Gauging interest in a HH gamer guild, possible sub-forum

Not really, Doug. The first missions you do are tutorials disguised as missions, so you get a feel for the game faster. The learning curve actually used to be steeper than it is now. About all you really need to know out the gate is spacebar in space = win. And right-click the weapons icons so they highlight (this sets them to auto-fire) so you can spacebar spam your way through firefights, lol.
You can definitely do the missions without getting in to the skill tree right away (my first run through it with my main, I had no skills set at all until way after endgame)

As far as weapons go, it's fairly simple. Stick to one energy type, and preferably one delivery system of it. I've used all the weapons types (distruptor, tetryon, antiproton, plasma, phaser) for ship outfitting in all possible configurations (beams, dual banks, turrets, cannons, heavy cannons, torpedoes, etc), they all rank about the same as far as energy type goes. I prefer disruptor beams overall, antiproton or phaser beams second. The only differences are what an enemy is susceptible to, so it's what's taken in to consideration (if at all, most folks just end up favoring a type for no particular reason)
Using mixed various energy types is actually more an Achilles' heel than anything. Those are dubbed "rainbow boats" & they tend to drag down your total damage against an enemy, dragging out the fight in the process. There's a mathematical calculation in there that someone figured out, but I'm not getting in to it. Trust me, it's just a self-sabotaging bad idea to go rainbow.

As far as weapon types go, beams have the greatest firing arc, so if it's a choice between 45* arc for dual heavy canons, or 250* arc for beams, I typically go for beams. I'll toss a cannon or two on the front if I have enough weapons slots for it. Other weapons fall in the 90* & 180* arcs, save for turrets & omni-directional beams which are 360*, and mines and weapon launcher devices, which have no arc at all.
I broadside & don't sit still in space combat, so having beams on me for fore & aft weapons creates a nice overlap on the sides, which translates to increased damage to an enemy. You can get overlap with the 90* & 180* weapons too, so it's not all for naught with arc types.

On ground missions, it's like any other FPS. Don't be a sitting duck You learn eventually which enemy species you can dodge or which are sucky shots & work with it.