Remember when No Man's Sky bombed on release but the developers admitted they fucked up and made an effort to mend both the game and their relationship with their player base? That could have happened here.
It's such a shame too, because on paper, everything they've added should make it one of the greatest games ever. Instead, every 3 months they add a new Mechanic that will entertain you for 20 minutes, but doesn't meaningful interact with any other system they added.
You should play it today before saying such things then, it's as deep as a lake using your own metaphor. Maybe try an expedition, make some friends, or actually try to see what the game has to offer before shitting on it.
Edit; For some reason I just got the notification today, fuck.
I’ve played it within the last few weeks. Like I said, deep as a puddle. Lots of systems have been bolted onto the side, sure. But the gameplay loop remains largely unchanged since launch. None of the added features integrate into the experience in any kind of meaningful way, they’re all just distractions, little side excursions. Base building? Cool, what are they for? Oh gloried fast travel points. Their primary practical use is to help you build more bases. There’s no real rhyme or reason to engage with any of the new systems added. They’re just novelties you toy around with briefly because they’re new.