We all know how annoying the current pirate ID is and how you are essentially limited to freelancer/zoner bases, so how about a few hidden "bases" where anyone can dock?
My idea was basically a form of PoB without an owner and dressed up as half destroyed cap ships or base parts, a real ramshackle 'mind where you step or you'll fall through the floor' kinda deal. Obviously these bases wouldn't sell anything parts wise or even offer repairs if you're that way inclined but they would allow pirates more places to dock without showing up on the navmap.
Now comes the interesting bit.
These bases wouldn't be static, every so often they could be moved and/or changed as desired and each time they moved a rumour would pop up at the nearest freeport/freelancer base giving a rough idea of its location which could be as general as "upper part of X system" or a couple of grid squares.
Depending on how its done, this could help generic pirates without the hassle of adding another IFF and faction to the mod. There could be a pirate haven that sells all the pirate line ships and tech, bases could buy stolen cargo and allow smugglers to run it back for a modest profit with the additional threat that the cargo may not be there for long (if the base gets moved/destroyed).
So heading back to a base only to find it's gone one day gives you
motivation to seek the rumour out & immerse yourself in the whole idea.
That would ease the stress & create a bit of new Discovering.
Adding to & not taking away, i like it.
How often should or would the bases be moved around, you think?
& who should call the shots on it being moved if there's no owners?
I'd probably say every couple of months but randomised so folks wouldn't know if a particular base has been there days or weeks, just to spice things up. You could have them move with the storyline, be created after large battles, destroyed after a certain number of dockings or even keep them around until players destroy them, its all pretty flexible.
