Hello.

First i have to say: i like the Idea of the Game a lot. Also the Game-Art. And i love the way you realized it.
Even the Alpha-Version is a lot of fun, very atmospheric, and does a great job.
I was not a Backer, but the moment i saw a Video about it on Youtube i instantly bought it and spent the hole day on it :)

Because i like it so much i have some suggestions that may be help the Game to become a Giant like Rimworld -
the potential is clearly given in my opinion.

Maybe some of my points are already on your list or even implemented (i have not finished my run yet)
but i think they are important in any case and i hope it helps to progress the game from that great EA-Version
to the Masterpiece it could possibly be.

1. On the hole the game feels a bit "slow" and (maybe therefore) repetitive at the moment.
I think thats mostly because the EA-Status and the lack of contenct and options, so maybe it will be fixed by development itself.
But especially the disassembling of ships needs a looooot of time and is a bit exhausting. The disassembling itself and also the recycling of the scrap-parts.
I was several times just staring on the screen for 10 minutes (felt), waiting my crew to finish this and that. An that with maximum time laps.
It's sometimes nice to just watch, but it happened too often. Anyway, here are some suggestions to fix that "slow-feeling":
- increase the speed of the time laps :)
- increase the global working-speed, maybe 10-20%. That should milden the effect enough and not "overdose" with more crewmembers (i only have the 4 men starting-crew till now)
- the little "hyperspace-cutscenes" are nice, but on the other hand you won't see them after the third time, its timewasting. Make it optional or just remove it.
Or: edit it a bit so it appears only between star-systems and you can see a more focused scene with the crew in the hypersleep-chambers - and the crewmembers who
don't have a chamber are puking right in the corner :)
- for middle- and lategame it could be nice if you can directly access known hyperlane-sectors (or the hyperlane itself) without the need to jump to every single sol-system-sector.
Sure that depends on how the Game works at all, more linear or more open-world-like - i hope it goes the more open-world-like way, even if it looks more linear until now :)


2. Some comfort-functions are needed as well
- drafting the crew urgently needs a hot key
- if in drafting-mode the "shoot"-button needs a hot key (the "auto-aim" on enemy-mouseover is to clunky)
- add an "autojump if ready"-switch that can be set on the hyperspace-screen, so you don't have to wait and watch the system to be manned and loading the jump-bar just to click on "jump" everytime


3. The ship-battle could become the strongest and most interesting part of the Game beside the (peacefull) management-aspect. At least if it's done right.
Actually it's very basic and a bit clunky. It will be a great favour if you aim to a rock-paper-scissors-principle like in Galactic-Civilacations or, even better, a more advanced system like in FTL with a wide variety of weapons, assistant features and counter-measures.
- Autocannons and Rockets which have a good chance to pierce a Energyshield completely
- Plasmacannons that do additional hull-damage once the shield is overriden
- the possibility to activate and deactivate installed weapons (because a Weapon-Console can only handle X Weapons/Weaponpoints at once - or simply because a Plasma-Torpedo needs your whole
Reactor-Energy so you can only use it with everything else deactivated etc. - that should be directly controlled by the Weapon-Console. The better your Crewmember, the faster you can activate/deactivate weapons)
- special plating to prevent physical-damage but maybe more fragile to Energyweapons, or can cause system failures if it gets hit by Energyweapons because of its higher electric conductivity
- Drones that can inactivate specific systems (a shield-generator, a weapon, a scanner...) - and point-defense to shoot that Drones (and also Rockets) down
- Engines give a chance to evade - better engines give a better chance...
- Maybe implement research to improve your weapons and equipment in special ways (range, energy requirements, needed weapon/systempoints...)
- Maybe implement mercenary-ships who can be hired by peacefull Players and defend them...
If you do that ship-battle thing right then im sure: your Game will burn the ***king community down :D
Especially if you add a bit more RPG-like elements (like crew-customization and progression, create a own coalition, maybe create a own space station...) it will definitely kick butts.


4. To boarding/head-to-head-fights:
in my opinion the game-design is not optimal for this kind of battle.
The Rooms are to small, the distances too short, the characters are overlapping - the micromanagement under this conditions is nearly impossible to handle, especially in realtime with pause.
The controls are to clunky and there are no tactical options to reach a intentionally positive combatresult nor -feeling. Maybe i get it by the time, but actually i think it's the weakest part of the game and i think you cannot make it significant stronger - per design.
In FTL it works because the active fighters per room are limited, you can close/open doors and lock enemys in or out of rooms, asphyxiate them (not necessarily the hole ship but one specific room), you can teleport people in and out, maybe assist with ship-weapons, drones etc. - you can perform a strategical and tactical battle.
In Rimworld it works because you can play with distances and weapon-ranges, tactical place your fighters, alter the hole territory or change your fighters location to support your preferred battlestyle etc. -
and you have the space and time to do that. You can even switch the weapons or flee and lock yourself up if things go wrong. Also - you can perform a strategical and tactical battle.
I dont know how it should work on Space Haven. Doors are always open, rooms and corridors are always small, enemys always appear directly beside you so you can not react in any way or change anything significantly. You are Lucky or not. Maybe your Weapon is good for the Range or not. But Anyway: you have no time to react nor space to evade. The only way to proceed is to use better equipment an to get more manpower.
I will let you know if i have an idea, but actually i think that part of the game will not become much more than mediocre and you should better focus on other elements.


