Ok, I’m writing this to everyone who just started the game (maybe because of NEVERDIE’s little purchase 
) and doesn’t want to deposit. Well, it might even be of some help to people who did or will deposit. I do know most newcomers just rush to log into the game once the download is complete. Few read the official guide, fewer register here in the forums, and fewer even will ever see my post, but I’m just hoping it does help somebody.
So, here are the most basic questions about starting:
Q-Is it Easy?
A-No, not even if you deposit (eventhough it makes it a lot easier than to the people who don’t)
Q-Is it fun?
A-Well, I can’t tell it myself if it’s fun in the beggining, since there are always some people who may enjoy sweating or other noob activities, so I’ll rather say it gets MUCH better as you get experience. 
Q-Is it easy to make money?
A-HELL NO!
Q-But is it at least possible?
A-Yes!
Here’s my story about my stay in PE: Have started in it three weeks ago. Didn’t deposit a single penny. Today, I have 450 PEDs in my card, and equipment worth some other 300 PEDs. Without ever getting a global (a loot over 50 PEDs), a Hall of Fame or sweating 24 hours a day for the past 3 weeks.
How did I manage to do that?
With lots of help. About 10 minutes after I first logged in, I found myself a mentor. Of course, he gave me some starting equipment, but nothing too expensive (doesn’t mean I’m not grateful for it, it actually started all my (until now) succesful career in PE). I also read all the guides I could find both here and in the Pioneers Forums, and got informed about the prices of things, to know what would be a rip-off and what wouldn’t be one, apart from getting informed about common scams, too. I was not a “noob” anymore, eventhough my avatar was almost totally unskilled. Of course, every time I log in, I still fear it might be the one time, where I do something stupid or get unlucky and lose everything, so I try to stay as sharp as possible!
The thing that helped me out the most, though, was finding a good mentor from the beggining. He taught me about efficiency of hunts, decay, and gave me some tips on how not to waste money when hunting.
In the beggining, in the hunts, it’s seemingly impossible to break even, but it is not. I also got very frustrated, in my first hunts, and couldn’t possibly imagine how getting a profit in hunting could ever happen without getting a global or Hall of Fame. Turns out that this game is all about patience and skills. Success doesn’t depend on luck (I’m not saying that getting luck won’t help a LOT though). It is about playing smart, and be always careful about your money. Spend it wisely. The first PEDs are usually the ones that will trace your future in PE .
I know I haven’t been very detailed on what tips were given to me to waste less money hunting, neither on what I mean with “playing smart”, but writing it all here would take too long, and this topic was not about teaching people how to play, but that it is possible to be succesful in this game without depositting loads of money all the time (I’m not disencouraging people to do it, though, since it boosts the game’s economy, which means: MORE LOOT!). If anybody is curious on what my methods are, on how and what I hunt, and so on, feel free to ask me in-game and I will gladly answer it 
.
I hope this encourages a few people who are a bit frustrated with the game about not getting profit and losing loads of money hunting (I know how it feels like, had 47 lootless mobs in a row once), mining, crafting or whatever they do. And of course, I’d like to wish you all good luck!