noob-ish:Missions,Experience,and Linearity

How much of this game is possible in non-linear exploration?

I'm at level 9,Ranger/Elementalist,and about ten hours into post-searing.I love to wander around and have a little action/adventure as time permits,regardless the missions at hand,but I can't get beyond,say,The Breach without getting smeared.I'd like to at least get to Traveler's Vale,for a change of scenery.I'd planned to go back and follow the missions after I'd seen some of the sights.

I'm being smart with my skills,strategy,and party balance,but the Stone Furies or Charr parties of 6+ nail me once or twice,and the rest of my logged-in session seems doomed(not counting the actual penalty for dying).Thus,I'm not covering much ground or enjoying the vastness and diversity of this amazing world;at this rate,I'll be trekking around the seared eastern map for ages.

So,does one need to play the role-playing missions in sequence to level up appropriately and access regions,or is there any good way to wander around the whole map at relatively low levels without dying too often?

Any ideas?Thanks_

fastest way to new scenery is the missions but it will still take a bit of time

i am assuming you are using a full party of henchmen?

you can take a fighter along who will charge ahead allowing the others to use AOE fire on the group or give you time to run away with your monk who can rez the fighter when you sneak back later when they have moved a bit away from the area

or skip the fighter and bring another bow along

edit

just wandering at lower level is suicide unless you are careful

at level 9 i was going through the breech area after charr hides but you had to lure small numbers (3-4) away so you were not mobbed

Thanks for your reply.I've got a henchman fighter and a stalker pet in front,with a healer,mage,and my bow/elements in back.I("we")have to carefully lure a few baddies at a time too,but it only took two or three Stone Furies or Boulder Elementals in the Diessa Lowlands to own us quickly,or Charr backups would charge onto the radar mid-battle and mob us.

I guess I was just getting ahead of the game and it showed me who's boss.I'll try to savor the areas and rack up some experience near Ascalon and the Breach,and focus on the missions.