So leveling is fun ?
Its grind, every game not just MMOs have grinds, normally grindalish, grinding , and more grinding, FOnline: 2238 is no different.
No it's not. If you're a new player you level up by exploring. You meet new towns, make quests there, kill monsters on the way and craft stuff. It's our players' fault that we make so many new characters because we think we need to and this causes the exping feel like grinding. Stop making more characters, make one which you like most and play with it.
In a NeverWinter Nights 2 server I was on, talking (Role Playing communication) was making the player gaining experience points.