Ultima Online (UO) is a hardcore MMO that shares a lot of similarities to Atlas.
You die, all your gear is on your body.
Your skills/experience persist after death.
The world can be cruel and unfair, especially to solo/small groups and newbies.
In UO a player was only safe within the walls of a guarded city (not all cities were guarded). Someone attempted to rob/attack you on protected ground and they were struck down by a NPC guard. UO implemented a reputation system, that was visible for all to see. Stole from someone, and you became a criminal. Committing a crime on a criminal was not a crime. Kill a player and you became a murderer. Killing a murder was not considered murder. Depending how many murders/crimes committed determined how long you retained that status. A murderous reputation could become permanent.
UO eventually added a mirrored world. One were it was not possible commit any non-consensual crimes or murder (PVE: Felucca), and another that had no restrictions (PVP: Trammel). At specific locations you could teleport between the worlds. However, if you held a certain reputation you were barred from returning to the PVE world.
I think Atlas could benefit from similar systems. A bounty system helps but new/poor players may not be able to afford a bounty that would warrant any attention. A reputation system should do more than flag players/companies based upon their actions, it should alter their permissions/roles within the world - e.g. thieving murderous band? You cannot enter a free port and trade.
Dual worlds is also an interesting concept. Allow players to level up and gain experience before transitioning into the "real" world (potentially limiting what can be brought over). And restrict travel between these worlds based upon your reputation.
The philosophy is your actions have consequences. There are laws and ways to redeem yourself. How you play reflects how others play with you, and how the world treats you.
https://uo.com/wiki/ultima-online-wiki/player/the-murder-system/
