Without a pay system the game dies...period. if your smart you buy mcoins, and support future development. Once you get good enough you don't need them and th can oay gold to buy other peoples mcoin items. But at the end of the day if its not mcoins its a monthly fee, they have bills to pay as well.
As far as the costumes..they don't make you better...they are rather expensive in mcoin terms. They pay the bills. We will never, and for good reasons too, be able to unbind. If you want a costume sell something or buy mcoin. Make a shaman, run around the swamps and pray for a set item.