They revamped how you start the game in March this year, from what I've gathered. Whereas before, you have to make a bunch of decisions you're unprepared for up front, now you have several tutorials to aquaint you with various aspects of the game and you make the decisions in what skills you train: the first month+ worth of training is at double speed instead of you starting with a certain set of skills.

It is $15/month.

The last sentence is simply an indication that teamwork and shared knowledge is important in this game. While you can play solo and still be highly successful, you can be much more so as part of a team. Also, the shared knowledge aspect is important: while the game can be overwealming at first, someone more experienced can help you understand, figure out, and focus on what's important to you.