I do love this game and its previous title a lot, but coming back to this after so long hasn't changed much in terms of needing to grind forever and savescum through overlevelled fights you're not expecting. And an unupgraded ship gets fucking destroyed by any random pirate encounters that you can happen upon from any ship travelling, but at least you can run away from those easier.
But I can appreciate there's more varied normal-ish encounters added in like the scavvers. For all the areas with alien and anthro species mixed together in the towns/cities, there was a big lack of furry or human/hybrid encounters in a lot of the maps. It feels a bit more balanced out now.
Strange to hear about grinding, because i am, by using Kinetic class, ended Dhaal main quest on, around, 12 game days.
1) Day 1 - Training Zone end
2) Day 2-3 - Jungle Zone end (Zil in Cells -> Drone kill for Rifle and 3rd lvl -> Heal from Medic and fights Vanae for Staff and 4th lvl -> Rest to lvl up
Psychogenic Vim and fight for Probe)
3) Day 4-5 - Desert Zone end (buy Armored SpaceSuit from bat, Warden Shield weapon and Junk Shield -> Rush to the bomb dungeon and clear -> Give platinum for Probe)
4) Day 5-6 - Ant Zone end (help Shade with bounty for free cash and exp boost -> go in Gold Myr city to buy Traveler Cloak and cheapest Classic Suit with Classy tag (for Dhaal) -> Rush to the lowest Taxi zone -> Return in ship and Rest into 6th lvl up
Telekinetic Warrior -> Return for Probe and buy Backpack (18) in middle way -> Beat all with melee Kinetic bare hand + Freeze combo for Probe)
5) Day 7-9 - Space Pirate Base end (- Password? - Fuck You! - Correct. -> Rush to the Slave Mistress, but farm lvl into 9th lvl for
Levitation and
Acid Cloud -> Now beat her, Crab Drone, Doctor and Jill -> Return to Ship to sell stuff and buy Trick Bracer -> Fight for Probe and best SpaceShip)
6) Day 9-12 - Dhaal Zone end (Grab Classy Suit and enter Party -> Don`t go into Afterparty, put back Jumper Spacesuit and fight Feruze -> Now we have 36 hours to farm and buy everything -> Fight your way into facility -> Farm some Paragon Hazard Armor for fast cash before taking a Probe -> Congrats, you beated Main Quest for 12 days!!!)