Resting is an area of the game that caused much controversy when it was introduced during the Beta test. So what is "resting" and how does it work and affect the gameplay in WoW?
What's the Rest State?
There are 2 possible states that players can be in, either " Rested " or " Normal ". While in Rested state, players will earn twice as much experience points (200% of normal) while killing monsters compared to the Normal state (100%).
At the bottom of the screen right above the toolbar, players can see an experience bar which indicates their progression towards their next character level. This bar is divided into 20 equal sections, termed Bubbles. How the rest system works is simple. For every 8 hours that your character stays in an Inn or City, you will earn one bubble's worth of Rested Bonus. In this manner, players can accumulate up to 30 bubbles (1.5 levels) worth of bonuses, equal to 10 days of not logging on WoW. On the experience bar, there is a visual marker indicating how much longer the Rested bonus will last.
When your character is receiving Rest Bonus, your character portrait will flash yellow. In addition to this, your level number in the portrait frame will also change to say "zzz".
Why have a Rest State?
The purpose of the Rest System is to allow players that play less frequently to have a SMALL bonus that allows them to catch up with their friends should they lag behind in levels. This bonus is intended to be small hence players that play more often will still tend to be of a higher level and there is no penalty for playing too much either.