From what i've gathered during my games and the complaints i've read on the Steam-community, Pirates spawn too frequently, are often too strong, but most frustritating of all: it's not clear why they spawn. Do minor factions spawn them? Are they spawned randomly? If you allied yourself to the minor faction that may be spawning the pirates, why are they still attacking you?


My suggestion is to make it clear within the tutorial where pirates come from and perhaps what their level of strength is based on.