It's definitely more fantasy based than AoC; but some of the areas rival AoC for design and story ~ the Norn and Human zones, alone, are on par. Basing a decision on a game after character creation really doesn't make you a reliable source to speak about it. There are days I do get burned out on it ~ but the content (like the April event) just proves that even the little things matter. Even if you're not a fan of the zone ~ A'Net isn't just talking the talk ~ they're walking the walk
Still standing by my affinity for AOC spelled out early on ~
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