[Aedolaws]

I stop playing every time simply because the games require too much time, especially at unreasonable hours, alliances often serve the needs of a few and there are tons of other game out there offering newer products.
I come back for the masochist atmosphere at the forums, the frustrating game nature and the fleeting hope I might finally make it to the top 100. But it all comes down to the fact that PA was my first mpog and sometimes I miss what I felt playing it for the first time during my college years.

Now, some suggestions:

(1) Translate everything into multiple languages.
(2) Make it so it can be played from any new generation phone. (i.e. i-phone like)
(3) Main Account System. Appeal to players' vanity and keep track of their performance. Reward/punish them with medals, reputation, etc (no need for $ prizes here, except perhaps credits).
(4) Many, many, many shorter or longer, faster, different (some simpler, some more complex, team, etc) games.
(5) First round is free for everyone with full functions.

(in-game crap)

(6) Allied players can only attack allied players. And BGs are registered and tracked ingame. For the sake of below top 10 alliances and solo players. You might want to implement a system for alliances & BGs blocking or declaring truces, and perhaps deny the right to the top 10.
(7) Fleet commanders
(8) Alliance const., research, wonder building capabilities
(9) In-game alliances for new players (i.e. part of the tutorial crap, and as a stepping stone to other alliances.)
(10) sleep button (for a few hours) once a day if no fleets out and no incoming fleets.

best of lucks