What exists right now is full of jank, but if you played it or even followed the patch to patch development you could see they’re consistently building foundations for a game that is simultaneously:

• FPS
• MMO
• Fully physicalized
• Physics based
• Open world
• High fidelity
• Fully persistent

Considering how no game like what SC is supposed to be has come out in the time SC has been in development, it must not be that easy of a game to make.

I got into SC in December of last year and have seen their progress and have been to play and participate in all of it while only spending 45 USD on the base package. Nothing else is needed to join since all ships eventually come out in game as buyable for in game money and I bought nearly every ship like that.

CIG certainly sells ships to whales, but to them it’s necessary for their commitment to no publishers or large investors.