Thanks. Yeah, controls can be tricky; I wanted to confine everything to a 3x4 key rectangle like a phone, although I’ve noticed that most other submissions I’ve tried thus far haven’t cared too much about that. Maybe in a post-release update I’d try to add an alternative control scheme that feels more natural.
Some keys/controls like the afterburner, primary and secondary weapons do nothing until you’ve purchased those items, so there is some of what you’re describing, though in a less rushed game I’d certainly pace everything out slower, letting the player learn movement on easy shipping missions before they’re thrown into live combat, as well as having some upgrades only available in distant star systems and so on. But right now there’s nothing of the sort, so I’m inclined to agree.