Cool, I think I found it!
Gonna playtest and see if these do the same thing balance wise as I did with base price. (Looks like it should)
I could see a fun freestart RPG kinda mode where:
Ship prices are vastly increased, encouraging use of low end and salvage ships.
Make Captains more interesting
More powerful player/captains due to skill points or level cap being increased. (Probably slow down advancement, alter curve)
Maybe add the ability to hire captains from other fleets. (So they come with a ship)
Maybe combine with combat chatter type mod to make some Captains more memorable.
Maybe make Captains a reward for performing a mission. (Exploration, conquest, bounty, escort, etc..)
Make Captain locations discoverable like bounties! (Encourage exploration and travel decisions)