Pre-searing is still one of my favorite area's too. I just made a new character to check it out again.

As for factions, I didn't mind the locked gate system with my first character through. I took him through the island, then onto the mainland, and had no intention of rushing through stuff. The slums were getting a bit old toward the end, but I was quite glad when I reached Zu Heltzer and Cavalon. After finishing the chapter, I wanted to start moving my prophecies characters in to do the elites, jade quarry, etc. This is when I really started to despise the locked gates. You can only take going into Vizunah Square to find that the other team is composed of a level 12 assassin with henchmen before you loose your drive to do it anymore.

At any rate, its all good. I'm having fun going through pre again, doing some underworld if we have favor, or moving my factions characters further into prophecies.