I was sceptical because of the negative reviews but after playing for a few days now I must say i disagree with them..

The servers are not empty (playing on Non-PVP, EU), there are lots of people around. You build your own base which you can easily move if you feel like it for a couple of coppers (in-game) wherever you like.
The crafting and the gathering is very enjoyable and it is such a cozy and chill game. The gameplay is slow and steady, so if youre into fast action this is not for you.

There are events in game, currently Easter which spawns fun stuff to gather and craft.

There are are a wild variety of pets to tame which gain new perks when it levels up. Same with mounts, the more you use it, the more you level it and they also have perks depending on which mount you're using.

The progression feels balanced, I actually enjoy going out for gathering or a dungeon to get loot which I can use to upgrade or unlock more buildings or items for my base or my gear.

It's very fun and its def not dead. At least not on the non-PVP servers. Really recommend and its on sale for 3,39 euros, it cant get better than that!

great game so far a more laid bacl life is feudal. if you like grind you'll love it!

Super boring and the tutorial takes like 6 hours. Good luck finding open space to build a home.