Yep. Like I said, good illusion. I spent a while sniffing at the bushes, because I knew they were 2D but had long since stopped thinking about it and letting my brain fool me. It's the little bits of suspension of disbelief going with magic tricks that I appreciate.
I actually kind of prefer the way AO works. It's part of the idiosyncracies of the game in that it goes with the setting and lore; you know the game is hardcore into when it feels like a Volga held together with a lot of duct tape, spray painted slogans and a hula girl bobblehead glued upside down on the dash.
Naturally you have to be a little crazy to love it. But I seriously can't for the life of me look at any other MMO where there's so much stuff and random ways to do something. The crazy builds that shouldn't work, masochistic choices like nanomage Enforcers or a bunch of people getting a below level 10 into Inferno? That's flavor. And to borrow your metaphor, the other offerings are like plates of one single piece of egg yolk ravioli -- simple and elegant, maybe, but that's it. What do you mean I only have three weapon choices and everyone's armor looks the same because it comes straight out of the can? Is this a tuxedo rental? What do you mean this restaurant is tux only, I ain't wearing no ties you slab of patchou-- I'M GETTING MY MAIN AND I WILL BE A MIGHTY TROX IN MY TUTU AND MY PAPERBAG HELMET
...
I'll get my coat. Door was this way?