Watching people experiment with the server meshing test is pretty cool. I just saw "Ollie" finding the server edges and demonstrate how you can have two ships, one in each server and you can still see each other as if you're on the same server. Also bullets shot from a weapon crosses the server borders (as shown earlier), so if you shoot at a ship at/in another server, in theory you should be able to hit it (targeting doesn't work in this test though).
I guess in theory you can dedicate servers to as big or small area as you want and virtually remove hard limits on the number of players you can have in the same universe. You could be the only one in a session or an area, or there could be thousands (or perhaps even hundreds of thousands..) without you ever forced to notice (the sandbox experience itself sort of decides this). A smooth server meshing experience coupled with persistent entity streaming will be genre defining.
I mean, SQ42 has always been the only thing I've been interested in. I am not really into the whole MMO stuff CIG want to push. I can understand why they do that but I just wanted a new Wing Commander (or Freelancer).
I understand what you mean. And me too, I definitely backed it for "SQ42". But for what it's worth, I usually can't stand MMOs either, and I'm wary of interacting with other players. But when I've played SC solo (pausing for 3.23 Live, I can't stand the current outdated map system), to me it doesn't feel much like an "MMO". I have enough space to muck about on my own, I do my own missions and don't have to deal much with other players, if at all.