Speaking for myself here regarding some of the pointers.
"Professions":
Very few attempt to make that aspect fun, unfortunately. I can name probably one game in mind that spiced up the likes of professions and crafting - but even that gets stale after a while because if you're crafting/gathering, all you care for is the end result. In Allods, I haven't had an active profession in all my years - and don't seem to have suffered for it - so I can only assume it is not necessary thus shouldn't be a huge concern. Even the most played MMORPG's often boil down to AFK'ing while your character goes through the motion for X amount of animations (crafting/gathering). Practical/fun or not, one must at least acknowledge when one tries to handle it differently. From my understanding of the OP, it would seem they may change yet again (most likely for the better) - as expected - so give it time.
"Changes":
Bare in mind that Allods is a very old game, now. Most if not all long-standing titles can, have, and
will change to keep up with the times if it wishes to survive - sometimes forcefully so. Just remember that from minor tweaks to full-on overhauls, people should be more thoughtful about helping to better the transition rather than threatening to (or actually) running away at the sight of change. Changes happening is a sign of activity and shouldn't be feared - but embraced (at least 90% of the time), even if simply because it is unavoidable in order to progress forward.
"Rating / Contact":
Don't forget that Allods still intends to transition to Steam at some point in the future, giving more contact and social opportunities, likely with a new lease of players (and an additional HUB for communication & creativity). At the end of the day, the game itself often doesn't control how you as the player/community interacts with others - it is between the players. You will not gain a more vibrant in-game social life just because a feature is shiny - you'll do it because you found it yourself.
"P2W":
I have no real comment on this as I'm not the right candidate. I used to actively PvP and had a decent spat in old end-game content with nowt but level 6 runes (paid for nothing else) during my time as a player, forging many good memories with my old guilds along the way. After 5-6 years, I have paid very little as an actual player - and this didn't quell my enjoyment or lower my experience to any noticeable degree. Allods was the game that broke my ties to a specific other MMORPG that I'm sure 90% of you have played and can easily guess the name of - thus it always has a special place in my heart no matter how it moves forward nor how much people tell me they need to invest in order to enjoy it at max capacity. The difference here is that to enjoy said other title 'at all', you had to pay to enter it. Here, it's at least selective.
Anyhow, back to business - *cough*:
If the SB Commander was anything to go by, please remember that whatever happens, we are not entirely tied to a RU backdraft nor follow it religiously in other regions. In addition, you can be sure any and all future plans on either side of the pond are subject to change - so take it for what it is and be sure to compile your thoughts for when any changes DO come - and the team will be here to meet the feedback
Happy weekend,
Mhul