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Yo need to take your areas in order - complete Village Greens tasks, then complete Bill's Ranch, and Deadman's Pass comes next. After that, Zen Gardens. Have you been to Deadman's Pass yet? You will need to crew to do it.

Also, when you say you can't get the areas to open - are you trying to use the gates from Barton? You cannot, until you have already reached the area on foot. (Village Greens from Barton, then walk to Bill's Ranch. Once you touch the crystal, you can use that crstal from then on. After Bill's Ranch, you double back down to Deadman's Pass, then after quests in that area, you go to Zen Gardens. Once you reach the crystal, you can use it as a shortcut from them on - you have to touch each crystal from its area before you can use it for transport.

Zen's gate to Barton can be used ONLY after you walk through Zen to Barton. The same is true of the gate into Bass'ken Lake.

Do you know where to find your quests in My Gaia? On the My Gaia toolbar, click on the Q - that gives you both badges and Quests, Active and completed. (More quests unlock as you go along.)

If you're cleared there, you just go north up the road and don't fight the fluffs, run. Better yet, crew with someone to get past them. You double back when you pass the building on the right (hard to see) and go up the bridge to Katsumi (the crystal is next to her).

I'd look in the zOMG guides first at a map, so you have an idea of where things are.

If you want to go right now, I can, but I can't stay long.