Don't have many answers, but WELCOME ABOARD!
The only one I can really address is the 'virtual base' idea. I think it's a good one, even though I would never use it. SH1 always started you in your patrol zone, with appropriate reduction in fuel and a line on the guage to tell you when you needed to teleport home. I like the long weary hours of travel, even at high TC, but I recognize that I'm not much like anybody else. Yes, I think that's a great idea.