ok, here are my impressions...
graphicwhore - c- really on a technical level these graphics are bad.. low poly, edges every where, low texture detail.. I mean I am early into the game but it's like I've warped back to 2000 on my PC.. and before you ask, yes I cranked everything up max in my settings (which runs fine on a 9600 Pro) however...
art - a+ really, the art direction in the game counters a lot of the bad technical aspects.. low detail textures, but they almost have a watercolor-like appearance.. low detail models but they are designed and animated beautifully. I would give graphics overall a b+.. they could be a+++ if they gave the models some more polys..
no zoning - yes I know they weren't the first to do it, but I've never played an MMORPG without zoning before.. man it changes the game.. makes you feel more like you are in a world and less like a game. a++
modifiable ui - very slick.. again I know blizzard wasn't the first to do it, but it is awesome.. downloaded gypsymod.. almost like a whole new game.
questing - previous to this, COH weas the best questing system I partook in.. I also still think COH's badge and souvenier system is better from what I've seen so far.. but actually giving out the quests and quest objectives goes to WoW hands down. it pulls you into the game like a single player RPG would
ok, that's the thing I loved.. now the things that are meh (really haven't come across anything I don't like yet).
another middle ages mmorpg.. I'm sorry, but as much personality as this game has I have a hard time getting past that I am either a wizard, fighter, thief, etc. again. and that I am fighting real animals and moving my way up to mythical monsters. again. like I said, the game has personality to separate it from the crowd, slightly, but at the end it is more D&D.
combat - kind of goes hand in hand with the above.. while it is perfectly functional, it is the same type of combat system. again. click on your auto attack and pop off the others as they come up. and everything comes back up at the same time. I really like what cOH did with combat. it was realtime, fast, and never boring.. this is the same ol same ol.
classes/professions - again, I'm not very far into the game, but is all you really can get are 2 main professions and a pick from 1 of eight classes? Maybe I am spoiled from the original EQ, or the seemingly limitless UO, or the dozens of combinations in COH, but it just seems very shallow... my buddy was instructing me during the gamr and I said "That's it?!?!?" His response? "Yeah, oh well, what're ya gonna do?"
well, that's it so far.. played for about 4 hours.. got level six and am nowhere near my starting point (Valley of Trials). the game is fun, and it will have me for a few months, but really, a cross between not standing out and my absolute casual nature towards MMOs and I don't know how long it will keep me beyond that.
Can't wait to plunge back into the game!
