I think part of the problem is p1999 has been locked in classic/kunark/velious content for YEARS and also most of the players know vastly more than they did back in the day. This creates a situation where the economy is much different and also how we play is much different too. Thus, not only are things happening differently, but hence what we want changed also is different. The end result is if this server keeps altering itself to appease the players it might start to look very different from classic. However, there's nothing inherently wrong with that, if it's still a playable MMO.
For me personally I think classic Everquest exhausted itself. What I really wanted was something similar to Everquest but entirely new content, new skill/spells and so on. Project1999 won't do that.
I moved on to Wurm ONline and it actually, compared to many modern MMO's, was a lot like classic Everquest--except it's player-driven. This was back in 2012. I immediately fell in love. Wurm Online is what I imagined MMO's might someday become. It, unlike Everquest 2, met all my fantasies I had back then. I will--if situations allows--go back to playing soon because, well, I logged out in an abandoned mine and my stuff is probably trapped there. Of course, Wurm Online isn't a perfect MMO, but nothing ever is. Everything can always improve. You just have to realize one man's garbage is another's treasure. The perfect MMO is going to be different for different people. There's no universal answer.
That said, I sometimes come back to these forums. I remember Everquest fondly. I first played in 1999, for about 3 months and it left a permanent mark on me. Played live off/on for 10 years. I played at p1999 for a couple years, mostly grouping with noobs. It's what I wanted. It's also the most enjoyable time in the game, I think. I think when you start approaching higher levels, it becomes more of a destination, instead of a journey or adventure. When I made an alt, being I made many, I rarely transferred items/money/etc. It was about the journey. I didn't care about high levels.
EDIT: And yes I'm looking forward to
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. It's a dream and it won't die, unless we do! Lets face it, we've all been touched. There's no going back to a time before.
https://pantheonmmo.com/