I have had several empowered characters yes and often it is not difficult and other times I've been sitting at shrines and walked around emoting for a couple of weeks until I delete because it turns out the imm is not active at the moment. That gamble becomes less and less fun the older I become.

I know of course that it probably won't be changed as it has been this ways for so many years and a change would be a big change in how the staff sees the game.

The Gods would exists regardless if you are logged in or not. The players would drive the religion and while their God could manifest to punish/praise/tattoo it is not necessary for driving the religion forward. Of course this is more complicated these days as religions tends to become more and more complex and less up to interpretation of the players.

I question on how much that empowerment interview actually gives as it is generally very easy to pass them. And there are any core concepts they need to know you could always make an automatic quest in the shrine to get powers. Same with cabal interviews; at level X the applicant will be given a quest by the Destructor to answer some questions by the veterans. When they solve that quest they are members.

And of course people could speak to imms if they are not getting in to the cabal. Usually after some 100 hours and they play the same time as the imm in question (and the imm is active at the moment).

And where the game begins is not something you can state; it is up to the players what they get enjoyment from. For some it is exploring at hero, for others it is the leveling process and for some it could be pk from level 11-51. While all are required to start from level 1 and RP properly it might not be the reason they play.

Being to join cabals automatically by a quest or something would be way more newbie friendly as well.