Well, I've changed combat a bit.  For one thing, the damage now equals the attack roll instead of a separate percentile roll.  Small weapons are -10 Damage and two handed ones are +20.

Hitpoints are no longer associated with Athletic skill, instead being based on Strength + Endurance + Willpower.

There's no longer a contest mechanism because people are scared of double didgit math.  Instead you can add or subtract whatever you like to your skill to a minimum total of 10% and a maximum of 90.  However, whatever you do to your skill is also done to your opponent's.  Essentially you can fight agressively or defensively.

Spell Resistance is based on a Trait, if the success roll to cast the spell is lower than the trait plus character level, the spell still works but fails to affect the target.  This is easy to manage for area effects and gets rid of any hard math.  (I'm tempted to do a game where it just says "If the math is too hard you need the practice" but I'm thinking that's implied in Galaxies In Shadow anyhow.)

Anyhow, on with the experience system.  I want to reward active play and actual skill use.  First and formost I should note that when a character successfully uses a skill in play or studies a skill in down time it qualifies them to improve it that level.  This is why there don't need to be character classes in the usual sense.  The skills you have will tend to qualify themselves for improvement while those you don't probably won't.

You get experience for training and successfully navigating challenges.  This can come from combat, spells, and skill use, but the reward is not relative to the character's level because the cost of levels already increases.

Minor Challenges 1-9 points (Potential Injury)
Major Challenges 10-99 points (Potential Death)
Climactic Challenges 100 - 1000 points (Potential TPK)

Training 10 per week.

The cost of second level is 1500 xp and the cost of each subsequent level doubles.  Each level you can spend 30 points.  There is a maximum of two points on each skill, field, and trait.  You can also increase your hitpoints by a number of points determined by your race.  For example humans can buy five. (I'm getting rid of the diminishing amounts because it's redundant with an ascending level cost.)

One thing I'm working towards is a very comprehensive core book.

It will include:

Birthrights (Advantages & Disadvantages but not a point system, more of a bogey table set)

Spell Creation Rules
Profession Design
Race Design

Mass combat on a hex grid and fits most battles on a letter sized sheet. Because mass combat makes an interesting aside in a game but shouldn't need an 8 foot table. Naval and Siege combat too.

Realm management

It'll be a fair bit like AD&D with troop costs based on food consumption, wages, and equipment costs.

The setting probably won't get the highest level of detail in the core book but it will be touched on.

There will be an introductory adventure and dungeon.

Finally, an example of play written script style.

Here's the current state of the core rules:

http://www3.telus.net/public/uncouths/core.pdf