Cartographer

Cartographer is a title awarded to players who explore large amounts of each continent's map. There are separate title tracks for each campaign and the titles are prefixed with the name of their respective continent. These titles can be displayed in the "Honor" monument.

Cartographer title track


! Tier !! Prophecies title !! Factions title !! Nightfall title !! Exploration of continent
 * - align="center" valign="top"
 * 1 || Tyrian Explorer || Canthan Explorer || Elonian Explorer || 60%
 * - align="center" valign="top"
 * 2 || Tyrian Pathfinder || Canthan Pathfinder || Elonian Pathfinder || 70%
 * - align="center" valign="top"
 * 3 || Tyrian Trailblazer || Canthan Trailblazer || Elonian Trailblazer || 80%
 * - align="center" valign="top"
 * 4 || Tyrian Cartographer || Canthan Cartographer || Elonian Cartographer || 90%
 * - align="center" valign="top"
 * 5 || Tyrian Master Cartographer || Canthan Master Cartographer || Elonian Master Cartographer || 95%
 * - align="center" valign="top"
 * 6 || Tyrian Grandmaster Cartographer || Canthan Grandmaster Cartographer || Elonian Grandmaster Cartographer || 100%
 * }

Legendary Cartographer title track


! Title || Total maxed cartographer
 * - align="center" valign="top"
 * Legendary Cartographer  || 3
 * }

Acquisition
The Grandmaster Cartographer title can only be obtained through extensive and thorough exploration of the world map for a given campaign. While exploring, one can travel by pushing your character against the edges of each area (also known as scraping), and periodically stop, to ensure that every obscure corner or portion gets "unfogged". The mission map makes it easier to see and notice areas that have not been explored as compared to the world map.

It is important to note that all possible areas of exploration for each continent actually total up to more than 100%. On each continent, there is an observed small leeway (about 0.1% to 0.2%) to account for areas that became inaccessible as the character progresses through the storyline. On Tyria, this is most noticeable. All of the previous PvP arenas (such as Fort Koga) are no longer accessible, but 100% exploration is still achievable. On Cantha, Monastery Overlook and Shing Jea Arena comes to mind. For Elona, it would be the small Island of Shehkah.

Keep in mind many areas, especially in Tyria, can only be explored in a mission and often under some time constraint. The north and western edges of The Great Northern Wall, the areas beyond the final gates of The Frost Gate, the area outside the fort of Dunes of Despair, and north of Thunderhead Keep are just a few examples. Plan ahead to verify your team knows not to complete the mission before you finish your exploration.

The Legendary Cartographer is automatically obtained when all the campaign-specific Cartographer title tracks are maxed.

Examining the map
A simple way of discovering unexplored locations would be to take screenshots of your world map. Then obtain a 100% explored map and then line up each of your screenshot with the fully explored map. Use ALT-TAB to quickly switch between the two. Switching between the game window works too, if your computer can handle it.

With a little more effort and an image editing software, a more accurate method is possible. You will need an image editing software like Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or GIMP. Follow these steps:
 * 1) While in-game, pull up your game settings and change to maximum resolution with post-processing effects disabled.
 * 2) Open up the world map (default shortcut "M") and take a screenshot (Shift+PrtScrn, to hide map markers) in either zoomed-in or zoomed-out mode.
 * 3) Open a 100% explored map with your image editing software, then insert your screenshot as a layer on top of the image.
 * 4) Set the layer to "difference" to emphasize differences between the two maps. All the explored areas will go dark, and unexplored areas (the differences) will become much brighter.

Take note that if your screenshot was taken while zoomed-in, remember to align and scale both of them as needed. You can also change the layer setting from "normal" to "difference" to "hidden" to determine if the bright areas are indeed unexplored areas, or if they are simply due to passing clouds.

Player modifications
While they are not officially supported by ArenaNet, players have created cartography aids found in Guide to modifying in-game graphics/Player made modifications. These usually change the color of the fog thus highlighting unexplored areas. Besides the obvious overlooked areas in the middle of zones, look along the edges for where the fog may be close enough to touch. Using cartography aids will significantly decrease the time it takes to explore a map and prevents a lot of frustration when you are down to the last few fractions of a percent.

Locations to explore in Tyria

 *  Strikethroughs indicate places that don't contribute to the cartographer title. Underlines denote places that may be or become inaccessible (tutorial areas or low-level arenas).

