I've been enjoying what little of Pantheon there is to play, which has been a pleasant surprise.
It dawned on me that their messaging/PR has been complete shit since Brad's death. It's their biggest failure. Even after playing the goddamn game, I still can't find enough interest to sit and listen to them drone on about the next 'season' and patch. I don't blame anyone doubting this game. They need to seriously rethink how they engage with the community.
With that out of the way... Comparing what's playable to indie-MMO's like Embers Adrift & Shroud of the Avatar - Pantheon feels more 'finished' than those games. Combat feels better, framerates are solid, loading is quick, questing system, itemization, buffs, etc. The bones of a classic MMO are in, and working well! I can see the potential to just grind out content.
I made it to level 7 as a Dire Lord, which is the most completed tank class apparently. The stamina/resource/ability system is well done. With buffs and topping off my Essence + Readiness, I can take down whites/yellows solo. Combat is engaging and satisfying. I also really like the mastery system, and being able to choose what abilities you want to improve and to what degree. Groups are fairly easy to get, even outside of peak hours. The population seemed higher than I was expecting too. There's a lot of old EQ nerds out there apparently.
My biggest complaint so far has been inventory management and the tradeskill system tedium. I've been farming mats to make bags so I can store more shit in the bank, and the item spam is real. The categories of items are helpful to know what I can safely sell. I'm trying to sell only General items and basic weapon/gear drops, and save anything labeled Regeant or Resource. There's still some work to be done in this area.
It really feels a lot like EQ, even down to NPC's and abilities. The nostalgia hit me in the newbie area. It was pitch black, the rain started, and all I could see in the distance was the glow of a fire beetle. I realized I'm probably going to throw down the big bucks for full-time access, and become one of the Fal'len.