I always thought online roleplaying games sucked as roleplaying games, and I still think so. With so many players interacting in the same environment at once, it only takes one jackass to ruin the roleplaying, so you’re constantly roleplaying on the level of the lowest common denominator. That’s why people quickly forego roleplaying when playing an online roleplaying game. I think “online adventuring game” is a better term for it, since that’s what you’re left with.
There are certain roleplaying elements that are enforced by the game, such as that you can’t access certain storylines because it wouldn’t be according to your race, class or profession. Or the reputation that you build through your actions in the game that has consequences in the way that NPCs will interact with you, or will interact with you at all. But those are all things that define the boundaries of your role and within that created scope you’ll have to do it yourself, but you can’t, because the game just doesn’t lend itself towards roleplaying.
