I'd rather have this "incomplete" game where each revision is fully playable than the hot mess that was the like of say, Kerbal Space Program's "v1.0" release (I use that version number VERY loosely) or the User Experience hell that is Battletech currently.
KSP - Buggy as crap on full release and has taken 3 massive updates to actually get to a stable codebase. This involved hiring a cadre of real programmers from the lot of modders that played the "game". (I use that term loosely as well since the core gameplay mechanic in KSP is just a sandbox. The "Career" mode game mechanics are a hot mess of an after-thought.) Included is a rewrite of like most of the game code and a significant update to the engine. Beyond the sandbox experience, KSP is heavily reliant on mods for any real, more typical gameplay elements.
Battletech (2018) - Gameplay is pretty solid, but I would hope so since it's based on an establish table-top game system. (Creators pof said table-top game created this computer version.) But the UI is "laggy" as hell (it can take a lot of time to switch menu screens for some reason), they put a little too much effort into "immersion" versus real-life convenience (I cannot skip transition animations that play through every time I do some common actions). I'm for artistic expression, but not when I have to waste a third of my game time looking at said expression for the umpteenth time.
I respect Alex and Starsector's development process, especially given how modern game development has evolved. (Too much "release now, fix later" IMHO.) It's a very pleasant surprise to fix a new release of Starsector. It and Factorio are my baseline for how in-dev game releases should be done. (Disclosure: Granted, I've only invested in 3 pre-release games: KSP, SS, and Factorio.)
I have no complaints: the releases are pretty much feature-complete for the stage of development they are at; Alex is engaged with the player-base, being VERY receptive to feedback and pretty transparent about his plans and decisions regarding the direction of development. (In fact, his posts about the development of SS have made it easier for me to see issues in other games more clearly, like KSP's half-hearted, disparate gameplay mechanics in its career mode.)