Actually, here a suite of ideas, which may play off each other in different ways.
First on the theme of climate change:
Introduce a periodic natural-disaster event that changes the habitability of certain regions of the map (maybe on a theme basis). Maybe a landslide makes regions around the dump uninhabitable, or severely alters the respect per day for affected territories. Watch as factions scramble to reorganize. Chaos!
Maybe introduce law-enforcement crack-downs that shuffle all the rackets all at once. Watch as factions scramble to reorganize. Chaos!
Introduce city-planning rejuvenations that alter which territories border with other territories. Chaos!
So many territory wars.
Integrate rackets into the economy:
Tie rackets more closely to various parts of the economy, or maybe the points economy specifically. Maybe there is a points-lottery, where specific rackets come up for bid, that allows factions to buy into the chance of getting a new racket? Watch rich factions buy up tickets, clear points out of the economy, and yet....maybe a small faction that bought one ticket gets the next truck stop, on a lucky fluke? Watch faction families strategize one how to help each other build up. Chaos!
Many more permutations could occur where people try to leverage certain markets to make their rackets worth more. Maybe a xanax racket produces a certain number of xanax if the xanax market value rises above a certain amount?
Overseas Maps:
Imagine London also has a map, and Buenos Aires etc. Factions can have territories on each map. For ranked wars, a war still happens between two factions, but you can only attack people in the city you are in. If your faction has territories in a city, then you can get full access to the game interface in that city (change your equipment, access items, access armory). Maybe you can only buy items in that city if you have an outpost there. It will drive up involvement in factions. It will also diversify RW tactics. It'll also bring an integrated aspect of territory and ranked wars. Does your faction hide out in England, because the enemy didn't maintain a territory there. So, when they show up you have home-turf advantage (access to full interface)? Maybe the enemy cuts a deal with another faction to drop a territory, they send in a few brutes, establish a territory and then their fleet flies in to kick your ass? Maybe, you quickly move your faction through the territories, attack their territory to knock them back to visitor status and keep your stronghold safe. Soon territory wars and ranked wars happen simultaneously as good strategy. So much chaos!
I could be wrong, but I bet it takes years for people to figure out all the tactical variations that come to be because of this.
Sure they sound like big changes....but CHEDburn and crew managed to overhaul crimes 2.0....surely this is within their programming capabilities.
If you like these ideas please remember to give it a thumbs up so that it reaches the threshold to be seen by developers. If you want to add to the ideas, please do. If you hate the ideas then post a sarcastic meme of some sort.
Cheers
Dr Cyanide