1. The story/questing team is probably already hard at work on next year's Season content. Most likely, it'll take place entirely in already-existing landmasses. But there've been enough hints at Pyandonia that we can't rule that out.

The Combat team is almost certainly hard at work on something that they claim will make us even more free to play the way we want, that a wide swath of the playerbase will embrace as furthering freedom, but which will in reality introduce even greater imbalance and will be even more restricting than ever. So basically, what they've been doing the last several years.

2. What the story/questing team should be working on is something to truly blow us away, of course. Give us the tragic sense of loss our allies experienced in Summerset. Give us a McGuffin that turns out to be something beautiful and wonderful unlike anything we expected it to be like Murkmire. Give us a villain warped by grief, a villain twisted by her own hate even though that hatred is completely warranted like Magestrix Vox. Give us imperfect heroes and relatable villains.

The combat team should be focused on balance, balance, balance. But in particular, they need to make Light Armor and Staff Magica builds truly viable again. The only word I can come up with for what they've allowed to happen to these builds is indefensible. Also, FIX CHANNELED HEAVY ATTACKS.

3. They can and should do everything I just suggested. Balance will require trial, effort, and time. It will require a massive sea change in priorities. But they can and they should. Will they?