Okay - seems I have some questions to answer.
I apologize for my absence, I've been inexcusably lazy.
We are not remaking Privateer in this engine. There's really no point. John Cordell of Gemini Gold has that well in hand.
Right now there are 2 main writers and almost a half-dozen mission writers. The problem is that the Mission writers can't really do their work till we have a system in place to allow them to sufficently script out the missions. Once that happens, I expect the missions to flood in. The Main Writers are Sylvester and Hammerhead, with assistance from BradMick and myself. The story is in the progress of being written. The basic idea is something I came up with, but I don't know how much of it will remain in there - we have to make sure it works.
As for being stranded - you will almost never be able to be completely stranded. Every human-inhabited system has at least one fuel depot (think the asteroid bases in WC3 - basically a futuristic gas station) most inhabited systems have more than a dozen. They're scattered all over - outer rims near asteroid field jump points, inner systems in orbit arround moons. If you do happen to get yourself fuel-lessly stranded in a uninhabited system - you can always steal the fuel. Not particuarly ethical, sure, but neither are most privateers. I'm going to venture a guess and say that it's going to take a lot of effort, over a long period of time, to get to a point where you're stranded with no options. It's never going to "just happen". Even in Kilrathi space you can disable kilrathi tankers and take thier cargo. Sure, you'll have to fight through a basic fighter screen, but hey - that's your punishment for getting you pioneer ass stranded in cat space in the first place.
Anyhow, I hope this answers your questions.