Varsovian:
Okay, so my question is: what do PF players expect from a PF game? A lot of combat encounters? Or more of a story-focused game?
Also, is it acceptable and / or a good idea to start the game with character of level higher than 1? I look at the bestiaries and I keep thinking that level 1 characters can't do much aside from killing rats and goblins?
d20 systems/games in general tend to come down more on the "combat" side of the scale, perhaps as an evolution from their very combat-focused ancestry, but they don't
require combat-heavy adventures. That said, if someone creates a Fighter whose primary role is, well, fighting, and who has little to mechanically contribute to the more "social" aspects of an adventure, that player is probably going to get bored if they don't get to hit something once in a while.
As far as the low-level stuff, you might be surprised. The first couple of levels in the Kingmaker adventure path, for example (and just off the top of my head) involve fights with other "civilized humanoids", kobolds, mites, wolves and other hostile canine-derivatives, a corrupted bear, giant frogs, giant centipedes, giant spiders (lots of giant creepy-crawlies), and undead. Other humans/elves/dwarves/etc. are pretty flexible opponents, since you can make them more or less whatever challenge level you want. Want an encounter for Level 1 characters? Make some Level 1 / trash-mob humanoid NPCs. Want an encounter for Level 20 characters? Make some high-level, elite humanoid NPCs. Boom, challenge!