As several mates have said: CONTENT TO PLAY
If I had to classify starmade right now, it would not be like a " GAME ", it would be more like a " CONSTRUCTION SIMULATOR " in space.
- We have NPCs that do nothing ( and let's not talk about interacting with them ).
- We have game mechanics changing every week / month (energy / weapons / shields / armor / ...).
- We have a trading system, which although is very interesting, has no use, because all the players are "self-sufficient".
- We have an "INFINITE" universe, but the player does not have "ALICIENTS" to explore it.
- We have planets, but they have no other use than to serve as a "BIG RESOURSE STORES".
- We have AI-controlled factions, but they are "DEAD FACTIONS" that do not add "ROLE PLAY", you can only do two things if you meet them, destroy or ignore them.
- We have many things that "play against us", canceling or preventing the creativity of the players and the way in which they use the content of the game (chain-drivers / additional dock-power-cores / dock-shield-supply / dock-armor-plates / empty spaces in the middle of our constructions without any purpose / ...)
- We have many things promised, but the feeling is that they never arrive, and when they arrive, they do it 50% of the time, contrary to what people "suggest / like".
- We "could" have more content, if we had an easy way to "add" content to the game ... the promised API never comes.
- We have a "game" that has no purpose, or goal to achieve ... the only thing that exists is, build the biggest ship you can, and show it to others.
- We have "many things in process" but "none 100% working".
- ...
Yes, I am a starmade FANBOY, because I like to play it ... but "I like to play it" and "I would like to continue playing it" are two totally different things, which are more in hand each day ... and unfortunately, one of them is gaining ground.