1. no... by all means if yuo want to join a squad, take your time and find one that best suits you. or start your own.
2. usually you default to the neutral side (CT has only 2 sides, axis v allies, with the 3rd being neutral with flight disabled). there is a minimal time limit, 5-15 mins for changing sides, not like the 6 hours in the MA.
3. yeah. hopefully you'll *listen* to the right guys.
the CT is currently under a dearth of appropriate maps - no doubt being worked on by many skilled and dedicated CTers.
the setups change every friday.
porking the neutral side is a big no-no as it can create havoc with the setup tables.
the nbrs in CT are generally much smaller than the MA, although you'll find that the CT can be a mini-MA sometimes. sometimes it can totally rock.
sometimes CT has shorter/different radar and icon settings than MA.
welcome aboard, hope you'll stay with the CT often and have fun.