Ascalon

 * Towns and outposts: Ascalon City, Frontier Gate, Grendich Courthouse, Piken Square, Sardelac Sanitarium, Serenity Temple, Ascalon Arena
 * Mission Outposts: Fort Ranik, Nolani Academy, Ruins of Surmia, The Great Northern Wall
 * Missions: Fort Ranik, Nolani Academy, Ruins of Surmia, The Great Northern Wall
 * Explorable areas: Ascalon Foothills, Diessa Lowlands, Dragon's Gullet, Eastern Frontier, Flame Temple Corridor, Old Ascalon, Pockmark Flats, Regent Valley, The Breach

Northern Shiverpeaks

 * Towns and outposts: Beacon's Perch, Ice Tooth Cave, Yak's Bend, Shiverpeak Arena
 * Mission Outposts: Borlis Pass, The Frost Gate
 * Missions: Borlis Pass, The Frost Gate
 * Explorable areas: Anvil Rock, Deldrimor Bowl, Griffon's Mouth, Iron Horse Mine, Traveler's Vale

Kryta

 * Towns and outposts: Lion's Arch, Beetletun, Bergen Hot Springs, Fishermen's Haven, Temple of the Ages,
 *  Mission Outposts: D'Alessio Seaboard, Divinity Coast, Gates of Kryta, Riverside Province, Sanctum Cay
 *  Missions: D'Alessio Seaboard, Divinity Coast, Gates of Kryta, Riverside Province, Sanctum Cay
 * Explorable areas: Cursed Lands, D'Alessio Seaboard (after progressing in War in Kryta), Divinity Coast (after progressing in War in Kryta),Kessex Peak, Lion's Gate, Majesty's Rest, Nebo Terrace, North Kryta Province, Riverside Province (after progressing in War in Kryta), Scoundrel's Rise, Stingray Strand, Talmark Wilderness, Tears of the Fallen, The Black Curtain, Twin Serpent Lakes, Watchtower Coast

Maguuma Jungle

 * Towns and outposts: Henge of Denravi, Druid's Overlook, Maguuma Stade, Quarrel Falls, Ventari's Refuge
 * Mission Outposts Aurora Glade, Bloodstone Fen, The Wilds
 * Missions Aurora Glade, Bloodstone Fen, The Wilds
 * Explorable areas: Dry Top, Ettin's Back, Majesty's Rest (environment transitions from Kryta), Mamnoon Lagoon, Reed Bog, Sage Lands, Silverwood, Tangle Root, The Falls

Crystal Desert

 * Towns and outposts: The Amnoon Oasis, Augury Rock, Destiny's Gorge, Heroes' Audience, Seeker's Passage, Tomb of the Primeval Kings
 * Mission Outposts Augury Rock, Dunes of Despair, Elona Reach, Thirsty River, The Dragon's Lair
 * Missions Augury Rock, Dunes of Despair, Elona Reach, Thirsty River, The Dragon's Lair
 * Explorable areas: Diviner's Ascent, Prophet's Path, Salt Flats, Skyward Reach, The Arid Sea, The Scar, Vulture Drifts

Southern Shiverpeaks

 * Towns and outposts: Droknar's Forge, Camp Rankor, Copperhammer Mines, Deldrimor War Camp, Marhan's Grotto, Port Sledge, The Granite Citadel
 * Mission Outposts Ice Caves of Sorrow, Iron Mines of Moladune, Thunderhead Keep
 * Missions Ice Caves of Sorrow, Iron Mines of Moladune, Thunderhead Keep
 * Explorable areas: Dreadnought's Drift, Droknar's Forge, Frozen Forest, Grenth's Footprint, Ice Floe, Icedome, Lornar's Pass, Mineral Springs, Snake Dance, Spearhead Peak, Talus Chute, Tasca's Demise, Witman's Folly

Ring of Fire Islands

 * Outpost: Ember Light Camp
 * Mission Outposts Ring of Fire, Abaddon's Mouth, Hell's Precipice
 * Missions Ring of Fire, Abaddon's Mouth, Hell's Precipice
 * Explorable area: Perdition Rock

Locations to explore in Cantha

 *  Strikethroughs indicate places that don't contribute to the cartographer title. Underlines denote places that become inaccessible (tutorial areas or low-level arenas).

