Well, I see the point of the system....but at this point it is pretty silly.

One of the few goals people have is getting to 50 right now. Why make it infuriating? Until we get some end-game content or MASSIVE quests/missions/battles to take part, grinding and exploring a bit are all we can do. Take that away and, surprise surprise, people leave.

I'm all for taking it out (even though I've never hit it personally).