Most of the people posting here are those still in. I'm gunna give a different perspective; as someone who isnt playing anymore.
The reasons I played EQ:
1) Interacting with people was so much fun. I played a little WoW and you can get to max lvl without ever talking or interacting with ANYONE. MMO? Only if you and the people around you want it to be.
2) The sense of power. You could literally feel your character getting stronger. And with the expansions, being able to solo old raid content was great. Just think, I killed this guy once with 32 friends and now I can kill him alone.
3) Raiding. Nothing quite like it.
Honestly, coming back to these boards makes me miss EQ immensely but I cant give the time needed to really have fun (ie raiding) that I miss more than anything.
"Sometimes you have to face your demons, sometimes the demon is you." - Yesak Demunstorm