The ship you get at release depends on the package you bought. Many of them are already flyable and being tested in the alpha. $45 gets you a basic starter. Bigger ships tend to be more expensive, but that doesn't necessarily give you an advantage, just a different play style. I might buy a multi-crew ship now where four people can play together, or I can start with a basic ship and earn my way to a bigger one in game.
Point is, you spend as much as you choose to. The people that have dropped a lot of cash did so because they want to support the development of the game, not because of a perceived advantage (although some may have had this in mind, I'll admit).
No the game isn't finished. But the developers are not trying to claim that it is. The items they sell now are for funding the continued development of the game. Every item in the shop has this disclaimer next to it: "The game is currently in alpha version. It will be constantly expanded as we move toward the completed game."
Anything else?
Point is, you spend as much as you choose to. The people that have dropped a lot of cash did so because they want to support the development of the game, not because of a perceived advantage (although some may have had this in mind, I'll admit).
No the game isn't finished. But the developers are not trying to claim that it is. The items they sell now are for funding the continued development of the game. Every item in the shop has this disclaimer next to it: "The game is currently in alpha version. It will be constantly expanded as we move toward the completed game."
Anything else?