Yeah, having used the plan and also the emergent standings buying in the past, I do abhor the idea of simplification of the game. I love the depth and breadth of the game itself. I do understand that FC has reduced that in the past and that is sad imo. I have just recently read of the OECD standardized testing of 15 year olds in the world and in my Canada and how kids are literally getting stupider. This, for me, bodes ill for the future of gaming.
I want to see expanded avenues for both emergent gameplay and allow those who still, and will always desire, the hardcore and complex gameplay to continue. Standings would be a cool way to create Lore and other storyline based gameplay where you could track and follow the intrigue of the numerous corporations, factions and other entities in Eve. Whether thats, as you say, just making them rerunnable with cooldowns or something entirely new and imaginative.
Was an idea I had regarding using AI to do the manhandling and allow faction and corporate intrigue to be a part of Eve.
The base idea that would allow people to follow or create more granular standings gains/losses and then have agents that sort of “pop-up” and disappear again that are linked to nefarious, black markets, or other corporate/faction intrigues to allow something akin to the 16 mission storyline agents but that are much more randomized but where the choices affect a lot of things.
Or even be a stand alone missioning arc(s) where youd have to move between the empires, between high/low/null, or any areas to complete the missions or even be an avenue of black market sort of items trading between corporations/factions where enemy players and NPCs could hunt you down while you try to complete the missions.
But I do think the effort isnt worth the result more than likely, which makes me sad. But I think theres so many possibilities to engage in for gameplay and intrigue on a vast level. Both as line members and as director/CEO level intrigue.