Caspian gave a nice list of the team's design goals for Chronicles of Elyria and the Feature Areas that make the game unique. I'm sure if you're following the game, you've heard about most of this before, but I thought it might be nice to have it all in one place.
A Dynamic World
~Aging, Dying, & Souls
~Body Dynamics
~Dynamic Environment - Seasons (Not cosmetic) & Ecology
~Families
~Tutorialization
~Reputation and Fame
~Housing
~Settlements
~Land Management
~Research and Technology
A Dangerous World
~Animal Behaviors & AI
~Needs Based AI
~Pack Mentality
~Monetizaton & Ethics Based Business
~PvP & The Dance of Dynasties
A World Requiring Skill
~Combat
~Crafting
~Parkour & Platforming
~Access Restrictions
An Event Driven World
~NPC Hierarchy of Needs
~Personalities
~The Soulborn Engine and Destinies
Realism for Dramatic Story Telling
~Survival Mechanics
~Limited Inventory
~Communication
~Contracts & Economy
~Organizations & Multiple Identities