Server down

Just downloaded this after maybe 15 or more years. Is the free server down for maintenance or is it not ready yet?

The free server will be launched June 1st

Is there a way to get into the other server without account recovery? Can I just pay?

You can get into the legacy server by subscribing and upgrading your game account to a noble citizen. You can do this for existing accounts and also for new accounts which you can create via the accounts page

Read here for more info:
https://realmserver.com/game_information/account_types
https://realmserver.com/game_information/getting_started