I should not be the one to comment much since I have been playing the game for about 3-4 weeks now maybe, but I will give you impression anyways.

So far what I have gotten out of the game:

1. Market orders, the seeded items are way too expensive for new players, but if you are resorceful enough you can get around it easily. I was building my own assault bots week two of the game, I farmed my own ammo etc.

2. Missions, can be tedious but so is all PvE grinding. Payouts seem somewhat low at first but once you do a few missions you are surprised at the income you have gotten. If your mission is getting farmed, come back in a few minutes and do it again or just go to another mission, another alpha island, adaptation is key.

3. Difficulty, frankly the difficulty is somewhat higher then your average game, and it does promote teaming up even in PvE which is the best aspect of an MMO. Farming stuff can get tough because you just can't farm without taking cover or pulling back a bit. Some people find this too hard and give up on it alltogether, it gets way better with skills and gear as it does in every other game, so stick with it for a bit.

4. Population, well frankly I just haven't seen the game promoted that much and it is my impression the Devs are quite comfortable with the current population. I see people everywhere I go and it doesn't seem too overcrowded nor does it seem empty (alpha islands wise).

5. As I mentioned above I haven't been on here for a long time now, but I have noticed that devs do get involved in the forums quite a bit, they are involved in game as well. Updates and patched in the 3-4 weeks I have seen one patch and that seems to me like its being worked on and not just forgotten.

In general, the game is fun if you give it a try. I have enjoyed playing it so far and will probably continue to do so for a while still. Both devs and the existing player base seem very friendly which is always a bonus as well!