Just sharing a little bit of my experience with the Prototype start this season.
Firstly when I read that there was a new start, aimed at experienced players, but which allowed you still to select one of the 3 in game origins when you leave - I thought, great a whole new experience for HWS - I must see what it is about…
So off I went, have to say it appears that not so many players tried prototype, which I was surprised at - after all how many times do you get to have a completely new start of season experience? Anyway I landed on prototype planet on the first day of the season, very soon (VERY) I was dead, then again and again… It was very tough!
However you soon figure out how to get past this and progress, without giving the surprise away, being in possession of a well supplied OCD before landing on prototype is the key. This really is not the starter for first time visitors to HWS 
After I was established on the planet, I spent the next week exploring (I play 1 or 2 hours in the evening) - sure I could have left the starter after the first day, but Prototype have a VAST number of POI’s and I decided I wanted to experience all of then before leaving the planet. It really is unlike the other starters in this regard.
So for me the new prototype starter was a great success - if you did not try it this season, it is well worth considering for next season (assuming RexXxus continues it).
Some feedback from my long experience on prototype:
After the challenge of initial establishment on the planet, generally things get a lot easier quickly, due to the ability to access your OCD any ware on the planet. I would suggest making things a little bit more challenging by limiting the OCD access to a specific “HWS zone” - probably in the building of the welcome centre. Then you cannot walk through a POI and pull down any supplies you need or have forgotten - a certain amount of preplanning and preparation will be needed.
The speed which critters are hunted to extinction is the same problem as faced on all starters; when I first stepped out on Prototype on day one of the season, I immediately met aggressive critters. But by the time I left at the end of the week, I could happy walk around my base and over to the welcome centre, unarmed - day or night without fear of meeting a predator. This is a shame, hopefully Eleon will provide a solution to this other than a full playfield wipe.