Space whales need to be added.

...
Hey, you asked for an idea, and I gave one :p

How about a freighter sized capital, small enough to pass through gates, but instead of a massive cargo bay it can fit a jump portal generator; a portal ship called "Atlas" ...or P-Body ...powered by potatoes.

Example: based on Orca Hull

... includes 40 000 m3 Corp. Hangar and 400 000 m3 ship main bay powered by Orca systems (while anchored or not)
... and 30 000 m3 for starbase structures

Assuming that a 1 slot lab requires 1000m3, 20000 MW and 100 tf, you could get 20 (flexible) slots for
20,000 m3
400,000 MW
2000 tf
Add Caldari Control Module Medium (resembling Caldari Control Tower Medium) with
4000 m3 providing
1,375,000 MW and
3,750 tf
and you have a mobile laboratory.

Example: based on Rorqual Hull

... includes 30 000 m3 Corp. Hangar and 1 000 000 m3 ship main bay powered by Rorqual systems (while anchored or not)
... and 40 000 m3 for starbase structures

that could be something to call home :D

My ideas for Mobile bases:

http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1458951

I also have a thread on the topic: Hive Ships
The Hive Ship thread also existed on the old forums, but this is on the new.

Industrial mother-ships? Sounds a lot like old-school HOMEWORLD.

After reading through this, I really like the ideas people have suggested. If people have read through the deep space thread (it's somewhere in F&I) the two could really go hand in hand.

mobile poses would go a long way to it.

I think you are really on to something, CCP should listen. We do need to have a supported nomadic play style.

It is really a struggle at times because it seems like the entire universe is fighting you.

The fundamental basis here is that to play extensively in space that you don't control you need one of two options:

1. A ship that is capable of truly extended independent operations.
2. A mobile base that you can fly away from for hours at a time with a *reasonable expectation* that it will still be there when you get back.

First, a minor change in game play:
Let anchoring be available for any kind of ship.
maybe with increasing anchoring time depending on hull size,
e.g frigate & destroyer - 1 minute, cruiser & BC - 2 minutes, BS - 3 minutes, (non-super) captials - 4 minutes, super capitals 5 minutes
And of course the same time for unanchoring.
This time is required to turn the main engine off / on.

Before initiating the anchor process you have to eject.

Once the ship is anchored you can access the hangars and use modules similar to POS.
E.g. if you anchored a ship with a remote armor repair system, you could use that to repair another ship (not the one mounting that module).
In other aspects it behaves similar to an anchored container (anchored for corp or personal usage)

So, in case of carriers/Rorqual/Orca you would have a little base of operation but it would be pretty vulnerable.

Because of that we need the
Stealth Module
Only works with anchored ships and renders them improbable.
Otherwise similar to cloak, i.e. you may not run any other module beside.

While an anchored ship with a running stealth module is improbable,
every probable thing around still is probable. The ship itself will be probable again while unanchoring or after the stealth module is turned off, e.g. to run a repair system module.

Some of your ideas are interesting but I have some concerns about making space too small. The easier it is to haul your digital life around the smaller space becomes. Some inconvenience is a good thing.