Let's face it, what we have now is not a true free to play model, but more like a non time limited trial.

A true free to play model works like this: one can reach end game, can theoretically become the very best player on the server, without chipping in a single cent, just that she will have to invest way more time. What a <premium> member is buying with money is either non-core advantages (like cosmetics) or time.

And why do I say that the current system in Xsyon is not really good. The idea is that the current skill limit (level 30) in just one skill can be reached in a matter of hours and the whole "content" (like leveling three skills in each category to level 30 plus the actions skills) takes a maximum of 2-3 days. And at that point the player realizes that the free game is over and he really has only two options left - to quit the game or to buy it. I obviously don't have access to this data, but I'm quite sure that over 90% of the free players either buy the game or quit it all together after less than 48 hours of /played time. The problem is that at that moment the player is not really hooked and the initial price may look quite freightening for many players who are no longer used with a fixed price + subscription model. I think the goal of the game should be to keep the free player in for a longer time, give her the sensation that she doesn't really have to buy the game, but that actually she wants to do so because it will make her life easier.

And here's what I suggest (is not necessarily a well thought system, just one ment to give you a different point of view):
- free players: can't found or join tribes, can't spend experience points, can increase skills freely 'till level 30 and after that only 7 points (cumulated, not in one skill) per week - theoretically this would allow a player to reach end game (three maxed out skills in each category) without paying any money, but it's not feasable since it will take her a lot of time
- premium players ($10 per month): can join tribes, can spend experience points, can increase skills freely like it is now
- vip players ($15 per month): same as premium players, but can also create tribes

Perks buyable separately:
- option to join tribes for free players (one time fee of $30)
- option to create a second character (one time for of $30)
- option to inflate tribe size by one (one time fee of $10, buyable only by VIP players)

This will give a bit more flexibility:
- people that are true to the free to play model might stay longer, might give more action around and might buy the option to join tribes giving some money too
- most everyone else will be happy with the premium status which gives us almost what we have now (just not the option to create a tribe)
- some people who want to create tribes will buy the VIP package and may even pay extra money to increase their tribal land
- quite a lot of people will probably buy a second/third character slot

Also, by the fact that the premium players can join tribes, but can't create ones, the communities will probably evolve, and we'll have less one-man households scatered across the land.