Not too sure about the basing, but with so much expansion i wouldn't have thought it will take too long. Not heard about a 2 year limit though.
We have been flying carmen pairings manually rostered for some time so there shouldn't be a drastic increase in nightstops. The main difference will be (in theory) more control over your roster and an ability to express preferences. eg lots of nightstops, wednesday evenings off, mostly early starts, etc.
Hope this helps.