Why Do You Play Afterwind?

I was having an argument with another player about the importance of sp. After rejecting my claim that Afterwind is simply a game and therefore about fun, he explained that the only reason he plays Afterwind is because of sp.

So 2 questions.

Would you play Afterwind if there was no sp in the game? Why or why not?
Also, Why exactly do you play Afterwind?

Lastly, I'm not claiming that sp is unimportant, only that it's not the reason for me playing.