As per title, I am creating this thread as personal blog / journal of my beta test so it will be updated as I go along...
Please note - stuff I am going to write are just initial impressions and as such they are most likely to change longer I play so do not take them as granted! 
1st game 2v2 Multiplayer 30 planets (over 3 hours!)
After installing expansion I booted into Sins as per usual and everything ran smoothly - no problems at all so well done there 
I went TEC and as soon as game kicked of I started building up towards new toys so first unlocks came along:
MINES: errrmmmm... ill be honest here... they need to change drastically! In fact just remove them... Having played only one game I obviously cant claim anything for certain but my initial impression is exactly that... Get rid of it since something (everything!?) is just so fundamentaly wrong about it... Yak! They need to be limmited number 1 and number 2 entire game play mechanic behind mines needs to change - don't ask me how or what since I have no clue at the moment... But they are very bad - thats all...
STATIONS: Awesome! Love it! Amazing! Of course that some tweeks here and there will be needed but "feel" of them is just great and I can confirm IC is on the right track with it... Amazing palette of strategic possibilities opened up with it and I found some great use for it even in my first game! I saw fair few negative posts regarding this unit but in all honesty I can say only positive stuff! Love it! Only minor tweeks will be needed...
TORPEDO UNIT: I love it however what exactly is the point of it!? I mean bombers are doing some great job and are universal toys so why have some "dedicated" structure destroyer... Perhaps screw the bombers when it comes down to structures so this unit makes sense or indeed give more stuff to this unit so it reaches "universal" aspect of the bombers... Balance between this two units holds the key I think...
BOOST TO STATIONERY DEFENCES: Not gona spend many words here - simply great and something we have been waiting for since day one Again I am not talking about ballance here since its way too early but general feel and idea is spot on! Keep it up...
GAME LENGTH: As I feared before beta came out - it defo feels like games will take longer, perhaps much longer! Fun wise - great and no problem ofc! MP and time wise - hezuz help us all!! We are looking at potential hours for simple 2v2 game... Game I played tonight was fairly ballanced 2v2 one with 30 planets - over 3 hours later and we were nowhere near the end... I dont know what to say - for me this is huge issue for others might not be...
MINI DUMP: ...and yes after over 3 hours of playing I mded 
First time ever since Sinse came out! Yay! I lost me cherry
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I love it! I fear for the time! Sort out the mines!
Looking forward to my 2nd game when next set of impressions will be posted here - I will most probably chnage my opinion on all hehe....
