Turbine's Toby Ragiani, the game's lead designer, notes that this is good. Certainly, the world looks big. There are mountains, swamps, lakes, forests, dungeons, deserts, and glaciers to explore, which should offer enough variety for most adventurers. What makes this game history interesting is its originality. The creatures are carefully modeled in 3D, and appear very distinctive.
Giants are big, the water buffalo look like cattle, and the wretched undead look appropriately evil.
Of course, every online RPG promises such interaction, but few actually deliver on it. Ultimately, what you get is a pyramid of power, with high-level characters at the top of the heap and lower lever players at the base. The benefits of having followers swear allegiance to you is increased power and abilities. The benefits of swearing allegiance, in turn, depend in part on how much the more powerful character really wants your services. Turbine's crew expects gamers to offer potential recruits incentives, like money, magic items, and weapons.