This isn't a game for kids, it's a hardcore space sim...
Ahem!? What??? You ever played a game called "I-war" or "I-War 2: Edge of chaos"? These where remotely "hardcore" Space Sims!
If anything is a HARDCORE SpaceSim it will be "Rogue System" from Michael Juliano (
http://roguesystemsim.com/)...
Elite Dangerous is a semi complex open world space game with some simulation aspects at best. Not saying it is bad, just that fun was more important than simulating correct physics or realistic behaviour of objects in space.
Ever tried DCS World? It is a "Hardcore" Flight sim. Full clickable cockpit, accurate physics, systems and systems dependencies simulated etc.
And by the way: Even this HARDCORE simulation has external views!!! You may choose to lock them down in multiple ways, but it has them by design.
Frontiers decision was not "to make it more real", but to prevent cheating, manipulating, and maybe having a future incentive to buy the external space walk add-on.
If realism / hardcore spacesim was in focus, they should definitely fix the flight model for flight assist off first! If you accellerate full thrust in one direction you need the same force (full thrust in the adverse direction to stop - "ye canna change the laws of physics, Jim").
Get rid of the ridiculous "floating particles" in space, only there to give you a feel of direction and speed (originally invented for Wing Commander, BTW)
And fix audible sounds travelling through the void or laser beams that can be seen from the side with out any gas fracturing them...
Why do weapons have a range limit? Beams or bullets, if they don't hit anything they travel until they do! It can be gas that disperse a laser beam or a planet or a station.
Hardcore Space Sim?! Naaaaah, not even close... A fun game with good immersion, yes, but no SpaceSim, and not remotely hardcore!