"what should i expect??? "
In both server / fraction you must make 5 friends like you to havea fixed party.
All of you must spend around...2000 euro on runes 12/11 and other cash items, at least this I saw who can do heroics and get 115% gear.
Mostly because with that gear you are +1 or +2 next miniseazon ( gear color) .
With that you can 1 shot in pvp, those who has runes, but don't do heroics for various resons and has 106% gear usually.
The real naked incarnations with 90% gear are the real victims in PvP.
The problem is how to get those 5 players and make a permanent party for Compass / Domi?
Since the server in old you will meet players, who are not whiling to Do Compass 103% because gets gear to 106% from Rihat.
Rihat 106-109% + low draconics from BG and not to low runes gives you gear to be a bit above middle.
Not having draconic, artifacts it is not enough for BG, for Astral (PvE daily yes)
Spending around 50-100 eur / month on temp items of various kind AFTER you got the runes give you a clear edge and at BG you will be at top 5 killers, dpsers, healers whatever you choose. ( I think here I am now)
Premium system is ranked / leveled up to 8. Need to spend around 250 eur to be Premium8.
I has some clear advantaes.
But alone not much reason to spend so much, because you can't beat a party/raid alone.
Heavy cash shopers and top players are in top guild and there is a contest inside guild, evy and warr.
For me Acendancy was the most unfriendly guild ever, at NA server and I saw others felt lonely inside that guild.
For this reason I came to League side. At that time Astral Riders, Warsongs was the top guild: same kind of ppl.
So I moved to a lower populated EU server, I found different people and I made some fiends, with not top players.
As conclusion:
For PvP need gears, top gears, in any server.
Top players, are selfish and want to be in top and not help ohers to take they place. So not expect so much friendship from they , maybe more interests.
From not top players I met realy friendly pplayers, even I din't know they language at all ( Poland , Turkish)
Other guilds are restrictice: "FR only people" , I told I will not speak in guild channel EN, but they want FR only ( Silence Lune for example)
Subscription sserver:
at League side Dragagon is the king he want to own everthing, like in old times Luthor at f2p. Nothing is for you, just for him, and you must serve him. Of couse I left league side (avarice)
At imp side it was Shaffou and prefered FR players and somehow... raid loots bags, banks which are really needed was given for FR people
Subscription server gaming would be nice, if the people would be different...
Since it is a very low popolation zone you have to make frindship and connflicts carefullly.
At imp side it was a "Pearl" who started a warr with me ( in the same guild ) So I left the game for a while.
Now I see even Dragagon went to Ru server due to low population and probably he couldn'tr find any more slaves who want to serve him
So my advice it would be:
1. get 5 friends, who play active as you and whiling to pay as much as you.
At subscription server after 3 months of activity you will not be 1 hitted -at Domi. As I know BG doe s not realy pop.
At "free" server after paying like 2000 euro and 2 week activity you will not be 1 hitted, and you have many BG.
This is how I see the servers / fractions.