I was thinking about doing an RP with 3-5 factions that the players would write up themselves, could be more enjoyable and it could allow more freedom. Have it take place somewhere familiar, but not currently in a game, maybe New York...?
You missed the legacy that was the New Manhattan RP, it would seem. Worth a search of the subforum so you can get an idea.
Like the RPs themselves, there's no superiority going on. No one RP is better or more thought out than others. It's a little ridiculous and in fact, insulting for Your mom=my brother to suggest that his RP was more thought out than others. Some are meticulously planned (e.g. True to Caesar, Vault 114) and others start from an idea or premise and evolve from there (e.g. Welcome to Grayditch).
RPs don't "die" because they're poorly planned, they die because they're poorly executed, lack of participation, lack of player chemistry, and so on.