What caused the decline of EQ as the #1 MMO?

[Daywolf]

SOE

[Humwawa]

I think if you look at Planes of Power as the ending chapter of EQ, the expansion makes a little more sense, even if the ending itself is a tad confusing (I still have no idea what the hell Quarm is).

You get to PoP, and you have full access to the world. You've earned it after your many years of gaming. You progress through the Planes, which are the manifestations of concepts and natural forces; the paragon realms of all you've fought before.

You face the gods - not their shadows. You destroy them. You break the makers of the world, and for what? To destroy some divine construct fed by the power of avaricious deities who confines a mad god (I think?).

TL;DR? You killed the god damned gods. Really killed em. The End. Credits roll.