Over the years I've written two series of articles based on my extensive game experience. They included suggestions to Funcom on changes that I would like to see in AO to improve the game (some which were implemented).
This is the list based on the "Dreams of Anarchy" and "Inside Anarchy Online" series that I would like to be considered to improve and enhance the game. Here we go.
Gameplay
Professional Missions - Solo missions for each profession, with rewards that they can use for their character (NODROP items). Reference
Mission Terminal Sliders - They should have a small help menu explaining what each slider affects in specific in a mission. Also the option to save (and name) different mission slider settings with each character.
Mob Categorization on PF Map - Hostile mobs could be categorized with 3 different colors based on their threat to you. White if it's harmless (grey mobs), Yellow if it can attack you (around your level), Red if it's deadly (much higher than your level).
Org Leader Empowerment - Org Leaders should be able to promote or demote orgmates which are not in vicinity (or offline).
Player Info Window - When inspecting another player, the following options could be available (under the "Inspect Equipment" link): "Org Info" "Send Tell" "Duel Request".
Manta Vehicles - These were the coolest ground vehicles ever added to the game, but nobody in their right mind would dump IP into Heavy Weapons or Vehicle Ground (minimum of 300?!). HW requirements should be removed and VG substantially reduced. Also change the prices, a QL 100 (depending on type of Manta) goes between 20M-45M which is unrealistic considering these are froob friendly vehicles. New Paint Kits and Skin Kits also would be good.
Yalmaha 29500 Vehicles - Same as above, too high VA requirement and unrealistically priced (also froob content).
Yalmaha Stiletto Vehicle - The only air vehicle that beats this in coolness is the "Phasefront Classic - Charon" that comes with the Orbital Apartment. It is hard enough to get all the parts for it to make the lowest version (QL 160) since the only other option is a QL 200. The VA requirement for the lowest is 920, that is pretty crazy for something which costs hundreds of millions to make. The QL 200 requires 1150! Leave the cost of the vehicle as-is, let it become a credit sink, but drop the requirement to equip it down to at least 200.
Condensing Skills - Ok, here is the short version. Combine all Vehicle Skills and Map Navigation and call it "Navigation", combine Breaking & Entering and Trap Disarmament and call it "Disarmament ", combine Swimming into Adventuring, combined Chemistry into Pharma Tech, combine Parry and Riposte into Martial Arts, combine Sharp Objects into Piercing,
Increase Danger in RK Missions - Alright, we've learned (even new players get it quickly) that if you hear the sound of a mine to walk around it and you have a good chance to avoid a little damage. Making mines visible add a more "immediate danger" feel to the mission. Adding "Laser Trip Wires" which when crossed (can be avoided by jumping over it), activate Security Droids would add more action to a mission. These mobs can easily be "cloned" from the ones usually a camera spawns (maybe change their color a bit).
Remove Rollerrats from RK/LE Missions - Yeah, really, who thought that it made sense that when you lockpick a door, one of these things would appear from thin air and attack, or that they would be in an alien ship! Leave them in deserts on RK, all they add to a mission is a feeling of annoyance.
Portable Mail Terminal - Add to the Item Shop for a considerable price, and add to vet shop for a reasonable cost.
Shopping Channels - Consolidate them into 20-100 and 100+, new players are not ready to sell to others for a while, let them focus on learning the game to at least lvl 20.
Add Items to Temple of Three Winds - The following Professions have nothing worth it for them in totw: Trader, Bureaucrat, Engineer, Shade, Soldier, Fixer and Nanotechnician. Add items appropriate for them and the level range.
Billboards - In the past there were contests where winners would get their "banner" added to billboards to promote their org. At the time, the population was larger and a lot more orgs were active. I think it's time for them to consider giving each org a banner to be added to rotation. This should include AO Fansites, it's in their best interest to promote them.
Vehicle Size - All vehicles should have a set scale (based on an unbuffed standard character size), neither nanos or items will affect their size. It's just common sense.
Upgrade Org Notum Silo for PvP - Make it a better dueling area by making the entrance corridor a safe area and also as a respawn spot. Once inside the main room you will have 10 seconds before PvP enabled, upon death you will re-spawn automatically at the entrance corridor with no death penalty. Once you exit the Notum Silo your default re-spawn point will be either Tir, Newland or Omni-1 depending on your faction. A message in org channel will announce the winner of each match within the Notum Silo.
Salvage - Add NODROP items which are "Salvage" with the value based on QL. For example a QL 1-25 would be "This is a Very Low Value Salvage". It would be something like this.
Very Low Value
Low Value
Average Value
Moderate Value
Medium Value
High Value
Very High Value
Extremely High Value
It would help new players easily learn how to make credits from the start. A new player is unsure if to keep or sell an item which most veterans know is shop food. Many times a noobie will have several full backpacks of junk which they are afraid to sell "because something could be useful or valuable".
Mini-Games - I know there is a racing track on Test Live, and that is a great mini-game to add. How about an instance where you "relive" the Corporate Wars from the storyline? You enter an instance where your character is temporarily in charge of a space ship and your task is to survive an assault from.. let's say Sun Corp. ships? the longer you can survive the more points you earn, and if you reach a space station you reach the "goal". Points would be given based on how long you stayed alive, how much damage your ship sustained, how much you damaged the enemy and the time it took you to get it all done. Put a Highscore Board on it and you have yourselves a mini-game. Added Oct 16, 2012.
