I know we've talked about this a bit in the past, but the official launch of City of Heroes is but a week away.
I've been in the beta test via a pre-order for a little under a month now and am very happy. The game differs from a lot of other MMORPGs in that the "grind" isn't as bad and the game is better suited to casual players. (I've beta'd/played Everquest, AC, SW Galaxies, WWII Online, and DAoC.)
First, there is no crafting at all. Thank God! Also, no looting or PvP. Thus, you take out bad guys and automatically receive Enhancements or Inspirations. Defeating villains also nets you Influence, the currency of CoH. That's it.
There are five origins that really have no bearing on your character, except for style. Five archetypes that dictate the power trees you'll have access to: Tanker, Scrapper, Defender, Controller, and Blaster. Each archetype selects a Primary and Secondary power tree out of five (each) to choose from. There's very little overlap. As you level additional powers and Enhancement slots open up.
Death past fifth has a small measurable effect as you take an XP debit that you have to pay off. It isn't that bad. You can never lose a level.
Teaming up with friends or total strangers is cake and very exciting. There are special team channels and team abilities, too. Also low-level friends can group with high-level friends by using the Sidekick feature -- the lower sidekick gets a sizable boost in ability to hang with his/her mentor.
Overall, CoH is a great game. I've had fun in the beta and will be playing for a bit. Sometimes the level grind gets to you, but I prefer CoH's style (and lack of PvP) over all other MMORPGs. Two thumbs way up!
(At this time the "live" servers are still being finalized so no word on what server you'll find me on.)