I think a proper solution for a game that is hosted by players is to allow players to define how they want their server to work. First person only, restricted third person, unrestricted third person, etc. That would even include whether or not the ship opacity can be virtually varied. Some folks may want a server where all you get is a view out the ship’s windows.
In an MMO, or as the Battlescape default, I think that a simple over-the-shoulder (OTS) view is enough. I consider the EVE Online approach (backing the camera off arbitrarily) to be excessive. The OTS view lets a player see their ship in context, but not abuse the view for significant tactical advantage. It would probably allow some peeking, but given the scale of things, not much. OTS would be restricted to moving the camera to no more than one ship length away from the ship, or thereabouts.
In any case, I agree that the cockpit interface should not be visible if the viewpoint is not in the cockpit. That would include the highlighting and marking of objects outside the ship. All that annotation is performed by the ship for the crew members. The third person view becomes a meta view, a kind of break from being a crew member. It’s great for taking screen shots and enjoying the scenery.
As an aside, it would be nice if gear determined the cockpit UI for a given player. If I get into a gunnery seat, I get the gunnery interface. If I get into a pilot seat, I get the pilot interface. If I get into a passenger seat, I get the passenger interface. If you’ve ever fought the ARMA 3 vehicles, you can appreciate the consequences of doing things this way. It supports the idea of giving the player the information he needs when he needs it.
Further, if I replace the I.C.U. targeting module with the WhozWho module, I no longer see fixed-size boxes around every single moving object. Instead, I see the actual object with a halo, and IFF information is available at the press of a key. Or whatever. The point is that different gear gives different capabilities and a different visual feel. Different crew stations would invite different gear, and different players would have their gear preferences as well.
I’d love the sensation of joining a corporation and being given an old ship that has antiquated gear. It would have the feel of VHS tapes in a world dominated by streaming video. It might even malfunction from time to time. Imagine building in a procedural error factor into each UI element. Targeting drift. Static. Data dropouts.
Make a server into Junker World. All the gear is old, beat up, and barely works; fight! Or race. Or whatever.