I might have a somewhat different background than most people here as the only MMO I have really played is Eve Online, and even that I didn't stick with super long. My background is mostly in strategy games (my current favorites are Stellaris and Rimworld but I've been playing since the original Starcraft).
I'm really excited for the concept of a single-shard, overwhelmingly player-run game without time dilation. I'm also excited for the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a game like this. I can't honestly see myself designing ships but I'm excited for almost everything else. I can't decide whether I want to try and build a space empire, run a small mercenary organization, build an industrial/financial powerhouse, or just join a good organization and meet some great people. So many things to do, so little time.
One question, if I may. If I pledge now, can I upgrade the pledge later (its clear kickstarter backers can, but alas I did not back during the kickstarter)? For instance, I was thinking of pledging gold tier now and upgrading to ruby (for the lifetime subscription) if the alpha and beta are promising.