Just because you don't like it doesn't mean its not a "proper MMO." A game doesn't have to have all of the features of another to be successful. I played Rift during beta and after release, I don't play it anymore because its just like WoW. I love this game because it isn't a WoW clone. This game is all about the story. Yes, WoW has a lot of rich lore, but it gets lost in all of the repetitive quests, that only really get better once you hit 80 and start leveling in areas that phase a bit.