While ROM (Runes of Magic) has some new, innovative features, It doesn't bring anything major to the table.
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Pros:
* Major areas for character customization to take place.
* Mounts at any level, the only thing preventing you is the req's to buy one!
Cons:
* Few major, groundbreaking features
* Professions take ages to level, beyond boring.
* Real world Item shop gives players to much of an edge.
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/TL;DR
Runes of Magic is a F2P (Free to Play) MMORPG developed by Frogster Interactive. Overall, it really is much like all the other MMORPGS out there. What i mean by that is, it's simply quest/level to max then get gear. Its major calling card is its dual class system, where players are able to choose two classes and gain abilities from them (See Guild Wars). However, unlike Guild Wars you are able to completely switch between them at any time, allowing for a bit more freedom. This switchable aspect both works for, and against the overall gameplay. While it does allow you to say "Well... i want to play class X now instead of Y" It does derive a little from the gameplay. It makes you feel like it's not a dual class system... it's more of a "I can play TWO classes on ONE character" system."
Runes of Magic, like many other F2P games has a real world item shop. Allowing you to purchase ingame currency with real world money to buy items in the game. However, this system is also working against the game. The currency you buy, Diamonds, can also be used to purchase items on the auction house. This allows players to buy items (usually very powerful ones) directly from other players. And they can buy more items if they have spent more money IRL (In Real Life) on it. This is a feature few F2P games do, because instead of simply buying interesting items that do not affect gameplay (like MOUNTS or PETS) players can also buy gear. So, players who spend more cash, have a better advantage than ones who don't. The item shop also allows players to buy XP charms and XP potions, to allow players with the cash to level 200% faster in many cases.
The gameplay itself doesn't have anything special to add that other games haven't already done. It has auto-attack. It has piles of quests you must do to level. The quest are the basic, "Kill mob X to get Y reword". Many are poorly written.
Professions in the game are blisteringly painful to level, and with little rewords for it. The sheer reagents needed to level 5 levels is insane (For example, 500 Bitterleaf for 17-20, do realize one plant yields 3-4 each...). The amount needed is nearly 400% more than what you'll get while leveling and picking everything you see. Not only that, if you do reach the max level after nights (And i mean NIGHTS) of farming, all the profession items get surpassed by diamond items that are sold on the AH.
However, ROM does bring a level of creativity few MMORPGS have. It allows you to dye armor, allowing uniqueness among players. But it also allows you to bind one armors/weapons stats to another one. So if you like the appearance of item X, but want Y stats, you can do that! This is a feature that in my opinion, is very good. Players don't like looking like everyone else, and in ROM, you won't.
The game, as of now, isn't a game I'd get excited about. I'd suggest giving it a few more months before checking it out.
-Xaramoth