DCUO is using a cross-platform engine, licensed from Sony, which is light years ahead of either of the EQs in terms of how easy it is for them to do graphics updates. While I have no doubt that the head-to-head competition between the DC and Marvel IPs helps bring in a little extra up-front development capital for upgrades, the core obstacle for EQ is the age of the underlying tech.
This tweet could be about Leigo and EQ. https://twitter.com/swaglord__420/status/1377051721655066629?lang=en
I think UI and how to play is even more of an issue than graphics. Not only is the game play at lower levels extremely different than current play (useless lines become useful and vice versa in addition to totally new abilities for example), but the game's UI basically requires what amounts to use of an in-game UI editor. I don't know if it's even feasible to fix that. There are sample hotbars on heroic characters. "How to play" guides and UI templates perhaps? But that's likely not feasible and if players aren't attracted to begin with its wasted effort. The game is complicated. It's "more free" when it comes to player interaction than many MMORPGs but with that comes a bunch of rules on how aggro works, how a gazillion of effects stack, dozens of activated AAs and spells/discs to learn (many of which are wasted if stacked wrong, including with abilities from other classes in the group or even AE). Playing the game for many (most?) classes is extremely complicated. I'm not even complaining or anything it's just a situation that is daunting.
