How to Avoid Grinding
// Discussion
- Do your missions in order of XP reward: Odyssey > main side quests > Impact quests > timed quests > contracts
On the map: yellow diamond > black diamond with arrows > black diamond with hourglass
Do your Odyssey missions, if you aren't a high enough level to do them, then do the main side quests in that region, followed by the impact quests, followed by the timed quests, followed by contracts.
- Before leaving a region, do all main side quests and the conquest battle
Doing all the main side quests will almost definitely give you enough XP to take on the next region, and they aren't a grind since they're fully scripted, acted, and unique. Also, while doing quests in a region it will generally be vulnerable, so you may as well just do the conquest battle for the XP.
- Complete the optional objectives in an area before leaving
For example: if you have a mission that has you assassinate a polemarch at a fort, then burn the war supplies, pillage the treasury, loot the chests, and free the slaves rather than just killing him and leaving. Those objectives and those you kill to complete them will give you XP.
- Message boards: When you arrive in a region, immediately go the the message board, add all the contracts, and ignore bounties
Bounties are repetitive and reward little XP; they're worthless. Contracts don't offer a good reward for the effort either, but they're not temporary so as you play the game over time you'll complete them.
Source:
Reddit