What would it take for a new mmo to recapture the feeling of eq?

[Lopretni]

this is just my perspective as someone who has dicked around in a lot of MMOs but usually don't poopsock to exhaust every ounce of content the minute it comes out

making the entire game a challenge from 1 to max level. MMOs nowadays have two issues with this leveling vs max level problem. firstly they tend to put forth all their resources and effort into developing endgame content, especially as far as expansions go, so unless you already have rushed to max level the game is usually really fucking boring. which is the other problem, early level stuff is always so fucking easy and mind numbingly dull. yet they still want to make you feel like you've accomplished something, so it's grossly padded out to take forever.

EQ corrects this by having challenging dungeons that you can begin adventuring in fairly early on once you've gotten your feet wet and your class has its basic kit. the game is challenging but rewarding from level 1 until you're taking on dragons (if you're in the "right" guilds anyway but that's another topic)

drop the Diablo loot system. EQ has neat items because it's just 2 categories - mundane items, and magic items. it's not just a race to get your purple epix and because items aren't restricted as hard as WoW you'll find a single item has a lot of value not only for many classes but also across a much greater lifespan than WoW where you're chucking items in and out of your inventory every few levels.

stop with bloated stats. there is not a single fucking reason players should be able to reach a million health, that's fucking retarded. keep the ceiling low and this plays back into items having more value over time.

stop automating everything. the whole fucking point of joining an MMO, an online game, is to INTERACT WITH OTHER PLAYERS. when MMOs automate and instance everything it completely removes the social aspect which creates stories. EQ was so cool because veterans have crazy stories. just like D&D in that regard, for non-players it's just fun to sit around and listen to the crazy shit people encounter. not so much when everything is automated, pre-scripted and completely boxed in the way it is in every MMO now.