You left the game and came back...what was different?

I left the game after my first 50. (I started in i3). Somehow I thought just getting to 50 was the goal and felt like I was "done" with the game after that. (I still wish there was a cool celebratory graphic whenever you hit 50!)

When I returned to the game, the first thing that happened when I logged in was that I got a buttload of arena badges. I had no idea what was going on! I tried arena with my scrapper against a troller (when trollers ruled arena--do they still?) and got my insides handed to me on a platter.

I also came back to Villains. It took me a long time to like playing redside. I just had a hard time with navigating (Yes, I am probably slow!).

I also came back to ED. I had NO idea what all the complaints were. I had my 5 damage SOs and my 6 end SO in stamina. People were (are!) so mad, but it took me a week or so to even understand.

What about you? What was new when you returned from a leave of absence?

Just to clarify, no I didn't have 5 damage SOs in stamina, just in my attacks.

I left a year or so ago.

I could not play the AT's I wanted (corr, dom, mm, brute) heroside and I did not want to play a villain

Teaming was hard to find generally, it seemed everyone was a level 50 in PI

I had to buy stamina

Low level travel was a pain

I am very happy with the new CoH.

Why does my Instant Healing toggle keep dropping? Oh its a clickie.
What is this ED I keep hearing about? Is there in game Viagra to fix it?
Who exactly is this Wentworth fellow?
Hasten isn't permanent with SO anymore? How else am I supposed to keep 3 pets out? Oh I can't do that either?
The dumpsters in Bricks are empty. Where are all the tanks?
What the **** happened to the respec trial???? Its so boring now!

University
Invention sets
Incarnates
Rikti warzone
Alignment changes
Mission architect

None of that existed

Probably a lot I left out.

I was gone a long time. It's a whole new game now. Its been fun to relearn everything.

I left in i4 as I recall. Right before CoV came out.

I came back after Going Rogue and the Incarnate stuff had been introduced. I had been gone for almost two years I think. I was tempted back by the decision technology they have introduced to the game, which I still enjoy and hope they expand to all sectors of the game.

The Market has also changed since I've been gone. I am not a fan of the market but the various changes and new currencies mean I can get the things I want for my characters without having to "play the market". This is great as I consider the Market to be Anti-Fun.

The other big change is that most of my RL friends are back as well. Not sure how that happened exactly but it means I have a regular online-gaming night again

OK Gotcha. Thanks. I wish the decisions in Praetoria mattered even more throughout the game. Now that would be fun!