I will not return for this cycle or any future cycle until self-jumping is reinstated.
I accept that PVP is just part of the game.
I don't accept locking new players to a whopping 3 systems with a bunch of tryhard PVP sentry spammers.
I don't know what I'm supposed to be testing this cycle, but I can't make any progress. I just finished my first Lai, someone attacked my network node, and when I popped out to shoot back he had 8 sentry turrets just lined up to volley me instantly.
I started in Cycle 5 and I loved the ability to jump to any system so long as I had the fuel. The exploration was such a cool part of the experience.
Losing the map made the exploration even more alluring to me, but I come back to find I can only use stargates or catapults? Ok, let me set up to make a catapult, oh haha just kidding! I built a mini turret and it chewed through 80 rounds of ammunition on a single volley. There is nothing but carbanaceous asteroids in the starter systems. The SINGLE ingot asteroid I saw two jumps away had mini turrets guarding it.
"Oh, but you can mine the debris fields!" There are too many people in too small a space, full stop. I can't escape the starter systems, I can't establish myself in the starter systems, and all the free fuel in the world isn't going to change that.
I've been a staunch advocate for this "game" being in alpha state, but I don't understand what I'm supposed to be helping to test if I have zero opportunity to progress beyond a mini printer.
That's it for me until they give solo players an opportunity to fuck off out of shitterville.