If AI need to dock their ships to a personally owned space station within X system or another. You can make it optional that they must offer tribute first or pay an amount of tax (money i suppose).

Whenever the tribute is made, or the tax paid. The tax/tribute is sent to the player's ship by messenger class vessels.

When it comes to stations that AI can land on, it's almost going to need to be it's own mini game for commerce. There could be so much more to this. Not just introducing tariffs and/or taxes, but being able to handle storage space for AI rented hangars and so forth.

This topic is one that could use a ton more discussion.

Of course, we don't want to add "Space Station Tycoon" to our ever growing list of scope creep, but I for one would love it.

I wasn't thinking of a space station tycoon or tycoon related business, because that would make this game involve too many genres and that's not the way that Josh visions this game to be. But I too like the idea of having partial tycoon related elements of that there with regards to the stations and planets that you control.

In any case, I still would like to know of your ideas on the extensive tycoon side of things that could be used in the game.

Some of the thoughts around it would be things like, your station has finite space. If an AI wants to use some of that space for their own hangar, you have to make sure there is enough room.

Your station also becomes its own economy (unless it is completely unmanned) whereas it will consume food and other goods and will have trash and possibly manufactured goods. If it is a trading post, it would also need to be able to have room for all the shops to be set up and so forth. Repair bays require a bit of space--especially if you plan on repairing large ships (unless it's an external mooring instead of an internal hangar)--almost like playing tetris with what to do with your storage.

Then of course, any fees that may be associated with it. An AI wants to set up a business in your station, will it be for free, or will it cost? If so, how much will you charge them? If you want to have a trade depot, there is the balance between cost as well as needing to keep the space populated if you want an income. Adjusting what goods can and can not be sold (do you want to be a black market that only deals with illegal goods and arms?). Tariffs if people just want to dock, or maybe even some sort of code (no weapons so that perhaps you can try and stay neutral in pirate territory or part of a militaristic set). Maybe supply other services for a fraction of profit--like refining ore but not out-right buying it.

Now that I think about it, while you could really get in-depth regarding the different pieces of it, you could also simplify a bit without abandoning those who want to be an economist as well as set some defaults so that for those who just want a quick profit without micromanaging can set the style of station. Of course, now we're also getting a bit deep in micromanaging (which we all know is a no-no when you have a massive scale--if you own 1 station, that's great, but what if you own thousands?).

Then of course there comes the idea of defenses if you have any. Setting up patrols and the like. Of course, since this game is also billed as an RTS, this may make more sense from playing RTS games. You have rally points, waypoints, and so forth. Set a patrol schedule and treat it as such.

I know these ideas aren't structured, but I'm not too good at that. I'm sure someone who is much more OCD about organization might be able to put something together that makes sense.