What exactly are you looking for, then?
- The mod on a CD?
- The "stamp of approval" from MM?
- Aaron's signature in the readme?
The first run of CDs won't have it, since they've already been stamped out by whatever company Shrapnel uses for that sort of thing.
So... you'd be downloading an update to recieve it, no matter which way its done.
If you just want to be assured that it is or will exist, don't fear.
I've already got one more suited to my tastes, with much slower, but still dangerous combat, along with a bunch of other features.
When I occasionally play stock, its seems like instantaneous victory or defeat in comparison
In my mod, you can dance with heavier ships for a while (a minute or two for DS vs CR) if you are well prepared, but you're not going to win unless you've got a some pretty big tricks up your sleeve. Allied ships waiting in ambush, perhaps.
I don't allow most of the "Emergency repair" components either. Only energy and hull, and those I rarely use. Maybe when a lucky hit takes out both primary and backup lifesupport, and my repair bay is disabled too.
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Of course, the "switch" is already right there. Pop open notepad, and change things however you like. Divide firing rates in half, slash turn speeds, bump armor strength up by a factor of 10, no problem.
If you ever want more or less of an existing feature, it can almost certainly be done.