The concept is good, but...

[Nevill]

3) Having a miss chance of around (Or even upwards of) 50% is a gruesomely frustrating game element that takes away from the fun. RNG is a horrible element in any game.

The OP is lacking a basic understanding of game mechanics. Once you take out the helm, or lure the pilot out, the evave chance drops drastically. When the 'missile them in the shields, then finish them off with lasers' strategy stops working perfectly after a few sectors, you are supposed to adapt accordingly, not get frustrated by trying to force it to succeed. With things the way they are, it is no wonder that 'more than 90% of your runs just scream 'FAILURE' in your face'.

As for the unlocks, I tried this challenge once. Got murdered on my 4th run, but I've unlocked 5 ships over the course of 4 runs. Homeworlds aren't at all rare to find. Of course, unlocking the ship after you find a related quest depends on both your skill and how well do you know the requirements for completing the quest.

Bottom line is, if you blame the game for your failures, you are not going to get better at it anytime soon.

[Flynn]

a painstaking effort where more than 90% of your runs just scream 'FAILURE' in your face.

You have a lot of room to learn and get better. Very experienced players have win rates at like 90% with their choice of ships. On Normal.

5) Effort-reward relation. Did your best for half an hour for the longest run ever? Too bad, you accomplished nothing. Lack of between run progress cuts down on the feeling of accomplishment and reward, leaving you empty handed after every. Single. Run.

Different philosophy: level the player, not the player avatar. True accomplishment is improving at the game and is its own reward.

[fireraptor1101]

I think the issue is that there is no way to improve your hit chance. For example, if you could choose to spend scrap on something that would improve your ability to hit the enemy, (Maybe targeting systems?) then at least there would be some choice in the matter. And yes, you can aim for their helm, but it doesn't matter if you can't get a hit on it.

[Dontmindme]

There is a way to increase your hit chance. Upgrade your weapons so you fire more shots. On top of that, by mid-game you will likely have a teleporter and your boarding party can lure the pilot out of the cockpit virtually eliminating the dodge. Personally, I find the game to be very robust. For almost every problem there seems to be a counter. You learn these tips and tricks the more you play.