Finally mustered the guts to quit the cope and delete both my characters today. I have a little more experience than a new player in this game, and to the new players currently playing it or considering playing it, have no doubt: things are rigged against you heavily. It's RMTers who've bought their way out of engaging with the game's most tedious elements (which are part of its identity as an MMO) and can effectively use it as a dungeon or PVP battle simulator thanks to doing so, who get the content they expect. Or players who join one of the few large zerg guilds, which I guess there's nothing wrong with doing that but it sustains a very concentrated-at-the-top dynamic in the overall community and affords a small core of players disproportionate influence over what happens or who even gets to play where on the map. Anyway, game's a gatekept ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, and is only gonna get worse.

Unless you intend to join a guild and only play when they are available, the game is essentially unplayable. For starters, everywhere you go, groups of players will kill you every chance they get and even if they weren't, there is basically nothing you can do solo anyway.

The community is almost gone and all that's left is the most toxic players. People asked the devs for a PvE server or PvE safe areas, but the devs said no because they have basically abandoned the game and want it to die so they can stop supporting it and move onto their next project.

I highly recommend you look elsewhere.

Introduce a monthly sub AFTER buying the game is the scummiest thing ever.