I really think the big issue here is that CCP along with the general playerbase seems to tout the idea that everybody has to join a corp/alliance and play in groups to be successful (this is well shown in most of their PVE content, WH's, Incursions, 0.0 Plexes...). But while I agree that having people to play with and socialize with is one of the big draws to MMO's, I think most of what makes eve fun is wasted this why by completeing avoiding the possibility of playing alone.

(Of course I don't mean playing alone 100% of the time, but I think that it's an avenue that is very fun and one that most people don't explore because they either haven't even considered it, or they are too fearful of losing their ****, even if the loss is miniscule).

And to this end I think that the second big issue outside of CCP promoting team gameplay over solo gameplay, is that the general vet playerbase has turned the game into one where the only viable option if you're not a great player or particularly enterprising is to join a large corp or alliance. The reason I say this is because solo pvp is very dead currently (dead in comparison to what it could be, I mean), and largely I would say this is because of blobs/large gangs being ratio-wise more common to encounter than somebody else that you can actually engage and have a semi-fair fight with. The attitude that so many people have that losing your ship is so much of an issue that you can't ever take it out without backup is killing this game on more levels than simply plain solo pvp.

I think this is a tragedy and honestly I don't really think it can be fixed without a dramatic playerbase attitude change (which won't happen), or significant gameplay changes to severely limited the benefits of being in a group as opposed to being solo (which again won't happen).

A step in the right direction might be to make solo pvp much more accessible for lower level players, and although I'm on the whole against contrived mechanics like this, I think it would be a good idea to have a section of space where new players are forced to be sent into at the end of their tutorial (or as part of a PVP tutorial) that is a 0.0 section of space, but where only players under 15 days can go. Or something else along these lines--but an area where only low-skilled players are allowed who have no affiliation with a corp or alliance yet, simply to introduce them to honest solo pvp in an environment where they're not immediately put at a severe disadvantage due to a lack of SP, ISK, and friends to back them up.