Personally I think that the game needs a better PvP experience. There really isn't any reason for people to engage with each other. We build these awesome ships and bases that go unused most of the time. There is no sense of competition in this game. That is what it needs the most. The rest is just mechanics and play style adjustments. It's not enough to build a massive ship. I want to use it, and I want a reason to use it. I want somebody to try and take it from me. I want to solve problems and face situations that I can't in other games. I want to negotiate with other factions, form and break alliances. I want to play the hero, the villain, and the unknown soldier. I want all of this to be an integral part of the game. Until competition is introduced it is just a glorified sandbox.
Factions are boring because they can't claim ground or gain any sort of tactical advantage over single players or other factions. There really isnt a reason to take more than one world. I would even argue that this should come before balancing the game. If nobody competes, then it is impossible to measure balance. A simple scoring system may even work. Factions and players would be awarded points based on enemies destroyed, planets claimed, and resources mined. This is really just a first order approximation such that people have bragging rights. The game needs competition, regardless of how it is produced.
