I played DAoC for about 6-7 month (playtime) and I quit the game due to lack of competition about 1 year ago. Not flame style, but the server pop became lower and lower, and in the end server after server died.

DAoC had one thing that hadnt been made before, and havent yet been made in any other game; Openworld RvR. Unfair, tactical, skillfull PvP at its best.

Ups and Downs:

When the game came out, it was talking over from games like EQ and Asrons Call (spl) on the RPG side, and Diablo on the actionside. This combination DAoC handle very well. 3 factions with vast differences and yet balance (for the most part) in PvP.

Trails of Atlantis (ToA) tryed to put a lot more endgame PvE into the game, and failed imo for a long time. The PvE was not optional in terms of suvival in RvR, it flipped the classbalance 180 degrees. In time ToA brought some interesting things to the game, but Mythics failed on that point through my looking glass.

New Frontiers:

Created a much faster acces to the RvR action and gave a good sense of "open world" RvR. Though lots of lag issues appeared. The element of underwater fight was introduced and made for new tactics on the battlefield.

Catacombs:

New interesting classes, however it took some time to adjust the balance/coolness of them. Some interesting PvE, but 99% useless for the most part of the population already beyon end game PvE. But nice new zone for the exploring player.

Labyrinth:

New RvR and PvE zone. (same zone). New races and class. Interesting turn since the new race was the first to be in all realm. DAoC had the nice trademark of have 3 different realm with about 15 different classes each. And eventhough some features were the same, the classes and races were uniqe to the realm. (unlike most games today, excusing this with the balance problem/work)

DAoC was by far the best gaming experience I have ever tried and though Mythic have created WAR, partly drawing from their experience and knowledge in DAoC it doesnt feel like they are quite there yet.

When I left DAoC for the dying, I had a motto whenever someone asked "Is this game good?" or "I have played before, is it worth comming back?"; "The game is as good as it ever have been, however there are too few people (friends and enemies)

Rest and may another game raise to be as great.