Any way to slow down advancement?

[DRNewcomb]

I've played the original SR2 for a while but only just started playing Reboot. So, I may not be answering your questions. In general, you are always struggling to buy the next better/smaller/faster component and the next bigger, stronger and more capable hull. That's just a feature of the game. You want to take as much stimulants as you can get away with and still avoid addiction. Ragobam Whisper makes the government quests pay well. Work on getting an engine that will jump so you can take missions at higher difficulty. Once you get a ship with a decent size and strength you want to start taking part in liberating systems and selling Dominator junk to the science bases. Shift from merchant to mercenary. This both pays well and builds your experience and rank quickly.