A few things I would love to see incorporated into VS

[Aacron]

I'm not sure if all of this will be able to be brought into VS, but there are a few things that I really like that I'd love to see incorporated into VS. Most if not all of these ideas come from X3: Reunion, which is another game I play often.

Ability to control more than one ship / AI pilot bailing:
Would be nice to be able to do something other than blow stuff up. Perhaps the AI pilot could bail, making the ship able to be captured. Would be nice to be able to get that ship, and tow it to a base (or perhaps put a very limited ai-noob, autopilot, or something in). Then you could say, hire an AI pilot (perhaps with an experience level that determines what kind of weapon systems it can use, how well it flies, etc.).

Station capture and building:
Once you get enough credits, you could buy your own base. Or if you're the more deviant type, could capture a base somehow. (may require something like troops and weapons in cargo or whatever)

More realistic economy:
Make it so bases use resources to produce goods/ships/etc. That mining base needs a lot of stuff. Mining components, robots, medical supplies, etc. etc. Some could boost production (robots, medical supplies), while others would be required to produce goods at all (drilling supplies, oxygen, etc.). The base would pay more if it is in short supply of a required product, and pay less if they have a stockpile. Would make the economy more 'alive'. Certain systems could have a rough time procuring certain resources, while others have an abundance but perhaps need materials from yet another system.

Out of system events/AI:
Not sure how VS does things in the background for other systems, but would be interesting to have something like the 'living universe' in X3. Ships move, products are bought and sold by these ships, stations use and produce goods, etc. etc.
Tied into this is perhaps the ability to deploy satellites in remote sectors to gather intel on these systems. Traders could use them to check on bases and see if they are low on resources and hence would pay more. If you own a station, you could place satellites and weapons/mines, hire pilots for the captured ships (above) and set them to defend the station, or supply it (put those plowshares/mules to use).
Have the AI factions have real shipyards that need supplies to operate as well, and they may build more shipyards and such to build up their fleet in preparation of war with some other faction.

I know some of these things would require a LOT of coding, some of it may not even be feasible and stuff... just figured I'd drop in some ideas. The X series isn't the best, but it does have some unique ideas that I find awesome. Aside from VS it is the only space sim that I continuously return to.

[Sarin]

please, read what already was proposed. Most or maybe everything you wrote here already was proposed, among lots of other stuff.

[Aacron]

A post that says just that doesn't really help. Also, consider that there are infinitely numerous ways to word it. So, instead of reading every single post in hopes of seeing something I'm thinking of already posted, or doing a google site search for an infinite possibility of different combination of words to attempt to find them, I spend a few minutes typing up that.

I have a life that doesn't have much free time, especially not for trivial things. So excuse me if I don't allot a whole day to troll the forums, instead of spending 5-10 minutes pounding a few suggestions out on the keyboard, in hopes that this game will frogstomp anything else.

[loki1950]

Good reply Aacron some of the things you mention are on the road map in the wiki with a rewrite of all AI functions near the top.There have been extensive discussions on improving our economic model.

Enjoy the Choice