It is a tough call, but I opted for #2. I can sense the need for #1, but we need to find what works best for us as a whole - not pick one NOW.

It may very well be that Vanguard/PVP IS this game, but if people do not have the hardware/net connection to run it - then they will feel left out. So some research into this would be helpful before a call to arms is made. Keep in mind, what many people PREFER (90+ fps) is far beyond "usable". But folks who are running a 1.8Ghz machine with 256 MB of RAM and a graphics card that is more than 2 years old. . . *ahem* really need a reality check. If you want to be involved with the guild - you will need a machine that can play more than the "forums". If you have purchased a machine in the last 6 months or so – that should be a "baseline" for a current machine. It may be that you would need to purchase some additional RAM, but not necessarily would you be out of spec for a modern game.

I personally feel the need to unite under a game, hopefully SOON. Perhaps having an open faction to feel the waters is a good idea. To be honest I have not been holding my breath for Darkfall, if I had my face would be changing colors by now.

Like Elph, Owain, 5050, and others I have limited playtime so I want to get the most bang for my buck. I spent weeks grinding up in WOW to apply for the KGB just to have interest peak/fall about the same time. A similar thing happened in the UO-hybrid and now Eve Online. I want to be part of a dedicated group, not playing a Massively Solo Online Game! Spending weeks grinding up to get perma-death-killed because I am running around solo (due to non-participation) does not appeal to me either. Not a big fan of perma-death anyway, because I don’t have hours on end to play/grind my way up again.

So I am continuing to play Eve actively, and may join in the Vanguard trials. A lot depends on what I hear from the folks who are playing Vanguard actively. From what I have heard Vanguard is "utterly-grindtastic" along the lines of the Korean Massively Online Grindfests (Lineage 2/etc). I enjoy Eve because I don’t have to beat on 1000 pigs with a sword to gain in swordsmanship! Nor do I have to kill the Baron 20+ times (ad nauseam) to get him to drop his pants (the gear that I need). In Eve I level over time, whether I am actively playing – or not.

Taxman

"Any group is weaker than a man alone unless they are perfectly trained to work together."
- Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers