This game can be fully immersive - you can create and mold your character's history about that of the setting, get in game, role play and develop your character, leading him to a set goal, or allowing circumstance and RP to develop your goal for you...
Or if you are just into levelling - you could just do all the quests, fight and learn... and level. [which to me is quite boring really]
but the first is really fun, and you can level at the same time.. yahoo...
any ways - welcome to PlaneShift - the most important thing is to have good clean fun.