I started playing a YEAR after this lot (Custard,Luggage,Floyd etc etc).
I've been playing for 1 year .
The advantage is:
1. you learn faster from their mistakes.
2. your battle total is lower (total number of battles) so your performance statistics are not packed full of bad battles.
3. you know which tanks are poorer than others.
4. you can avoid tank types you don't like (heavies, meds, lites, tank destroyers, artillery etc).
5.This game is not free if you want you earn in game silver (you needs a gold tanks to make lots of silver) others can advise.
6. After a year exactly, I match most of the 2 year players for performance, so you can start a year later & be as good or better than other players that have played longer.
7. this game is a grind with the wrong tanks.
8. platooning with others is alot easier per battle generally.
9. I find this game fun because it is very tactical & not a frag feast....
This game has mod support, currently there are alot.
http://www.curse.com/wot-mods/worldoftanks/downloads
This game is only 2 years old from beta.
SERVERS most used (by the guys here) are either EU or NA (European or North American) some have two accounts but they are separate in content progression.
you'd have to see where people you want to play with play .....
It's always hard to start because you would need to learn the tactics of the game, there is alot.
There are training rooms for 2+ players to 32 players, easy to start & practice.
There are alot of videos on YT for guidance.
SEE here: http://www.youtube.com/user/WorldOfTanksCom?feature=watch
REMEMBER IT IS A GAME & HAVE FUN.