If I'm trying to level fast ish .. i do this ..
This assumes no seed money ..
Skip tutorial
Choose Blueside
Grab 2x xp 8 hours
Join DFBs - there are always DFBs
Just keep joining DFBs until I'm 22
Sell off salvage, Enhancements, etc.
Buy SOs for my attacks
Join Posi, Posi 2, Synapse, Yin TFs whatever is available
Exchange merits for Enh. converters and sell them.
Use money to buy SOs or generic IOs
Join whatever team is available preference TFs because of the money thing.
Will be 50 in a couple of days playing.
If I use seed money it goes faster.
Sometimes Ill run the Bads in Space mission if I can't find a team right away. Its short enough you can do it between teams.
With seed money its easier ..
email myself 100 mil or so ...
Join whatever team comes up/or do bads in space
Stop periodically to put in IO sets and globals as I reach the min level for them.
Thats not how ive done the last few though. After getting 5 50s I slowed down to do a lot of solo story arcs
My latest 50 has about 80% of all the arcs on Ouro red and blue completed.