Tl;Dr: game feels slow late game, how can I speed it up?

This game is amazing early. Lots to do, resources stretch further, nodes are comparatively cheap and build fairly quickly(meaning your network isn't vulnerable), and a full library can hack maybe 3-4 networks depending on how well you use your disc space. But after maybe level 20, it feels like the game takes a sudden tank. Resources feel worthless, hacks don't give you as much(proportionately), even with a full system hack, and nodes feel like they take decades to build, even with building threads. Not to mention that your network can be vulnerable for days while nodes upgrade, especially if you're upgrading something vital like a scanner that actually serves its purpose, rather than acting as a choke point. How can I get a similar thrill from playing early game, being able to progress at a decent pace, and feel like I'm actually having fun?

It seriously kinda upsets me. It feels like I need to play for several days now just to upgrade a node, then leave the game alone for a while so I don't get too much attention for being active(it seems like if you're inactive on the game for a while(slow), you stop showing up as often on the world map). Not to mention that even those days I'm playing have to be super-active, because having a lot of resources draws a lot of unwanted attention.

Now I feel like the game is kinda odd. If you want to upgrade something, you need a lot of resources. Getting those resources can be difficult(slow), and as I said, draws unwanted attention. You get hacked by a player that wants your resources, lose said resources and hours possibly days of effort, furthermore slowing the game. My base is set up quite well, but a comparatively high-level player that sees I have a lot of resources(which was slow) that they need can still likely get them. On the flip side, I keep my resources low(slow) by not playing so much(slow), and the people thay see my comparatively low resources as a lot arent likely high-level enough to hack me. So I feel like I'm kinda stuck.