I think the hardest thing for most people is getting killed right out of the gate, and having what little you have taken. This is gonna happen. However once you have gained some acceptance, or gotten in a guild, your troubles should be long gone. Sure your gonna get killed, dry looted (sometimes). But there are more then enough people in a guild, or that you know, who will be there with a helping hand. Its the first month that is the deal breaker for most. That is why we have a Guild called NEW. This is Newborn on Siege. If you choose to join this guild, it offers you protection for a total of 1 month. Well, from most, some people dont care, they are PKs, and thats what they do. So you cant blame them. They are roleplaying the non-bias PK. But you will get protection for a month (or less), and players will try and help you get established a little to keep you on the shard.
And this is where active EMs would help tons. Players like events no matter what shard you are on. So to come to a new shard (or to play there already), regular events are nice, and keep people happy playing where they are playing. Siege adds a little twist to the events, with the risk of being killed at any given time (dont think town protects you, it doesnt always mean safety).
So we certainly do need a 2nd EM, with a different time slot. One with an open mind to the differences we have. To help build our small, but strong player base.