First i made this idea for PG, it was based on a PG version of SL. However that suggestion was made before anyone knew about SL, so i didn't steal 
However, I think it will be much easier here.
The suggestion: WAR!
It will get more complicated, but a lot more fun as you will get into wars with other factions and create npc's.
So, we now got 4 factions, nothing new, but kinda boring because you can do nothing more then shoot,
but why can't the players control there own faction, like in PG you can control a clan.
However, this isn't even like this at all, these factions are huge.
First of all you need an leader, you can have like in the real world an party that makes dissisions but first has to be choosen. Such party could have like 10 people in it that make the rules, like war with the pandora rebels or create new farms etc.
I heard from highway that we would be able to take a mine, but what do you do with a mine? You can't get money from it? Or do we? Well in my idea these mines produce money for the faction. Other factions are able to take these mines. With this CP that the faction gets they can buy new stuff, like NPC ships.
NPC ships are like marauders that are controlled by the leaders, a manager, he won't play a tank himself, but he will control the NPC's. The same you see in many other games. (can't name them here). You can send these NPC's over roads with real players and attack another faction or take over an mine. However, you might wanna use some of these to place near mines.
Mines are not used right now, but when it's destroyed an open building place comes free, the first one who is able to retake this mine gets it and the cycle starts over again, enemies come, destroy and the first one who takes it gets it etc. You need an building tank for this, i think it should be an NPC, that has to be protected, when it's destroyed you have to build an new one, this way it can take ages before someone is able to (re)take a mine and it can be a real war.
As I also told, i think there should be farms. Farms can also be seen in other games, as an maximum of troops/npc's you can build.
I wanna go a little further. These farms maximize the size of your players. If a manager only builds NPC's, he might have an maximum of players that fit in the faction and the faction becomes full and no player can choose that faction anymore. However, you can create more farms. And these can also be attacked. If there is not enough space for more troops because a farm is destroyed, NPC's will dissapear, maybe they could become marauders.
Anyway, i hope you understand the war system, where you can fight against another faction is real wars.
However, I think it will be much easier here.
The suggestion: WAR!
It will get more complicated, but a lot more fun as you will get into wars with other factions and create npc's.
So, we now got 4 factions, nothing new, but kinda boring because you can do nothing more then shoot,
but why can't the players control there own faction, like in PG you can control a clan.
However, this isn't even like this at all, these factions are huge.
First of all you need an leader, you can have like in the real world an party that makes dissisions but first has to be choosen. Such party could have like 10 people in it that make the rules, like war with the pandora rebels or create new farms etc.
I heard from highway that we would be able to take a mine, but what do you do with a mine? You can't get money from it? Or do we? Well in my idea these mines produce money for the faction. Other factions are able to take these mines. With this CP that the faction gets they can buy new stuff, like NPC ships.
NPC ships are like marauders that are controlled by the leaders, a manager, he won't play a tank himself, but he will control the NPC's. The same you see in many other games. (can't name them here). You can send these NPC's over roads with real players and attack another faction or take over an mine. However, you might wanna use some of these to place near mines.
Mines are not used right now, but when it's destroyed an open building place comes free, the first one who is able to retake this mine gets it and the cycle starts over again, enemies come, destroy and the first one who takes it gets it etc. You need an building tank for this, i think it should be an NPC, that has to be protected, when it's destroyed you have to build an new one, this way it can take ages before someone is able to (re)take a mine and it can be a real war.
As I also told, i think there should be farms. Farms can also be seen in other games, as an maximum of troops/npc's you can build.
I wanna go a little further. These farms maximize the size of your players. If a manager only builds NPC's, he might have an maximum of players that fit in the faction and the faction becomes full and no player can choose that faction anymore. However, you can create more farms. And these can also be attacked. If there is not enough space for more troops because a farm is destroyed, NPC's will dissapear, maybe they could become marauders.
Anyway, i hope you understand the war system, where you can fight against another faction is real wars.