I am working on a kids MMO with a very cool spin on it. Getting the Business Plan and pitch worked out...
Also, everything in this game will be scriptable. Users will be able to create programs to control anything, then license those programs to other users to make money. They will also be able to license designs. Exponential proliferation of designs and scripts is prevented by limiting designs per user to some maximum number.
Basically, I'm going to make a MMO, where the developers are out of the business of creating content. The users create the most compelling content anyhow. Oh, and the "gold farmers" -- I'm going to have them writing content for me! You can't beat market forces. Better to co-opt them.
You can think of this as Second Life in Space, with much easier implementation requirements.
Have you written any more about this anywhere? I'd be very interested to read about your game & systems design and the process you're going though.
It strikes me as a project of such complexity and delicacy that the risks involved in publicising some of your ideas are much outweighed by the potencial gains from starting a public dialog. (though I would say that, as I'd love to read about it ;)
I found Second Life after reading about Asperger's Syndrome and the communication problems associated with the syndrome that Second Life seems to break down. (No, I don't have Asperger's Syndrome; I am just an prolific reader.) What I was fascinated with is the variety of user created items and the pseudo-economy that developed within the world.
If you could create something like Second Life, it would definitely be used.
The galaxy will be procedurally generated. There will be millions if not billions of star systems. You will not be able to bookmark arbitrary locations in space, however. (Hyperspace is extremely chaotic and changing, so any jump to a coordinate in "Real" space will always be randomized and never precise.) You must drop an item called a "beacon" to be able to warp back to a specific location. A user will only be able to afford a certain number of beacons.
One interesting twist to ship design, will be that the shape of your ship will actually change its stats in meaningful ways. For example, if you have a ship that uses armor for protection, then having the hull of your ship angled like an arrowhead will give you higher armor values from the forward direction. (And much weaker from the sides and rear.) Having a ship which is longer will also improve the performance of axial mount weapons. However, increased length, size and mass also have drawbacks, as it will reduce your maximum turning rate and the rate at which you can change angular momentum. Components will require some internal volume, so you won't be able to make an invulnerable Death Pencil.
The game will have elements of "space opry" and not just have hard science fiction. I want people to experience the thrill of epic space battles. There will also be exploration and trade.
There are certain elements of "content" for which there will be "structured content creation." Players will be able to design new items. They will be able to play as whole factions if they want. (Using a distinct RTS style of play, controlling an entire economy of autonomous drones.) But there will be no drudgery of missions, no mining, no leveling up, no camping. Only either the action of combat, or the management of wealth generating economies.
Surprising as it may sound, the downsides that many MMOs have as games actually help them succeed as the glorified social networks most of them are. Boredom and disempowerment bring people together. As the cliché goes, they come for the game and stay for the community.
That said, I love your concept and I'd definitely give that game a try. I wouldn't consider playing a MMO that runs on rails and where I can't automate away my repetitive tasks. I think you'd get a smallish but interesting and loyal player base. Maybe it could reddit out from there if that's what you want; otherwise I believe it would work great as a lifestyle business.
Is it on purpose that you don't provide contact info in your profile? I'd love to exchange some thoughts with you (see address in my profile.) I worked for a few years in what is today the leading commercial space MMO, and I've been entertaining some ideas on those lines too.
Faction players will need pilots. Their AI drones will never be a match for human pilots in player ships. On the other hand, pilots will need factions -- otherwise it will be hard to generate enough wealth for the very best high tech equipment.
In my experience advocating player scripting in a MMO forum, I've observed that there is much prejudice against real life technical skills. Players seem to have less of a problem with other real life factors having an impact. Factors such as social skills or ability/willingness to spend more time on the game. I think this is because it takes technical skills to evaluate the true impact of mechanics involving technical skills, in order to come to the conclusion that they are mostly benign.
OTOH, I've also observed that some nontechnical people actually like scriptability and others can be convinced (with some difficulty; they often assume you're trying to skew the game towards your abilities for the sake of getting an edge) if you have the chance. And of course, people that can program absolutely love the feature. Unless you start with millions and a recognized IP, I think your best bet is making some underserved audience love your game rather than try to please the mainstream.
So I was playing devil's advocate here. As I said, I myself would love player scripting, and if I was to make a MMO, I'd bite the bullet. But whatever you do, I think these are factors to take into account.
Also, watching sci-fi TV shows for a long time, I've come to appreciate the visual value of "away missions"/shore-leave. It's boring staring at a starfield for hours at a time (even with cool nebular effects.) Is there a way to land on planets that have life on them (that is, not boring ol' asteroids) and perhaps stay there, living off the land for a while where no one can find you but for your radio pollution?
Sorry if this is all irrelevant to your particular implementation, but I've been planning my own similar venture for a while.
I'm sure you've thought about this in depth, but my first thought was, that if you could make it a game that a child could play WITH a parent, and both coud enjoy, then that would be something I would buy for my family!
Consider movies... everyone knows the highest grossing movies are the kids movies that ALSO appeal to parents, (Shrek, Bee Movie, Shrek II, Everything Pixar, anything with the word Shrek it in...)