Worth still playing?

Hi all,

Used to have a pirate long ago with a sloop and all; had a bunch of fun playing the game. Interested in getting back into it but ypp is obviously not where it once was.

Is it worth starting a new pirate? I hear the game was recently bought by a company that specializes in preserving dead MMOs.

How long would it take to earn enough gold to buy a sloop now from scratch?

Appreciate the advice!