I don't get to play too often. Extended free times I do get are way before or after the "prime time". It's also difficult to create an environment where I can effectively voice chat.
So, I really don't have much more than 300ish matches played. I think the forums are my saving grace.
Forums can be an on and off thing. I only need short free times to check it and write things in it. I'm pretty sure I've logged more time on the forums than anywhere else. Thanks to that, my 300ish matches played has given me 450~500ish matches worth of experience. I can outfit my ship pretty well, I can pilot anything but a Squid, and I can engineer on anything but suicidal Pyramidions.
Perhaps we should promote our amazing community more? GOIO is a game that inevitably creates a great community, with teamwork and such. Perhaps we can get people to read through the guides section, ask questions on Q&A, and read through the ever-improving wiki (big salutes to everyone that works on it)?