i think that would add a certain depth to the game regardless of the point of the server when minecraft got a mod for that it made it easier to use chat on larger servers.
other ideas on expanding on yours are having the chat tie into the game more would be a communication block which you would need to send transmissions to other sectors although you could still receive communications from other sectors if the other person has the block mabie even have an antenna block much like the hanging light as people use them to look like radios and the bigger the radio the further the range by sectors and have it work like a bubble concept so only if the bubbles just intersect like at their limits would pop up with interference markers like // and stuff instead of some letters and the more intersecting the bubbles are the better the signal and that makes relay stations a necessity thing. Have the radio block toggle between boost or standard mode but the boost mode would send on a persons transmission by use more power per transmission, also having an option to only relay channels you chose which would work like a factions you make a channel by having an encryption code generated for the new channel and you give that to all pilots and it goes in there radio block and you can have a list and to use a channel you open the coms computer and click on a channel you set and then type or look at a ship use f to lock it and then open the radio and type a private message to them. All coms would show up in the chat with [transmission] on them and then a nickname of either the person sending the com or the channel its called on your radio computer this makes breaking someone\'s coms a thing and also a use for radio rammers and descriptors which would allow you to jam there coms and even decrypt the encryption on them with enough power and aerials so a long arial would go further but more would allow for faster decrypt of coms and this makes hidden com basses a useful thing in game even pirates could use jammers or even send fake distress signals for traps saying a trade convoy is under attack and allow you to find trade ships and pickup pirates before they get to your sector i can go more indepth with a bunch of pics and descriptions if people would like to see it.
