maybe it's just based on the amount of research done though xD
Once you get familiar with what you need to do it's kind of easier to prep for the second asteroid though. It really should be tailored so that first-time playing can get to and make it feel fluid though.
I think the crystals should be kind of a later-game nemesis. You already have normal asteroids kind of saying hey you're going to need a defense to keep your base sustainable, but it's forgiving as you can just rebuild it. Maybe push the longer scan range to T3 Tech and have a near hit kind of warning of newer asteroid types to kind of prep the player. Maybe make it so they can only spread to new asteroids after they fully infest an asteroid.
I'm kind of thinking of it as a progression mechanic. T1 you're first setting up and learning the mechanics. T2 Discover your surroundings, allow interaction with other asteroids without being able to settle on them. T3 can be for settling and handling the development on other asteroids. You can set up a timer or something for the Crystals at T3. T4 is for dealing with how to purify the other asteroids. It does feel like they are rushed because you aren't prepared in any way for them.
I dunno just my opinion around toning it down in a thematic phase. It might be easier to think of what would be in each Tier of the tech tree this way also. Give something new to do in each step, but don't put too much new stuff all at once. People that want a challenge can speed run it all and people that like a relaxing game won't feel as pressured going at the pace they feel comfortable going.
You likely have much more planned out for the game than I'm probably capable of seeing. I'm only commenting on what I've been able to see of the game and the way it feels for me. Stuff like Lore or how it's packaged is kind of tough to see from the outside. Lore and thematics in my opinion is a great way to space interaction and events for the player to grasp what's going on step by step.
