1) Scaling is super-linear, so players who got ahead only get more ahead. Unless you add some (frustrating) gimmick to give a chance for others to catch up, a small number of players or factions will control the universe
2) Fighting offline players isn't fun for either party involved. There are some workarounds for this, like EVE Online's timer system (bases can only be attacked at a specific time), but they are far from perfect
Make explosives absurdly cheap. Make other players hard to detect -- limited sensor capabilities isn't really a gimmick, more of a reality of signals processing.
One player with enough explosives and appropriate braking power could land himself in an automated factory and rig it to blow in just a few days (depending on the scale of the factory).
Maybe add a time-based ban mechanic to discourage this behaviour. "It takes X days/weeks to re-assemble your constituent atoms. Money will speed this process up."
1) Scaling is super-linear, so players who got ahead only get more ahead. Unless you add some (frustrating) gimmick to give a chance for others to catch up, a small number of players or factions will control the universe
2) Fighting offline players isn't fun for either party involved. There are some workarounds for this, like EVE Online's timer system (bases can only be attacked at a specific time), but they are far from perfect