- The void is driving everyone crazy, especially the leaders
- Factions split up into 4 instead of 2 due to leaders going against the will of the citizens and seeking as much power for themselves as they can grab, recruiting mercenaries...etc and fighting each other for domination
- Players unable to find a unifying leadership, they have to make their own smaller size player driven/lead faction like groups
- Ability to fight each other in regularly scheduled open world territory wars between players, also involving NPC's in PVPVE battles (basically open world warfronts instead of instanced ones)
- Ability to setup guild camps out in the wild with some perks and customization options (now that capital cities are no longer safe due to the factions splitting and infighting
- 4th specs gradually released throughout the expansion
- Old raids split up into dungeons and added to Timewalking system which gets rotated bi-weekly between different expansions.
- A currency that drops from all kinds of PVE activities from the current expansion that is used uniquely to obtain cosmetic rewards
- Mercenary system in PVE allowing players to temporarily group up with anyone from the new 4 factions based on whose side they are choosing to be a mercenary for (kind of like the SL Covenant system, basically, but allows daily choice picking instead of weekly)
- Follower system expanded on to allow NPC followers to group up with players in leveling activities only such as world questing and normal instances. This is to make up for the player base being split up amongst 4 factions
- Current SL gameplay loops mostly unchanged, now that most specs feel quick and fun to play.
Edit:
From what I gathered, it is not an actual split, but something similar to the covenant system. Warfronts are mentioned as an example with some similarities. This is basically what New World's end game PvP will look like minus the NPC's.
I don't think all classes will get a 4th spec either, but only where it makes sense and is something players have been wanting. Doing so is easier than creating a whole new class since you already have the class kit and all you have to add is max 4 new spells.
AI helpers during questing and doing normal dungeons in story mode/questing inside a dungeon is a good idea imo, but does not have to replace playing with others if done right, provided it rewards less than if playing with others and is harder/takes longer, rewards cosmetics only, provides a variety of solo activities to fill time with (instead of pet battles... lmao).