Gold to Platinum Market
Have a system where you can trade large ammounts of gold, possibly even something like 10,000 gold for 1 platinum.
Many MMOs already have this take Guild Wars 2 for example. Most people still purchase gems because of the fact that the exchange rate is so bad.
Its not the best point to be 100% close minded about something as it seems you are in this game. I for one and the other friends of which played this game when we downloaded from steam (27 of us) are no longer playing this game because we refuse to pay for something so nearly essential as a town stone.
At the very least make a town stone and a city stone, a town stone that costs gold, and then to upgrade it it becomes a city stone and the city stone upgrades can only be purchased with platinum. It solves the most requested option for this game and you still earn money.
-
Superman(Because why not?) commented
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE IT LIKE THAT! YOU CAN GET PLAT ITEMS FROM TRADING FOR LIKE 800 GOLD PER PLAT RIGHT NOW!