So, for the last week I've been playing AoC since a couple friends (met through DDO!) decided to give it a look-see whilst we wait for, you know, something new to do in DDO.

It ain't DDO, it ain't even close to DDO, but it does have a few things that really should be noted.

1) The bank, mailbox and auction house are all accessed via one dialog box with tabs. Your bank IS your AH, you right-click an item and pick "sell" from the drop-down, then price it with a subsequent pop-up. Its background turns blue in your bank and it becomes immovable. Once sold it disappears and a mail appears in your inbox with the proceeds. This is so simple yet elegant it should be the model for any and all future MMORPG's. Is it a bit out-of-context? Yes, but it's so much better of a customer experience that it's worth it!

2) There is a definite nod to soloable content even though it's a multiplayer game. If you have only a few minutes, you can DO something and have it be more meaningful than ganking a few hapless kobolds/hobgoblins/ogres/whatever to rack up Slayer count. What makes this even better is that the game remembers your progress even if you get d/c'ed or waggro AFK's you. Sure, when you come back if it was a public instance all the baddies will have reset (or more could be dead than were before) but in general you can pick up where you left off. Great for those who can't actually have undisturbed game time due to Real Life being a Real Inconvenience at times.

3) Gear is visible on the character. Not just armor, shield and (held) weapon, everything. In AoC the variety of the gear's appearance is a bit limited, true, but at least you can SEE it all. Oh, and the armor LOOKS like armor, not patchwork bits of cast-off junk that got flayed from former adventurers. Seriously, even the level 16 DDO armors frequently look like they came from half a dozen different sets originally and have been assembled with bailing wire, bubble gum and hopeful wishes they'll stay together through the next combat.

4) Global chat. Seriously, I learned more about that game by watching the global channel than I did by perusing the tutorial/help system text, and the manual's next to useless when it comes to actual details. Need a question answered, there are hundreds of people who can see the question rather than just the people in your party (and if you have one, guild) and if it's a quest issue you don't have to exit the quest to get help from a well-populated area like the marketplace. You can just find a relatively safe corner, type it out and get an answer. (or, more likely, 5 answers that don't play well with each other...but wisdom of crowds usually gets you the correct one soon enough)

Don't get me wrong, they seriously bungled a few things (no voice chat? Want Tasty Fudge...) and there's still some polish needed in a few places...but the best bits are worthy of note.