I certainly like the idea of story, like anyone else. But honestly? I think the insertion of narrative into this kind of game is VERY well displayed in Star Traders: Frontiers.
You've got a star map, a character that IS an officer, ship battles, and interactions with planets and ports that are very, very similar. Hell, even skill checks.
There's a lot to be gleaned from those guys. And it's only the two brothers. That game presents a real opportunity to parallel something successful, without the need to reinvent the wheel.
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That aside, it does seem like the FRAMEWORK for story/missions is just as important as the story itself.
Because mods.
Let's face it, this is more or less a Bethesda Game (TM) in terms of the necessity of mods. They add a FREAKISH amount of content. And more story would be welcome.
... but without a solid framework, I'd be afraid of the whims of individual writers.
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Can the story update and shift towards narrative ALSO come with other game mechanic updates?
Like the ability to have more than 12 buildings in a colony?
Diplomacy mechanics that are a bit more tangible?
Fleet / Faction deployments that don't come out of the Player's pocket?
The ability to get even a rough 'view' of what is happening in a sector you have a presence in?
Hell, there's even room in there somewhere for:
Engine / Armor / Structure / EW sockets in ships. Why would one faction's armor not be superior/inferior to another's? That opens up more reasons to Trade, etc.
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Every new building type opens up opportunities to go on a quest to help/hurt.
And if you really want to go the extra mile? Epochs. Periods of the timeline where power / technology shift considerably. Global modifiers to certain kinds of action. Suddenly Warp Storms are 10x more damaging for a period of years, and everyone has to very carefully pick their way through clear lanes. Or a series of 5 years or so where AI fleets are circling the space AROUND the fringes, aggressively cleansing / repelling, forcing you to hide in the core. 5 years of Trade Disputes, and tax rates skyrocket. So piracy and Black Market skyrocket, and diplomacy plummets.
There's a lot of room for story MECHANICS that don't necessarily need a lot of words put on pages.
Just some humble thoughts for consideration.
I'd definitely love to see more storytelling.