Loving the solar map so far. Actually, I find it infinitely more entertaining than the combat, which could be a problem, as seemingly every behavior on the solar map needs to be earned on the combat side. Because of this, I think some efforts need to be put in to the combat. Bionic Dues, AI war, shattered Haven, and Valley without wind have better combat models. I don't know what the answer is, but right now I feel like retreating more often than not to get back to the solar map, which is really really nice.
* Wild swings in balance with no real indication of how strong you are or what you have to work with against your opponent.
* Still not liking the swarming behavior.
* Constellations can really deal you a bad hand on a mission. Need to find a way to make these fun.
Sound effects might help, having other races fighting at the same time as you on the combat map might be entertaining (deciding when to intervene, if at all), or RPG-like progression of your flagship to build attachment and investment. I have no investment in my flagship.