I remember playing SW:G back in the day and having a blast running around from planet to planet where I collected and refueled my little resource harvesters, tricking out my house with goofy decor, and building "Survival Kits" to put on the Auction House that had all sorts of clothing, stims, and basic weapons. I can't say how much time I spent doing things that didn't "improve" my character like a classic theme park game does, and yet it was way fun.
Its not going to happen, but SWTOR could have benefited from some more Sandbox elements, specifically related to the "Space Game". As a theme park, you can only take the ride so many times and fans will begin to get bored with the ride long before you can design a new one (unless you're a company called Trion). That being said, I absolutely (nod to Erickson) loved the PvP Warzones, but can not justify $15 a month to just do those (especially when the 10-49 Bracket is way more fun).