I still think some if not most systems and sectors should be hidden from characters until they have been discovered. Maps could be purchasable from stations allowing view of a certain amount of territory or acquired through missions- such as the courier and trade missions.

And alas, this is not meant as a suggestion, but rather as a response to Yoda's comment about hidden systems / stations.

A linear chain of new systems with great mineral resources and no stations, forcing people to work in teams and bring tridents for support, with only one way to travel in and out thus forcing bottle-necks.

oh, for one of the new systems deep in space, can we fly through the leftovers for a supernova? i.e. the system doesnt have a star, but lots of gas and pockets of perma-ionized space?

Oh! Oh! While we're thinking up far flung things for VO's possible futures, can we have a corvette/gunship (variant of the Goliath perhaps) somewhat not unlike this?

+1 A-Dawg's idea, If VO had combat capships like that i would be divorced.

Just wait until you see what comes next: