Warframe never had this level of bullshit. The ratio of cash:dev lead time wasn't remotely close. I played Warframe for ages and their funding model very quickly crystalized into a very transparent and rewarding model. "Wanna support us? Buy skins, frame slots, gun slots, etc" their early funding didn't even register as a blip on the radar when compared to the sheer millions of dollars dumped into SC just so they can deliver nothing close to their promise.

The "this is the present" schtick is nice and all but that exact same "niche" audience that's waiting for sc is waiting in Eve online, for it's true successor and are getting more and more disenfranchised. That money has a negative impact on me directly because those millions could have gone to a better place for gamer, instead of being in perpetual escrow In a tech-demo-game that is now filled by such zealots that any mention of refusal to accept this so called new dogshit status quo gets their Spidey Senses tingling the same way a Musk enthusiast rallies to defend him.

You care that the bloggers, influencers and convention staff are getting jobs to shovel this game, that's cool, you've spent time in the industry and they're maybe your people. I'm not going to put a gun to my own head and say that giving people jobs is a bad move in trying to counter this point.

All the stuff you're talking about in your last paragraph, SC isn't going to avoid any of it from where I'm standing. It's either going to flame out on launch, or it's going to be jam packed with the original whales that will grief beyond all measure.

I hope I'm fucking wrong about all this and I'm just a jaded lil bitch. I hope we get another NMS that is redeemed to that same degree. Until then, remember, no pre-orders.