I would just like to comment on the closing paragraph, where it's stated "However, this is a hardcore MMO designed first and foremost for devoted players with lots of time to invest - just to get to level 10 will take you a few days, whereas you can hit that level in WoW in a long afternoon. If you're not looking for a game that will take you on the long haul, maybe World of Warcraft would be a better fit."

I disagree with this statement, though it was very accurate at the game's release. Vanguard has gone through a lot of changes and the leveling curve has definitely been reduced. Going to level 10 can take an afternoon if you go with the Isle of Dawn starting area (similar to the "Trial of the Isle" areas found in EverQuest and EverQuest 2), which will also net you some pretty good gear. You can progress in any of the three careers here as well (Adventuring, Crafting, Diplomacy), each with useful rewards.

The performance requirements for the game are steep, especially for what the game is, so I completely agree that it can be annoying to build up a new PC when WoW has such light requirements. I disagree that the classes are "mind bogglingly similar," however. I have found that there is definitely a sense of variety with each profession, especially since each one has it's own special mechanic. For example, you have a melee-healer called a Disciple that uses martial arts style attacks to build "Jin" - a force which is used to perform healing. Other healers may only rely on mana to perform heals, while other hybrid classes might have their own mechanics. Druids, a ranged DPS/utility class, can also heal, but they have to build "Phenomina" to do it (at least at the early levels). "Phenomina" recovers over time, building faster the higher level you are.

Finally, making parties. Since the creation of the 14-day trial you are starting to see more and more people in the game. Also, SOE has begun distribution through Steam. Vanguard is currently available for $14.99 USD through Jan. 26. In the newbie areas you are finally starting to see quite a few other players and this has carried over to the areas just outside.

All in all, I don't think anyone will dispute that Vanguard had a rocky start with some very significant flaws, but they seem to be recovering, however slowly, very well. For new players, I strongly urge you to go through Steam to try the game out. You pay no more than the first month's subscription to have a full copy of the game, but if you are hesitant to pay for something with such a bad start there is always the free trial to put your fears at ease.