Originally Posted by
JaytB
Haha, grats on that first post ;)
It's true that a bear can stay alive easier, but it's also true that a mage or bird simply kill things quicker. And basically, quicker killing is gaining xp quicker too.
IMO, once you learn to play your character right, mages or birds don't really die that much either. Also, it will generally take much less time to clear a (solo) level with these classes, as compared to with a bear. It just takes a different play style and more skill to keep them alive. At least that's how it feels to me, after leveling many toons to many different levels.
Whatever the case may be, I think the most important thing is that you enjoy playing your character... Then, xp comes automatically :D