SE should really embrace the F2P model. I don't really believe 2.0 can attract many new players at all with it being pay to play when theres so many F2P MMOs out there on the market at the moment. FFXIV still left a bad impression on the majority of PC gamers. Even EA with SWTOR couldn't pull off P2P and they had about 1m subs and are still going F2P.

Free to play done right can be really good. Like you can get all the content without paying but the stuff sold in the store would be exp boosts, and vanity items (shirts, hats, bows, new hairstyles, tabards underwear), mounts, pets ect. While keeping most progression gear obtainable from actually playing the game. Add new slots so players can wear vanity items over their real gear. That guy who wants a full set of slightly different color chocobos with different armor buys them each for $25 a pop probably would be paying for the equivalent of 10 peoples subs under P2P.