In all reality, the pre-CU/NGE version of SWG was by far the most player-involved MMO I've ever had the joy of playing. However, SOE decided to sell out their fanbase for a far more flippant one, and that was eventually their downfall, as many hardcore originals had predicted. While the population dropped quite a bit with the release of WoW, and other misc. titles, the mechanics of the game itself were far more involved than any other. The character customization in and of itself was one of the best out there.
We all miss the days of perma-death Jedi and having to walk to our favorite farming/leveling spawnpoints, but things evolved, not all of them for the better. I have to say though, the player controlled economy was one of the most amazing facets of the game that I sorely miss.