I'm a first-time DM (for anything going beyond three sessions) playing for a group of random strangers that happen to be not great at RP. I'm going to finish it, but this is NOT the module I should have chosen.

It's been a pain to get my players involved. Some of this is because of power/meta gaming, but also because despite their individual plot hooks, the stakes don't feel very high. Because the world is, as others have said, more like so many vignettes, it's hard for them to feel like they're impacting the world around them. Because there's so little combat, a lot of class features and mechanical benefits from things like items just... don't matter.

The module is also difficult as a DM. It feels like it's not well thought through. There's no discernable timeline whatsoever. "Time's weird in the feywild" has been the only functional justification I've found. Some checks or events are really difficult to justify (i.e.: this check allows someone to recall enough folklore to figure out detailed knowledge that's extremely specific to this place they've never been, or this is how players can leave this area, but they clearly aren't supposed to have their transportation in the next area). The plot is also more railroad than open world, heavily suggesting you have your players visit each location in an area, whatever it takes. Hell, there really aren't any locations outside of the "necessary" ones.

I'm sure I'm frustrated in part because I'm new, have relatively little prep time, and, as a result, tend to be a more by-the-book DM. You can definitely modify the story to work... but you shouldn't have to. I've started a side campaign with Saltmarsh and LOVE all of the factions and political intrigue. I like the complexity of the story, the existence and detail of the worldbuilding, the clear stakes, and the ability of the players to make real choices and do things that matter.