i think its a mod design problem - a number of solutions have occured to me;
1. dedicated PVP systems- players start in and can never leave said systems, with greater access to equipment naturally, and clans can fight without embroiling everyone on the server(i've seen it many times)
2. camping fix - you can make the point where players exit a station or planet random by putting the docking point in a meshless file and telling freelancer to spin it. this would give traders, pirates, and newbies a better chance at a clean getaway
3. clan system backwaters - clan systems shouldn't be between any two points except more clan systems. people shouldn't have to pass through them unless they want to
4. the most profitable traderoutes should be those in remote areas, because you would figure the reason space is being exploited is that there are resources out there that actually pay - and naturally whoever's out there is in need of supplies. but, counterintuitively FL's best traderoutes are those between planets... this was probably a gameplay decision
in the end, there's always gonna be someone to take potshots at helpless freighters - but thats what bounty hunters(or just contracted bounties) are for
imo RP is more fun than PVP because its more than just a fragfest (which is why i don't play many 1st person shooting games), its also about diplomacy and rivalry and grudges hehe - also, i love coming up with creative trash talk, not yo' momma stuff but RP appropriate comments like 'i'm gonna scatter your ashes on my hull'