* SOME GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS IN STRATEGY:
1 - With an expansion the level limit must be higher, I mean, with new features, systems, enemies, etc. etc. the level must be more different between players in MP in order to avoid the common situation of 30 players in a server and 10 of them with 30+ level and the same superweapons.
2 - In the basic game (without mods) there are some factions that don't have any allies and have many enemies so this factor is the gate of getting friendly/neutral/hostile with other factions without alterate other factions like killing Red Hessians to get neutral with Corsairs, killing Xeno's, and other..... I think this is and unbalanced point. You only have to read the posts in the spoiler forum to know why this game is so easy. So I think the need of the players in getting neutral with Corsairs and Outcast is only because the need of upgrading. To cut this race in getting the best "with minor problems", some of the rewards (upgrades and items) would be accesibles from "general hostile factions" like xeno's and red hessians, this would a real feel of a large TO DO list to get the best --> "first, get neutral with ... to get a bribe to get that; second, get hostile with your new friendly faction to get neutral to ......"
This makes necessary an "enlargement" of these factions (creating new systems with bases or stations with special items controlled only by these factions). Examples: 2 or 3 systems only for the Xenos, 2 or 3 only for the Red Hessians, 4 or 5 for nomads, 2 or 3 for the "apes" of the unknown system of Omicron Gamma, and 4 or 5 for the droids of the opposite planet, etc.......
So I think the actual gamesystem of a faction that control some systems with minor factions getting hostile with the bigger faction in a continous battle is funny, so the problems for the player are increased (be neutral/friendly/hostile with ..... but neutral/friendly/hostile with ........)
3 - There're some posts thinking in offering items from the black market accesibles from the bar rooms. I think this is a great and funny idea but must be based on a balanced system, i mean, best items would be accesibles from localized best bases and not distributed in the entire universe. It'd be funny to find some items from the black market of a classic base or station like Crete or Mactan when you are friendly with the faction of that base and in a very special random mode to avoid typical landing races to these planets or stations.
4 - Also the possibility of rent wingmen like in Privateer 2, if not, an option to get AI pilot droids in other ships (common and low level ships) improving your defense against enemy attacks (a nice feature for rich traders). This would be possible making them availables in the market room as an upgrade or in a new room developed. So an attack against a fully armed and
protected freighter would be funny for high level players, and low level players'd spend more hours to get a high level because the hard level and hard hostilities of that world.

* MULTIPLAYER:
1 - In other posts are thinking in adding features to the multiplayer to let inmmediate actions between players, like a key to say "Attack" and things like that, so I think would be funny because in a MP with players from different countries is easier cordinate a team/clan with people that speak in other languages.
2 - Trade system between players would be available in the planets/bases (avoiding the complex job of develop a system to do this, it'd would be possible in the bar room or in another room special for this) making non agressive zones to do this like Diablo.
3 - Maybe, it'd would be nice to create a system to avoid the lock of some players to a planet waiting for a low level player to get out a planet to kill him. There're some forms of to do this but i think the best is to let the player buy an quickly "interestelar" transport between some bases or between base/planet to a zone of the space of that system for a reasonable prize. Many people would think this could spoil trade system, but if the system is balanced
between the transport to the destination zones it'd give a chance of escape for low level players. Examples: Crete and Mactan are always crowded by uber Titans/Sabres waiting for you to get you in a unbalanced battle you don't want in many situations; and being killed a time and another time, etc.... in the same server makes you to disconnect from you favourite server to connect another where your status and level must be developed again.
* NEW SYSTEMS:
1 - There's enough information to develop new systems, so, systems of the nomads empire would be accessible from NY system during its develop for beta testing and finally pointed from the unknow system of Omicron Alpha. Since the storyline *spoil* a little the nomad empire. There's no need in creating a uber nomad system, only systems where nomads are like other faction (improving creations of other factions are explained and developed in other posts).
Systems for Xenos pointed from a system like Kepler.
Systems for Red Hessians pointed from Dresden.
Systems for apes and droids from unknown system of Omicron Gamma.
