I generally play Hermit at the start of a world and I like to attempt to keep up when it comes to the quality race, spiralling that metal day in and day out, though I think this time I'll play a much more relaxed game. Having jumped into a world already running for a year I've found plenty of opportunity to catch up, but most things are already discovered, already claimed and already established, mining anywhere you end up running into other players tunnels on every level. For me the fun of a new world is also in seeing how the world develops.
That said I've greatly enjoyed jumping into the world a year late and playing a very different style, I've looted/stolen/reclaimed everything I have and in 3 weeks have all the resources I could need without actually doing anything I don't enjoy like grinding away at the fields, I'll keep playing in this way until the wipe be that tomorrow or next year.