To me open is the best way to play. The galaxy is big enough you can play in the bubble for days and not see a single soul, let alone heading out into the black exploring, when it can be months between contacts. With the PS4 community starting from scratch having everyone in open would give more change for interaction, which is where so much of the silliness and fun can come from.
Still, everyone plays the game their own way, so don't mind me, just o7 and say Hi if you see me out there and I'll try to reply (I'll work out how to use the chat window properly this time, honest<g>)