Hmm...

1) If there's good battle mechanics, I don't mind kill quests. I loved the battle system at the end of 1.0 -- it was like speed chess... with violence! So assuming they get the battle system right, repetitive fighting won't be a problem since each fight will have the chance to be challenging and interesting.

2) Even the worst quests will be like leves you don't have to run to town for. That's an improvement.

3) I always liked doing leves in groups rather then exp parties. It was less efficient, but had more variety. You could use different abilities, non-optimum party composition, and generally screw around and push your limits. One of my best parties involved 4 conjurers, 2 archers, and a lancer. Sometimes fun is more important than rushing to the end.

4) I love the idea of getting exp for achievements -- I do them anyway, they're fun, so why not offer a reward. If giving exp directly doesn't seem good, maybe SE could give extra RESTED exp for achievements, to speed up everything else you do.