I think where we continue to disagree is that you're viewing universal recall primarily through the lens of how it could be "optimized", while I'm viewing it through the lens of what problem it's trying to solve.
The question isn't whether the optimization exists. It's whether the resulting gameplay is better. For example, you mention wanting deeper dungeon expeditions to feel like a commitment. I actually agree with that. The problem is that commitment only feels meaningful if the content itself justifies it. This is something I've been saying for months regarding these "EQ-inspired" projects. Developers keep focusing on preserving the commitment while often overlooking whether the underlying gameplay is compelling enough to support it.
To the point I mentioned, without a hard definition of the full game; I can't commit to either point being wrong or right. I can admit i'm vanguard'ing my feelings and hope, and understand the concerns; but again.. it's a scope I would rather see approached in 2026. I don't want the world to feel smaller, I want the world to feel like a chore to traverse but with obvious good reason/s(which r/n there isn't a ton but XP or Resources; maybe that's all there ever will be)... If you optimize the gameplay loop around this, I think there is a lot to be sought after; far more than get 60 and raid/dungeoning; could just go make Fellowship the game. Again, very adamant on the philosphy that not every player should be able to easily access every piece of content, but that there should be content developed for every kind of player.
Expedition, while loosely described is a good example. It's a piece of "endgame" to strived for. What it will be is hard to tell, or if it will get scrapped.. but utlimately explained that you have to contribute a certain amount of desired resources(AQ Gates-like) to even get the option to do it for what I recall; a period of time. If you're just 5 homies and non-crafters; you ultimately have to buy your way in or find a guild active enough to "sponsor" you. In UOO, a guild I was apart of did something very similar. They sponsor the admission for the expedition, but on the handshake that you hand over the Silver or Gold link; Bronze you keep. Silver is roughly 2-2.5x the worth, and Gold can be 3-4x that.. Sure you can make it instanced, fast travelled, ect; but to me, it saps some of the fun out of the reward.
Same with the concept of treasure maps. You're required a specific piece of loot that leads to you find more loot and/or a boss. How that mechanic will shape up is very tbd.. but if it's anything like UOO; treasure maps often are sold at a high value depending tiers, picked up by guilds and crafters to be utilized for other forms of soft currencies required to do other things in the game. Average players often do not interact with most maps unless absolutely built/ing for it, but even then are limited to how far they can go in regards to tier.
And I get it, not everybody wants that pain; but why does it have to be the Main Cities that you beacon back to in a single cast?
In 1999, spending six hours in a dungeon felt incredible because online worlds themselves were revolutionary. In 2026, if you're asking players to organize tomorrow night's session around logging back into the same dungeon corridor, the gameplay had better be absolutely exceptional. And that's where I think the genre has changed. Hell, that's where video games entirely have changed. These systems are no longer "novel" anymore, so you need an amazing gameplay loop to keep players engaged.
I agree; I much rather the challenge and reward be boosted to fit the risk and time invested.. again very for varying pathes to go down to achieve the same goal that is end game. Examples being that you solely focus on beasts because it doesn't require a large group, outside the occasional matriarch, alpha, or mutated.. but the avenue you take rewards you through other means.. but it'd be absolutely something you could commit 30mins to and see progress versus getting in a group and doing a sixhour session. I get it, not everyone wants to do it.. but the wowification to me is that everyone should be able to do it. Forced accessibility, which includes free rides.. again would much rather see safe encampments(npc or player) closer than immediate recalls.
The future of MMOs isn't going to be built around convincing players to schedule their lives around virtual geography. It's going to be built around creating gameplay loops so compelling that players want to spend more time there. That's a huge distinction. The same thing applies to the economy argument. I'm actually in favor of more meaningful crafting, consumables, logistics, and preparation. I think modern MMOs often stripped too much of that away. But I don't think every "quality-of-life" feature needs to be held hostage to the crafting economy. A crafting economy should exist because interacting with it is enjoyable and valuable, not because players are forced into it to solve problems intentionally created by the game design - it's akin to a lot of P2W games now where the devs intentionally create a problem so that they can sell you the solution.
