A few serious suggestions to stop "power escalation"

pff....i think blaster is right...i like CF and i dont want anything to be changed!

as a newer player if u make it any harder no one will be able to get decent ship/gear. starting out would become an impossible challenge its just about right now yes you can swat npcs with the best gear but have u tried it in LF in say kusari the npcs would just kill u repeatedly . if u want new blood u have to keep it like it is

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Originally posted by Wavey
If u wish it to be more balanced you can just not use all the top notch equipment.
Also if you are good enough use a starflier:)

This is an excellent point. If you want a challenge than decreasing your own ship's power in relation to others' is a good way to go. Keep in mind though that it'd be wisest to keep at least lv 8 guns if you plan to beat wings of VHFs though ^^.