on point system.
you get 25 points per 100 favors.
you can usually get around 400 favor by level 7-8. So unless you really push favor, you won't see more than 100 point gain PER server (I think it is per character, but I think it is 1st character on that server)
most you can get is 2250 favor which is a long way to get (takes about a year or so) since you need to get elite in almost ALL the quests.
1750 favor unlock 32 point build. that alone will take a and around leevl 20 now (you can do it at 16 but that is elite in ALL quests)
We do play a lot on Cannith. Two of my friends log on a lot we have multiple alts. If the halforums are not going to play as much except for like 3-4 we can absorb you into our guild (Wandering Blades) which has around 5 active players (all real life friends) which we play weekends and and evenings.
Allithia (John) is willing to run anyone in the guild for anything. He doesn't like to give spoilers so don't expect him to tell you all the traps on normal
he believes in actually experiencing it yourself.
Free play is limited and thus exclude from many of the "fast exp" instance run like Tangleroot, Delaras, STK, and Catacombs.