I completely agree. I like the progression in Ragnarok Online vanilla version. You start with 50 HP, 10 damage, slow attack speed (long delay between actions including using abilities/spells) and slow spell casting speed. Every time you level up, you're given status points that can be spent to increase your base stats (strength/agility/vitality/intelligence/dexterity/luck). Higher stats cost more points. You can have maximum stat for one stat very early in the game. However if you opt to f.e. maximize damage, then you'll lack accuracy, attack speed, spell casting speed, health, mana, defense, dodge chance, critical chance, negative status immunity (e.g. stun, frozen, silence, blind).

I think that gave the game more room to have more horizontal progression. In RO vanilla, even with maximum points in damage, you won't be one shotting most mobs. Level 1 mob has 50 hp. But the average mobs' hp exponentially increases after just an hour of playtime. Most mobs have more hp than the maximum possible (base) damage. There were about 100 unique mobs with different strengths and weaknesses.

The maximum base damage is less than 1000 though elemental advantage can multiply your damage by up to double. The problem is abilities give so much multiplicative bonus to your base damage and there is no ability cooldown. I personally prefer to alternate between using basic attacks and abilities. And I want abilities to not deal so much damage but are more utility like CC and debuff. Also there was no way to reallocate your stat points, so it was possible to create a failed character like having too low dexterity(accuracy) that you can't hit most things.