I want to like AION really I do.  I looked forward to it, even attended the launch party in Seattle.  But like every other Asian title mmo I have played it has been a letdown.  Spammers and bots run rampant.  The grind is still there (like every other Asian MMO).  Yes there are more quests, but not enough.  Coming from LOTRO I was amazed at the lack of customer service (although every Asian MMO I have ever played has had poor to very poor customer service).  When I filed a ticket for a GM in LOTRO I got a repsonse in 20 minutes....usually less.  In AION you will be lucky to EVER hear from a GM. 

Asian games I have played include Maple Story, Fiesta, and Perfect Wrold.  They weren't even close to the American games I have played such as LOTRO, Guild Wars, and WoW.  Arena Net (Guild Wars) is owned by NCSoft but still American made and ran. 

I am looking forward to SWToR, STO, and GW2  (and whatever secret project Turbine is working on...I may not like everything Turbine does, but at least they communicate with their player base).  I will still play AION for now and hope for better things down the road.