>It's necessary, because you can't have every character
>automatically start at lvl 51 with a full set of armor,
>perfect stats and perfect skills.

This is false. You can have this. I think you mean to say "shouldn't have every character" which is a different statement, but also untrue.

Lots of online multiplayer games start you with a character that is exactly as powerful as it will ever be.

>There needs to be an element of "earning" power. The way that
>happens is primarily through grinding. If you have a better
>alternative that can work on a large scale, I'd love to hear
>it. So would every MMO developer out there, I expect.

Why does there need to be an elemental of earning power? Why does that have to happen through grinding? Why wouldn't leveling which is so trivially easy as to only be done when you wanted to not work? I'm not saying grinding isn't a tried and true method, but I'm asking you to question the basic assumption that it is essentially the "only" way.

There is also the point that most places with a lot of grind also allow you to play a character forever. You never have it auto deleted or age die out from under you... That grind work sticks with the character forever.

>And for the record, I'm not saying grinding is desirable. I'm
>saying its necessary and not un-desirable.

I agree it is not entirely un-desirable, but not that it is necessary. It might make sense for the kind of game CF is, or wants to be, but that doesn't mean it is the only way.