Welcome to Fractured!
I hope you're going to enjoy your time here

I might have missed something or I could be puzzled now, but could you explain what you mean with 'merchant and woodchopper factions'?

It might be best if you could describe what you expect to be able to do in game @MrFulaton , because, as others have mentioned, the 'casual friendly' part depends on what you hope to accomplish.

Congratulations and those that got lucky, have fun testing!

Welcome to Fractured!
I hope you're going to enjoy your time here!

Waiting on games is always painful, keep strong and don't let it nag on you!

It entirely depends if I'm going to play Beastman or Human, the PvP settings and the resource allocation if I'd prefer to place solo or in a large/small town.
Each of the three has advantages depending on the circumstances

Welcome, good luck and have fun on your adventures!