quest. You will have to go back there, but arguably reducing the apostate spawns is less trouble in the long run anyway.
7. Don't miss the treasure map at [11], for getting the secret south of [22], at the very end there is a shard.
8. a horse is useful for this one. flag one watch tower along the way.
9. During this route you complete the ram hunting and pick up the apostate caches. You start picking up 2 shards then go to the shack and ask the lady about the ring, don't miss the quest at [49] to pickup the agent at [45], Varric is must for agent at [44], Also at [46] the key for the cabin.
11. Now all quests in the village can be cleared + 2 more agents, requires Vivienne. Ends with bringing the druffalo back.
AFTER SKYHOLD
13. You must have Dorian now and unlocked his quest, this finishes your business with horsemaster and Dorian will also recruit him.
14. You must have obtained quest from Cassandra in Skyhold before this one and bring Dorian along.
AFTER WICKED EYES, WICKED HEARTS
15. You must have obtained quest 'Well sh*t' from Varric.
16. Before doing this route you must have 1x Felandaris and finished war table operation 'Measuring Veil Strength'
18. Can be done whenever you are ready actually, but with even ground this fire dragon is tougher than many others.
Storm Coast
1. Advance cleaning house, Don't go into any caves!
TEMPEST should not continue until spec quest in skyhold is received.
2. This horse ride must be done to finish cleaning house with the mercy amulet, buy a deepstalker hide from the emporium if you don't have one already.
3. Do not enter the cave to the other side of the mountain, climb up, visit apostate landing house and try to open the door to trigger the spawning of the owner, then go to the codex entry with nice view and slide down to the ocularium.
NECROMANCER should not continue until spec quest in skyhold is received.
4. X= near spawning point for mage with apostate landing key, quicksave and load repeatedly at the bottle of thedas location until you spot him in the valley. The mage has ridiculous HP and is fire resistant.
6. fallen trees can be used to walk over
AFTER SKYHOLD
7. First finish the war table operation keeping darkspawn down
11. If you postpone this until red templar war table operation is available you save another small backtrack, in late game don't overlook the red templar key at [18]
Crestwood
Assassins and reavers must make sure to have received specialization quests in Skyhold before starting this area, the spawns are along the way.
4. After this one you still have to walk back from the first camp to the spirit.
5. A load game may be needed to spawn enough bandits.
8. Electric dragon
Forbidden Oasis
Ignore the blue line it is not part of the guide. Color coding: Dark red = up top, Red = caves, Orange = canyon floor
4. light the torches in the cave to get rid of the spiders and get the wedding ring, don't even bother getting out of the cave, just fast travel back.
7. go down, close rift, pickup bottle and then take the path over the bridge to the last skull
9. jump to the shard at mid-level then jump to the canyon floor
10. pickup the shard in the corner and look for the hunter woman with the key in this area
11. two shards must be picked up somewhere mid-level
12. Close another rift and go up the ladder + energize for another shard.
13. now you go through the other spiral cave in upward direction WITH the veilfire.
15+16. all remaining shards and some loot can be picked along this route using a trick: one companion jumps down to pickup a shard, but the rest stays on top using the hold button, select another character and continue.
Western approach
1. Go in both caves but not through the second one, walk back at [17] to pickup the shard.
2. When you reach the researcher NPC he gives you the frederic livelyhood quest which can be completed along this route. The raiders will spawn in the area where I put 'X', save and load until you have enough, then finish closing the rift and fast travel back to the researcher, after a talk the map will be swarming with quest markers.
5. after taking the fortress talk to the captain and get all his quests and enjoy bioware sending you back to the main quest location to kill some bandits.
6. make sure that when you arrive at the lumber camp first go up the mountain to get the shard then jump down to go into the cave.
7. If you flag the landmark you don't need to bother opening the door later (the spawns on the other side are tougher)
10. just to pickup 2 shards
11. along the way remove the lures and visit last trail sign, don't do the translate dragon text war table operation before clearing this one with the researcher to prevent a bug.
12 and finally slaying the fire dragon will open the cave
Exalted Plains
1. Don't go into any rampart to fight undead yet, but you can talk to the npc about it, first get the 2 landmarks and the skull then jump down to a shard and some stuff also get the shard on the other side of the road by jumping up some rocks next to it, talk to te elves and go to the elf camp and get all their quests.
2. Kill the demons but don't open any graves, instead go back with the golden halla and finish both quests.
3. clear the trenches after activating the skull and after blowing the horn enter the upper most section of the trenches, you can jump out to continue.
4. activate fast travel point and talk to npcs before starting route 5
6. check for letters and shards, the ones to the north can be done later
7. don't miss the 2 doors to areas under the trenches were quests must be picked up [24] and [26], use search at [27].
9. After killing the venatori with Dorian at [29] go straight to the bridge ignoring the destroyed village with the rift. Quest at [41] will send you again to this area. The remaining caches for this quest should be close to fast travel points and route 14.
Emerald Graves
1. activate all quests here, but don't continue to the villa.
2. When activating the first ocularium, don't bother picking up the shards behind you, only pickup the ones further along the route. Look carefully for the unmarked quest at [41], it is near the waterfall (not in the area where you walk over a long bar), it can be solved along the routes, but is very difficult, read wiki or guide. When activating the second ocularium you don't need to walk back to pickup the shards behind you.
4. After killing the boss and cleaning up, fast travel to fairbanks and finish the quest, so that the fast travel point will appear after fast travelling again to the start of route 5, if you still have health you can also do 6 or 7 immediately.
5. Talk to Johnson, now you can pickup the shards left behind on your way to the bear.
8. Search in the waterfall for the unmarked quest, also at [42]
AFTER WICKED EYES, WICKED HEARTS
9. Before starting this route you must have done 2 war table operations: 'draw out the templar' (after finishing with fairbanks) and 'investigate the elven ruins' to make the fast travel point appear, not shown on the map is a cassandra enemy in the corner, after the astrarium kill the red templars and pickup the shards left behind here.
11. Frost dragon
Emprise du Lion
This map already had a lot of helpful arrows so, I only needed to add a few more.
2. There is a Felandaris on the shore at [08]
4. When you arrive at [12] get the key and go immediately into Valeska's Watch, after cleaning up Valeska's watch don't bother walking back, fast travel from underground. The other stuff is postponed because of a shard (route 13)
6. This quest must be activated before entering the quarry
8+9+10. Can't tell exactly the optimum way to walk through the Quarry, but roughly going from 8 to 9 to 10 is probably a good start, the landmark is up top.
12. It is very important to kill the frost dragon at [32] first, because of the ocularium, it is possible to walk back to the frost dragon at [31] and do route 14 immediately, but backtracking over the bridge is recommended since there is a new shard along the way and route 14 is going to be tough even without the extra dragon.
13. now you can pickup shard south of elven artifact.
15. Fire dragon
