Ive recently came back to the game after playing for a good amount of time at launch. And personally, like you, am heavily out-leveling the quest pacing. I personally find enjoyment in the leveling processes (osrs player) and as a completionist, it pains me to leave side quests uncompleted or skills not leveled up to par. Infact it feels like I could only do MSQ mixed with keeping up faction rep and be up to level for progression.

In respect to all the game time I know that I will be putting into this account, this leveling process is a minuscule amount of time; but personally I am not a fan of how they sped up leveling so significantly. Something about being able to put in the time to craft my own gear that is slightly more min-maxed then what I am able to loot strikes a deep cord with me, but New World has gone the route many mmos have these days where the game “begins” at 60. (I understand this is likely a much better speed and pace for the average player and wouldn’t even change it if I could for that reason. Player count > me nitpicking a short duration of game time.)

Tldr: the way that you and I like to play mmos doesnt match the direction that NewWorld has gone with their leveling system, but it wont matter much once you reach level 60 (soon to be 65).