Whenever i start playing, I always start the game solo. My friends usually join me later, usually after the first horde night or just later in the playthrough.Was this Single Player or Multi Player. You start by saying I, then continue with We. I play solo for the most part and I have never achieved level 60 in the first week, nowhere near it in fact.
Everyone plays differently, doesn't mean its right or wrong, just different. Digging / Mining in A16 was the best way to get XP... seems like they switched mining & zombie killing for A17. With or without an auger, mining was such amazing XP. I'd start day 2 or 3 working on a pit, because why waste time killing zombies during horde night, amirite?! By horde night, i would have a pit down to bedrock dug out, 4 - 6 forges going... 4 of which making cement mix the other 2 smelting metals
By the time the underground base or pit is finished... I would have steel.