These are only my thoughts, I have not tried to dig down into the mechanics like some. I just want to enjoy the game at a casual level and these are the things i notice.  I know we have not seen the mapping of game development for the future layout so I am sure quite a few things mentioned are possibly on it, but here we go anyways

CONS/SUGGESTIONS

Auto-pin planets option, not having to drag.

Bring back the toggle switch for auto placement of structures, having to remember to hold down CTRL is a pain.

The Heavy Cruisers are ugly.

Strike craft are way too over powered right now. a fleet of 10 carriers absolutely trashed multiple capital ships and heavy cruisers before they got to them, as well the flak frigates seem to have almost no effect before they are instantly destroyed.

Ships look way to bright and clean especially in the sun reflection, almost cartoonish. This is war and space actually has a lot of crap out there to create pitting at the very least, or if even possible... actual, visual damage to ships during battle possibly. Its a smooth graphic engine and i feel like it can do so more.

Is it possible that when we pick our team color or graphic that it shows on ships? (or does it already do that and i missed it? lol)

The bright cyan displays around planets is distracting and overwhelming.  Something a little more subtle or fade outs? 

The research tree, well no tree, feels like something from a Nintendo game in the 80s.  Bring back the tree or something that allows us to see a path through the upgrades. Ie. Volcanic colonization, but now i have to scroll through list looking for anything that affects a volcanic planet... tree!!!

Research again. Please add more. Feels like I can do the research tree in the first few planets and then its done.  Feels like its not vital to the game for any length of time, nor do i feel like there is an impact on how they affect ships. The grind to earn the upgrades made it satisfying on Sins1 and felt like they had an impact.

Also on research.. the descriptions make it seem like certain upgrades are only for capitals or titans (they are only unlocks) yet they do affect other ships  while other research lists out all the ships it affects. Seems inconsistent to me.

Capital ships seem so very very weak. Leave it at that.

The notifications... ugh!  After a few planets and battles going I tend to ignore those notification boxes as they are too numerous and honestly don't tell me much. (something like an unhappy face is pretty useless)  Would rather be able to have a little text box set off to the side (can be open or minimized) that tells what is happening with actual words i can read. Sins1 definitely had it better with the icon on the bottom of screen you could click to see the text notifications, but I think having a text box that we can open or minimize to the side of screen with push notifications would be more natural and provide better explanations on what's going around my systems.

Mining is broken.  I should be able to place a mining camp at the very least on level 1 of mining, with the increases coming as i increase it.  Makes no sense that one planet take 4 upgrades to build a mine while another planet takes only a couple.

If there is going to be listing ships by DPS and armor penetration, why wouldn't it show how each weapon type affects shields?  Or perhaps in research there are research with weapons that are more specific against shields and others for armor?

There is no true explanation on how to get exotics... excavate planets (which seems very weak and useless other then getting a exotic out of it) or how the exotic refinery produces WHAT type of exotic... can you set it to refine a particular type, is there a particular type of exotic per planet, what "raw" materials does it need..

Don't like that there is only FFA and an automatic team split.  Liked being able to go up against all the computers.

Definitely need more control over the graphics like Sins1. Right now everything has a washed out look to it with a blue tinge.  It is  like I'm viewing through a filter.

Hope in the future we can alter the orbital area around planets... the orbit with asteroids is especially small and crowded.

Would ABSOLUTELY LOVE being able to make the HUD my own. Let me move the boxes and things around so I can place the HUD how I like it. 

Fleet movement really bites. There are no formations, which would seem just normal nowadays, and having to hit CTRL to switch between group or free for all jumps doesn't seem natural... the toggle for fleet movement on Sins 1 at least made a little more sense.   Considering this game operates on 3d, why wouldn't we have fleet formations that make a capital "wall of battle" or pincher, or diamond formations with a titan at the front if a war titan/capital or it protected to the back if its a support titan/capital. (Homeworld series had that down pat in the early 2000s and it worked! Emulate it please)

Feel like support ships rush into battle. Why is a carrier trying to move up and fight when it should be pretty much be staying where you put it.  How about Robotic cruisers set to only move forward to heal then back to its set location or would like that ships could leave a battle automatically to retreat and get healed if you have those type of ships or structures in the planet well. Or even a set retreat threshold to flee a planet well. Would be cool.

Unsure when infrastructure costs comes into play.  All of a sudden metal might be getting that penalty, but crystal does not.

Would like to be able to individually adjust Pirate difficulty at beginning, like we do for the other teams.  That would be a nice touch.

Diplomacy feels like it went back to the 90s of only Demand resources and a synergy pact.  Miss the Sins1 of building out the diplomacy tree and the individual paid favors you could ask them to do. ie. attack planet, attack structures, ships, etc.

No Range finder for weapons or other abilities be it static or on ship (hold down Alt -  Sins1)

HAPPY WITH

Do like the planets list button with details and upgrading from within it.

Also the capital ships button so i can upgrade quickly and see their progress.

So very smooth!  Are we going to be able to push past that 2000 cap limit?  I would love to watch massive battles i put in motion.

Like the surface slots upgrade, though need more options i think, comme ci, comme ça.

Picking the trade route to maximize profits. 

"Last thought"... I get why you went with Epic, more money on the return for the company and hoping it means more back into the game. But you should have really checked your userbase.  You would have made more money on Steam overall i believe.  Your userbase is on Steam, not Epic. Especially when all your other games are on Steam and we can sign onto the forums here with our Steam. Odd. I only installed Epic to get this game, but one day it will be uninstalled. And unlike Steam which is in constant use and a reminder of games that i go back for nostalgic reasons (Sins1, especially with mods 2,772.3 hours) repeatedly... I will forget about Epic and therefore Sins2.  My only hope is that the early release now is counting towards that exclusive year, so when you are ready for a final release that its in time to be on Steam (where i will rebuy it just to have in Steam).