Well, EQ is one of the grandaddies of the MMO genre, which didn't really take off until WoW. Also EQ was a terribly difficult game with very few of the features most players today take for granted, such as maps and being able to see in the dark. But back then I didn't know any better and happily fetched my body back from the depths of hell naked. FFXI orignally appealed to me because it was similar to EQ in it's combat and levelling, but more refined and with infinitely better graphics. Also chocobos.
"The future has a way of arriving unannounced." - George Will