Whilst i think the removal of RPC's is a big enough change to start the next Alpha step, i think there are too many unfinished things currently...i don't know what you're working on currently, but i would think, that rather than trying to implement new things (and i know you love this ) that the unfinished, or broken things get fixed first. And with it being a big step, i would say finishing off the old things increases the symbolism of the stage, and shows how far the game has progressed.
With the tokens, i believe Shadowseeker sent something to you, which he believes would balence them out, at least for now, so possibly implementing that? Unless you have another idea which would work.
Wish Shop, i have no idea what else you're wanting to put in there, but there's the quest rating thing? That could help with the new WP distribution thing as well possibly?
You made a list of things you'd stopped doing in the other thread, maybe you could work on those? finish them off? I figure it'd help with closure on the previous stage(s), and make it more appropriate moving onto the new stage.
Again, absolutely no clue about how long it'd take to do all that stuff , but if it co-incided with the King accounts starting to be used (which i suppose is entirely up to you when it happens), then that would be a good point to start Alpha 10 i think.