Advice needed - how to gain traction as a truly new player?

[trollitc]

I've been struggling with how to word this post so that people don't get the wrong idea. I really enjoy this game, and I've met some fantastic people on the server. I'm not looking for handouts or free stuff, but some actual advice. So here goes.

My friend and I are just starting out on project 1999. Our highest level characters are 5th level. We don't have a mountain of plat from older characters or guildies we're sitting on.

I'm searching my memories from back in '99 and trying to remember just how long it took then to level up and start acquiring cool stuff. What should we be expecting with our characters?

We're currently in EC with occasional forays into WC and we're leveling at the rate of about one level ever 4-5 hours.

We've decided to play our characters (druid and monk) as a little group of our own. We're not opposed to grouping with others but we're not going to log on with these particular toons without each other so that they'll stay roughly equal in level.

What can we do to advance a little faster? I don't mind the grind that much, and I'm having fun in EC but a level every 4 hours, at the rate we can play, has me wondering if I'll ever get past level 25.

What would you all suggest? Or is it just a case of buckling down and grinding away? If that's it, that's fine. I'm curious though, how did you all get where you are? I see so many lower level characters sporting amazing equipment, and people selling/buying items for 50k PP+. Yesterday evening we watched a 5th level character soloing the griffin in EC, which was fun to watch but something we couldn't do at this time.

Have you all (by this I mean -the folks with riches/items/etc) been on 1999 since the beginning? Are you all guild members?

Thanks!