Breakfast Topic: What is your leveling style?
by Sandra McIlveen 
Jul 18th 2010 at 8:00AM
Are you a loner or a social butterfly? A turtle or a race car on a demonic speedway? There are as many ways to level as there are races and classes to play. With the release of Cataclysm drawing near, I am beginning to feel that old excitement of leveling up my toons to new heights. You know that feeling, right? The excitement you feel when delving into quests never done before. The rush of seeing your XP bar move up and up. The elation of dinging a new level.
But here is the real question: How do you like leveling up? Are you a solo leveler? Do you prefer to take your time and read each quest and then carefully plot your course of action? Or, like me, do you pick up all the quests you see and then later figure out what the heck you are supposed to do? Do you like leveling with a buddy, or in a group?
My own personal style is a mirror of my personality: a bit crazy, more than a little compulsive and headstrong to the finish. I go to a new area and pick up every single quest I can find. Then I read them all and figure out where to go for each one (this last bit having been made much easier with Blizzard's implementation of "Questing for Dummies" and the placement of little markers on your map where each quest can be completed).
Now here is the good part: I organize my desk area, make sure I have a fresh drink (and maybe a light snack to hold me through my leveling marathon), and I set off for parts unknown. I do every single quest I have in my log for that area. I take pride in doing them in the most efficient manner, making a big loop and not having to backtrack for any missed items. I will group with random kind strangers if need be, but by and large, I like questing by myself and I tolerate no idle chitchat. After a couple hours of this madness, I make my way back to the camp or city I started in and reap my rewards by turning in upwards of 20 quests at a time. Ahh, the pure joy of it. Can't you just feel the thrill?
So what is your special brand of madness?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Unain Jul 18th 2010 8:05AM
My style is mostly solo and picking up all the quests I see.
But the last time when I was leveling my druid, I solely leveled through dungeons.
Easily doable as Tank (while having a healer offspec :P).
Nawaf Jul 18th 2010 8:07AM
I'm one of the slowest levelers out there. Part of that goes to the fact that before Wrath I thought that the only way to level 20-58 is by dungeons.
Ghangy Jul 18th 2010 8:07AM
LFD all the way to 80 and beyond. The fewer quests i have to do the better although some like the wrathgate quests are still fun. I'll do quests or questlines that give blue loot though.
aaronthecow Jul 18th 2010 8:11AM
I'm a highly social person, to be honest, I hate soloing quests and exploring, hence why it took me 3 years to finally hit the level cap on my main character. However, with the recent introduction of dungeon leveling and PvP experience points i have been leveling up my druid slowly and surely, and I'm looking forward to actully doing quests in northerend :)
michaeleaves82 Jul 18th 2010 8:12AM
My tank and my priest do things nonstop instancing...my dps does all quests whether group or solo, but no matter which character..I gotta be on vent / TS / etc chit chatting with my guildies :)
lorenerd Jul 18th 2010 8:15AM
I lvl by picking up all the quests in the area read them completly then looking on the map and seeing where they are i plan an attack route and after an hour or two ill have em all done
Tavis Jul 18th 2010 8:18AM
Half a bar for each win means BG leveling ftw.
Hydden Jul 18th 2010 8:41AM
Halfabar? Isn't she the witch in 'Wicked'?
Alanid Jul 18th 2010 2:35PM
Definatly pvp, specifically AV, for when I make a new DK. I love how OP DK's are in pvp when they are around lvl60. Otherwise it's a healthy mix of LFD, questing, and when I get it more AV.
Cainicus Jul 18th 2010 8:26AM
I'm a bit of both sides. The first time I level through a zone I read all the quest info, often alt-tabbing to wowwiki to read some lore, and slowly work my way through it all.
But if I have people nagging me to reach level cap I just turn on the levelling guide addons and pump out some turbo solo power levelling. Currently have a shaman at level 40 with just over a day /played.
I'm a terrible altoholic too, so hopefully by cata I'l have seen all the zones and have a decnt stack of toons to level to 85 with.
joshbuddha Jul 18th 2010 8:24AM
Well I recently leveled a lock from 1-80 in about 5 days played for the gnome leveling challenge. I did 1 of the dungeons a day on the way from 70-80 because of the triumph badges, but mostly I quested and used LFD tool, while I was questing so if a dungeon popped I did it, if not I just quested.
prairiedawg991 Jul 18th 2010 8:30AM
Well I hope no one judges me, but I use carbonite and just find every quest in the zone and do it.
Ben Jul 19th 2010 1:00AM
i like to combine this with the guide at ding80.com, since it will tell me the most efficient order to do the quests, and carbonite shows me exactly where to do them.
jealouspirate Jul 18th 2010 8:39AM
I really like solo questing, so I'll do that. I like to follow chains from beginning to end, and I always read the quest text as I'm picking up the quest.
I also like to spice things up with 5-mans and battlegrounds. A BG win during the 'call to arms' weekend gives massive exp, especially in the lower levels, filling like 50-60% of your exp bar.
Darky Jul 18th 2010 8:41AM
All of the above.
Idaelus Jul 18th 2010 8:46AM
I'm a slow as can be.
I have 1 80. I'm started my hunter alt almost 2 months ago. She's now level 25.
I quest, run dungeons and BG's, depending on my mood. But I am in no rush to get to 80. On my main, I did not hit 60 before BC, or 70 before wrath, because I love BG's and would often stop questing and such at the 8-9 brackets. The journey is a much fun to me as the result.
magicdemon71 Jul 18th 2010 10:11AM
sire you play the game how it is ment to be
just to what you like
a game is ment to be fun
Cyanea Jul 18th 2010 10:52AM
Nothing wrong with that. If you're not having fun, what's the point of playing.
For me, personally, I race through levelling like I've got cancer and level 80 is the cure. The old world between 25 and 58 is so painful and boring for me. I've been through them so many times on both factions that I know where to go, what quests to do, what quests to skip, and the best zones.
It's all gonna be changing come Cata. Kinda excited about that.
Angidget Jul 18th 2010 8:46AM
I enjoy all styles of leveling, but I prefer to enjoy the experience, so if I get bored or burned out by one zone or chain or whatnot, I pick something else... even if it means creating yet another level 1 whatever and starting out again.
Jamie Jul 18th 2010 8:48AM
I duo with my gf alot, she's very good about my constant love for lvling characters up to 80 and then get bored of them.
Generally, I like to keep to Alliance because I'm comfortable with powering through their zones, and generally the typical: Starting Zone -> Westfall -> Redridge Mountains -> Duskwood -> where ever.
It's gets very routine but it sure does feel fun doing it.... once it gets to Tanaris though... Dungeon Finder saves me now.
But yes to recap, I like to A to B as quick as possible with as many quests saved up so I can claim them at once, not a fan of going back for one or two quests - UNLESS it means we get a quest which I know will go hand in hand with the next objective, WoW is pretty good about avoiding such missadventures though.