You don't mind the cash shop part of the game you say? Well then, welcome to Allods Online! I'm sure you will enjoy it a lot.
If you want to play on a server with at least a "decent" population, my advice is to go for the F2P server. Although I know that the P2P server will never increase in population if everyone keeps promoting the F2P server, the sad truth is that if you join the P2P server you will most likely get bored of the game within a few days, as you'd be running around in a ghost world.
“If you want to conquer fear, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
-Dale Carnegie
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.”
-Bernard M. Baruch