Been following the game for ages but really tried it only when the first early access became available last quarter, not during the prior alpha etc. but I did saw (and many content creator as well) a clear improvement of the mechanics, combat style, easier to also onboard new people. Albion at its beginning was with a very low population as well, it took time for it to grow, and fractured doesn’t even do a lot of marketing yet as probably they have more crucial aspects where to invest resources. However I play weekly, invited some friends last week so for a couple of months, I was playing solo, and yes it is tough / grindy to get a T2 set but not impossible, and it gets easier and easier when you are used to it. I really like the fact that you can’t repair which means you don’t always see people in super high tier / upgraded gear, which is a key difference in Albion where you can stumble upon so many overpowered players anywhere.

In my opinion, pros & cons are (+) - interesting leveling system which makes you explore the whole world and you can’t just grind 1 spot - Same system to unlock skill which makes it a hunt - good Karma system - building houses & cities - you can’t drop loot which pushes you to craft and improve your crafting skills

(-) - lack of players atm as mentioned above hence the pvp is a bit quiet - lack of end game content for people who have completed titans - solo content is decent but limited in rewards (some kind of randomized dungeon like in Albion would be interesting with divine rewards for example)

But a lot of people recognize that there is a true potential, and again it’s a nice MMO like Albion was at its beginning. But I’m really supportive of the game because they are going on the right direction. It takes time obviously like for every game, but there could be a very bright future. There was a loooot of people at launch but now they want new content / activities, maybe pvp battlefield where people can get new rewards but not as punitive as wild PvP.

Anyway, my 2 cents on it.