I think the biggest thing that needs to be stressed here is that the new system needs to be thrown out almost entirely and its replacement should be based on the old system. Almost every change with this new trait system has made the game worse and I’m sure it is scaring off countless new players.
I personally think that the only thing that’s worth keeping is the trait hunts, but ONLY for Grandmaster traits. Requiring that for any more traits is excessive and makes traits a chore. Traits should unlock at level 10 or 15, with trait points being earned every 5 levels, basically equivalent to the old system.
We need a real fix and we need it soon, because I honestly think this change is probably the worst thing that has happened to the game, especially regarding new players.