This server is best case scenario for ArcheAge. It is well worth it to play. I had a hard time giving my phone number to Discord but I realized that if they didn't limit account creation somehow, there would be 5 people on the server who own every scrap of land in the game. As it is, I found room for 4 16X16 farms and a 24X24 house without having to buy a demo. The phone number thing seems like a hassle but it really helps keep this game in a state that makes it fun for everyone, not just a handful of people like we see on other ArcheAge emulated servers.
You won't find a better ArcheAge experience. They even got rid of that stupid boat and went back to the good trade pack system. You can play until your heart is content and it won't cost you a penny. To me, it is well worth giving my phone number to Discord. But I get telemarketer calls all the time anyway, so it doesn't make a huge difference to me.
EDIT: I didn't mean to imply that the server population was low. It took some looking around to find space for my farms and house. Most of the land is taken but if you are patient and look for open spots often, you can find them.