Old mmos had adventure and discovery. The current state of the internet doesn't allow for adventure and discovery in an online multi-player game.
With Asheron's Call we had Maggie The Jackcat and the VN boards, and that was it. You couldn't just look up the best path across the obsidian wastes to Ayan Baqur and find a youtube video explaining all of the danger points and farming areas. You had to just do it yourself or communicate with real people in real time to figure things out.
That magic is gone and it's never coming back... and it sucks 😕
I have the impression that being "good" at the game wasn't even a concern back then. I remember a lot of players being completely unbothered about their own character levels and wealth. Players were busy building communities and driven by small and personal achievements. Sometime I wish gaming had remained niche and never reached the masses. The early 00s was such a sweet spot.
Standing in Arwic spamming "plz help get 2 crater" until someone made you a vassal in exchange for running you past monouga cottage to the Bandit castle area portal and escort to and through crater pathway...