A better graphics engine will make the 3D effects look outstanding. A better interface will help make gameplay more fluid. They have also expanded the idea of player groups, commonly know as Orders, Clans or Guilds. In most existing games, a guild or clan is nothing more than a small group of players that work together. In ShadowBane, a guild is like a political power, that can build a fortress, a market place or an entire city for that matter.
Guilds can ally with other guilds and so on, until what looks like a nation exists.
A lot of Guilds have already formed in preparation of the game's release. The game will require a 3D video card, the lowest one being an ATI Rage PRO, which will still be a little choppy. The ATI Rade 128 should be a better bet though. A good ol' 56k modem should be plenty fast to play online. The game is in closed beta testing right now.