As far as Rings Vs. Weapons, I'm siding with Rings. Why? Simple, the Rings provide people who've been around for ages with a new way to customize their avatars/ characters while letting them keep the looks they want. It also provides newbies with a chance to jump right into what is looking to be a great, enjoyable expansion to Gaia. The downfalls of both have been stated many times, with Rings it may seem like buying that Katana or Scythe was a waste of Gold, but that also has it's cons. Becasue the Weapons were only availible through donation, there are only a certain amount in circculation and the prices on those being sold would sky-rocket if that was the only way to effectivly play the Battle System.
And of course I'll be playing the Battle System, you won't be able to get me away from a computer when they come up, why would I be browsing these forums if I wasn't interested in it in the slightest?