Feedback on Balancing Iteration Mod + Classic Survival Start.

I’ve been testing a survival run (~25 hours so far) using the Balancing Iteration Mod and Classic Survival Start. While these mods move closer to the classic SE1 grit, the "survival" loop still feels bypassed by the game's current sector and station design.

The Early Game: A Good Start

Backpack Building: Reducing this is a huge win. It forces you to actually produce parts rather than magically assembling a ship in five minutes.

Surface Resources: Getting Fe, Ni, and Si from the ground is great for the start, but the yield is too high. It’s currently more rewarding to dig dirt than to scout for real ore deposits.

The "Rush to Space" Problem

It is far too easy to abandon planets. With just a smelter, a few turbine blades, and a handful of grids, you can hit a snowy peak for ice and leave. Verdure feels pointless because:

Ore Scarcity: Deposits (besides Iron) are too small to support a permanent planetary base.

Forced Progression: You can’t get advanced materials on planets or moons, forcing a rush to space just to get basic Tool Level 2 upgrades.

Mandatory Stations & Exploration

The reliance on Vallation Station and the Kemik Belt trivializes engineering.

No Incentive to Engineer: Instead of building a specialized grid to solve a distance or resource problem, the game funneling you toward pre-built stations.

Static Gameplay: Because you need the stations, you're forced to build nearby, which kills the drive to explore the rest of the world.

Conclusion

We need a reason to "conquer" a planet before leaving it. More ore variety in Verdure would be great, even if in rare locations. Increasing planetary ore sizes and reducing the mandatory reliance on pre-built stations would bring back the SE1 spirit of solving problems through engineering rather than just traveling to a shop.

How are others finding the balance? Is the "station-to-station" loop killing the survival vibe for you too?