First, lest we forget, CoH launched without the last 10 levels in place. PI and Hamidon came 1.5 months later. Second, I don't consider a Hamidon Raid to be end-game. I really don't consider any type of raid to be end-game for any MMO. Those things quickly get boring by the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time you do them. You experience a lot of content between 1-50. What's the point of doing the same thing over and over again after that?

/sigh

I miss SWG pre-NCE: great community, I knew my neighbors, great space system, good PVP, exploration. Had a blast.

Then they destroyed it to make it easier.

My mistake on Hamidon, couldn't remember too well that far back. But as far raiding not being end-game content, I consider it the epitome of end-game content. It's taking the skills you learned over the course of the game and putting them to the test. It test your teamwork abilities, character knowledge, and in some cases leadership. The point in doing it over in over in most cases is for loot, sometimes the challenge, but ultimately to make your character as powerful as it possibly can be. It's a great feeling to spend time working and developing and perfecting strategies to defeat a certain boss, then getting your just rewards with rare items.

I agree with you though , that the bulk of the experience should come between the start and reaching max level but many MMOs are taking the WoW-approach to MMO design. Where the mid-game is just a necessary evil to get to the raiding. The only flaw in this approach is if your game lacks of myriad of raids and end-game content then people just reach max level quickly and are left with nothing to do once they finish. This is what happened with CO and STO.