Thank you for taking the time to follow up with such a detailed response. You’ve raised several good points, so I’d like to address them individually.
On the retry loop: the six seconds include the crash animation, which currently can’t be skipped. Allowing the restart key to interrupt it is a good suggestion. It would preserve the crash effect for new players while letting returning players restart more quickly.
On rotation being optional: I’m not convinced that rotation is unnecessary. It’s useful for dodging enemy fire, particularly later in the game. The fact that some players completed missions without rotating may indicate that they didn’t play long enough to reach situations where it becomes valuable. What I still need to determine is whether they stopped because they became bored, frustrated, or simply felt they had seen enough.
I also think rotation belongs in this kind of game regardless. A maneuverable spacecraft being unable to rotate would feel strange. The question isn’t whether rotation should exist, but whether the game gives players enough reason and opportunity to learn how useful it can be.
The point about the tutorial symbols is helpful. I hadn’t considered that the arrow keys might be unclear to non-native English speakers, so the controls may need to be communicated more visually.
Thanks again for reading the other feedback and putting this much thought into your response. Your input has been great.