I heard that when you first sign up for FFXI, it will randomly choose a permenant server for all your characters(other than using a WP), and you won't be able to switch unless you can get a friend to give you a WP.

Is this true, because I have like 4 friends that were planning on playing together, but if WP's are required, it may be harder... how much are WP's and how long do they take to buy, when first starting out?