The severe issue has to do with been there and done that. Sorry but since the innovation of 3D MMos like EverQuest, nothing has really been brought to the table. The only real change is it's easier than ever to play. Warcraft, no matter how you slice it is ment for casuals. The raids in Vannilla WoW was compared and failed in light of EQ. The answer is play EQ. Today EQ to an extent joined WoW's mentality while still trying to be THE game for difficult encounters.

(FF MMO pretty much beats them hands down however.)

What todays MMO needs now that so much has been covered is real time 'button strikes' PvE/PvP mmos. Always before gear has been 'the' object of desire to improve your char. I think we need to get away from that and head to combat/roleplay 'options' Everyone should start off with few manuvers and as you level your 'attack/defence/RP' grow. let each additional skill mean something. Let each class mean something. Let multi class be an option. Kill the 'healer' aspect of it all. Let tanks heal themselves. let it be part of their 'skill' sets. Define chars more by choice of skills and not so much armor. Limit macroes for defence and combat so people can't 'auto' them. Auto timing things would mean the macro does the work and not the player. Something that plagues just about ever decent MMO today.

Course all we change is the carrot being skills and not armor. But then again if you don't know how to use your button mashing skills well you won't progress far. Least then it's more player dependant and not gear. Something I think anyone who desire their efforts to mean something; be it casual or hardcore, can understand and agree with.