The only game that has kept me interested for years - and it's text-based!
What I enjoy most about Dragonrealms is the depth of the game and the freedom players have to engage - or disengage - with that complexity. For example, among the libraries and towers of the game are books (written by the staff and players) that detail the rich history of the peoples and the cultures of the world. Most of these are consolidated on the dragonrealms wiki: http://elanthipedia.org/w/index.php/Main_Page
Some guilds, like Moon Mages, go so far as to allow (but not require) players to identify with specific sects that have their own ideology, receive (largely cosmetic) boons, and access specialized merchants/tools. Players have become game-recognized officials of the provinces. Renowned crafters are memorialized in their halls while higher-level traders operate stores in the major cities. Politics and intrigue exist. and players may choose to incur the wrath of provincial leaders (played by the staff). These players may defiantly raise Cain or seek shelter in another territory, or both. And aside from in-game structure, players constantly fashion their own stories using the established lore and goods as a foundation.
I also like that I do not have to do any of that. I love to roleplay, but probably spend a good part of my time solo-hunting and training skills. I can strive to min-max (the weapon and armorsmiths, with their custom mixes of metals, know all about this) and I love the skill system: the more my characters do something, the better they are at it. With few exceptions (some guilds do not use magic and some skills are guild-only abilities), my characters CAN learn and do anything, although it's easier for a Barbarian to become a weaponmaster than a trader. Will I ever catch up to the person who's played for a decade longer? Probably not. But relatively shortly I can start hunting creatures who drop elusive treasure maps that lead to unique treasure. I can create goods and provide services that ARE marketable without being the best in the game.
14.95 a month is not a trivial amount and Dragonrealms does not have a monopoly on what I described, but I personally haven't found an alternative. I never felt like I was able to customize my experience as I much as I do in Dragonrealms. So I encourage folks to try out the free trial and see if they like it. There are numerous mentoring and social events a week and as evidenced by the release of new crafting systems, creatures, and events the world is dynamic.