I'll start compiling my list and grow it as I go.
Gameplay
1) AI is much more difficult now. I'm playing on Challenging and feeling challenged! Also, the AI declared on my on Turn 67, finally some conflict!
2) I think the influence system has been nerfed too heavily because of the consulate change. Consulates used to provide +.3 influence, which was effectively 20-30% influence bump in the early game, which was further magnified by percentage bonuses. Now they provide a flat 10%, a 300% nerf early on that grows worse the more influence bases you have.
I've noticed the tooltip mentions that influence bases provide a +1 influence (they don't currently which may be a bug). If that is your intention then it looks like influence starbase play is the way to make cultural flips, in which case I'm fine with it. If the tool tip is a bug and the influence base is not intended to provide a base +1...then I think the system is nerfed too much.
3) Either Sensor Ships should get nerfed, or Starbase Sensors should get a massive buff (I argued for a 15 hex radius per module in another thread, and still wonder if its too low). Starbase sensors are a newbie trap right now.
Bugs
1) I think its time to rope in the double tooltip areas (+10% range, +10% range). It confuses me, I'm sure it will be confusing for new players.
2) Ship battle screen still CTD on occasion (my number 1 bug!)
3) The request constructor system seems to have gone wonky. Sometimes requesting constructor says cannot produce constructors, when there are several starports active and producing constructors. Further constructors produced are not going to starbases.
4) I put in a ticket for this one. Ship designs for other races are cropping in to the ship designer.