This sounds like it could penalize those of us who never play ranked.
It did. I'm getting 3pts for a win while my roommate (A-rank) is getting 5 (+2 for 400 on both sides). #mrgrgr
Actually, I wouldn't say it penalizes anyone who doesn't play Ranked, but rather it's the opposite and rewards those who do play Ranked. In the old format, 3 points is the amount everyone got for a win, and now 3 points is the lowest amount given for a win at the lowest Power Level. Therefore, if you don't play Ranked, you're still getting the same amount of points as before. Also, since you get paired up with players of a similar Power Level, you're also far more likely to find opponents of a similar skill level. Plus, you can still raise your Power Level to earn more points.
That said, I still think ranking systems are stupid, but at least this one lets me reach max Splatfest rank more quickly and be done with it.