Here we are, having the Closed Beta for Issue 16. You can find all kinds of threads speculating how things are going to turn out. Heck, you practically trip over them. But that's normal.
Earlier tonight, I was doing some searching for some old threads I had kept the URLs to in a text file, so that I could update them to work with the new forums. There were a couple that I couldn't find, because I didn't bother to note the title of the topic, or who had started it. One of them was an example IO build for a Fire/Fire Tanker that Beef_Cake posted shortly after I9 launched. I hit up his profile, and clicked the link to show me all of his posts.
That's when I stumbled across this gem:
Your hopes for issue 4.
Looking through this thread, it's interesting to see what the players were speculating would be in I4, waaaay back in 2004. Some of the things are only just now showing up (power customization). Others showed up in prior issues (mission creation, weapon customization). And still others have yet to make it in (weather, chest logos on capes).
For some people, like Beef_Cake, reading that thread will be a little trip down memory lane. For others, like myself, it provides an intersting insight into how development of the game has gone over the course of 5 years and 16 Issues.