Experience

Experience (abbreviated as XP) is earned at the end of each match in Tribes: Ascend. XP can be used to unlock new classes or equipment, or to upgrade equipment already owned. The amount of XP gained depends on the outcome of the game, the length of the match, player performance, and if any Boosters are active. Players do not need to stay until the end of a match to earn XP; it will be awarded to the player the next time they log on after the match ends (NOTE: this is currently bugged. If you leave a match before the end you will NOT get XP). XP is earned on a global basis as of the 9th feb. 2012 patch. Prior to this it was split between the classes you used in the match. Experience may also refer to the XP gained toward a player's rank progression.

Calculations
XP is calculated by the equations below:


 * Base XP = (Time played in seconds) * 0.5833
 * Bonus XP = ((win or loss[1/0]) * (Base XP * 0.25)) + (Base XP * 0.25) / (scoreboard rank)
 * VIP = (Base XP + Bonus XP) * 1.5
 * Boost = Base XP + Bonus XP + VIP

Given the same VIP status, boost bonus and time played, the formulas above mean that players in the winning team will always make more XP than players in the losing team. For example, the player that ranked first in his losing team would still get less XP than the player that ranked last in the winning team. Hence, it is best to play to win and not to top the scoreboard.

First Win of the Day
Players gain a flat 1200 XP bonus from their first win of the day. This bonus becomes available every day at 5 AM EST.

100 Tokens were also awarded before the 0.1.742.0 patch, but have now been made redundant.

VIP
Players can gain VIP status which allows them to earn XP 50% faster. VIP is gained by purchasing a Gold pack in the Tribes: Ascend store. Originally this was going to be a bonus for those who participated in the beta, however it is now available to anyone who purchases gold.

Boosters
Boosters double the base XP a player receives in Tribes: Ascend, allowing classes, equipment, and perks to be unlocked at a faster rate. Boosters have a limited duration when activated, available in 1-day, 10-day and 30-day packages.

Boosters stack with the XP bonus obtained from VIP status. If a player received 1000 XP at the end of a match, the bonus from VIP status would increase it to a total of 1500 XP. With a booster active, the total would increase to 3000 XP, triple the base values.

Gold vs XP
Reddit has a detailed breakdown of Gold vs XP.