You should be hoping that you don't catch up! Just enjoy the ride. If you look to the end, you'll most likely be disappointed.
Take your time, enjoy the game and people, and just aim to be higher level when velious drops.
People are fairly nice in game, and I think the message boards are poisonous. Go to the wiki if you are looking for information, and stay away from here
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http://wiki.project1999.org/index.php/Main_Page