I just keep preaching for the choir here but...I recently read an article on Gamasutra you probably already read (Rethink the MMO, Neil Sorens,
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070326/sorens_01.shtml) and it discuss some of the stuff this thread mentions and found in other threads in the forum.
I am a bit curious on the focus of the project right know, I glanced through Pandras blog the other day and it got me a little worried about not putting in lots of resource to make lore and such. Or has I misinterpreted the situation? Perhaps there are more than meet the eye?
Like Sorens write in the article these types of games often focus on numbercrunching, leveling and looting. Perhaps its because there often are engineers or people whos cup of tea are stats and numbers that have the ability to really create a game of this type? I dont know, but I really agree with Sorens when he writes "It is much easier to balance a fun but unbalanced game" than the other way around.
And most of our games settings resides on inspiration from good stories written by Tolkien, Clarke and Asimov (and more).
I think that if Project Wish delivers a world with freedom to for example chop down trees (as Mole write in the req) and it is done beautifully with a zillion shader effects, dreamers like I would pay an embarrassingly high monthly fee just to be able to play as "Common Woodcutter" day out and day in. And I wont care a second about what level I am or if it is the "Axe of Extreme Cutting 2000" I have in my hands. I just want to see the wood give way and hear the crack from the breaking log with the crescendo of leafs exploding to the ground. And of course some birds escaping from their newly destroyed home (Ill gladly take evil points for evicting harmless creatures if thats required). Im that easy to satisy.
And I reckon Im not the only fool out there, or am I?
Just some thoughts on your splendid work!