Sorry, I realize that some of impressions I want to post here are off-topic. But I beleive they are of good value for AO playing community and will help the people avoid a lot of confusion, reading just the press releases about how great the other MMORG games are.
Got AC2 account (not eliminating my AO one) and played for about a week.
What I beleive is right there:
1) It is a finished product not the beta like AO early days. No crashes, no performance issues, no major bugs that I have noticed
2) extremely fast response from support team. Beleive it or not - they ban people for using bad words in chat and exclamations (at first for 15 minutes, later for 45 etc.) - it is very easy for GMs to view the logs of what everyone ever said or did
3) unique monster respawn is extremly fast - i.e. no camping
4) uber items are done by crafters only; by definition every trade skill item is better than the loot of equivalent level
5) did not try PvP but assume t should be better balanaced than AO
What I hate there:
1) Guys, playing there is like switching from high school to kindergarden. You get to lvl 10 in 2 hours of play solo (max level is 50). In two works some chars ar over lvl 40. It is very close to UO where you can be 6GM in 2 weeks. I really doubt they will have high level content big enough to keep players around
2) AC2 is for 8 year old people brains. It is damn easy. No twinking possible. Just find good materials, recycle them and make great weapons - that's it. No NPCs, no shops. Money comes by "melting" the loot you get from monsters (you do it yourself in your inventory)
No requirements to wear items - just your level
You can spend money money only on weapon crafting - or buying crafted items from other players.
So the town in AO is basically a bank, apartments (not really working but still), mission terminals, save terminals, and shops for crafting implants and sell/buy activities + nightclubs of course
Town in AC2 is basically a forge where people craft items and trade... boring....
3) AO is much superior in graphics - maybe my opinion but I strongly beleive it; 10 times bigger world, better designed cities, weather change, looks much nicer
4) It takes a lot of brains in AO to design a character. You may be brain-dead and still make a very playable character in AC2 - just beleive it; AO has 100 times more options in character development/tuning
5) AO has 100 times more items, spells, toys etc.
6) I did not yet saw any need in team tactics in AC2. Monsters are quite easy for solo and no tactics is required for team play - just basic pull - that is it. No need for root/mezz adds/taunts etc.
Again - I am just starting - maybe it will be required at lvl 35-50
My conclusion - if you are grown up, if you like that character development requires a lot of analisys and planning, if you are ready that success is acheived through lots of personal relationship skills (to overcome camping, griefing etc.) - play AO - it is much more rewarding
If you like a small nice not too complicated and still quite beautiful game where balance is grate but acheived through level requirements only and simplification of character development process - play AC2 - you will be happy, 100% supported and will not need your brains there.
Again - all the above is pure personal opinion after 13 months in AO and 1 week in AC2
Sorry for off-topic