Well, since the experimental PC branch has greatly improved the game's performance on my rig, I spent 4-5 straight hours without even noticing, and mostly on just one planet, so I feel like I can finally "re-join" this topic since I've finally managed to start playing.

Also noticed a blinking X around a somewhat nearby star on the galactic map, turns out it's another player so now I'm seeing 3 or 4 of his discovered systems in my list (his are with a yellow circle).
Anyway, I'm having plenty of fun so far, although I feel the game continuously tries to keep me from exploring and orienting myself as I see fit, instead forcing me to aimlessly jump from one POI to another. I even had a couple of situations (on the same planet) where some of those beacons that require Bypass Chips led me to locations I've already discovered. I mean, I kinda get it, they're there to find the nearest POIs from the list, and it's not that I'm bothered by a wasted Bypass Chip, it's just that I would've easily known that was the same location I already discovered if I had just a little bit more control over my orientation. I'm sure lots of people have mentioned this before, but the game would benefit a lot from a planetary map (or at least a compass and a large number of permanent numbered markers that are easily placeable and removable) as well as a star system map (or at least a full list of planets in the system, so we can target them or something, instead of not noticing that one planet that was, at the moment, behind the one you're on now), and better orientation and controls on the galactic map wouldn't hurt.
Not to sound all negative, there's plenty I like about the game, and I feel reasonably hooked so far, just hoping they might be willing to make some drastic changes to certain gameplay elements, to at least make the fundamental mechanics (like in atmosphere flight and the whole orientation thing) feel somewhat better.