Were there changes in the grading/reward system? From what I heard levels could be gained without ever lifting a weapon.

Levels can only be gained, in game, by gaining experience. Though Admins don't need you to butcher your way through the entirety of a quest, you simply going through town buying a grunty does not constitute a level or two for rewards.

Not contesting that, but I've heard more than once it mentioned you don't actually need to fight throughout the entirety of a quest to get levels.

Like I said above, you don't. We need at least a couple of monster fights to form the logistics behind leveling. I asked Rayo, a few years back, if I could get rewards for doing a quest in the real world. He told me more or less exactly what I've told you.

Okay... so essentially, getting a level without even a single engagement is just urban myth.

By the by, funny you mention that one... once asked Rayo the same thing, in which he mentioned he rather not have nothing but real world, etc. etc.

Yup. That's why, in a quest of my own, I had to start the first part out in The World with Zan throwing down before I let into the real world portion of it. Either way, I think this thread has served its purpose.