Interesting discussion.
A couple of things that have been raised that seem to be counter to rumours and back story as I understand it.
Corsairs don't attack Freeport 9(to eliminate the bounty hunter threat to them) because of the threat of a Zoner Juggernaught somewhere in Omicron Theta...
The majority of Zoner NPC groups consist of original Freelancer ships, a couple of fighters escorting a Dromedary...this would certainly suggest trade although the ships have changed a lot since the Dromedary was the best cargo ship available to players...
It would seem to me that the established Zoner method of operation is this:
Supply Zoner bases via trade with other Freeports and/or factions(why should this be limited by some form of ZOI if there's a valid RP reason for it?).
Not attack anyone unless directly threatened. There is a fragile balance to be maintained as a neutral of course.
If someone attacks you, either negotiate your way out of it, run for it, defend yourself or pay up...
then sneakily place a large bounty on the criminal via a third party for deniability(Don't forget to smile at the victim as the bounty hunter sneaks up behind him and stabs him in the back).
If the criminal is backed by a faction or is a bigger threat than can be handled by bounty hunters, take it to the Zoner Council and start the threats(The criminal should at this stage be expected to lose docking rights at Zoner bases as well as pressure put on in other ways..such as making noises at other factions to isolate the individuals or faction. Maybe secretly hiring mercenaries who can manufacture a good cover story to deal with the threat... as a final resort).
Seems to me the consequences of a Zoner being attacked repeatedly would be an opportunity for some good RP, not for posting about OORP.
The OORP would be in having a Zoner tagged and IDed ship and expecting to travel about entirely unmolested.
Or from the other angle, in repeatedly attacking Zoners while still docking at Zoner bases.