2 - The objects of these new systems (for example a Xeno or Red Hessian can be cloned from a original design) can be cloned from original objects and in the future changed with new objects (models, textures, etc) and new bases, planets, etc.....
In this way, new textures and models can be develop and stored until the propietary formats (*.3db, *.cmp, etc) can be cracked. And, of course, people who liked 3D work can work on this and people who liked in modding other parts can work on these other parts advancing the develop of the mod.
And the most important is that the new universe is available since the first release being modified across others advanced releases....

* NEW BASES AND STATIONS:
1 - I've read about enemy patrols attacking continously bases and planets and i think it'd be great but with modified parameters, because thinking in destroyable planets/bases would corrupt MP for other players, so the solution would be raising and improving the defenses of a planet/base with modified docking rings in the form of missiles/laser/etc stations orbiting the base/planet and also with destroyable and fully armed battleships that continously lands from
that base/planet.
Since docking with destroyable battleships/bases/planets is desirable but hard to do, uber NPC enemies are necessary to avoid the power of fully armed clans in MP in the sense of defending and making impossible to defeat a base/planet and give a more real feel of gameplaying against these objects. Making complex dockable objects would be nice like bases/planets inside
asteroids with a laberynth of corridors after the docking ring, and things like this.
* NEW SHIPS:
1 - Of course, making available for buying and flying all the AI controlled ships, but creating new models/textures for futures addons in the mod.
2 - So, since flying a battleships is possible, this must be controlled in order to avoid non real ships, so the battleships can be modded to be more slower in their movements than the rest of ships, because faster battleships vs little ships is not real and not so funny. It's possible that this can be a taste point but i think more real battleships can add a special feature to this game.
3 - I think, that modifying docking rings to be bigger than the ones in the basic game can be a good idea in order to remove collision problems for battleships, but increasing the size of docking rings give you a sense of not real planets in comparison with the size of docking rings, so planets size can be increased too.
Maybe making non accessible planets/bases for battleships could be a great idea in order to improving the real space factor because the size of the of a battleship in comparison with a station or outpost makes unbelievable...... any docking action.
* NEW UPGRADES AND ITEMS:
1 - Hardpoints must be modded (maybe only for higher level fighters) in order to be able to buy new upgrades and specials items.
2 - And the new items must be obtained from new places deep in the space in HARD TO GO planets/bases like (pirate bases from strange factions behind some asteroids and radiation fields.
2 - Some of my ideas (mostly of them not really new for the forum) for the new equipment can be:
- Cloak devices: I don't know how this can be achieved since targetting must be dissactivated and i don't know how to. But it would be fantastic if some of them can disturb your radar (making non hostile, hostile objects) or special features like that.
- Engine Generators: From Privateer this would be fantastic only for some ships.
- Cargo Fusion Engine Generators: Nuclear fusion of your cargo to give your extra energy power for hostile situations where you decide CARGO or LIFE. Fantastic for Freighters and Battleships.
- Afterburners: From Privateer in order to increase Cruising speed draining quickly your energy.
- Advanced Modified Thrusters: In order to increase your speed in combat, draining quickly your energy as the afterburners.
- Pirate Anti-Scanner space cargo: I remember this from pirate's missions from Privateer and i think would be fantastic for traders, but must be available only for some ships and in a secret place like a lost wreck or something like that.
- Repair Droid: That uses Shield batteries as the power to repair your ship.
- Aux Shield Generator: That dissactivates your weapons and drain quickly your power when activated.
- Absorb Shield: A shield that drains huge amounts of energy but that can absorb enemy fire filling your shield bar.
- Anti-radiation Shields: In order to save you from the Radiation effects.
- Nuclear Mines: In order to emulating the radiation field effects.
- Smoke Mines: In order to decreasing the vision on space (combined with cloak stuff and afterburners will be fantastic for light fighters).
- Kamikaze Artifact: Kill you and destroy everything at a range of 500m. The damage is the sum of your power bar and your shield energy bar. Imagine this on light fighters vs battleships.
There are other points to improve but i think some of the most important are described here.... as a little brief of forum requests...
And sorry for the mistakes writing this post, english isn't my original language and i'm very lazy to take care of that mistakes