This is a scaled down (TLDR) blueprint of precisely what you need to do to execute the POE1 campaign effectively. I have in mind newer players and especially those who come from POE2 in making this.
The POE1 campaign can be completely overwhelming for a new player (which was a significant reason for creating POE2). If you are new, follow this guide zone for zone, hang in there, and buckle up for the ride.
Some decisions I've made:
Each "area" is treated as its own "zone" to avoid confusion about what constitutes an official zone and what does not.
If a zone can be skipped because it ultimately offers no real value, it is skipped in this guide.
If the progression of the game generally suggests doing something as you go (skill books, ascendancy, etc.), this guide will call it out as you go.
This is a 3-sectioned zone that can be quite time-consuming if you don't pay attention.
1 - Start by proceeding North (and just slightly West) until you see a long bridge that looks like this:
2 - Continue to go North (and just slightly West) following the path in the Ice, you will come up to a Wall Face and a Crafting Altar.
3 - Proceed more West until you see the quest ! symbol, and the Resonator. Click the Level and enter the Oriath Portal, which actually takes you to The Slave Pens.
Zone 2 - The Slave Pens
This is a very large zone but it has a fairly deterministic path. Stay FAR right, and go down until you hit the bottom right corner, then proceed southwest until you meet Overseer Krow. Defeat him and take the ladder to The Overseer's Tower.
Zone 3 - The Overseer's Tower (Act 5 Town)
Gaming's best town, a tiny area with just 3 NPC's. Thanks GGG.
Vendors of note in this town:
1 - Utula - Generally standard weapons and armour
2 - Lani - Generally potions, jewelry, and caster items
Also where you can ID items at no cost
3 - Vilenta - Gambler and respecialization
Go through to the Northwest side of this little nugget of a town to The Control Blocks.
Zone 4 - The Control Blocks
This is a rather dicey zone with a Boss and Quest at the end. It can be tedious to navigate. One hack that speeds things up a lot is realizing that you can blink between the cracks in the fences:
Wherever you see the fence sort of split like this, you can target a blink to go direct through. This will save you lots of time as you navigate this zone.
Midway through the zone you will see the quest ! symbol with the Experimental Supplies. Blink through the fence and grab the Miasmeter that drops:
This will complete the In Service to Science quest.
Quest Reward: Passive Skillpoint
You eventually maze around and land on Justicar Casticus, an easy fight that drops the Eyes of Zeal quest item. Grab this and proceed up and left to the Oriath Square entrance on the wall.
Zone 5 - Oriath Square
This is another crossroads-type zone that you will be returning to many times in order to travel to other points of interest. The Waypoint is at the start, and for this first time through, simply follow the path past the "square" and find the bridge on the East side. After crossing the bridge, search the entire connected area for the entrance to The Templar Courts.
Zone 6 - The Templar Courts
This is a true walkthrough zone that is very large. After grabbing the Waypoint, you want to head East / Right until you hit the side wall, then head South / Down until you reach the bottom right corner, then head South / Left until you hit the next corner, and then head North / Up to reach The Chamber of Innocence entrance.
Zone 7 - The Chamber of Innocence
This is another zone where you are essentially traveling a LARGE loop around the zone, this one is counter-clockwise:
Enter the Sanctum of Innocence where you will fight Innocence.
This fight is not too difficult, but it does have a lot of phases, and two big moves to watch out for:
1 --> "I am the end" is a large AOE explosion outward from Innocence, run!
2 --> "I" (yep just I) is a large beam that follows you and does a lot of DPS, dodge it by circling around Innocence
After defeating Innocence, speak to Sin, then head out the RIGHT SIDE exit back to The Chamber of Innocence, run up beyond the Waypoint and speak to Bannon and head into The Torched Courts (notice the change from "Templar" courts).
Zone 8 - The Torched Courts
You are now essentially running backwards through this zone (previously it was a clock-wise walk, now it's counter-clockwise [starting roughly in the 6 o'clock position]). Trave; the reverse route to what is now The Ruined Square.
Zone 9 - The Ruined Square
Once again, we are in the previous zone but is has been set on fire, turned to anarchy, and has new obstacles in our way. We are going to do a lot of things connected to this zone:
1 - Go straight North to find the Waypoint and entrance to The Ossuary
2 - Come back and find The Reliquary for a quest (it is often on the opposite end of the entire zone from the Waypoint)
3 - Kill Utula in one of the side areas (near the Hideout reward about mid/center of the zone on one of the top or bottom sides)
4 - Go to the Cathedral Rooftop for the final encounters of Act 5 (often in the opposite corner of the same side as the Waypoint
It was once said by the great Boagrius that "god hath mercy on any man who traverseth the Ruined Square without Shield Charge." Don't find out what he meant.
Zone 10 - The Ossuary
Something about Act 5 and large loops... once again you will make a clock-wise (or possibly counter clock-wise) loop around the zone (starting roughly at 11:00), and you want to retrieve the Sign of Purity from the Tomb of the First Templar. You can also grab the Crafting Altar and then leave this zone.
Zone 11 - The Reliquary
Explore all corners of this zone to find the three Quest Items for Kitava's Torments: Hinekora's Hair, Tukohama's Tooth, and Valako's Jaw.
Quest Reward: Passive Skillpoint
This is a decent time to return to town and turn in all the quests, collect Skill books, and then head back to The Ruined Square Waypoint. From here, travel to the Cathedral Rooftop (again, often in the opposite corner of the same side as the Waypoint).
Zone 12 - The Cathedral Rooftop
This zone is huge but very deterministic. Turn left after the entrance and head north. Navigate all the way to the Northwestern most point to The Cathedral Apex, where you will fight the Act 5 boss: Kitava, the Insatiable.
This fight can be kind of rough if you are new to the game. Realize that if you die, you spawn right outside the entrance, and can hop back in and resume. AND, you can do this as many times as you need. After defeating Kitava, you will be automatically taken to a new area with Sin to speak to. Travel down from the starting place, speak to Lilly Roth, and then choose the option in her dialogue box to Sail to Wraeclast.
