This is an idea I had kicking around a long time ago, when the server was far more populated than it is now. I don't recall ever bringing it up, but what the hell, right? It's now or never.
The ultimate expression of an empty server is an empty universe. And there's a lot of it, so much so that even the ultra-conservative devs pruned systems off. But was it enough? Not really, if you asked me.
So what am I on about? Re-condensing the server voluntarily, as independent players. We don't need to wait on the devs to make any great leaps of faith, nor do we need to rely on official factions which have vested interests all over the map. How? Simply by restricting where we go, and how we operate, to the smallest possible area that's still viable in some way. In essence, we're going to make a game within the game, self-contained so that it's "balanced" in of itself and relying as little as possible on everything outside.
In steps Pennsylvania:
This is one of the most densely packed systems that exists on the server right now. It has 8 bases, supporting 8 factions/IDs (1 Liberty gov, 2 unlawful, 2 quasi-lawful, plus Freelancers, Miners and Pirates), with two mineable commodities, 3 tradelanes and 9 wrecks. It regularly has at least one new player in it at any given time; I can say without hyperbole that Pennsylvania is the most populated system in the game 9 out of every 10 times I check the online player list. It's capable of running low-level NPC missions and has that buff to credits for captured pilots. It's probably the most carefully curated system in the mod because of first-impressions on new players.
Welcome to the snowglobe.
What would happen if a group of players deliberately played in just this area? Kept all credits internally; no imports, nothing pre-existing with F-You cannons from somewhere across Sirius. There's a variety of ships already available that accommodate all of the factions mentioned, and in any case being limited to what's there ends up being thematic; Only LPI is missing a fighter, and that's moot if you also want to import LN and a fighter or two of theirs as well. Point is, nobody needs to lose anything they've already got. We're starting fresh only within this tiny scope. But it has some pretty serious promise.
Remember all those miners you used to shoot? Well, there's only one rich place to mine now, and only a few places to sell.
Tired of empty tradelanes? There's 3 of them, where only 2 are viable for intrasystem trade. The last can be used against NPCs.
Yeah, farming NPCs would be a thing again since you're starting from scratch. In fact, without the ideal places to trade, pirate demands can't be very high. If you really wanna double down on it, force pirates to steal cargo, too.
As for missions, what if you bumped into other players mid-mission? That almost never happened 10 years ago and it's virtually impossible now. But in a single system, suddenly that's very likely. Turn that "capture so and so" mission into an unpredictable romp with a Rogue, eh?
So how do you start? Well, first you need to prefix all characters a certain way so we're all on the same page; We're re-writing the rules here to accommodate this game within a game, after all. Let's use P* for instance. Since the baseline start is too powerful with a decked out freighter, use a Restart command to get your preferred faction and a Stargazer instead, and make your way back to the system. For bonus points, we could also go back to form: The only restart allowed is Liberty Freelancer. Earn your faction wings the old fashioned way.
And from then on? Well... have at it. Keep the economy internal and watch activity spike as piddly 1k freighters try to bankroll new POBs and cloaking devices. The helium miners would be under near constant threat, the Police would be trying to keep the two tradelanes safe, and before long you'll have civilians and zoners so desperate that they'll become water miners in the far-flung clouds. Water miners. Can you imagine putting all those pointless water clouds to use for once?
Of course, it'd be an honor system making sure nobody plugged 2 billion into the economy. But then, if you're eager to cheat that badly, you're just making it unfun for yourself anyway. And as for players in the larger server butting in, the same applies. What matters is that this group is having fun with their roles. That's a far better thing for new players to see, in any case.
Questions? Comments? Rude remarks? Anybody down for it? 'Cause I sure am.