Well they hired Storybrick
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04...ing-in-a-tree/ which means the NPC have AI which would allow you and themselves to interact and remember players on a personal level. Probably have emotional faction bars to allow them to give you the finger before scowling at you whilst hacking you down with a Swords.
Was also reading about EQ2 housing system, sounds pretty neat if they incorporate it into EQNext for those crazy EC tunnel selling rats to design there own shops and stuff whilst ooc/auctioning there wares. Seems like a more productive pass time.
For it also to run on multiple platforms as well as smartphones would mean back to having no life for us all!
Sound like its gonna be a pretty epic kick ass sandbox.