Wish i hadn't read about XP Penalties :(

[Wiery]

Life in the forums and life in-game are two different things. Don't fret over the negative stuff you read here. People tend to complain a lot, period. If the class/race you really want to play has a penalty, don't worry too much about it. It takes a long time to level in this game regardless of the penalties. It will feel longer leveling a class that you don't really want to play vs playing the class you do, including the penalty. And while I'm sure the penalty shunning is true for pugs, it generally doesn't exist amongst friends.