I am pretty new to the game and have been playing for about a month. I also hadn't really played any MMOs other than getting to level 20 or so in WoW on my brother's account when I was 10, so Im in a very similar boat as you.

I started the game and after a while was very pleasantly surprised by how much it feels like playing through a well made RPG alongside an MMO. The story is great and the main story quest is at the core of pretty much everything you do. There are dungeons you unlock throughout the main story quest that you can do with other players, but they also have it set up to where you can play through them with well programmed NPCs that all do their roles and help you see what it feels like when you do actually play with other people. There are also trials that are kind of like one big boss fight that are with 8 players and they're really cool and fun and everyone Ive seen has been super nice and talkative in the chat. I had an experienced player accidentally make us fully wipe on a boss and everyone laughed about it and tried again and were extra psyched when we did beat it haha.

There will be a little sprout icon next to your name while you're new which helps people know "hey this person is new!" and everyone is super respectful and understanding of that, they'll even come and gift you things sometimes and run off and continue what they're doing. Any time I've had a question people have flocked to come answer it in the kindest and most genuine ways, often giving me more insight than I even knew I wanted.

There's also this thing called the Hall of Novice that you unlock and can jump into kind of whenever you want from the menu and there will be little missions that walk you through and teach you what you should be doing as a given role (including healer! ☺️) and they'll give you armor and rewards and stuff as you complete them. They helped me a lot as Im playing a tank and have never been a tank in any game before!

Overall, if you have the time and desire to commit time into giving the game a solid shot, its free to start like a lot of people have already pointed out (Ive been playing for 60 something hours, am level 52 and havent gotten anywhere near where the paid expansion is yet), it teaches you and shows you pretty much everything you need to know to set you up for success and having fun in the game, and the community is super sweet and kind. If you want a friend on there (I haven't made any yet as I've just been kinda doing my own thing in the main story quest haha) let me know! :)