I find it impossible to kill characters that are not necessary to be dead from the game plot. No matter how much xp I get. And to be honest I hate that contradiction : In most of RPG games you are supposed to be the good guy, who saves the world and fights the evil. On the other hand in order to gain xp you kill even if that is not necessary. And in the end you became the evil one without even knowing it. Nope, not for me.
Nice topic btw.