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Heh, if you've managed to formulate an opinion of me after 300-odd posts spread over a few years, then I'd be impressed, so no offence taken! 
I wasn't being pithy either. The best way to decide is to give the game a go. I can wax lyrical about the exploration aspects, the stunning scenery, the wealth of character customisation you can achieve and the way they've implemented the questing and the great crafting but there are very real issues that some can't get over or forgive.
It would be disingenuous to comment on the combat and its lack of weight until the next beta when the changes should be in; a fairer comment can be made then. It is slower to start and the whole experience is slower than most of the other MMOs on the market and that puts some off (it's actually a pro for me, not a con but I'm trying to be impartial). Some of the animation is incredibly stilted and it can really take you out of the game and the whole experience is quite solo-centric until you get to level 10 and PvP opens, or 12ish for the first instanced dungeon to open if you're not a PvP minded person.
The limited starter isles, again, will be sorted in the next beta with the ability to skip them.
It is different to other MMOs on the market. It's not the saviour of gaming, nor is it a WoW challenger. If you like WoW, chances are you'll probably dislike this as it doesn't have the frenetic pace of WoW, nor the almost Motherly hand holding that it gives you. Of the MMOs I've played it has more of an EQ2/Vanguard/TSW feel to it where the onus is more on the player to go out and explore, discover quests, craft ect. than the game railroading you toward a particular objective.
Just my tuppence.
I wasn't being pithy either. The best way to decide is to give the game a go. I can wax lyrical about the exploration aspects, the stunning scenery, the wealth of character customisation you can achieve and the way they've implemented the questing and the great crafting but there are very real issues that some can't get over or forgive.
It would be disingenuous to comment on the combat and its lack of weight until the next beta when the changes should be in; a fairer comment can be made then. It is slower to start and the whole experience is slower than most of the other MMOs on the market and that puts some off (it's actually a pro for me, not a con but I'm trying to be impartial). Some of the animation is incredibly stilted and it can really take you out of the game and the whole experience is quite solo-centric until you get to level 10 and PvP opens, or 12ish for the first instanced dungeon to open if you're not a PvP minded person.
The limited starter isles, again, will be sorted in the next beta with the ability to skip them.
It is different to other MMOs on the market. It's not the saviour of gaming, nor is it a WoW challenger. If you like WoW, chances are you'll probably dislike this as it doesn't have the frenetic pace of WoW, nor the almost Motherly hand holding that it gives you. Of the MMOs I've played it has more of an EQ2/Vanguard/TSW feel to it where the onus is more on the player to go out and explore, discover quests, craft ect. than the game railroading you toward a particular objective.
Just my tuppence.
