Trust me, the $18 is so worth it, especially when you use it to transfer a full roster (8 characters) over. Gilgamesh as I hear had something of an implosion(iirc) in its roleplaying community and now it's even harder than before to get into. I can only speak for Balmung, with which I can guarantee is rife with opportunities, even just going in blind without any pre-made friends; roleplay is a plenty and everyone here's generally super friendly!
