I'd like to see the tradegoods list increased, significantly, that a player can interact with. I'd also like prices to be driven by player needs. To do that, you'd have to provide a method of using those tradegoods.

For example:

Colonization, would require equipment, building materials, food, medical supplies, et.al, in order to increase colony levels on any planet. Players would need to build places to live on those planets. Colonists could provide some of those items, based on the type of planet and the focus of the planet.

Ports are no longer classified as BSS or the like...Players place buy and sell orders at the ports (no more A/I prices for tradegoods, except for a very limited amount at the start, perhaps), and players determine what is and isn't available based on what they buy and sell.

This is just the start of the thought process...it could expand much further. This wouldn't be a minor revision, obviously...

I agree there are some really interesting things that could be done to build on the economic system of TradeWars. And there have been a lot of games inspired by TradeWars that have done that. But one of the things that makes TradeWars unique is that abstraction. It's like taking the simple gameplay of chess and adding a table-top gaming combat system to it to make it more realistic. There are some awesome games with complex combat systems, but there's only one chess. It's that simplicity and elegance that makes chess special. In TradeWars, the simple economic system serves a purpose. The game isn't about managing an economy. It's about the strategy and tactics of managing an empire, played out at a high level where the details of combat and trade are abstracted down to their most simple elements.

I'm not saying this wouldn't be worth doing. I'm just saying that it's best suited for a new game. Maybe a sequel. Maybe even a new major version. But the core gameplay of TradeWars v3 won't change significantly.

I wouldn't expect v3 to change dramatically...otherwise it would be a v4 Just putting it out there...something to add a bit more strategy to the game....kind of like 3D chess is to chess

Definitely. I'd be hunted down if I did something like that for v3 ;)