@ath-sovereign
The beauty of the game is that all players have the same at the start of the session. Be it a fresh pirate from the creation wheel or a legend.
There is meaningful progress in the game, it just doesn't make numbers go up. Now I can imagine something going in your head: What.... how can you say that, everyone is the same, you just said it yourself!
Well, the difference is the player. You are the one that determines your pirates fate. There is a big difference between players based on their experience and skill. Have they learned to do X, can they defend against Y, how easy can they figure out Z. It is why on these forums there a lot of "get good" posts when people complain. That is the progress of your pirate from being a landlover to a legend of the seas. It just isn't represented by any numbers going up when you hit something.
This allows for anyone to play together, regardless of the time spent. It is why I love the game and this is such a refreshing experience. My brother started playing and bought the game. We can instantly play together and can always remain to do so, even though I play the game a lot, while he plays other games primarily.
We enjoy playing together, but I cannot play with him in his main game without leveling for approximately 24 to 50 hours to catch up and be at the same content level as him. Even then I wouldn't have the gear to fully contribute at the level he plays at. Which is a huge limitation.
The game is about enjoying the journey and learning to adapt to become better. To eventually be the best pirate you can, while not being limited to time spent or finding this one item.
Equal opportunity is the soul of the seas. Set out and enjoy the moment(s).