Feedback from players has given me the impression that the 4X features (galaxy planet to planet fleet movement) are too slow / uninteresting to a large number of folks who want more back-to-back battles and enjoy the combat mechanics.
My ideas around fixing this are to create a new game mode 'Attack Run Mode or Gauntlet' that plays more like a rouge-like run through a chain of battles with a Deck of Units that you add to after each battle, ending in a boss battle of some kind.
Upgrades / XP / Unit Unlocks / Reputation would all be persistent items unlocked during runs that slowly improve your chances at getting further in the run.
The map would then just be a set of planetary routes generated each run to keep things interesting.
I believe a mode like this would allow the better parts of the game to shine (battle mechanics, character tradeoffs and combos) and the lackluster areas to be removed. It also reduces the number of controls for new players to learn.
I don't have a calendar date for when this update will drop yet, but my focus is for this mode to be a part of the next update.