Those are all valid gripes, some of them are just a matter of preference though. I actually enjoy the combat - it has its flaws but WoW feels a bit too mechanical for me. In AoC it's much more visceral. Sloppy at times but overall a lot of fun.

As for the zones, I have to agree on that one. My biggest complaint is that I wish the world had the same kind of continuity as WoW or LOTRO. But the game is pretty demanding technically so I can understand the need for distinct zones.

In my experience grouping hasn't been a problem - if I had to give you just one piece of advice, JOIN A GUILD. Last night I quested with a couple of guild mates in the Eiglophian Mountains and it was the most fun I've had online in months. And 99% of the time if I see a guy questing in the same area as me and it's a relatively difficult spot, they will gladly accept a group invite. The other factor is going to be what server you're playing on. Some just don't have as many people. I'm on Ironspine which is a relatively new server - so a lot of people are still leveling their main characters and aren't trying to rush through everything solo.

The gear is improving slowly. I think Funcom is aware of the complaints about boring gear or a lack of variety in appearance. But I have seen some really cool looking characters lately, and don't forget there's an expansion coming that's rumored to be Asian themed - so that should add some gear with an interesting new style compared to what's currently in the game.

Crafting is definitely in the game. I can't remember if you start gathering at level 30 or 40, but it seems like everyone in my guild does a lot of crafting.

Yikes, I didn't mean to end up writing a wall of text. Like I said though - my biggest piece of advice is to find a friendly guild and chances are they will help you out with whatever you need.