[TheLieka]

Well, if you're getting into specifics, here are my two cents. It's list time!

There are a few things you have to keep in mind before choosing Hot Zones.

1. Do not make newbie zones "hot zones".
2. Make sure people can't farm inintended high level NPCs from hot zones (either by buffing the NPCs or lowering the NPCs' levels).
3. Hot Zones should not be common. Going to a Hot Zone should be exciting, not a time that you plan to zone in and take a smoke break.
4. Hot Zones are great at bringing players to content that they would not typically experience. I do not believe that giving players a cookie for experiencing content that they would have experienced anyway is a good idea.
5. Finally, the worst thing that a staff can do is increase drop rates in Hot Zones.
   Yes, a Hot Zone should attract players, but monkeying with the loot tables in order to attract players is a bad idea. Stick with the Hot Zone xp bonus, and leave it at that.

Now for the actual zones that I would pick:

1. Beholder's Maze (Antonica)
   8 - 25
   
2. Kerra Island (Odus)
   15 - 35
   
3. Kaesora (Kunark)
   30 - 45
   
4. Kedge Keep (Faydwer)
   35 - 50
   
   either:
5. Howling Stones (Kunark)
   50+
   or
6. The Hole (Odus) <-- My preference, but I understand why promoting the new Kunark content would be preferable.
   40+