Thanks for your feedback. It's really helpful and I didn't expect so much detail!
1: I will probably implement this before 6PM.
2: I've smoothed out the join animation. It's still not perfect though, as I have to ensure that the player's rotation is in-time. This led me to realise that the camera zoom was instant. I've now changed this, too.
Good luck in the jam!
EDIT: Nevermind - the ship now flies backwards sometimes when joining. Whoops!