I don't see any reason the whole X2 Universe couldn't be built on an FPS engine?
All X2 is, is an FPS game in space. Instead of trees and buildings you have stations and planets, instead of tanks and jeeps and infantry you have space ships.
Theres no reason you couldnt do X2 in an engine like the Unreal engine lets say.
Also it wouldn't get boring because you dont HAVE to do the infantry missions and the insertion missions.
I remember playing Star Trek Comman (i think that was the name of it). I loved buyilding up my huge empire and sending spies and emisarries and soldiers into planet misisons, and I always wondered how cool it would have been if I could take over command of one of those misisons.
Instead of sending Skywalker on a spying mission, better to take him there myself, Jedi Academy style
When I'm done, maybe I will go back and do some tradiong or send my fleets against another planet or whatever. Imagine the endless gameplay
As for becoming a space strategy game insterad of a trading game, it wouldnt have to if the economy was done well.
If there were clever ways to make quick money, and 'special' trade opportunities and routes to be found, trading would always have its value.
In Elite trading was much better because it was very dynamic, you could always find new ways to make a quick buck. Planets having war needed firearms, and then after they needed medical supplies.....even moreso when you pirated their supplies
Everyone is right that it would take some devs working together and would have its teething troubles to set up, but hell it would be worth it.
Even something like the SOF II random mission generator would be cool, that could randomly seed a whole level in a few seconds. No huge load times with that either
Anyway, it would be great if it ever happened I bet. Something for everyone and plenty variety to chop and change depoending on how you feel like playing.