Just a quick reply to some of your points;

Cargo Bay : Where would you expand it to? Even without gravity, just adding extra canopies ontop your ship would adversely affect the handling (centre of balance etc). However, on the flip side, being able to reduce your cargo space for more firepower/shields/thrusters would be more feasable.

Missiles: Not exactly useless, just not that effective to fire them from behind the target. They get the chance to dodge or drop CM's. Fire them at near point blank when they are coming towards you. I have also found they work when you just get within range (1000m) and are out of gun range.

Missions: You answered your own question. Its a cut-down game.

Escape Rod: I assume you mean escape pod. Dont know about you but i would feel more secure in a pod floating in space, rather than hanging onto a rod (in the privacy of my own home is totally different ). But how long would you like to be hanging around in the edge worlds, dying from radiation before a kind hearted soul picked you up? Or maybe being sold into slavery by the crims is your idea of fun
As it is, the respawn option with the loss of cargo is as close as you get. Loss of cargo AND ship would be better (and make deaths all that more painful).

Landing: A painful point for most people. Again, its a cut down game.

Ranks and recognition: They are in there, its called your reputation. Though it should be more dynamic so that equipment/commodity prices reflect your standing with the particular faction you are visiting. The more they like you, the cheaper the goods. As it is, only guns are covered by the rep listing.

As you said, there is a lot to be improved upon in the game. Though i have a vague feeling that MS just pushed this one out to get it off their "to-do" list. We may have to rely upon the mod-makers for expansions. Try Hostile Universe. More commodities, ships & systems.

Just my $0.02, but it could just be the cardamine talking.
Nil Mortifi Sine Lucre
aka Shaman - gameArena Server

Heh heh, 'escape rod'. Heh...

Alright,okay,escape pod it is!(I was sleepy pleeeeeeeease forgive me)
The reputation thing is not working too good.All you need to know is the location of the bribe...Then money talks

Correct me if im wrong, but isn't that how it is in real life?

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