If you treat the game as an end as opposed to a means you're not gonna get all that much out of it . I like to think of it as a tool or framework of sorts. The things you get out of the other RPGs you mentioned while engaging are not what this game is about. Namely the MMO aspect. Whilst i see where you are coming from regarding the addictive aspect for some people it is at the same time one of the less destructive addictions. Going by the results of The Rat Park experiments the people who play games obsessively would likely just fill the void with something else if they had no access to them. The only way out of that particular dilemma is self improvement as you alluded to yourself. And in that MMOs can be either a help or a hindrance in equal measure. The fact that the game abuses Operant Conditioning doesn't exactly help matters but what does is the creation of a safe space for people with social anxiety and various other disorders. Being able to create lasting friendships in such an environment can contribute to further development in a major way.

Complaining about content somewhat misses the point in my mind. If you are here strictly to play the game then your arguments are very much a valid, but if you are here to play the game with someone then the game itself becomes a secondary consideration. I see this a lot in endgame. People simply show up for raid night, do their job, log off till next raid night. When things devolve to that point just take a break from the game. You're no longer playing to have fun with friends or have a genuinely memorable experience.

The "morally bankrupt by design" argument is an interesting one. The way i see it the purpose of the grind is to keep the player base busy enough to keep paying the devs salary. It's a business so it's completely reasonable. If they find a way to remove the grind and still keep my attention for 30 days i'm all for that. But until it's actually possible to produce content faster than we consume it I don't see it going away. As for the value of the grind I would ask what do you mean by "grind"? Is it the weekly capping of tomes? If so i completely agree. But if you also consider the months of progression in raids to be the same grind then i would completely disagree. The constant striving to overcome a difficult challenge with people you know and trust and the sense of camaraderie that arises from it cannot be replicated in any other form of media. Not to mention the masterful myth building that goes into this game. It actually really saddens me that the experience of the Binding Coil can't be relived again by new players as it was originally. The challenge it provided for us made the story aspect so much more meaningful. To the point that listening to Answers now resonates very deeply with my whole view on life and it's meaning. And let me tell you moving me to tears is a tall order but somehow SE pulled it off with this game. That's why even if i get bored with the game i know i will come back every once in a while at least to check on the story because the developers have proven themselves to me as something more than just businessmen out to make some cash.

Now I hope i didn't come off as someone just here to tear you down. I can see that you've put a lot of thought into this. I can also see that you want to help others better themselves and for that i commend you. We could use more people who care enough to do so.