Re: F2P maybe?
The other big elephant in the room, possibly the biggest, is the issue of Community Interaction. I'll preface these comments with 'yes, I know it's a sandbox and no, I don't want to turn Perpetuum into carebare-bots' and go on to say that the hardest part of coming(back) into this game and wanting to have an impact is dealing with the community while trying to find a measure of connection or immersion with/in the game.
My example would be coming back and thinking a cool new player experience would be having an Outpost on a Gamma Island that is wholly neutral and run by a Corp that contains only one or two players from which I, the hypothetical new player, could make dangerous forays into Gamma Space looking for artifacts or ore scans to sell. I looked at this idea and though 'with spark teleports this idea could work... and I could terraform an arena for betting on battles and, and make a Gamma Thunderdome like in Mad Max and...' then I looked at the community and though 'it'll get destroyed right away for the killmail'.
The crux of this issue is that Perpetuum is looking to be a new game with an old community; an old community awash with gripes. grudges and Extension Points. This will make the new player experience for anyone wanting to get out there and play beyond Alpha Islands uninteresting. Think back to when you got your first Assault Bot and went "Yeah! Going to Beta to raid!" ... now consider how it'd feel if you arrived and there was a fleet of Mk2 Uber-bots laughing at you and kicking your wrecked bot arround after 20 seconds... uninstall.
Obviously in a sandbox conflict and balance are incidental... the odds are only on your side if you plan it that way. Be that as it may, I still wonder why Gamma(no SAPs to hack) is a death sentance for ANYONE no matter whom they are affiliated with... why make war on a future ally?
-:does speak for NSA on the forums:-