While there is still no release time frame anywhere in sight, there is a new video showcasing part of the creation process of The Secret World - at least in the form of one of the factions in the game. You will be surprised that the Templars are also nothing akin to the real world or the Assassin's Creed version of the society.
It is also interesting to find out that there is a "creation story" based on the powers you get for each character. That is, if you make a pyrokinetic, you will get something like below. If you make a brawler, you can expect something completely different. I can appreciate Funcom's attempt at delivering something completely new. They are going to need everything they can include as recompense for their other MMOs.