This F2P model is not sustainable & 50/50 is terrible

Hey I am a new player & just started playing 2 weeks ago on PS5, along with 2 friends. Absolutely love this game in terms of combat mechanics, characters, graphics, story & world exploration. Kuro clearly put a lot of love into the game but I can't see how their current F2P model will keep players on the game monthly.

As a new player you have loads of ways to get Astrite through exploration, story, side quests & events but what happens when you have finished all the missions & exploration? All we have left is events & waiting for a new area from a big patch.

New characters come every 21 days but with the current rate of Astrite & 50/50 system. I don't see how you can afford to keep getting a new character every banner BUT isn't that the draw of a gacha game? Sure I can skip chars but If I am playing daily yet still can't get a new character why would I keep playing this game?

I was really lucky & summoned Carlotta on my first multi but my friends lost their 50/50 & struggled to get her. The 50/50 system is terrible & I come from a smaller gacha game called one piece fighting path which has a 100% banner & a new character drops every 30 days. If u do ur daily quests & events u are guaranteed to get that new character. Whereas in this game if u lose a 50/50 God help u. If my calculations are correct, to guarantee a new char you would need 25,600 Astrite (16 multis incase u lose ur 50/50). How on earth can u get that every 21 days?

It wouldn't be so bad if players got lucky sometimes on summons but on average I am seeing people get 5*s in 65/70 pulls. After Carlotta, I lost my 50/50 for zhezhi & got her in around 150 pulls total. One friend did 120 pulls & ran out of time to get Carlotta & another had to do 160 pulls to get her + pay money. The odds on this game seem much lower than other gachas.

I am still enjoying the game for now but for the time investment required to get new characters, me & my friends aren't sure if we could keep playing this game long term. That might just be us but think about every new player that comes to the game & loses their 50/50 & misses out on characters. They will surely quit in no time

EDIT: BTW I am NOT F2P. I have bought lunite subscription & will buy any skin I like. But the top up prices are outrageous tbh & need to be lowered. I support any game I love buying content if it is worth it