Which is why i'd rather them just have additional content designed around the 9-5 dad; my ex. is beast hunting(solo/duo/trio type gameplay), you dont really need to make that group content outside of one-off themes. As Shawn puts it, sometimes he wants to log on and just fish.. If the system is good and engaging enough(its not).. then that is a real possible future to the game. I'm not that kind of player, but I know people who did it in BDO, FFXI, New World, and even WoW; and enjoyed it as their thing to do. Same to be said with things like UO and SWG, where peoples sole function of existence is not to adventure and poke around killing; they found other avenues to entertain their time because the gameplay loop allows it.
And honestly, I think your post accidentally highlights the biggest issue facing "old school" games like this. You mention gate items, religion choices, escape ropes, potions, wagons, outposts, camping systems, travel tools, consumables, etc. At some point, we're designing twelve different solutions to avoid giving players a simple baseline capability. That is your giant red flag that we're protecting a philosophy rather than solving a problem. This is the same issue games like Ashes of Creation and so many more keep running into. Systems on top of systems, on top of systems, just to avoid adding baseline functionalities.
The thing I keep coming back to is this - I don't think the long-term future of MMORPGs is "how do we make people commit HARDER!?". I think it's "how do we create worlds people genuinely want to spend time in?"
Because hardcore raid culture, poopsocking, batphones, mandatory marathon sessions, and extreme time commitments are already increasingly niche. The audience that built EverQuest is now middle-aged. Most of them aren't looking for a second job anymore. The MMOs that survive are going to be the ones that preserve immersion, social interaction, exploration, and meaningful progression while respecting the reality that players have lives. Not because players are "weaker" than they were in 1999. But because game design has had twenty-five years to learn the difference between meaningful commitment and unnecessary friction.
I'm not saying add them all, I am simply meaning that there are other solutions that solve the same problem without saying here you go; back to the main city you go. I ultimately just want the world to feel bigger, and a general recall and series of teleports, gates, and so on.. make it much much smaller. I get that conceptually it's not everybodies tea, nor is what I am saying will happen.. but I dont think the sorta give everything to everybody is the right path to fixing problems either. If martial classes pain is that they can not teleport to safety on a dime, what kinds of benefits can you give them that make them above other classes in other aspects.. it has to be a +/- trade off; imo. I'd love to see them add a religion that gives you a gate ability and see the percentage of martial classes go that way purely for the foremention problem while stacked against other choices obviously.. because as I see it r/n the people who are upset by it will or would have played a caster anyways. I'm pretty cool with martial classes having 2x the carry weight, and bitch arm casters can't carry shit. I love choices and the weight of its consequences.. in a lot of extraction shooters, I tend to wear lighter armor because i'm faster.. and tend to be above average in the ability to kill before killed. I'm already depressed they're not carrying over Iskar/Ogre/DK exp penalties and I want more KoS stuff with factions; I didn't get to experience EQ.. but I think that kinda thorned crown is a cool idea, and much respect to the players who put forth that effort. Much like Maat's cap in FFXI.. its just not something I would do because the alloted time required; but man I loved seeing it and there are people who are mentally ill enough to pursue those things.
But its also to be said, I don't need my gameplay to be belt to ass the entire time.. I'd rather have smaller things to do if I cannot allocate chunks of time. I'd much rather classes, specs, builds, or xp spots be dad friendly than weighing down the rest of the game to fit; but I absolutely agree that the loop has to be worth the squeeze for it to even matter. Personally hated they added summoning stones to WoW, but loved that Warlocks could summon. I also know a lot of dads, while not all MMO players, easily put in 4-6 hrs a couple nights a week on things like League, CS, Tarkov, Arc, Deadlock ect.. and while its quicker dopamine hits, they're more or less doing the same loop on repeat. If the loops is good, the problem fades.
