combine the strictness of the code with the malleability of human agreements
I believe Hive is a very good example of what you are saying. The code defines a lot but what is not defined has to be defined by compromise and I'm not really sure that it works that well :-)
Yeah, the bigger the project the more complicated it is to be run in a decentralized manner where the social component is present. Looks like bitcoin is working, with its simple, unchanged rules. But they have their conflicts too.