mrdowns

I agree with most of the comments in that: 1) If they try to make an EQ/WoW clone, it will fail, and 2) It could be really cool if they try to break out of the mold and try something original that befits the Firefly universe, and 3) They'll probably just try to make a WoW clone, and it will therefore probably fail.

It's always nice when the fringe right and the fringe left can find common ground.

I bet the developers had a list about 500 items long of everything they'd like to fit in the game. That list was prioritized, then implemented in order of priority. As with any game, there's a cut off point where time and money run out: you have to decide on a stopping point on that list. With most games, we don't know what's below that point, but with Oblivion it seems we do.
Thinking of it from this perspective explains to me why they left in one inaccessible door. If Oblivion wasn't going to have micropayment content, I don't think they'd have put in the Orrery's content behind that door. I think they would've just taken out the door.