I have the lifetime subscription, and I don't find it user unfriendly at all... but I have been checking it out every time they do an update, and I am super well versed in the character creator at this point (in fact most of my time is making new characters).
I only make freeform though. The archetypes just aren't as good to me. There is a fairly decent description of them all though, and you can view the entire power progression. I don't remember if each power displays the stats in creator though. I don't think so. I know what they all do already.
But the costume creator is amazing. It takes a bit of time to get used to the dropdowns, finding which part where, but once you do it's great. Of course, they keep going through random staff changes, so some things are in one spot and other versions of it are in another, which is weird and could be totally frustrating to a new user. I wish they would get around to consolidating all their stuff.
This is the main issue with CO in general. There's bits and pieces of things that are all unfinished, and then new people come on and have new ideas and start new things and never finish them. See Nemesis missions.