Shing Jea Island

 * Towns and outposts: Shing Jea Monastery (town), Ran Musu Gardens, Seitung Harbor, Tsumei Village
 * Arena / Mission outposts: Minister Cho's Estate, Zen Daijun, Shing Jea Arena
 * Arenas / Missions: Minister Cho's Estate, Zen Daijun, Shing Jea Arena
 * Explorable areas: Haiju Lagoon, Jaya Bluffs, Kinya Province, Linnok Courtyard, Minister Cho's Estate, Monastery Overlook, Panjiang Peninsula, Saoshang Trail, Sunqua Vale, Zen Daijun

Kaineng City

 * Towns and outposts: Kaineng Center (town), Maatu Keep, Senji's Corner, The Marketplace, Zin Ku Corridor
 * Mission outposts: Dragon's Throat, Imperial Sanctum, Nahpui Quarter, Raisu Palace, Sunjiang District, Tahnnakai Temple, Vizunah Square (Foreign Quarter), Vizunah Square (Local Quarter)
 * Missions: Vizunah Square, Nahpui Quarter, Tahnnakai Temple, Sunjiang District, Imperial Sanctum, Raisu Palace, Dragon's Throat
 * Explorable areas: Bejunkan Pier, Bukdek Byway, Divine Path, Kaineng Docks, Nahpui Quarter, Pongmei Valley, Raisu Palace, Raisu Pavilion, Shadow's Passage, Shenzun Tunnels, Sunjiang District, Tahnnakai Temple, The Undercity, Wajjun Bazaar, Xaquang Skyway

Echovald Forest

 * Towns and outposts: House zu Heltzer (town), Aspenwood Gate (Kurzick), Brauer Academy, Durheim Archives, Jade Flats (Kurzick), Lutgardis Conservatory, Saint Anjeka's Shrine, Tanglewood Copse, Vasburg Armory
 * Mission outposts: Altrumm Ruins, Amatz Basin, Arborstone, Fort Aspenwood (Kurzick), The Eternal Grove, The Jade Quarry (Kurzick), Unwaking Waters (Kurzick)
 * Missions: Arborstone, The Eternal Grove, Altrumm Ruins, Amatz Basin, Fort Aspenwood, Urgoz's Warren
 * Explorable areas: Arborstone, Drazach Thicket, Ferndale, Melandru's Hope, Morostav Trail, Mourning Veil Falls, The Eternal Grove

The Jade Sea

 * Towns and outposts: Cavalon (town), Aspenwood Gate (Luxon), Bai Paasu Reach, Breaker Hollow, Eredon Terrace, Harvest Temple, Jade Flats (Luxon), Leviathan Pits, Seafarer's Rest
 * Mission outposts: Boreas Seabed, Fort Aspenwood (Luxon), Gyala Hatchery, The Aurios Mines, The Jade Quarry (Luxon), Unwaking Waters (Luxon), Zos Shivros Channel
 * Missions: Boreas Seabed, Gyala Hatchery, Unwaking Waters, Zos Shivros Channel, The Aurios Mines, The Jade Quarry, The Deep
 * Explorable areas: Archipelagos, Boreas Seabed, Maishang Hills, Mount Qinkai, Gyala Hatchery, Rhea's Crater, Silent Surf, Unwaking Waters

Locations to explore in Elona

 *  Strikethroughs indicate places that don't contribute to the cartographer title. Underlines denote places that become inaccessible (tutorial areas or low-level arenas).

Istan

 * Towns and outposts: Kamadan, Jewel of Istan (town), Sunspear Arena, Sunspear Great Hall, The Astralarium, Champions Dawn, Beknur Harbor, Kodlonu Hamlet
 * Mission outposts: Chahbek Village, Jokanur Diggings, Blacktide Den, Consulate Docks
 * Missions: Jokanur Diggings
 * Explorable areas: Island of Shehkah, Sun Docks, Churrhir Fields, Plains of Jarin, Cliffs of Dohjok, Zehlon Reach, Fahranur, The First City, Lahtenda Bog, Issnur Isles, Mehtani Keys

Kourna

 * Towns and outposts: Sunspear Sanctuary (town), Yohlon Haven, Camp Hojanu, Wehhan Terraces
 * Mission outposts: Nundu Bay, Venta Cemetery, Dajkah Inlet, Pogahn Passage, Kodonur Crossroads, Rilohn Refuge, Moddok Crevice
 * Missions: Nundu Bay, Venta Cemetery, Dajkah Inlet (challenge), Pogahn Passage, Kodonur Crossroads, Rilohn Refuge, Moddok Crevice
 * Explorable areas: Arkjok Ward, Marga Coast, Sunward Marches, Jahai Bluffs, Turai's Procession, Dejarin Estate, Barbarous Shore, Gandara-- The Moon Fortress, Command Post, The Floodplain of Mahnkelon, Bahdok Caverns

