Luclin

[Zuranthium]

That's a huge thing modern MMO's are getting wrong with their design - overly pristine/crisp visuals. The sense of foreboding and/or character created by so much of the classic Everquest World has been completely unmatched for 12 years. You need more deep shadows, more rough edges, and more ambiguity to truly engage a person's imagination. Until we get technology that fully places our entire senses and personage within an alternate World, ala Inception, then games are always going to need to follow a lot of the same visual principles as painting/photography/film. There's a huge difference between the typical car commercial and art. Right now, MMO's are aiming for car commercial.