In what way do you see it as being "unfair" to newcomers?

Would you feel that way if you stepped into PG 2 years after release, and needed to "catch up" as you put it? You are still a newcomer and other players have more then you do at that point.

Is it how quickly Player A (alpha tester) can reach Point X in the game before a new player can? Does this really affect the experience of a new player? The new player would have no clue at this point that Player A even existed. I really do not envisage players going for "world firsts" in this game.

Is it how quickly someone can accumulate wealth and the ability to craft as a result, upon game release? How does this affect the way a new player plays or experiences the game? This is only beneficial to the new player who can get assistance and maybe gear and coin from the seasoned and skilled up players.

What will be so out of balance, as you put it? The economy? The player vendors and the community will dictate economy, and this will always be fluctuating according to the demand and supply of items on any given day. Very very rarely is an in game economy governed by a handful of well organised players.

PG has been around in the testing phase for over 2 years as far as i know. I would like to think that constantly having our skills and items changed and deleted etc due to development stages gives credence to some form of gratitude from the developers. The no skills (some) reset is just that. As the developers put it, testing a game is hard work, putting up with bugs, constant changes, broken skills and mechanics etc. All of us who play the game in its current ever-changing state do so with a passion to make PG a success. Some of us even provide financial assistance to make it happen.

There is nothing to compete about in this game from a player to player perspective. I would argue that this game is about community and helping each other out, not concerning ourselves over who has more of something, or who can piss the farthest. If it is PVP, then FYI PVP is and always will play second fiddle to PVE in PG. So PVP is not a real reason. I know this paragraph can be argued and many have different opinions about this subject.

If you are worried that a player who has been playing since day one of pre-alpha has better gear or other items then you then you are going to be disappointed to know that someone will always have something better then you in an MMO. This is regardless of when you started the game.

FYI the wiki is a living document, you could say it is also in alpha stage, juts like the game. Only so much can be put on the wiki that will remain current until the next patch etc. Over time with the development of the game, the wiki will go through many edits and structure changes. Use the wiki at your own discretion. There is a disclaimer and caveats of its use on the front page for a reason.

I hope you enjoy PG as much as I and many others do. I personally think we are lucky to be involved in the development of the game as testers.

The concerns and opinions you have expressed are valid, as is anyone else's opinion about other game related matters on these forums. I do however think it is hardly game breaking or progression breaking for new players. That is my opinion on the subject.

Cheers
Ants