True, GW doesn't have monthly fee so if i find it for cheap, definetly picking it up. But otherwise...?
Building a character? Bah. Gear? Bah. Neither does really motivate me. WoW was a gear grind, but i don't like giving gear more or less freely to anyone. I like exploring things, fighting cool battles (generally that means dungeon bosses) and being rewarded with something that feels unique. Or is a novelty. As long as it ain't something everyone holds and must not look like something some other may have (WOTLK has like 3 models per item... no matter rarity. Everyone's a clone).
Gear works a little differently in Guild Wars than in other games. It's not a grind, but it's not quite free, either. Anybody can go visit an NPC and trade some monster parts or common crafting materials for a weapon with whatever base stats they want, but it's not going to be pretty. If you want something fancy, you're going to have to go out and find it. Armor is always gotten from an NPC and has the same base stats, but as with weapons, there are many options and you get what you pay for. There are also a number of especially rare items such as minipets, festival hats, and other assorted things.
If you like exploring, the first chapter's map has lots of out-of-the-way places that people miss if they just stick to the story. Some of those places have interesting things, and the scenery in general is gorgeous. I should know; I'm a Grandmaster Tyrian Cartographer.
As for interesting battles, there are dungeons in the expansion and "elite" areas in the main chapters that each offer their own unique challenges. Each one usually has a really powerful boss at the end, along with a reward chest that might contain rare materials, weapons, and other items. Most of the stuff you find in these areas can't be gotten anywhere else.
There must be somesort progression, i don't like hitting a cap really. I pretty much quit WoW when i hit lvl 80 (doing same instance again and again to get gear for raids is no-no, came back later and started another DK, quit again due exams) Oh and roleplaying. MMO-RPG!!! Skill/feat/talent/perk/leveling/whatever system alone doesn't make a RPG. Story, interactivity, socializing with others, those are darn important.
Progression is not measured in level, but in the quantity of skills and shininess of gear. Having more skills means you can make more builds and do more stuff with your character. Having shinier gear doesn't actually make you better, but it does make you look cool.
Roleplaying and socialization is hampered a bit by the instancing, but the game has a good story. (Except Factions; that one was kinda bad.) Interaction with other players is mainly a matter of who you end up with.
PVP doesn't interest me really. Not unless it is meaningful, like capturing other players castles. (Preferrably on grand scale.) Fighting for "honor" or "badges" or more gear or just fighting for sake of fighting (get enough if that in Halo), none of these is meaningful or interesting.
Most PvP is arena- or tournament-style. There are the Alliance Battles as mentioned before, which determine who owns some of the towns in factions. Players allied with one faction can't access NPC services in the other faction's towns. It's an annoyance, really, but the battles themselves are fun.
Honestly, you should just try the game out first to see if you like it. I have a few trial codes lying around if you want one, or you can just get one from the website. I'd be happy to show you around in-game as well.
