I think it's safe to say we're all very excited for the upcoming patch. The recently-introduced supply / logistics / CR system is well thought-out and highly engaging, but definitely in need of continued adjustment and balancing. Based on the changelog, it seems 0.6.2 will go a long way towards refining these mechanics and improving the overall player experience. It's great to see we'll be getting some new ships, especially one which fills the very visible medium carrier void between the Gemini and the Astral. and the Easy mode should benefit both new players and veterans who want to 'fast forward' through the early game (which can be a bit grindy).
So, with this out of the way, I'm wondering what the next steps are. I assume balance changes, feature refinements and mechanical tweaks will be largely continuous throughout the remainder of development as you continue to receive feedback. Obviously, there's no such thing as too many ship designs (you've done a great job in making every class feel unique so they don't really run together in my mind), but I think the current selection is varied, well-balanced and comprehensive enough to be sufficient for development and testing of the campaign.*
With that in mind, I'm curious as to where you are in the process of fleshing-out the campaign, namely with respect to resources, trade, territory / planet control and construction. Less about where these mechanics are in development (focus has understandably been elsewhere) but I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on approach to this next phase of the process. While I'm sure the NPC factions will undergo significant additions and expansion before release, do you feel the current fleets are in a state such that meaningful implementation of these features can proceed? Are you considering a "shell" approach where the main mechanics are built out in "draft" form with ongoing refinement and content addition, or is the plan to focus on one feature at a time?
*But please keep giving us new toys!!