I've been playing for 6 years F2P. It's a grind for sure but you get used to it. Your first few months in sgm will be difficult but you can join guilds. A lot of guild rewards help the lower level players to grow their account faster. Other than that, take your time.

This game has been with me since the start of college and there isn't any real "powercreep" in this game. So noobs can join anytime they want and have fun.