The main point is to play a build and blow up monsters on screen however you see fit. The main loop goes like this: Find build guide, start new character and follow build guide, grind endgame to collect currency, use currency to buy or craft items for a more powerful build to farm currency faster, kill harder bosses, craft insane items, or whatever your goal might be.

It matters when you start but the answer is generally no, you will be fine. Every 3 or 4 months, a new season begins which is a completely blank slate for everyone. After the season ends, everything gets transferred to the standard league, the mode which continuously runs with no resets. You can choose to play Solo Self Found (SSF) and not interact with anyone, as well.

It matters what you personally define as pay2win. If you define it as having an advantage over someone who spends nothing, then yes, it is. If you define it as buying power/gear/items, then no it’s not. It is too much to talk about here, but it is basically pay for convenience because of specific types of extra storage you can buy. Other than that, everything else is purely cosmetic. Recently, some cosmetics have been straddling that super strict definition of pay 2 win, but you cannot buy items, currency, or anything like that.

There are an infinte amount of new player guides out there, but if you wish to follow mine, please use this link: A New Exiles First Steps.