First, @Kontrapunkt:  Kingdom Hearts was not an MMORPG.  MMO means "massively multiplayer online".  Kingdom Hearts was single-player action RPG.  Just giving ya the heads-up on that.  = D

Second, I've been playing WoW since right after it came out, and I played a ton of Guild Wars before that...as well as dabbled in DAoC before THAT.  So far, Warhammer exceeds every expectation I had for it...and those expectations, over the course of time, were not very good.  Every gameplay video I saw had a dood standing there, being boring...and that's what I thought I was going to see:  boredom.  Then, right before this came out, I checked out Battle March (I know, RTS, but it's Warhammer still)...and it WAS utterly boring.  Therefore, I really wasn't confident in WAR being worthwhile.

At Rank 3 on my Marauder, I realized that I was going to quit WoW and throw away three years of work on two level 70 toons for WAR.

They just did everything very well.  I can see where you are saying, Jeff, about there being no hand-holding...and I LIKE that.  It means you have to SEARCH and EXPLORE for stuff.  That's the point, ya know.  I don't want another WoW hand-holding session.  I want to learn shit on my own.  Maybe that's just me.  As far as the trade-skills...yeah, I'm COMPLETELY lost on that shit.  There could've been something for it, but there probably is something in the Tome or the Help section or something.  I'm just not that interested in all of it right now.  I also went salvaging/talisman-crafting, mostly I think because I neglected my jewelcrafting skills on my mage in WoW.  lol

In short, WAR is a solid MMO with a very solid launch.  WoW killer?  Eh.  WoW contender?  Definitely.