The 90's were the era of the simulator, and EQ definitely tried to be something of a world simulator. The "You're in OUR world now!" tagline says as much. It wasn't perfect by any means, limited at times by poor decisions and other times by technology, but at least it tried.
A lot of the newer online role-playing games seem to have too little world and too much role-playing game in them. I don't much care for character progression tied to pre-set (and invariably badly written)"lore" or "story." I want to create my own story in a setting that'll go on with or without me, not log into a glorified Choose Your Own Adventure book where everyone I pass is a variant of the same great hero who saved the world from the same existential threats. Gaming-on-rails, indeed. No thanks.
At least we have the lifeboat that is P1999. In some other genres I liked, there's not even that--just memory.
Danth
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