Chances are high that I’ll probably play the same way as you when I dive in. I usually don’t like to grab utility mods until I have a good sense of how the core systems work without them.
I’ve been wanting to try the game for a while but I’m always hesitant about any EA title. It seems like they’ve got most of the game put in place though as far as I can tell so it might just be time to take the plunge!