I think these "sweeping episodic story-driven epics" would be absolutely welcomed by the community.
I agree. My point was that they take so long to construct, and given the massive reduction in players over the years, it's a little disheartening from a builder's perspective to pour so much time and effort into something, all the while knowing that it's probably going to be played by only a handful of people.
Having said that, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade. If you're determined to build one of these sweeping episodic story-driven epics, more power to you, and best of luck.