It's been a long time since I've actually played an MMO that could compete with single-player or more traditional multi-player games in terms of gameplay.

As for the dificulty some people seem to have at the beginning, I think that more than anything it's a result of the extensive "hand-holding" we've expericenced from most other MMOs. I don't see why a game can't expect it's players to think a little on their own.