Reading this whole topic is nearly impossible for me and when reading the last comments, it feels unessecary anyway. I wont miss much.
This step would go into the right direction, but every official faction should be in close contact with the Admin team.
Every single player should be allowed to obtain a Battleship class vessel.
In this case it means, that every guy or girl can post his RP-post/application for a Battleship, without cut and dried opinions.
Those applications need to be attention handeled in a way, without emotions and hate from past events.
The leader plane of a faction has to discuss each application and story in a reasonable way.
It could also be more paperwork for the Admins and the Leaders, if an application got accepted because the applicant wrote a good story and seemed to be an overall good guy. But suddenly he turned out to be one of the bad ones. His case needs revision, SS-proof and and and....
This whole "Give the factions more power" is a "Give the faction leaders more power" and will require a LOT of trust from the community.
I say trust the leaders, but come down hard on them, if they abuse their power.
Cutting down the lolwut baltteships could improve the server gameplay a bit, but there will still be the lolwutting Gunboats and Cruisers.
But hey, they can be dealt with more easily.
Enforcing certain faction rules towards independent players is already in place. The code of conduct of a house or faction is counting for everyone and so is the diplomatic situation. Players doing their own thing and ruining a faction are already recieving their own special boot.