Honestly when i was trying Essence, Classic etc. the more i played the more i missed the freedom C4 or Interlude gave the player. Essence for example plays like a single player game, you just talk to an npc that gives you a fetch quest and then rewards you with several levels, gear and support items like pots and shots. You rarely engage with the economic and social systems since everything is "gifted" to you.
If i wanted to sound like smartass i would say Essence is more instant gratification based while HF and older are more delayed gratification based.
The new versions of the game are tailored to people that want to have a solo and guided experience (hand holding), which in my opinion is completely antithetical to what Lineage 2 started as.
I dont hate it but its not as fun.