Morrowind is a great game. Of course it's not perfect, no game is, but if you can't see the roleplaying value in Morrowind then you're blind.
I dont see how you got to HtoH 100 without dealing any good damage, Jemy. I maxed out my HtoH with one of my chars and by the endgame was able to take on pretty much anything I came across, unarmed. You cant deal the death blow bare-handed, but you can beat the hell out of pretty much anything and have it in the fetal position in a few good blows.
I felt utterly alone. No NPC's ever mattered to me. The dialogue to me absolutely sucked and made every NPC feel more like walking signposts than real people.
I can not stress how important that is from a roleplaying perspective. When there are absolutely nobody in the game to care about, and no NPC act like a PERSON, then I see no roleplaying opportunities in it.
the mostly lifeless NPCs
I think the combat was fun, actually, I keep seeing people ragging on that and I actually had more fun with my MW combat than I do in Oblivion. Open up with an arrow or two with my summoned bow, then draw my 2-hander and hit em with a thrust when they close in, a swing, (meanwhile jumping back to avoid their blows) then jump in with my sword held over my head for a flying chop right down on the enemy skull!
What's not to like there? i think it was pretty damn fun!
Actually, I'm running into them outside everywhere.Just as a very small note. There isn't any free roaming rats on the isle of Vvardenfell. They only appear in interior cells.