EQ was pretty amazing. It was wonderous. Exploration, experience, death, and loot...all meant something.
Games (and players) nowadays wants everything and they want it now...with little to no effort. Its the "me me me" generation. Thats why this game, and many others this gen, rain epics from the sky.
Swtor is really nothing like a giant room with portals to other rooms. Zero exploration. Zero penalties for anything.
Maybe I'm just jaded like u OP.