Thanks to everyone that have been playing the game and posting their thoughts (both positive and negative). Thought I'd make a quick post to detail a few changes I plan to make soon:
Hunter AI overpowered:
I agree that they are way overpowered for the current balance of the game. I plan to make it so that they have limited ammo (just like the player), and are forced to flee when depleted. I also plan to dial their numbers back and have them setup camp further from the player's base.
No meat on Lvl 0 small animals
It is jarring that you kill a rabbit or a chicken and initially get no meat from it. While you do get high-grade meat from them by leveling them up in an Animal Housing, they should still provide some sustenance when just killed in the wild.
Getting killed and losing your kit:
Probably the number one topic in the discussions. I want to preserve a penalty to death (so there is tension while exploring), but I agree it's currently too much to lose everything so quickly (especially upgraded weapons). So I'll be making some tweaks to this.
I know this is only the tip of the iceberg of changes required to make the game more enjoyable. However this feedback is exactly why I opened up the EA to the public. I really appreciate everyone playing through the balancing issues and I hope you can stay with the project as things progress.
Thanks