Game idea: Hack Net

Ok, so this has been posited by a bajillion people, but anyway: Uplink as an MMOG.
The premise would be pretty much the same, although the story arc(s) would be different. I don't have any story arc in mind at the moment. I'm more interested in hammering out the game mechanics.

In this version of the game (I'm gonna call it Hack Net, as a working title) the players would be able to hack into each other's machines. Also you can pick to work for security services (MI5, FBI, what ever) as a job. There would be no need to remain loyal to your employer, of course, and double agents could abound.

I'm not sure how getting employed at an actual place would work, since that would involve going somewhere and having an interview and such.

The idea would be to allow people to play at a romanticised version of cybercrime, but with a greater depth than the original Uplink. I realise that this would put off certain (read: most) people, but that's ok. I'm looking to create a game I want to play not a game for everyone.

I'm kinda letting this post flow freely, just to get the ideas flowing from my head.

The interface would be very Linux-esque, possibly even a Linux VM. There would be some sort of in game currency. There will be various servers for various institutions, business, etc. The stock market could be featured. There would be a way to find hacking work. Various community tools. I think a web browser would be necessary, although it wouldn't browse the real web. Same with ftp, and other protocols. I'd like a way that allows the system to reply to emails sent to companies - in Uplink it always annoyed me that it would say that the address didn't exist. Similarly to the original, hacking tools would available to purchase, but Hack Net would also allow the creation of new or improved tools. Scripting of some sort would be a must.

I think rather than a VM, I should try and create an environment that works like an OS. Quite a task, but I think it will allow me greater control in the long term, and make the game easier to get into.

Well, that's a starting point for the design.