It's been a long time. It seems silly, but the Friday updates gradually became a part of my weekly routine, and I'll miss them.
The official release is going to bring all kinds of new players with fresh perspectives (and total ignorance of basic strategies

). It'll be fun watching dozens of new people coming in and complaining that the Monk is underpowered, etc.
And also, finally, we'll be able to explore just feasible modding will be. Even without official modding support, there will still be lots of ways that fans will be able to tweak and customize the game. I think that will bring a lot of the jaded vets out of retirement and give them a fresh look at the game.