I agree that the tutorial is poorly paced; however, once you get past the first few levels (easy to reach lvl 5 in 1 sitting) it becomes a comfortable long term environment. There are countless people ready to walk you through every aspect of the game in chat.
There is no need to pay for the microtransaction currency- plenty (thousands) is given to players throughout the game. This game is everything I love about city builders, without the stress of pvp. I started playing about 2 years ago and have since settled into the refreshingly friendly community.
If you're wanting a laid back game about managing supply chains and helping each other thrive, look no further than the settlers online.
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 "3 Slices"){kind=icon}
 "Swarm Simulator"){kind=icon}
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