Power leveling

Power leveling is the term used to describe reaching a milestone (usually numerical) as rapidly as possible with the least amount of play time. This can refer to character levels, reputation, or skilling up professions. Power leveling usually involves skipping quest text, cutscenes, and spoken dialogue.

Power leveling is best done when only doing tasks that are most efficient in terms of reward over time, and organizing all other actions around this idea. Comparing the XP per hour a method to simple conventional methods, like casually-paced questing, can identify whether or not a power leveling method is effective. For professions, an example would be for a tailor to farm or purchase large quantities of cloth, then identify and repeat the cheapest tailoring recipes so as to maximize skill point gain compared to gold cost.

Also note that power leveling is sometimes used to refer to paying real-life currency to have someone else level your character to level cap as fast as possible. This behavior is against Blizzard's Terms of Service.

Power leveling characters

Killing mobs quickly

Power leveling characters often centers around killing mobs quickly, to either complete a lot of quests or quicky complete dungeons.

• Keybind all of your abilities.
• Use a healing or tanking specialization only for faster dungeon queues. Killing things solo is always faster when done by a damage dealing specialization.
• Prioritize Talents that increase your mobility or damage dealing capabilities, like War Machine.

Increasing experience gains

Increasing the numerical amount of experience you gain is usually an easy method to increasing your level-up time. Many of these tips require a high level Alt that can aid your lower level character.

• Making the most of limited time events, like Timewalking and the Darkmoon Faire can significantly increase experience gains.
• In the Dragon Isles, level in the Dreamsurge zones to benefit from [Dreaming Winds].
• You can purchase Heirloom items that level alongside you and provide bonus effects.
  • These gear items are also good targets for low-level enchantments, as you won't replace them as quickly as normal gear.
• Logging out in a capital city or inn to accrue rested experience can maximize your time offline.
• Obtain the largest bags you are able to to avoid downtime by repeatedly taking trips to sell your Vendor trash.

Configuring settings

• Enable "Auto Loot".
• Download an addon management software like Curseforge or Wowup. Browse addons that might help automate or guide your gameplay - like "Scrap" and "TomTom".
  • You can use a leveling guide addon though these sometimes cost real-life money. See List of commercial WoW guides.

Minimizing downtime

• Do something productive while flying like sorting your bags, reading talent and ability Tooltips, or organizing your quest log.
• If you are unable to play an in-demand specialization like healer or tank, continue to gain XP while in the dungeon finder queue.

Power levelling tradeskills

Professions are expansion-specific, so don't bother to start leveling them until you reach the appropriate zone (e.g. Don't mine veins outside of the Dragon Isles if you want Dragon Isles skillpoints.) If you plan on having multiple near-level cap characters, you can train two gathering professions (like Mining and Herbalism) to make the most of your time spent leveling in the open world. Your other characters can know the respsective crafting professions, like Blacksmithing and Alchemy, and won't need to spend futher time in the open world.

• Profession-related racial traits like [Arcane Affinity] can provide an edge in obtaining skill-ups. Keep this in mind when deciding what characters in your warband should learn which profession.

• Make sure to equip the best available Profession equipment you can obtain.

• Professions pairing suggestions
  • Herbalism & Mining
  • Skinning & Leatherworking
  • Alchemy & Enchanting
  • Tailoring & Inscription
  • Blacksmithing & Jewelcrafting

Blizzard on purchases affecting gameplay

Blizzard at one point had been disinterested in an In-Game Store to purchase items that affected leveling flow or gave in-game items. At a Game Developers Conference 2008, Rob Pardo gave a strong indication, Blizzard would not ever go this route with World of Warcraft. This philosophy has evidently been revised to allow the introduction of  [WoW Token] and Character Boost.

Excerpt from   WoW Insider GDC08: Live from Rob Pardo talks about Blizzard's approach to MMOs:

Q: Have you considered micro-transactions in WoW?

A: We chose to go with the subscription-based model instead of that approach. We've taken the approach that we want players to feel like it's a level playing field once they're in WoW. Outside resources don't play into it -- no gold buying, etc. We take a hard line stance against it. What you get out of microtransactions is kind of the same thing and I think our player base would feel betrayed by it. I think that's something else you have to decide on up-front instead of implementing later.

Q: But it might make it easier for the casuals to catch up....

A: They aren't going to be the ones spending the money.