For me, the crafting system is the #1 thing that determines whether I try and whether I stay in an MMO.

RP/PvE-Casual here. I'm a completionist, I want to try and see everything, but I usually dont thrive for big-group action like raids and I dont like to be forced to do anything.

I want an immersive living world, which requires a good AI for all NPCs. Features like persistance in the world, together with the ability to change the world would be awesome, but the main thing I want is a world that feels immersive, where everything makes sense. Sadly, this has never been done till now afaik, at least I never found a mmo that immersed me in a way that suffices me. Sooner or later, the deeper I dive into a game, I always find many things that are simply wrong or dont make sense. In most mmos, this even starts with charactercreation. You just start being a mage, out of nowhere. Where are my powers from? dont I have a family? how does this magic work? If everything respawns, what is it even good for to fight? Why can I carry 20 weapons and switch them infight with my backpack without fighting delay? Most games dont even give the player the most simple introduction why the character exists. Just "hi new mage, this is your destiny, go for it, like those thousands before you". There is not much worse at playing games than playing a game and realizing something doesnt make sense inside the gameworld. Which can be as simple as wrong descriptions (those annoy me very much). Well... obviously, immersion is not the only thing that makes me play a game. Other things are a good story or the ability to explore freely in a beautiful world. I think, mostly good story kept me playing most games I played over the last years.

Oh... and as soon as I hear about a MMO that includes realistic physic engine, I'm totally going to play it. So things like digging tunnels and caves that can collapse and change the terrain, changing waterways, stopping or diverting a landslide with an explosion to save the city. weather actually being a system and not just RNG with effect on characterstats. throwing and catching things. Damage being a calculation of impact etc... imo, a game with realistic physic engine would have to include all of the above and many more. You could play any sports in such a game, just because sports is mostly about physics and I would want that to be possible because physics work, not because all sports would have been develloped to be possible in the game. Especially combat systems would be really amazing, if they were a result of realistic physic engine instead of the way they work currently.

TL;DR: 1.) Immersion 2.) story 3.) exploration

A good crafting system has always been something that has kept me playing a game long past the initial honeymoon period. Similarly, a dynamic but rewarding loot system is crucial for longevity for me.

But often first impressions are the most important and so having a good character creation system that lets you tailor your character the way you imagine them, paired with the ability to customize their appearance in-game, is critical. I genuinely dislike worlds in which everyone more or less looks the same.

Thank you for info. I will leave a link to the video once it is made if you care to view it.

Have to agree with Hieronymus on both crafting and character creation. Definitely character creation.

I have long wanted a game where you can push past boundaries with crafting, and Elyria sounds like a game where if you stand at the forefront and keeps pushing, the devs will reward you with new stuff instead of box you in.

But again, and I cannot stress this enough, character creation. There are few games where you forgive the inability to create the character of your dreams as it is going to personify you for the entirety of the game.