There's definitely a lot to the game, and it can seem overwhelming and complicated, but I agree, you really don't need to know much to actually start playing and you can learn the rest as you go on!

A step by step intro would definitely make adopting easier, but I think it would also hurt the experience of the first game you play... The sense of panic as you have no clue what is going on. ;)

Personally I'd like a "task list" with some key metrics on the cockpit screen.

• Upgrade Engine (Current success chance)
• Collect Fuel (Current Fuel / Maximum Capacity)
• OPTIONAL: Escort Passengers (Current / Max)
• OPTIONAL: Gather Cargo (Current / Max)
• Launch

Something like that would make it seem a lot less overwhelming in my opinion...

Thanks for posting! Hopefully it will help make it seem a bit less intimidating to new players!