Am I still allowed to make threads about individual games? I hope so.

So Guild Wars 2 drops about a week from now. I preordered. I'll admit though, that I'm operating almost entirely on borrowed excitement. OG seemed to really enjoy the first one, and Timbuk and Minx and some others seemed really excited about the new one - I remember Minx talking excitedly about GW2 years ago. So...why's this so awesome? Is one of you still planning on starting a guild or whatever? Can I join? I'll be a good minion, I promise! (also: how do I join?)

How does this game differ from normal MMOs, other than the lack of monthly fees?