I raided in EQ before starting WoW in 04 and while there were EQ players coming into the game saying those things, that was just one small vocal minority. Actually, if I remember the forums correctly for that time period, most of the EQ playerbase had faith in Tigole and Furor to deliver a good experience because we were all sick of SOE.

Of course, the people who talk about how genuine and natural the pre-WotLK WoW was are also just a vocal minority. Most players who populated WoW in those days aren't sitting on message boards getting sentimental. They've just moved on in their lives entirely.

The fact that there's been this constant vocal reproach about how WoW used to be good at that specific time period ever since that time period has passed lends itself to the idea that there is more support.

Perhaps people are just terrible at articulating it well enough for you or maybe no explanation that would indicate why this game you love isn't as good as it used to be will ever suffice.

I walked into 04 WoW with both UO and EQ experience. I wasn't new to MMOs, I didn't come in with a single friend from those games because they all hated WoW. I wasn't a kid or a teenager, but well into the beginning of my adult life at 21. And that social experience was still something that has never been even close to being imitated.

So, of course, people that debate on this issue in the manner that you do try to assign a singular sweeping generlization on the plethora of opinions that all sound different but have the same message at their core (the game used to be better at being a multiplayer rpg).

Whatever that was game was at that time, the experience was in a vacuum. That type of game and experience will never happen again because of people like you.