In another thread (where a player was concerned about queue times for dps in the group finder), I pointed out that the core ethos of an MMORPG is one of building social networks of people to collaborate for shared goals. Innovations like a group finder (something that came along decades after the genre was created in text MUD's) are meant to give some options for solo players who still want to try their hand at group content, but an MMORPG will never be a game like Overwatch or Call of Duty. There is no way to shoehorn a social, roleplaying game into an instant-action game where you jump from map to map with random people.

Starting with World of Warcraft (somewhere around Wrath of the Lich King, I think), MMORPG's have increasingly adopted elements that made them feel less like traditional RPG's, and which accommodate the desires of players looking for elements that are more common to FPS-gameplay. PvP has been given a larger role. Character development and class trees has been homogenized (less so in Elder Scrolls Online than in World of Warcraft, thankfully), and solo play options have been significantly augmented. As an example, in Asheron's Call II, I can remember zones that it was simply impossible to traverse without having at least one other max-level player with you.

Nonetheless, at its heart, an MMORPG is always going to have some elements of an RPG. You will need to build a character over time, and doing so will require making choices about skills and equipment. There will be a larger context for your character's actions, one tied to a deep lore and, ideally, quality storytelling (an area where Elder Scrolls Online excels). And, to take full advantage of the content, you will need to establish friendships and build relationships with other players, working collaboratively toward common objectives.

For my own background, I've been playing roleplaying games since pen-and-paper days, CRPG's back to WIzardry I, and MMO's since text MUD's, so I do think of MMO's as large-scale RPG's, with minimal expectations of things like dungeon matchmaking.

I'm curious to know what background other players have, and how that influences their opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of Elder Scrolls Online.