Dont get me wrong, Im a fan of cherry switches. I currently rotate between two keyboards - a unicomp endura pro using the buckling springs and a WASD custom v3 with cherry blacks - just depends on if Im feeling clicky or linear.
Now don't get ME wrong. Back then, there was the brief period where FPS games were played with the keyboard only (Doom, DoomII ... Duke Nukem 3d had mouse support that was so terrible that keyboard was still better, but the first Quake was played with mouse ), the key rollover actually mattered, and the Model M had some problems in that department, If I remember correctly.
I never thought in specific terms, rubberdomes and mechanical. I bought that Cherry back then because someone I trusted told me to pay a bit more to get that keyboard because it is better.
I just wanted to say that I, by accident, fell in love with mechanical keyboards well before gaming hardware existed and well before my education on that topic allowed me to say why or what exactly a mechanical keyboard is.