Auto Assault gets first big update -- silence ensues

For the dozen or so people who actually play the ambitious MMORPG Auto Assault, they're going to be in for quite a treat today. NCsoft has announced that their sputtering MMO has just implemented its first big update. Additions include:

• "Über" Missions – Nothing says "Über" like seeing the few high-level cars actually still playing, struggling for supremacy.
• Faction Chat – Now you can talk to the other guy who plays AA.
  
• Character Re-Spec – Because retooling characters is probably the most exciting thing you'll do in this game.
  
• Mission Compare – Also compare how desperate you are to start a group.
  
• Loot Linking – Maybe a little WoW magic dust will rub off.
  
• New Missions – There's gotta be something to do while waiting for people to actually sign up and play.
  

Auto Assault had so much promise and it's just a shame that more people aren't actually in the game. Last time I was in the world it resembled something of a ghost town with little more than a couple other players passing me by here and there. It's good to see developers trying to be different, so let's hope AA's eventual demise doesn't discourage them from doing so in the future. For those of you who play, what do you think of this update? Can it give AA the jump it needs?