Hearing all the positive things about this game has peaked my interest, but since its F2P i worry that it will be buy to win... can anyone comment on the in-game cash shop? Is it vanity items or great gear that makes it not fair? I believe on the official forums I saw someone was buying a mount with real money..

The cash shop contains vanity items, mounts (which are available in-game as well) as well as in-game currency.  The currency is strangely seen as controversial even though the most revered sandbox mmo (EvE) also sells currency (via Plex).

Probably the biggest "Pay to Win" accusations will be due to the VIP subscription for 9.99 per month.  VIP's will have some in-game advantages 

VIP's get:

        1. Improved Cultivation Conversion

• VIP members will receive a bonus to the amount of experience converted into cultivation. Instead of the standard 70% conversion rate, VIP members will enjoy a 100% conversion rate of experience to cultivation (One point of experience converts into 1000 points of cultivation).
  
  2. Offline Stall Usage and Offline Cultivation
  While all players are able to set up a stall in order to sell their wares, VIP members will be able to continue to man their stall even while offline. In addition, VIPs will be able to continue the cultivation of their abilities offline. 
  
  3. Enlarged Warehouse Capacity
  Doubles the amount of space in your warehouse from 18 to 36 slots.
  
  4. Increased Stall Space
  Increases the amount of slots in your stall from 30 to 60, making it easier to buy and sell goods.
  
  5. Musicians Gain a Musical Attack Skill
  VIP musicians will gain the ability to release a musical attack by playing part of a song in battle.
  
  6. Divination
  VIP members will be able to utilize the Divinator life skill to tell other player’s fortunes and grant beneficial buffs.
  
  7. Access To Unique Cosmetic Outfits
  There are many ways to customize the identity of your character in Age of Wushu including unique outfits and costumes. Some of these cosmetic items available at the item shop can only be purchased by VIPs.
  
  8. Rewards For Random Tasks
  VIP members will enjoy a higher chance of obtaining rare items from the rewards given by Random Tasks.
  
  9. Shorter Queue Times
  VIP members will enter the game through the Green Channel, reducing the amount of time in queue when realms are full.

That doesn't sound tooo bad. I'm pretty tempted to try it out. Thanks for the response!

Originally posted by JayFiveAlive
That doesn't sound tooo bad. I'm pretty tempted to try it out. Thanks for the response!

Yeah, I fully expect to get my arse handed to me by free players even though I'll have the sub LOL!

When you "hear" positive things only...be carefull.very very  carefull.. 

Anyway cashshop atm in beta is disabeled but basicly only have  life quality and vanity items sofar. 

as for the game.. Its buggy, translation sucks in most places and even starting quest have compleet lack of readable english like instead of "go to sister Mei ling" and being click able for the dummies amoung us it say "Go hhtp:longtexthere=ref:mei"ling
 whitout click able auto walk  so youre left pretty mutch clueless if the npc is unknown to you and a bit away.

then theres stupit things like..unable to delete your char for 48 hours AND also not able to make a new one meanwhile.. 

plenty of..odd shit going on and lets not talk about the ugly ass old asian game style GUI , thats a real 2003 one  :P BUT

The gameplay itself (asfar we can try things out) is actualy quite nice, once you learn how things work  you can find yourself spending alot of time doing whatever you like to do and this will only increase once they open up all zones and martial arts skills.

If they start working on the game and a decent translation the game could become a big f2p hit in the western market ..but only if they get of the lazy chair and start doing things right..  atm i cant realy see waht they bin doing all this time ..its defintly not translations..  I do it better and if you got this far in reading you can imagen the quality ingame..  Me know, Me not type right..