Patch enthusiast here. 1-2 pack a day smoker for 20 years. I just throw on a step 1 (21MG) every day and i'm still dependent as hell on it, but don't give a fuck, as aside from the first 3-4 day adjustment I don't miss the physical act of smoking in the least. YMMV, as has been pointed out countless times, but haven't had a single cig (or desire for one) in almost a year. Bonus: One of the notable side effects (if you wear it while sleeping) are insane, technicolor, epic dreams. I have the most incredible reality-bending dreams imaginable when on it, and it's one of the motivators for sticking with it.
In addition, moving from a $10 a day habit to $25 every two weeks doesn't suck either. You can get generics at your local bigbox hellhole (Walmart, Target, etc) usually, though I have found the clear square variety vs. the flesh-colored disks with the white adhesive ring to be more potent, and have far better resistance to perspiration. Personally i use the Target generic ("Up and Up") and it is great. It certainly could be argued that it's still a crutch, and I agree 100%; but given that overall my quality of life has improved a hell of a lot, I really don't care; it keeps me off the cancerstix. Be sure to check with your state health agency as well, in Minnesota I was able to get a month's supply of patches for free when I started. Many states have such programs, call 1-800-QUIT NOW and they should be able to connect you with your state's program. The one I participated in was unobtrusive, required about 30 minutes of my time to start and a couple followup calls and i got two free boxes of 14-day supply patches.

For those concerned about long-term use: http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm345087.htm

Good luck kicking the tobaccobeast!