I just finished playing INF:A. My initial impressions and recommendations:
1. Most of the models are excellent. However, the Apollyon looks a little flaky with that giant cockpit and the Megaera is...uninspiring. The Fenris-style tile textures are a very nice touch.
2. Even when you put aside the AI changes, weapons cut through ships like they're armored with papier-maché. I recommend you turn weapon damage down for INF:A2.
3. Missions are short and rather uninvolving with the lack of dialogue. Most of the minutes are around 3-4 minutes. I prefer a mission to be 5 minutes minimum, with some missions lasting up to 10 minutes.
4. The lack of nebulae actually works very well, making space feel cold, dark, and hostile. It reminds me of neo-BSG in that way.
5. I can't hear those railguns firing without thinking of Quake. The problem with appropriating sounds from other games is that people may have strong memories of those games and thus those sounds.
6. Some more exposition at the beginning of the campaign would be nice. The mod just throws you into the thick of it with no preparation.
7. HTLing the Antaeus is like putting lipstick on a pig. No matter what you do to that design, it will still be ugly as sin. And a heavy fighter without big missile racks kind of defeats the purpose of a heavy fighter.
8. The Enceladus is not a whole lot of fun to fly or fight. Please increase the shield and hull strength and severely decrease the turning rate. Make it more like the Apollo successor and put the Ulysses back in to fulfill the maneuverability role.
9. Angel scout fighter -- they still build these things?
10. The Hera just strikes me as weird. It has crappy bomb payloads but can carry a massive gun load. But guns are for taking out cruisers and turrets, not destroyers, and if you're taking out cruisers and turrets, why would you use gigantic bombers in the first place? The Hera does make a great gunboat though. Banshee-R + Ripper = DEATH to fighters.
11. Why no AAA railguns?
12. A mix of FS1 and FS2 music would have been nice, but you apparently didn't rise to the opportunity.
Overall, it's pretty good, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel. I would wait faithfully for it just to get my hands on the Claymore.
EDIT: One more thing, how did you get that light bloom in FS2?