I'm a newbie... but I know a bit about game design. From what I can tell, currently the map is configured in such a way that you must travel through a whole crapload of systems to get to your neighbor Nation. This has two large negative effects:

1) Universe is vast yet too familure, since you must travel through every system to get to the next nation.
2) Conflict is really fricken far away, making PvP a lot less functional.

I think you should put the main systems of the three nations right next to eachother in the center of the map. This will concentrate most of the player population in that central area, making PvP possible and other group activities viable again.

Furthermore, I think the additional systems that are left over should stretch out further and further away from the central hub of the three systems. The farther out you go, the less people you will run into but bots/etc get more hostile and space is completely unregulated by political consequences.

This would create an explorable area that is often untravelled, while keeping the central systems familure and player packed.

What do you think?

I think the whole idea was to be able to avoid conflict if you want. However I do agree that the current universe setup really does suck. What the hell? it's a ring!

if they want to avoid conflict, have there squad/guild/whatever provide an escort.

or is that not practical in this game?

I'm sure the devs have their reasons for the current universe design. They've proven time and time again that there is a reason for what their doing even if its not readily apparent to us playtesters.

That being said, I agree 100% with Tritian. The universe is said to be "expandable" so perhaps what we are exploring now can be considered the hub and secret systems will stretch away into infinity, but it really would be nice to have a few central systems to travel through so you don't have to go around in a big circle the whole time.

The idea of getting someone to provide an escort is sound, but most the time they will want payment, and you have to know that they have the required skill to defend both you and themselves effectively, otherwise your both dead...

Join Serco and I'll escort you for free if i'm feeling charitable! ;-)

You have a point, the systems maybe should be ordered in a more familiar shape with a clear centre. We are at over 7.000 Sectors and they promised us 10.000 plus an ability to expand. Or maybe the game will just not get nOOb friendly :D

well I don't really see much of a problem. You can home in any system you have decent faction standings in, so you never have to be taken away from the front lines of the Itani Serco war if that is what you choose. NT is supposed to be apart from the war so its territory makes sence.

It would be cool if there was some secret wh's that appear randomly in certain sectors that could take you from the serco itani boarder all the way to corvus or something.

PS there is a suggestions forum, it works well for suggestions.