5. Sure: you need the possibility to upgrade Machines/Systems to work faster, more (space)efficient etc. and/or the possibility to replace it with better/other Systems or techniques.
Maybe it would be a good idea to add science so you have to research the things you like/need first and not just pay for it with credits or some ressources by clicking an upgrade-button.
Whith science you have to think about the priority and make decisions, thats more interesting and rewarding than just "click - got it - click - got it - click - got it...".
And maybe at some point you have to decide if you follow tech-tree A, B or C for your reactor/weapon/whatever...
That tech-tree-decision (or -expansion) could also be interesting if you join one of the existing partys and help them to rule the galaxy - with their own unique tech-options and abilitys... :)


6. Keep on implementing crafting-elements. I like how the mechanics work until now and how you can use and refine the ressources.
You should expand this part of the Game together with the Upgrade/Research and/or the Ship-Battle-Part, i think that will work fine.
i.e. you Research "Advanced Steel-Refinement", after that you craft "Energy-Absorbing-Steel" with 2 Parts Steel + 1 Part Energium for better Energy-Weapon-Durability OR
"Hardened-Steel" with 2 Parts Steel + 1 Part Base Metal for better Bullet-Proof - and then build/upgrade the specialized Hull Stabilizer with it to get the benefits for your ship.
That would be great. Really great.

So, i think if you Focus on the main Parts "Crafting", "Ship-Battle", and "Upgrade/Research" and arrange the Management-Part around it, spiced up with some RPG-Elements, this Game can get top-notch.

I count on you! :)

Hello again.

I practiced some more and have a few additional notes:

1. The Laserturrets can only be charged with 1 single energycell, and only if this single cell is completely consumed
you can charge the turret again, so you definitely run out of ammo in longer fights.
Actually you have to check/see that for yourself and advise the recharge manually because waiting for someone to do it automatially needs
much too much time. Unfortunately you have to check that nearly permanent because you never know when a turret runs low because you don't have
a "bulletcounter" or anything - it just switches from 1 to 0 and stops firing.
It would not be so annoying if you could i.e.
- give a single crew-member a "reload weapons"-command - wich means he just stays in front of the next ammunition-storage with the only mission to wait till a weapon runs out of ammo and instantly reload it.
- or just load 2, 3, or simply a playerspecific amount of ammo into a turret so they are always prepared for a battle

Another not so nice thing about turrets is that you actually can not see if the charged energycell is completely new and "full" or if only 1 shot is left - in any case its "1 cell".
So to prevent a "start battle - shoot 1 bullet - turret is empty"-situation it should be possible to charge every turret with at least 2 cells, so you always have a minimum
of 1 "fresh" magazine with 100% load + 1 "used" magazine with 1-100% load.

I must say: i like the idea that the player is forced to keep an eye on the ammunition during a battle, its more realistic and ambitious.
And i like the idea that a can give that specific order "reload weapons" to 1 or 2 crew-members wich altogether means:
- i have to keep that ammunition-fact in mind and keep some resources for it (i.e. 1 crewmember for reload), but i do not necessarily have to do it manually (when i can use that special order)
Its more interesting that way than just to stuff 20 energycells into every turret and let go...


2. My impression about the head-to-head-fight has more and more consolidated: its simply about equipment and manpower - the tactical options are near 0.
The best "tactic" so far is to attack with 2 teams and "flank" the first team with a second one from the left or the right so you can create some kind of majority and/or surrounding, but i think its mostly a tactical placebo...
Don't get me wrong: if it stays that way and you give us some bulletproof vest, some energyarmor etc. to win via equipment it's an "ok part" of the game.
I just want to say that your attention should be with the other, more beneficial parts :)


3. It's unbelievable that an Alpha-Version with only the most basic functions is so massively addictive.
It's really fun to hunt down Pirates and other ships and capture their crew, even if its mostly always the same without weapon- and system-diversity.
Im sure, that ship-battle-part is a rough diamond just waiting to get polished. Can't await the Release-Version :)