I'm still here, but I don't think Phinehas and I met in game too much.
The community is a bit more vocal than what it used to be in the past, but the voices are more on the forums and less in the game. Everybody has an opinion, very few get involved to make things happen.
RP wise the game is indeed a bit poorer than what it used to be, but folks still enjoy it very much and I saw some very nice initiatives recently. People are making use of game features a lot more than in the past (I think), which is good. I only hope they don't forget to incorporate some RP in it from time to time, to make it a bit more spicy.
There's also a non-RP server now, kind of less populated, which I find quite surprising, but anyway. It's good that it's there and I believe it will grow in time.
Development wise, whoaaaa! Major things have happened since I first started and I'm amazed how well the engine has improved. Reading the
history never ceases to amaze me. A lot of new content and quests and crafting opportunities are in, not to mention code changes.
I've seen the rise and fall of the community... about 3 or 4 times already both on the forums and in the game so I can definitely say it is cyclic. Those who fear PS is dying, tough luck. If everyone who thought that was right, then PS must be one hell of a necromancer. Always comes back. Always.