I have a suggestion for if/when the crafting segment of the game comes out. I suggest that players could build their own ships using pre-made parts (like a "kit car"in a way). They could chose different body panels, size/ammounts of ports (there would be a maximum amount of ports, obviously), engines (which would be purchasable, not player made) and (if possible), multi-person ships (sorta like how you can get into cap ships and man a turret). This would make the game a lot more fun and "creative" for players.

Admiral Stan

Maybe if there were a couple dozen modable body types. Instead of large and small ports, there could be eight kinds of weapon ports, with a couple being nation-specific and requiring adaptors for use by different nations. Also, three to six kinds of equipment ports, engine ports (number dependent on size of ship, some with one, some with three or more engines, etc.), optional escape pods of various types (makes a form of permadeath feasible), and on some models the possibility of adding arms or fins with more ports on them. In the future, it would be cool to have unexplored sectors with the possibility of very rich players or guilds building custom stations. This would also work together with the possibility of capturing/destroying stations/sectors, and a real nation war. All this would of course be dependent on a new economy with real supply and demand determining prices and availability of materials to build ships/parts/stations.

We'd like to do this. In fact, if you look at the concept artwork for the ships here:

http://www.vendetta-online.com/h/universe_ships.html

You'll see that they were intended to be a lot more configurable. Different modules you could purchase to put here and there to make ships useful for different functions, or increase cargo or ports or whatever. The Marauder was supposed to have a configurable "tail" of cargo carrying units, which would make it from light ship into kind of a space-truck. Unfortunately, our development plans had to be massively scaled back when we realized it was just going to be four of us making the game, and not a large team backed by a publisher. So anyway.. we'd still like this to happen, but it probably won't for awhile.

The player-owned station thing though, that may happen in the nearer term. Our stations are modular on purpose.. we always wanted a "station designer" part of the game that would let rich players or guilds create their own stations. And even if that doesn't happen, we can still put together some static options for people to choose from. Player stations are definitely something we want, and are more feasable in the short term.

"The player-owned station thing though, that may happen in the nearer term."
WHEEEEE!!! That is all I want from this game - a nice place for my character to call home. :) (I also realize that nearer-term in this case may still be 2 years, but oh well).

Our stations are modular on purpose.. we always wanted a "station designer" part of the game...

Wow. Yes please. This is far beyond my expectations.

Perhaps introduce several pre-configured stations to start with, with a capacity to use "station designer" to modify/expand later for when you get around to making it in-game.

Zomg! SimStation here we come! :)~~