What would be cool and fun about it? what would you actually do with it that is cool and fun?
Just asking, as my experience of these types of mechanics in other games is more dull and spreadsheety. If you have some genuinely cool and fun ideas for this I'd like to hear them.
However you didn't ask me, let me give you my answer.
What would it mean to have an own little property in a quiet corner of the galaxy?
- I needed to get some friends together and fly plenty of building materials (whatever these are) into a certain point (a USS maybe?). Together, because I couldn't do it alone, would take too long for nothing. I could already convince my friends to join ED because I could have a valid argument: their gameplay is rewarding because they take their effect on it and that motivates them. Building something and keeping it up and running, that is a good cause to do that.
- On the way we need to organize ourselves into (probably) wings to make our flights safe and sound and not to loose any progress. Fun and exciting because there's a point of flying together, there's a result of our effort visible to ourselves and others.
- When we have the station of our own we can customize it to describe ourselves a bit. Like a part of a virtual self. We would try to build in some specific modules to make the spaceport feel like home and also useful for other commanders if they are willing to. Not necessarily. It's not about power or control over your game but ours.
- Then we may have to do some specific missions generated by our outpost to switch it into the trade routes for example. How? We could buy some commodities which is cheap somewhere far away and resell it for slightly more but still low enough for other commanders to pick them up and take it somewhere close to resell with a good profit. If they want. If the profit is not good enough, they won't do anyway. But what's more important: we play around it and try to achieve a goal.
- We would have to run supplies to the station otherwise it's not functional. Depending on the size and modules installed, the amount of supplies are changing. That would keep us busy on a meaningful way: we need to meet some requirements otherwise our creation fades away. That's motivating. Also we would be more willing to get more money in by trading/pirating/mining etc. because the station costs a lot to run. So money will mean something and will not just stand there unspent because the ship we fly is already maxed and anyway there's no more joy getting another one.
- we could generate events around our little station. Meetings, races, training for newbies, etc. Whatever the sandbox allows. (Probably need more than what we currently have.)
- we could find other little colonies of players far away and start building up connections on a purpose - between our stations. Another layer of multiplayer gaming.
Etc.
I could go on with this list but I guess whoever is happy now already what ED gives will switch to "denial mode".
Again: if you don't like these features, you don't have to play with them. These will also not change the way you enjoy playing now. BUt will let others find their joy as well.
EDIT: you may have realized that I didn't even mention political factions or anything like I would dominate the galaxy or how I try to force you to play ED on my way. That's the most important to understand if we want to avoid further fruitless arguments about something these features would not cause.
