Although many of us want a lot of things from the new expansion, I think the net gain would be more like this:
A new city with more 4000gil or level 20 +1 enhancing magic sword, reward quests with no real plots.
Another escort quest, too bad you can only do one a week.
One or two new areas for end game exp.
A lot more level capped BCs, possibly longer story but most likely a lot easier and rewarding than CoP.
A lot more low level content, most of it will be garbage though.
Several new HNM (non-alliance aka Xotol)
NPC related advancement.
A new collection of JA's via merit. Most will be worthless, a few will be useful. I doubt any will be world changing (think divine veil trait, nice but didn't change the game).
Of the three new jobs one will be broken, one will be a copy, and the last will be a broken copy.
Wyrm class hnm (though probably demons or w/e SE's flavor of the month is). I'm thinking 72 hour pops again. One will have nice items the others won't be worth fighting except for BK points.
More of your favorite monsters in startling new colours. (A green crawler with a healling JA).
Fun new status effects, all erase only, (JA block or something fun like that).
Speculation of a new thematic area like sea, sky, and ground (thinking a sewer, hole in the ground, or mountain).
Expansion of limbus.
Expansion of dynamis.
More BCNM/ENM.
More situational side-grade armor (Have 11 fishing yet?)
I do think SE will try to put a good deal of effort into early to mid game content. I think we will all win in some respect with this and I hope it's fun.