This is definitely a more interesting argument.
What's crazy though is that Chris Roberts was already saying back in like 2017-2018 that they had locked down features already promised(which were already massively expanded in scope) and were not going to add anything new. They recognized the complaints about scope creep even back then, and this was their answer to it.
But Chris Roberts is Chris Roberts and it lasted all but on one mild segment of time before he started agreeing to expand the scope and detail of the game massively. And like some drug addict, he's reverted entirely back to adding feature and details since without question.
In other words, they probably could have had some proper gameplay loop before now, but it's simply not their priority to do so. Cuz as soon as they do, the shades will be pulled off and a lot of people will realize they aren't remotely capable of providing a good, complete game. And so it's in their best interest to just keep pushing this 'dream' of what the game will ultimately be at some point down the road, as conveniently as they can get away with. That's gonna be their balancing act going forward.