Im just suggesting to start with building a more complex crafting and more incentive to start crafting. Spread resources -> multiple resource types -> supply chains. This can in its turn be followed by a more diverse economy, more support for different playstyles.

So sinks and wells. The sinks should be the destruction of items, and the well should be the crafting. Make sure the wells arent refilled as fast as the sinks and we will have "supply and demand".

Dont want to steal too much from EvE but I think the crafting in eve is what drives that game the most, people are scared of loosing their gear so they group together, people want better gear so they group together to achieve that.

/ Kal Dali

+1 So long as the crafting results in a finished product that is worth more than the cost / labor needed to produce it.

I think that would solve itself with a decent manufacturing system. If the market is player run, people will calculate what items are worth and then add profit to themselves. This will eventually balance out if its an item in high demand. Lower demand items can vary more in price (just like normal biz). The same goes for the material needed to manufacture items or subparts I think

Eventually, if games become more like work, people will wonder why they're paying to play them.

Absolutely, but in a sandbox game I think you should be able to pick a path that you want to venture into. There is already mining (which to me is like some sort of work, looking at an automated machine, pressing a button every 5 mins (or less with plugins?)).

I might have gotten the game completely wrong, I didnt think it was a (fps?) spaceshooter with twitch control but a sandbox-game where the combat is twitch-controlled. But I might have gotten it wrong. Thats what I like about this game compared to EvE, the combat is actually fun.

EDIT: Just wanted to clarify that a lot of people for instance in EvE and probably Vendetta Online thinks mining is fun, and what you think is like work doesnt mean other people doesnt think that can be fun :) so no offense to you miners out there.