This (you need an account to see links) has a lot of good info for getting started!
I think the main point is that its a avatar creation/pet collection game with a lot of RPG elements. You go from town to town and complete the quests to progress in the game. In the towns you are given tasks like unlocking pets, increasing your stats, creating items etc that help you progress your character as well as get closer to unlocking more towns! It is certainly a click fest and it does get tired fast. A lot of people there enjoy creating accessories for their pets or selling their artwork. Its a little stagnant right now as everyone is more or less waiting for more of the main story line/quest content to be added.
On the profiles you have 'achievements' which give you something else to work towards. You get those for participating in site events, amount of forum posts, items alchemize etc. Little rewards for the more that you complete. In the towns you gain affection with towns folks the more you do for them, and you will hit milestones that unlock more quests and special items/rarer pets so that gives people some drive to keep interacting and working towards more long term goals. Its a very grindy style of gameplay.
Adding a goal: I think its to collect everything? Max out all NPC affections, fill up the (you need an account to see links), collect all the clothing items, achievements, and unlock recipes etc etc. Its just one big old effort to collect the things.