Grinding isn't content.

Please edit your OP with actual positive suggestions along the lines of "incentives for players to enjoy a variety of the content" instead of just saying "bluh PLing ruins the game".

PLing is an opt-in situation, nobody -likes- mindlessly grinding, grinding isn't something to do or a reason to keep playing the game.

The reason to keep playing, between now and 2.0, is for the content that'll only be available before 2.0, and to be part of the game as it develops into 2.0. Honestly, I'd tell your friends to wait until 2.0 and pick the game up then, there's no shame in that. Subscriptions literally don't matter between now and 2.0; I just want to be in a good place once 2.0 hits such that I'll actually be able to do all the content immediately, and I'm interested in the pre-2.0 experience, even if there's not much to do at endgame yet.