It seems quite a few people were not around for the very early releases where Zetan was primarily fixing/updating scenes. However, that's a debate for another time...
This update - and by extension the past 4 updates - have introduced some of the most hard hitting content I've seen since I joined in v0.06. Shani's time with Julia (that one really fucked me up), Ivy and her home (history by proxy), and the whole situation surrounding Fairy. The expansion of Merneith's storyline in this update was not only well fleshed out, it actually gave a character I initially dreaded dealing with a layer of depth she was desperately needing. Kateryna also shared in the spotlight as the groundwork laid out in the previous versions finally come into fruition. Abraxis and the decayed casually dropped one of the biggest revelations that is a direct callout to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series.
Overall, quite a few loose ends were tied up or addressed in this update that are paving the way for future content to start fresh. It's an example of an author giving their world a bit more thought and care rather than just pumping out useless or nonsensical content.