european free trial

I downloaded the EU version of the free trial in zipped format from gamershell.com.
Had to unzip, which took a while, to release 1 file to click on. What's the point of that? The zip was only a little bit smaller, both almost 1gig.

Clicked on the free trial app. It begins to install on "C://program file...etc. Why? Do I not get an option to install it where I want, namely in my games partition?

Once I click on game icon, it says use web browser. Wha? Remember I have no manual, so at first I wonder what this means, before I see the new icon on the desktop.

I click on the icon; IE opens up and I get a security alert message, the security certificate has expired or is not valid. Wha? i'm supposed to enter personal data onto a hackable web page? Why is the site not secure?

Deciding to ignore this for now, but determined not to enter vital data, such as CC details, I click yes. Now I am on the main login site. But now what?

I check the readme file in the Horizons folder. Under account creation is states "Before you can log in and play, you must create an account.  Go to http://horizons.istaria.com and click the Create Account link. Wait a sec, I downloaded the EU version, got sent to the EU site to login but the readme is NOT localised? I have the US readme, where is the EU version?

So I take a few moments figure out what to do now. Ok, forget US website, on EU site, create new account, right? Wrong. I need a CD key. When I downloaded the game from gamershell.com it stated that it was a: Horizons Europe Free Client Trial. I assumed that everything required to play the trial would be downloaded in the package. Actually what I downloaded was simply the standard US copy, minus any CD key. So I go to the US site to get a CD key but Tulgac doesn't work. Now what?

{By this time I am starting to get peeved. I am still nowhere near playing the game, and yet this trial is suppoed to promote the game, get me interested in playing.}

So, using google, searching this site, I figure out what to do. On the login site there is NO free trial button, unlike the US site, so I go to http://europe.istaria.com/eng/ click on the free trial download twice, but I've already downloaded it so I click on "register account" and hooray!!, I get a CD key.

So I finally create a trial account, no CC needed, thankfully. I click finish, and get sent to the login page, only now I have a valid account to play.

All this and the game STILL needs to patch. I think it's the original game version, not even a slightly updated one.

From what I understand free trials are supposed to promote a game, and bring in new players. Making people jump through hoops and run marathons is not good sales technique.

Something needs to be done to make the free trial and sign up process as streamlined and flexible as possible, both for vetaran and new mmorpgers.