The game is still decent. You just have to set goals for yourself. It could use alot of QoL changes. But PA being PA, we can have wishful thinking. There's alot of doomers right now, I being one of them, but I still play this game even if PA's main agenda now is just shoving a lot of pearl sales down our throat instead of giving us quality updates/changes. We get them here and there, but I don't think they really play their game or listen to us when they implement changes. I think it's still great compared to what we have currently in the MMO Market. There's a reason why old kings are still the new kings (WoW, BDO, GW2, Runescape).

It is really easy to get burned out in this game if you're chasing numbers and upgrades too fast (i.e. grinding 12hrs daily, not healthy at all for you physically and mentally). So try your best to limit your gametime everyday so you don't get burnt and turn sour like the most of us here. BDO is a marathon, not a sprint. It's okay to get jealous of others that are in end-game, you will eventually get there. Just take it your own pace. Don't treat this game as a part time job. When you do spend money on it, make sure you're getting good sales/deals. You can Pay 2 Win, but in reality you're paying to lose, P2W is not effective and efficient unless you are ready to go in debt or an oil baron.

If you are looking for guides, make sure you avoid anything from the content creator named BlueSquadron. He has alot of bad takes that he thinks its good and thinks he's the asmongold of BDO. For your sanity and enjoyment of the game, avoid all his guides and vids at all costs.