I believe an update like this is something the game really needs, for 1 main reason:
A UI overhaul will help this game have much more appeal to those getting into nation sims, simply because it doesn't look like it was made in the year 1998.
For example, a study done by the Nielsen Norman Group found that:
"When we compared average number of fixations and average amount of time people spent looking at each page, we found that:
The average amount of time was significantly higher on the weak-signifier versions than the strong-signifier versions. On average participants spent 22% more time (i.e., slower task performance) looking at the pages with weak signifiers.
The average number of fixations was significantly higher on the weak-signifier versions than the strong-signifier versions. On average, people had 25% more fixations on the pages with weak signifiers."
You can find the full study here: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/flat-ui-less-attention-cause-uncertainty/
it goes on to say:
"This means that, when looking at a design with weak signifiers, users spent more time looking at the page, and they had to look at more elements on the page. Since this experiment used targeted findability tasks, more time and effort spent looking around the page are not good. These findings don’t mean that users were more “engaged” with the pages. Instead, they suggest that participants struggled to locate the element they wanted, or weren’t confident when they first saw it."
What this means is that when a sweet UI is implemented, people can find things easier and therefore experience less frustration on your site, making it easier for those already playing, and making it more attractive for those who may be interested in joining the great universe of Orbis.
EDIT Also, just for fun, here's another video from the same group talking about UI design:
Upvote/Like if you agree!