Fair enough. However, if you consider the entertainment value delivered over time, the costs can be very low. If you count it is as a 20$ a month movie ticket, you could pledge/buy a Hammerhead in around 2 years. The game and its users have been around much longer then that. It’s a game that can deliver hours and hours of entertainment each weekend. The price per hour would be low, and there are other hobbies much more expensive then this.
Even if the game were to shutter and you were to lose access to your ships, you’d still have that value delivered over time like a bunch of movie tickets. Also, you don’t buy ships. You pledge to support the development of the game. You can also buy a Hammerhead in game quickly if you know what game loops to target.