I would wait a couple of months, they will adjust this craptacular new contents and make it feasible, just like how they adjust campaign and walk of echoes. Probably would focus on Abyssea and everything else outside SoA while they are still popular and not many people yet doing SoA (since it is still half baked and will take a few updates to actually be playable and fun for all). I would not worry much if I were you. I joined random shouts as well and it is impossible to do anything as mages when you get killed almost instantly in a couple of hits and can't rest without getting aggro and pretty much getting zero points because of weakness status. MP recovery is also a big problem with no free temps items - which by the way they should add and give free to you like Besieged.