Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, F2P Beginners beware!

I also disagree but this time with the above comments.
Anyone starting out now will always be behind as a ftp player. I am a ftp from the begining currently 3..9m GP. I am in this position because every single day I have completed all the quests apart from 1 day in nearly 2 and a half years of playing the game. You cannot substitute this time without paying and that is a decision the individuals will have to make for themselves.
However all new players will be in that position so will always have similar opponents to battle and that is part of the beauty of this game. As the OP said it is a good game and that's proven by the length of time people have been playing it for.
As a side note no one has paid for traya the only way to get her is via heroic sith raid and there is no short cut to grinding the raid.
All new players enjoy, it can be addictive and will bring out your competitiveness.