What *really* happens when they raise the level cap...

This post is more of a question than anything.

I am an 8 year vet in City of Heroes, so I come from a game where the level cap has never been raised. Sure, they've introduced content that allows you to raise the level at which you fight, but there's never been a level raise that allowed you to pick new powers or anything.

So, for you folks who've lived through a level cap raise: what can we expect when they raise the level cap? Are the current end-game raids going to just become obsolete and start gathering dust? Will I be able to pick more talents from my skill trees?

I really, really want to be excited about them raising the level cap, but until I know more, I'm more bummed out than excited. The thing is, when I've worked for months to get my gear up to Black Hole/Campaign quality, I dread the thought of just having to resume that grind immediately if, say, the level is raised just a week after I get my last piece. I've had a friend even leave the game because of the level raise. He was told by another friend that, in WoW when they raised the level cap, people started finding green-level gear at 62 that was better than their epic stuff they'd been grinding for at 60.

If I continue my Guardian's story and start getting premium drops from minions that are better than my campaign slotted stuff that I worked so hard to get so I could look however I wanted...well, that would be the end of TOR for me.

City of Heroes really has it worked out, IMO. When they introduced new end-game material, they didn't raise the level cap, but instead just offered a few new powers that you could get if you wanted to, but were by no means essential to playing the game. If I am forced through a level cap to give up my gear because the new, green-level gear that is dropping is essential to continuing the story, that'd be a damn shame. Especially if Bioware continues to allow 4 year-old, blind children to design the new gear they introduce.

But, as I said, I've never witnessed a cap raise. Anyone who has want to elaborate on what you think we might be able to expect?

(Of course I haven't read anything BW has said on the issue, so we can assume any thoughts put here are mere speculation.)

Some prior developer commentary on it seems to indicate that they are trying to balance it so that operations and whatnot won't become obsolete. I think 5 levels is a true community mental fabrication, and is only there because that's the way some other games have done it. It could be as little as a couple, pretty easily.