If those things you mention bothered you before, they probably still will. Art from other games is necessary since only I develop the game now, there is no retail to get new assets from. I'm not an artist or 3D modeller and even if I were it would not be possible for one person to do in a timely fashion anyway, so other game assets are necessary to bring new items and content to the game.
There are usually some low level players online, but not many as it's so quick to level up as you mentioned. Since the game is quest driven, it's not always easy to level up with somebody, unless you both start at the same time and play at the same times so your quests remain in sync.
The community is far from dead, but a lot of players prefer to socialise with their guild and guild union members, so it's important to join an active guild with players in your timezone