Upcoming Recruit Change

Can you expand upon the reasoning or statistics behind this change so we can have a better view of it. Was it putting too many tokens into the game? Was there some kind of abuse happening? The only thing I am seeing is that it would make it fair to give a benefit to people that recruit new players who choose not to pay anything extra for the game as the 5% was a paid transaction and the getting honor for points is more passive and not gated behind a paywall?

Either the old or the new incentives really won't change my behavior to continue to recruit. Recruiting is hard. My WOW friends could not comprehend a game that only can be played for 5-15 minutes a day.  Looked to my browser friends. Out of a pool of 10-15 potential players. I only got bites on 3. 1 joined.
This change does feel like a take away. Based on my game play. I figure my sponsor has received;
About 32-35 tokens from my quest completion. 750b for my 5 months of play. 175 Tokens from my purchase. Under the new structure. He would only get 50 tokens instead of the 175.

Voting is the closest thing I have experienced. 
5 months of voting results below; By contrast is more lucrative. It would take a number of recruits to equal.
300 mood points, 150 Tokens, 1500b - 2115b. I use the token for the daily 10ST exchange

Recruiting is hard. I would prefer to see more of the voting type rewards; Mood, Bronze and Stamina

I think we are past the 'pyramid' schemes era. A player who does not spend any money for tokens will get 200 free tokens from voting in 200 days. A player who used other games relationships to recruit someone can get up to 600 free tokens or more in less than 2 months, for no effort. 

There is no incentive for sponsor to actually support their recruits after the recruiting point, as the recruit cannot remove their link to the 'sponsor' and if they want to support the game they will also have to agree to support their 'sponsor'. If the sponsor is motivated by the recruits achievement (honor) maybe that sponsor will actually help their recruits settle into the game or maybe that sponsor will actually buy their own tokens.

My 5 cents as a 'recruit'. Although it feels like I am more of a fish^.

If one recruits is because they like the game and want to introduce players to it and also support the game. The same goes for token purchases, it is an individual choice. With or without being 'rewarded' for it. With the right new player town, experienced players and sponsor support the first 30 days of game-play could probably be easier and much nicer for everyone when not 'tainted by money' gain, and just motivated by the pleasure to play, build a character and have a little sustainable fun time every day.
It takes a while to adjust to a shorter play-style, it is true. It took me over 45 days but it does get better