(Biased) Progression Guide

.1 - Cannon Progression
.2 - Towny Progression 
.3 - PvP Progression
0 - If you can get a carry by joining a good clan early you'll probably skip early game
1 - go to dungeons to get vanilla gear from chests around the entrance
2 - go to Skirmish and do very easy/ easy camps for Steel gear
3 - do medium camps
4 - buy Enchanted Golden Apples/ farm them
5 - do hard and very hard camps
6 - farm tower 4's warden or tower 5's iron golem if you're a pussy
7 - Either:
.1 save up for a carnage Sting and a Linked Mithril set (BMG - PVE) to do lvl 1 Skirmish if you have friends
.2 invest in an efficiency 8 delver and xray for diamond ore at deepslate level
.3 buy PvP gear (BMG - PVP) kill someone for their gear
8 - Get a good pvp set and try to join a clan, start making a name for yourself, your reputation matters a lot here.
9 - Earn money and rep with your clan and do skirmishes together and climb the progression ladder slowly and painfully
10 - die in wild
11 - q̶u̶i̶t̶ repeat
TIPS: Buy stuff from players, ask players for help, don't trust anyone, get good, get rich