OK, I just took a deep breath, so please bear with me for a minute...
I myself, believe I know why some left the game, because they stated the reasons they were leaving. There is anecdotal evidence that certain game mechanics changes ( often refered to as nerfs ) drove of some. With the exception of those that are vocal enough to post about their reasons for taking a break or outright leaving, most that did move on did so quietly, and with no fanfair.
So what I curious about is, what really made players leave?
Was it really game mechanics, so called lag, or poor performance?
Was it simple bordom? Did they have issues with the devs or other players?
Was it something else?
The answers to these questions will help illustrate what EII should do to keep players here and activly playing. Will ingame events run by players work? Will more content help? How about fluff? Will focusing on bugs and performance issues be the key?
What actually made YOU quit? Why did you come back.
And please, do not tell me what someone else said... only give me your actual reasons.