The biggest shortcoming of Freelancer as far as I can tell, if indeed it really is a shortcoming, is that there is very little end game. Once you've got the best ship (whichever of the three top VHF's you consider that to be), the best shields, and a loadout of the best guns, there's very little to do. Very few enemies can stand up to what you're carrying, and the only thing you can really amass in this game is money, which once you reach the endgame you'll hardly have any use for. This isn't an uncommon shortcoming, it's just exactly the sort of limitation a game with such a simple progression ladder is going to have.

Now this isn't a problem to me, but I've seen endless complaints that when you boil them down are really about exactly that: no "endgame".

What this means, then, is Freelancer is about the journey. The whole entire point of the game is what you do to progress from your start ship to your final VHF. That progression right there, that journey, is the game. And I think that's what is escaping the attention of many people who play it. They search for the quickest way to attain their VHF then scratch their heads and wonder why there's nothing for them to do. Basically, they took a shortcut then complained the trip didn't take long enough.

So, for those who don't find the minimal endgame in Freelancer any fun, or to anyone who hasn't thought of this yet, here's my suggestion.

Start a new character. Before you launch from Manhattan decide who your character is and how he'll align himself in the Freelancer Universe. And don't take the easy way out, playing both sides of every fight to keep pesky factions neutral (Criminal players friendly with Bounty Hunters? Please). Really play that roll right.

For Example, Generic Criminal:

Rule One: Criminal elements do not use trade lanes or jump gates, so don't use them ever.
Rule Two: Police, Military, and Bounty Hunters are your enemies. Kill them all. On sight. Make them hate you from the bottom of their hearts.
Rule Three: Criminals don't buy commodities from non-criminal bases. You want those non-criminal commodities make like the criminal you are and pirate them.

Just those three rules right there will mean a much slower game progression. And you could go a step further and actually pick sides in the various battles between criminals. You could pick a faction and only fly ships that faction flies. You could decide to be an Outcast and limit all your trading to Cardimine (also limiting your ship choices to Dagger, Stilleto, and Sabre-- though doing so may prove difficult).

Now my example was a criminal one, which is perhaps the slowest-progressing of the possible applications of this approach because of the no-trade lane/no-jump gate rule, but non-criminal or pseudo-criminal approaches can be tried as well. The point is to limit your play according to the side you're picking and forgo making Friends For Tech alliances that are unrealistic for your approach.