Everyone have different economy so yes everyone can't afford to arm the quad, but if you can, do it.
Instead of flying asap to land directly, do a small hunt with spacemobs, I do it every tijme I head for a planet.
You increase two skills for HP, Space Pilot and Heavy Weapons, and you will not have regular flight path
either.
I have a new strategy when I head out from one planet also, if a player follows me that have shot me down
earlier, I head for them directluy and attack in regular pvp.
Space should have complete overhaul imo, with several new features like space mining, able to craft on MS,
storage for each spaceserver, instances, and removal of pvp lootable and instead make players and ships as
any mob so we get loot in regular pvp. As it is now we got to have pvp lootable sadly because that will hinder
MA from develop a lot more features where can't lose resources and materials.