Varina,
I like your post because you point out some of the flaws with this game. I've never played 1.0, but I heard about some of the things that were accomplished and some of the stuff they removed. I feel like this game is getting stale. I like this game, don't get me wrong, but I look at how it is now, after 2 yrs, and I feel like progress is going to slow. I've never played WoW, last mmo I played was FFXI. If that game was to get a graphical update to today's standards, I would play that more.
I play MMO's for the experience of being in a world, interacting with others, going on adventure, learning new and exciting things. This game's world doesn't pull me in. It did, for a few months, but like you said, things are missing. The danger aspect is non existent in this game. In FFXI, I remember stepping out of my starting city and traveling to where the orc camp zone was. Having that orc chase me all the way back while hitting me, me praying i could zone before I die or someone would come along to save me, only to die right before I zoned.
And since we are on the subject of death, why even have me die in this game? There is no consequence for death. In FFXI, you would lose exp, even de-level. Just hit level 10? Just got whole new lvl 10 equipment...exit city, fight mob, die, de-level. Now can't use any lvl 10 gear. That was fun. Made me plan. Made me execute. These people complaining about players not knowing how to play their jobs, if you lost exp everytime you died, it would force you to learn to play. Got a new skill, trying to test skill out in rotation? Go get in a fight. You figured out fast if you were using it properly or needed to adjust rotation. If they just brought that back, it would increase the fun of this game 10-fold.
I think the way this game looks is cool, but the world is bleak. Mobs are boring, AI is non-existent. Fights are all Choreographed. And interaction between players is not even needed. If not for dungeons and endgame raids, this game would be a single player. i mean i can't even attack a mob that you already started attacking. WTF?
SE making me so mad cause I know they can put out way more than they have been with this game. I mean I look at ESO. That game feels like an MMO. World is beautiful and dangerous, interaction with others can happen at anytime with or without being in the same "party". Exploration is way more important than in this game. Enemy AI is great. Customization of different play styles is encouraged. My archer will play, wear different gear, can have different abilites than you archer of the same race and class. Its up to me, the player, how im gonna proceed with building my character, not a mold. I am starting to feel like Im playing a rail MMO...I didn't think that was possible..but here we are.