I've played this game for around 4 years, give or take. I started a year or so before Space Cowboy Online(SCO, to most of us who played it) was shut down, and since then, have played Phi Doi(Which is the Vietnamese-localized version of ACE), Arrivals(European-localized version), and my current home, if you will, is Suba's ACE online. I moved here, from Arrivals, because of several factors, one being that Suba has a paid staff of GMs(Game Masters for those of you who don't know). Anyway, this game had me hooked early on, because it was a completely different kind of MMO, this game required complete focus on what you were doing. The PvP in this game is also unlike anything I had ever seen before; Wars spark up at barely a moment's notice, and they have been known to go on for hours. Enough about that for now.
When the player first gets into the game, he's put into a starting area known as FreeSKA, and from there, all you really have to do, is do the first missions, level up, and get a feel for the gameplay. Once a player hits level 11, this is where the game really starts. You're given one final FreeSKA mission, known simply as "Decision". Once you start this mission, you're given a brief cutscene(It’s more of a screenshot/voiceover deal really), and then you can choose between BCU(Bygeniou City United) and ANI(Anti-Nationalism Influence). Once you pick a nation, your account is bound to that nation, and you cannot change your mind afterward, choose wisely. Once you've picked a nation, you really have nothing to do except some more missions, which gives you access to new maps for you to go to. By level 20(22 on ANI), you have access to every map in your nation's territory, with the exception of BCU's Sunken City map, which is unlocked to you at level 39. The PvP at this point is challenging at best, but once a player gets into level 60+, the PvP aspect of the game really starts to shine.. Don't think you'll be invincible because you're level 60. This is nothing like WoW, you will die frequently in PvP. Other than that, this game is really learn-as-you-go, and you'll have to ask a few questions in-game, but after a while, you'll know your way around, and be excellent in PvP. Just know this, there will always be someone who is more skilled than you, don't get discouraged, get advice from some older players, put that into action, and you'll do fine. Every single player counts, whether you're raiding enemy territory, or defending your own, no single person can do everything, but you'll always have people willing to help, you just can't be afraid to ask.