You can train skills easy. You don't need to donate in order to train. You can train buying the training statues with ingame cash. A lot of the progress is not behind a pay wall in my opinion, alot of the progress is behind putting in the time, yeah you can donate to put your character way ahead without having to farm or put in the work( can't you in alot of the OT's that are currently out?), which is what im assuming you are referring to. Yeah its grindy, to get your character up there, but its possible without donating. Very possible. If I can do it lol.... so can anyone....