ollobrains
Banned
It really wouldn't keep me happy if they just arbitrarily decide to make something happen at times. I mean, that's kind of what they're currently doing with wars and other conflicts. It just gives me no reason to participate in any of them because the result comes not from the player actions, or the NPC actions. Borrowing your example, an uninhabited system won't get developed as a natural result of the player killing pirates to the point where a faction a.i decides to move into the now easy and safe system. And a strong faction with lots of ships and money, with a high demand of industrial goods to support its fleet (unfortunately, resources like that don't even exist, seemingly) that neighbors a ridiculously awesome system filled with all sorts of stuff (like 12 inhabitable worlds or something else stupidly good) that isn't claimed by anyone apart from a few dozen pirates, won't decide to claim the easy pickings for themselves.
It just feels so lame when it's all clear that it will probably be some random bloke at Frontier noticing that there is some player activity in an uninhabited system, and will just spawn a station there and call it a day.
What they should do is declare a list of inner core systems that are under the control the game master - devs. Say major alliance imperial and fed systems considered core and have those as storyline controlled, outside of that allow a slow manual expansion of fringe systems that get a lot of player attention to reward groups. New colonies etc. Not major but pick so many per week. and look to automated the outer rim first make it that it takes time and effort and a lot of missions etc to get expansion going. But make it possible in some way. also allow population and economicflucutations based on famine and war and prosperity as well. Do it say over the next 6 months as they develop the background sim, balance things etc. But theres a lto of empty space, and if there is say a certain amount of player effort required to tip it that way u wont see a massive expansion but a slow and steady outward pull ( some systems could fail and become husks if that is also on the cards - contraction ) but make it responsive theyd probably sell much more than star citien that way. Might evn kill off eve online if they get it right