Personally, I think there has been a tremendous amount of progress and the state of the game in alpha version 2.6 is very enjoyable. CIG has accomplished some amazing things. Yes, the dream is big and still has a long way to go, but if they realize a quarter of what they are setting out to do, the end product will still be revolutionary in my opinion. You can jump in with a starter ship package for as little as $30. Its a small investment to explore an already impressive universe. I was a skeptic until build 2.0 was released. Since then, each successive build has wowed me.

I just don't see this project as a giant scam. The proof is already there to see that this game is headed toward greatness.

Just my .02.