Gah, block of text. Sorry.. I tried, i really really tried I've never played WoW O_O
As for the on-topic part of this post, as has been pointed out, we don't really know - and can only guess based upon previous FO games.
Personally, I hope to see a game that can be shaped to a high degree by the player community, and has no real baddie standing in the horizon, but rather make your "Final goal" a matter of choice - and one you can change after you've reached it, at that.
Removes some of the
"From here on, there's nothing else to do. Make a new character or be content you've completed the game and wait untill the next expansion while you find the best loot"-aspect of the end game play.
Say you've reached max level, if there's an "ultimate goal", you'll have defeated the main bad-guy by now, or soon, what's left is loot-hoarding
.On the other hand, if there is no real baddie in the horizon with a big red arrow floating above him saying "Kill me and you win!" for you to conquer, it suddenly moves focus from the goal, to the path you take to get there.
Say you spent the levels (if they implement levels - again, hope not.) getting to max level, you're well and pleased with your build, and you got there helping out mostly NCR. Now what?
- Build a succesful settlement and keep it running, make it well-renowned?
- Make life miserable for other players?
- Become a tycoon and take control of the market?
- Become a NPC faction rogue and work your way in with the Legion? (Just because you're level Nth doesn't mean you get to do meaningful quests before they trust you, so you have to start from scratch to get their side of the story.)
The more options and control we get over the content of the game, the more endings and playability with one character we have, we get both options, and in return, gamesas would get a more loyal community in the end, I feel.
Wonderful thing is, none of the mentioned points above are exclusional - you can do one and go on to the next, or you can try a mix.
Be a wealthy tycoon running your own settlement. Be on somewhat terms with most NPC factions, be neutral to most NPC factions and align yourselves with no one, make your own faction, and so on.
Just because you got to the preverbial end of the level ladder (or progression ladder, which ever it will be), doesn't mean your character has to do the seppukku dance, or that you have to start from scratch in order to experience new avenues of the game.
Unless, of course, your personal goal (which is a key-word in my hope for "The purpose of the Game"), is to build a set of good characters, as that is the part you enjoy about FO.