Would the ceiling limit be due to the game using a skybox so people can't fly through the graphic texture?
I hope they open up the offical WOW forums so we can try to get some direct feedback from the developers about possibly releasing modding tools, etc. They may be able to help guide us if their original intention was to release a more in-depth sim. Hopefully, the code is there in some form and they had to alter the final game to suit the needs of the distribution company.
They may not have the time or inclination to chenge it directly but might be able to steer efforts in the right direction.
Oh man, I hope they release a modding executable or an extractor.
