dead means dead servers
Obviously this isn't for everyone, some changes would be needed for the game.
The idea is make a game where a sunk or destroyed ship, remains destroyed, all the tech is still available and ships, however if a ship dies in combat its dead.
Bases would need to be switched up, would be a npc like drac base, where several people dock at them. if you where to log out, some one nukes your base, you theoretically would be back at 0, which is a little harsh. Implementing alliance bases for example, would be a far better alternative. if you attack a base and know you could lose for example a triton or atlas carrier, which may take months to rebuild, or more than a few coins. Another thing would be less focus on events, and make it pvp orientated, with economic development.
Blueprints would not exist, you would need to kill npc's, and get a chance at winning a piece or 2, or a hull.
It would result in a few classes, the hunters, that live off killing npc's for profit. you have the base/economic developers, which make docks, and shipyards, making, refitting and building things for profit. have the miners, a base would have no resource production in them. rockets would need to get removed sadly, the ability to nuke a atlas while funny for the one nuking, may lead to some very bad blood. Obviously get player hunters which try to steal there ships and resources.
You would be able to buy and sell ships and equipment. As well as services like repairing and docking.
Each base would have a market, allowing you to sell items on it, the ability to trade at a base would not be a given, alliances can set the ability... for example block a player, allow alliance only trading, allow only selling of goods.
Bases can and will be destroyed, the map would need to be larger.. or buildings made smaller, you would need to buy a tile from the alliance to use and own it. There would be player owned turrets, meaning the players are responsible for there defense, along with fleets guarding the base/bases.
This game idea creates a more old school style of game play, more closely linked to the first few months of the game, before events and all the extras tossed in, it becomes a battle game, where you can see entire armadas destroyed. It keeps things fresh and new, a player on top one day could be broke without a ship the next. Not all players will like that, but the ones seeking action... which i'm willing to guess is the majority. it wouldn't be a situation of eliminating battle pirates or vega conflict, it would be able to run them at the same time, where you can do updates at the same time for both games.
The best part about this is, you have the coding already, have the art, the concept, the story, a large player base familiar with it. One thing you hear older players always say is be patient and wait and build, and wait and wait. while its true, most people do not have patience, they seek immediate gratification, many players are young, obviously little to no patience as a hole. What this does is make some serious alliances, some very fast paced combat. the question is, is how would it get monetized... simply put make the cost of bases increase, more or less whales become land owners, and to improve what they make, they need to get all whale like., give them a phobia about having it blown up, and there going to invest heavily in defenses to the point its absurd. problems solved 