If you wana know how to min max and end game... try ddg, like 'lmddgtfy', for example

I saw some guides that are so over the top claiming to be new player guides. Let's simplify things a bit.

1. Pick a character that looks good to you, like 'this could be me' or 'i will enjoy playing this one'. Like if you are into swords and shields a lot, pick warrior, or valkyrie; if you like spell effects, pick witch, or wizard; and so on. You can watch the little videos showing the animations of the different characters with their different weapons.
... Of course make it a season character.

2. Start in Velia, the center selection iirc. This is the intro questline and you will need to complete it anyway at least once, might as well be now.

3. You can just spam random buttons and follow the prompts from the questgivers for quite a while. Eventually you will be in Velia and able to take a breath and look around. Check out storage, market, warehouse. If you have any silver (not likely) you can buy something off the market like a weapon (if you aren't on season) or some potions or a Spirit Stone. Lots of options. Basically don't worry about it and continue following the main questline. You can either do the other quests now or later, but most say keep going with the MSQ, main story questline, and ignore most or all side quests. These can be done later for more exp as they give a percentage of exp. But IMO just do the quests you can do and keep going. After level 20 you can filter out quests you don't want like fishing.
... Final verdict for questing:
... a. Do MSQ and ignore all other quests.
... b. Do just the combat quests along with MSQ.
... c. Do as many as you feel like doing.
... d. The quests with the 'GOLD' exp reward icon you can save for a higher level (56-58)

4. Gearing up, enhancing. For seasonal you will get gear upgrades (naru) and stones to enhance them. You may need to grind some to get drops, stones, accessories, gear but basically just keep going with the MSQ to get to the higher level rewards, more stones, more gear drops. If you hit a wall, keep dying, then go back and grind some lower level mobs for more gear drops. It's the only way you get gear with a season character.
... for non seasonal you will get Agerian armor drops and some weapon drops, i forget the name of. You can enhance these up to level 5 for armor and 7 for weapon without any chance of failure. Just keep pumping them up as you get more black stones. It is more than enough till you hit higher level. So non seasonal: upgrade the gear you get from drops with the black stones you will also get.
... usually no grinding required, just plow on ahead, you can do it. The grindwall hits around level 50-56, depending on your luck and skill. It will be a little while before then so enjoy the Main Story Questline.

5. Pressing R. Many ppl aren't interested in reading the story text. I do sometimes, and sometimes i do not. I like to know what is going on though, so I try to pay attention but press R as fast as I can read quickly. I'd rather try to read quickly than not at all. But if you just press R (to advance the story dialogue, quest dialogue) then don't worry about it. You will be fine. If you have a problem, you can just do a ddg search to find the answer.

6. Non-MSQ activities. Events, side quests, lifeskills, boss battles, etc.
... basically no, but if you aren't such a powerleveler, then just enjoy it at your own pace. You can get a house to decorate, or up to 5 iirc.
You can farm and fish and train horses and other things.
... Realistically, only the MSQ and powerleveling (grinding for higher levels) is the worthy in game activity. All else is less than, with the exception of the boss battles, because you might get a 250m silver item, or even an 8b (Heart of Garmoth). Save all your silver for gear upgrades or buying better gear. The higher your level, then the higher the level of the mobs you are farming, and so then the higher the level of the loot you are getting, including silver. Wasting time at low levels means not getting better loot, so you can do the extra activities, but always have your main task as top priority, the powerleveling, MSQ grinding.

7. It's really a great game with fantastic gameplay and stuff, but also it's super easy and simple. Just get to higher level, more powerful gear, etc. How does farming help with that? Or maybe you just like farming. You can have it both ways.
... sometimes MSQ Grind/Powerlevel
... sometimes chill and lifeskill

bonus:
... build a boat. It takes a lot of time to build a boat, so you might as well get started now. When you get a moment, ride on over to Epheria (nw of calpheon) and do some quests there to get your boat going.

have fun
and good luck
;#)

oh, for your 2nd character, consider making a Shai, because they have a lifeskilling bonus, and they are fun
the world needs more Shais

(*&^)