More Horizontal Progression please

[CosmicKirby]

Snip

That fact that more people are becoming or still are nostalgic for old MMO mechanics doesn't really prove anything. Very, very rarely, does anyone that asks for a "return to form" for older MMOs, goes into great detail about it. It's normally a very highlight reel-esque view of the game that doesn't really show why the systems would be fun/rewarding, or have a very dismissive look at the flaws in those systems.
From personal experience, my enjoyment of MMOs has only gone up the longer I've played them in my 15 something years. There's certainly a magic feeling to the MMOs or yore, but looking back on the objective structure and design of their systems, I don't find anything that was substantially better than current options.

Rose-tinted Goggles. Your nostalgia is probably making the old systems seem better than they actually were.