Click click combat
Unfortunately, MMO combat doesn't seem to have evolved much since the days of text-based MUDs on BBS'. Instead of clicking a macro to "/attack orc," we left-click on the orc and watch passively as our character robotically trades blows with said orc. The stale click-and-wait combat in most MMOs needs to change if the genre is ever going rise above the primal thrill of watching the numbers of your stats and damage increase as you level up and collect gear.
Games like The Agency will offer a new spin on traditional MMO combat with FPS action. It's a good idea, but after the lukewarm reception of Tabula Rasa and Hellgate: London, it seems doubtful that subtle changes to combat gameplay like this will really push the genre forward. The same could be true with Age of Conan's combo-based combat system. While linking attacks seems like it could make combat more visceral, itmight still wind up feeling like the same old grind with more keys to press.
Above: What did this deer ever do to you? Nothing. But you'll still need to click 50 of them to death in order to complete another boring quest
The only thing more boring than MMO combat is watching the slew of fan-made YouTube videos showing you how to solo farm group dungeons with terrible music blaring in the background. Here's a one showing grass growing instead.
Below: Behold the beauty of nature, something you rarely see when consumed by an MMO
