I found it to be anything but a blank slate in features.
Character creation customization: Other than hair style, face, and height, everything else you customize here is gone within 15 minutes of making the character as its replaced with game items.
Graphics: The game graphics have changed several times from beta to now. Personally the latest graphics change lowered the quality IMO.
Tradeskills were supposed to be revamped before release, instead they got pushed back to a later "Operation". Combat: About a month before beta ended combat was really, really fun. Why? You were encouraged to keep fighting with a multiplier that increased exp by 6x (600%). Monsters were easy one on one, but you could quickly get overwelmed. Exp was changed to 250% multiplier, monsters were made harder, at the same time most weapons/armor were nerfed. Logos abilities used to actually actually useful in combat. Now they are just another key press to get the same damage as you get with a click of a gun. Overall characters are now just like any other MMO, finding a monster, kill it, find another repeat. You rarely want to engage a larger group as you will die. All these changed did was encourage WOW playstyle, get quest, complete, repeat, avoid extra combat at all cost as it just slows you down. Grouping is more of a pain that it should be. The chat interface is HORRID! VOIP support is ok. This game is a huge let down from what fans were promised. Sad.