Man some of the last posts in this thread just scream "I have never played a full loot mmo".
Darkfall is a niche style of MMO. Many are glad to fork over money for it because there are hardly any out there like it.
It caters to a different type of gamer that enjoys risk over a company just trying making everybody happy.
I guess what I am trying to say is:
GB2 WOW you carebear!
I just feel sorry for those that would most likely enjoy this game and are not playing nowish. This is the golden age of the game. Launch is where you will have the most fun. Starting with a new character later on will be harder later on seeing that everyone is pretty much equal right now.