More low-mid Level Instances - Alright, there is S10 and S10 for lvl 100-200, but what about lvl 60-99 ? Yes, there is the Temple of Three Winds, Foremans and Crypt of Home... but the past 8+ years and it's primarily for froobs, which is great. People have to go there for their dailies now. Good chance of interaction between paid and froob players. However, what about the paid player who is not 100, past 60 and is in limbo? Add an instance for 60-99 (please no more aliens, make it something original that does not give axp) that drops items which are title locked to that level range. Added Oct 16, 2012.
Global Chat - Crazy to think of this, but if there was a global chat where the color of your name is displayed based on your faction (white for neut, teal for omni and orange for clan) we may have a deeper line of communication through the whole server. Not everyone reads or posts in these forums, but those of us who are, can share the links to important posts like the monthly newsletter or some other posts by the AO Producer or AO Dev which may create a positive way of thinking about the game. Added Oct 16, 2012.
GUI
Friends Window Customization - Player would probably love the option to customize sub-categories and created their own listing i.e. "Tradeskillers", "iRaid Admins", "Clan Friends", "European Friends", etc. The limit of friends listed should be raised to 5,000 and the list itself consolidated to one per account. This means that all your characters will share one list of friends, which you can edit and customize when you are playing any character in your account. The friends window should also have a sub-listing of who you have on ignore, with the options to remove or add people to your ignore list. The "Recent Messages" list should be automatically logged into a file (like a chat window being logged) so that a player can check it at anytime after he logs in. Player sometimes don't notice offline tells so having a log to look up is very handy. There should be an option to "clear" the log of course.
Team Window - Add an assist button next to each player's name. Clicking on it automatically will target the mob that player is fighting.
Planetmap - It should show the location of players in your team in the world. If they are in an instance or inside a mission their position will be fixed in that location (does not apply to members of a raid group).
Chat Windows - Add an option to "lock" them in place, so you can't accidentally move them.
Quest Tracker - A Window that will list quests which your character has completed, pending quests (which you have not started) and quests in progress (with exact detail as to where in the questline you're at). Each category could have a tab in the window to select each one.
Perk Combo Window - Info window with information about perk combinations listing. The list displays each profession's perk and the correct combination with each other for special attacks. Learn these combos to make your team a force to be reckoned with!
Warning Window - A new window could pop up with a warning when a player enters an area which is considered highly dangerous at his/her level. This warning window could be turned off in the options menu.
Organization Window - Listing of entire roster of the organization a player is a part of. It displays who is online/offline (along with basic info like profession, level and org rank). As an option, a player could set up an "alts" list visible to the whole org. He would have to log into the alts for verification. Also (suggested by Namiru), "Date of last login" or "Last seen" in day. Updated Oct 23, 2012.
Script & Macro Maker - Add a user-friendly interface where all you need to do is select what you want to do and then just click "create script" or "create macro" and name it. Information should include that AFK macroing is against game rules with the risk of getting banned.
Back Item - Option to make your back item visible or not, like your helmet.
Pets Menu - Add a new button: "Guard".
Miscellaneous
Database Cleanup - Remove several items from the database which were left from different beta stages of the core game and expansions as well as other items which have not been used by players.
Auto Patching as an Option - The client should have an option to automatically save all new patches into the "Patches" directory in the AO folder installation.
Org HQ Seating - The seats inside the large meeting room in Large Headquarters org building should be made solid to allow players to sit on them as intended.
Improved Shop Signs - The old generic "General Store" signs should be retired and replaced with new neon signs: "Basic Shop", "Advanced Shop" "Superior Shop" "Super Shop" (Super Shop has both advanced and superior supplies). This should include the shops in "The Harbor", "The Market" and "The Plaza" in Jobe because nobody can tell which one is which (this includes veterans) without having to google for a guide.
Music/Audio Customization - Just as the GUI can be skinned and different custom Maps can be selected in-game maybe allow the option to select custom music from a folder in the player's computer would be nice.
AO Storyline In-Game - Add a few terminals with information about the storyline. As an alternative (suggested by Atomaell, a froob) have a museum with visual representations of key parts in history with placards to explain the timeline. There could be historian NPC's in the major cities (especially starter areas like Bor, WA and Rome) to teleport you there without the use of the grid (it should be immediately accessible to new players).
Alternatively, the entrance could be in ICC, with the NPC's giving Whom-pah routes from their respective cities. Updated Oct 21, 2012.
New Special Weekday XP Bonus Days - Here is an idea to increase player usage. Twice a week increase xp gain by 25%, an hour downtime may be necessary before and after each bonus day. "Keep an eye on the Anarchy Online website and AO Launcher for announcements of Special Weekday XP Bonus Days! Days will change every week, so check often!"
Loyal Customer Reward Bonus - All active paying subscribers who opened their account between the years 2001 and 2006 have their accounts flagged with a free Jobe Luxury Apartment and Pet Leet as a thanks for their ongoing support for Anarchy Online.
AO App - Contact the creator of AnarchyTalk (AO Chat Android App), buy the app from him, offer him a lifetime account (or 3), a boatload of FC points and make it an "Official AO App" and keep him on as a consultant so he keep working on it. He coded it, so he must love the game enough to probably consider this.