Thank you for your Patience.
I'm trying hard not to waste your time.
Within the present scope of the game everything you say is true. I got a bit bold and hyperbolical with the statements because the first two replies to my original post were combat and combat
The library of games I played in my life is certainly limited. I tend to find the good games and then play them on and off for decades. But I think I'm right in saying that the vast majority of them do exactly one thing (sometimes not even well). And this is exactly the crux.
Because in those games there is by design no possibility of doing anything but the thing the game is made for.
Now, whether by accident or not, this game isn't like that.
While I see weaknesses of varying degree in everything but the combat, it is just a question of additional features being implemented to flesh out different playstyles without diluting what is already there.
(edit: I'd like to add that one of the bigger mods for the game, aside from other things, apparently implements mining. To what degree and how I don't know but I feel like I'm not alone with the wish for more.)For that to happen the developers just 1st: need to have the will, and 2nd: the resources.
And my second question remains, whether the devs are interested or already planning to expand the game in additional directions. Because it can be done. The game can accommodate all of that. That is why I consider this game to have potential on an insane level. The present solutions in part look like proxys, put in place to have a somewhat playable game during development. But I can't be sure... there's no info I can find.
If either 1st or 2nd are insurmountable obstacles, saddened I will sooner or later disappear.