Not really, CoX plays completely different from the Everquest model that EQ2 and WoW followed.
WoW *IS* a lot like EQ, and DAoC(I actually played DAoC a lot back in the day, played EQ1 a bit but instantly hated it) were, however, it was quest based instead of sit in one spot and camp-based. EQ2 was weird, because while it was quest based like WoW, I believe it failed because about 75% or more of the quests were forced grouping, which was insanely annoying.
Also, before EQ1 was Ultimate Online and Meridian 59, which are more like Mabinogi or Runescape of today then anything else, which play nothing much like the WoW/EQ model of play that you are saying every MMO is, which they obviously are not.
And before that were MUDs, which was a whole different monster entirely.

