To be fair, *this* MMO (ARR) has been out about 7 months, not 4 years. Any work they may or may not have done for the 1.0 game engine has to be recoded into their new 2.0 game engine. Sure I played it from the 1.0 betas but it's *not* the same game.
You know... like different things have designations (like for example trying to say the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) Constitution Class (Kirk) is the same as the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) Galaxy class (Picard).. The only thing they share in common is a general shape and the name Enterprise. But all the inner workings are totally different) This is why A Realm Reborn (ARR designation) can't really be compared with the 1.0 game engine. It's like cutting up and apple and an orange, mixing up the pieces and then trying to make the apple fit into the oranges skin.
What they had planned for 1.0 is more than likely not the same thing we will receive in 2.0.