Role Player and original EQ lover seeks advice

rockworm

I am back playing EQ again.

Why?  Vanguard didn't work out due to money issues and direction changes and I just can't stand WoW.

I am seeking:

• an MMORPG where the RPG actually stands for what it stands for.  Role Playing Game.  I'd like to see at least 10% of the people in character from time to time and be able to ignore the others that seem to need to insult role players that dare to role play in an PRG (oddly, a Role playing game!)
• I like the way the old EQ had a realistic feeling to travel.  The world seemed large because travel took forever.  This created unique local cultures and economy.  The PoK pretty much turned EQ into a coin op/select zone game
• I liked the long path to levelling.  It gave opportunity to enjoy much more detail in the content as you levelled through it.  I liked the hell levels.
• Ecoomony.  I want an economy where the makers of the game don't intend to invalidate all previous content with expansions.  EQ's defiant armor makes all zones under 50 useless except for XP.  There's no reason to do that.  Make the drops that get people ready for the next expansion drop only in the zones right before the new levels.
• Graphics.  I want to see my character.  If not, I'd be playing a MUD and I'd be all set.  Even the original EQ graphics are ok with me.  I loved Vanguard's graphics as well.  I do not care for the cartoonish style of WoW.  I don't want to think of my characters as "toons".  I want to role play them and think of them as real.

Basically, I want a game where the creators and maintainers want to maintain "world integrity" when they add/change/tweak things.  I think EQ did that through Velious.  Then the "monty haul" stuff started happeing with Luclin.

Is there a game out there now, or in the future?  Vanguard was my hopes and prayers, but alas, no good.