Vabbi

 * Towns and outposts: Kodash Bazaar(town), Honur Hill, Chantry of Secrets, Yahnur Market, Mihanu Township
 * Mission outposts: Tihark Orchard, Dzagonur Bastion, Dasha Vestibule , Grand Court of Sebelkeh, Jennur's Horde
 * Missions: Tihark Orchard, Dzagonur Bastion, Dasha Vestibule, Grand Court of Sebelkeh, Jennur's Horde
 * Explorable areas: Mirror of Lyss, Forum Highlands, The Hidden City of Ahdashim, Vehjin Mines, Holdings of Chokhin, Wilderness of Bahdza, Resplendent Makuun, Yatendi Canyons, Vehtendi Valley, Garden of Seborhin

The Desolation

 * Towns and outposts: Bone Palace, Lair of the Forgotten, Mouth of Torment, Basalt Grotto
 * Mission outposts: Gate of Desolation, Ruins of Morah, Remains of Sahlahja (challenge)
 * Missions: Gate of Desolation, Ruins of Morah, Remains of Sahlahja (challenge)
 * Explorable areas: Joko's Domain, Crystal Overlook, The Sulfurous Wastes, The Shattered Ravines, The Alkali Pan, Poisoned Outcrops, The Ruptured Heart, Dynastic Tombs

Glitched locations
Some places can be accessed even though they are not meant to be visited. These often do not unblur the map and/or lead to the 'edge of the world' where terrain is no longer rendered. These areas are not required for the Cartographer title but will count towards its progression.
 * Tyria
 * Along the eastern side of Talus Chute, north of the Ice Caves of Sorrow, there is a place where players can walk up the side of the mountain then traverse the ridge along the northeastern edge of the zone.
 * In The Great Northern Wall mission, after the timer starts, you can run into the Charr camp to the north and get to the very edge there.
 * Necrotic Traversal or Consume Corpse can be used to reach the path traveled by Prince Rurik during the Frost Gate mission. Pull an Ice Golem or use a Bone fiend minion master necromancer that will sacrifice himself to death to kill one of Rurik's guards, or kill the Snow Wolf under the bridge later in the mission to create a corpse for teleporting.


 * Cantha
 * The northeastern mountains of Eredon Terrace can be explored by those belonging in the alliance which controls it. Otherwise, the area can be reached by exiting the zone. Once out of the city, cast Viper's Defense as close to the portal as possible. With any luck players can teleport beyond without actually entering the city.  After this is done, a player can walk into the exclusive area of the city and across the bridge.  Following along they can pass over a small hill (seen here) revealing a large area of explorable area near "the end of the world" or edge of the map that can be explored for around .6% of the title (note this area is not needed for the title).  Note that an irremovable black area where the map was extraneously explored will form.
 * Using Return on Master Togo or Brother Mhenlo during the quest A Meeting With the Emperor can be used to travel beyond the gate to Zin Ku Corridor, skipping the portal.
 * The Canthan tutorial area can be explored by entering Linnok Courtyard and using Viper's Defense while standing on the cliff edges on one side of the entry portal using a flagged hero/henchman to set jump direction. Done right the character should jump down the edge and enter Shing Jea Monastery and be able to walk through the gate to get to the tutorial area. This contributes 0.5% to Canthan cartographer.


 * Elona
 * Necrotic Traversal or Consume Corpse can be used to 'jump' on the corsair ships in the Chahbek Village mission, before destroying the ship and after killing at least one corsair on it (to provide a corpse to teleport to). this won't get you to the edge of the world, but each ship does add up to about 0.1%.
 * In Dzagonur Bastion mission, you can choose to ignore all the groups and make a run for the portal in the south, normally leading to Resplendent Makuun. Because it's a mission, you'll just run through the gated portal and encounter an end-of-the-world-glitch. This makes for an extra, nonrequired 0.1% - 0.2%.
 * The portal from Marga Coast to Sunspear Sanctuary is slighty bugged, allowing heroes to walk through without being teleported back to their human master. You can send a hero through the portal and then Shadow step to the hero, skipping the portal and encountering an end-of-the-world-glitch. This makes for an extra, nonrequired 0.1% - 0.2%. It is easier to accomplish if you flag your hero on the mini-map to the far side of the hill that is left of the door rather than attempting to flag them by visual sight. Recall can make it considerably easier to do this glitch.


 * Eye of the North
 * During The Great Norn Alemoot, you can ignore the challenge and use your three minutes to run through the portals to the north and south. This allows you to uncover up an additional 0.2% of the map.