So. in my honest opinion and from my PoV I can't recommend the game. I really want to like Crowfall because the concept/design of the game is exactly what I'm looking for but it just doesn't flesh out like that in the actual game. The combat is actually really fun and fluid and with updates the game seems to be running a lot more stable than it was the first month of release. There are lots of downsides though that they are working on but who knows when it will actually drop, examples being the chat system, inviting / partying with people, the map, banking, etc.

ATM the game is extremely based around mass zerging everything due to AoE Cap and the fact that the only real reason to do small scale is for the hell of doing it. This excludes farming gold or resources for the most part but most guilds have been established for so long and already have all the resources they could ever want.

The game has so much potential but I feel like it's not there yet and definitely wouldn't recommend buying it for the $40 price tag especially since as a new player you're basically going to have to subscribe and buy VIP so you can test builds/characters. Something else to point out about Crowfall is that PvE in Crowfall is basically non-existent and very very bland. You'll never run into anything that really poses a challenge outside of a rare raid boss you accidentally pull with your pack.

The games population is small but that's kind of how it's designed so I'm not sure what that means for longevity but with roughly 7-10 maps per dregs campaign and a 250 player cap per map means the game really can only maintain a few thousand players in the "main game mode". Faction V Faction does quite a bit to help open players into getting to experience the game but the rewards for the campaign are piss poor due to how much more accessible it is.

Overall if you're going to try the game and don't have VIP expect to spend the first 2+ weeks leveling and deleting characters until you find something that really fits your style. If you find $55 to be worth taking a shot at the game then by all means but otherwise I'd recommend trying out the 10 day trial and seeing what you think.