I bought this up on main the day it came out.
I find it amusing. iRO are so tight when it comes to giving. "Sure. We'll let you play for free. But we're going to cut the rates, and increase the prices. Have fun getting anywhere. ;D"
Honestly, I see them using it as a trial. You get a taste of the game for free, but if you actually want to go anywhere anytime soon, you'll need to move onto the paid servers. (Or a private. XD)