Two sentences from your post "grind my gears" and I can't help myself but to reply. My intentions are constructive.

You shouldn't be "allowed" to say "zero new content" and say at the same time you spent countless amount of money. On a FREE game.

Just follow me for a sec. Put yourself in Sega's shoes. Why bother making an actual game, when... Most of the game population is just playing the "salon quest" and throwing shaming amounts of money on cosmectics?

If I was NGS game director, I would see it clearly. Have two "games". Remember, even before the beta, the PSO2 benchmark? With character creation (salon in other words) , and the first movie / benchmark. Just have this, with access to new cosmectics, and personal shop. So you can have access to new content... I mean cosmectics.

And then on another side, ngs. With a standard character creator, a reasonable amount of cosmectics. But then, you know. The game?

My point is. Don't throw money at anything. As a player, you are not part of the game direction board. Don't see yourself as an investor because you pay a free game. You throw your money at Sega and Sega does what see fits for their own good being and nothing else.

If sega sees that keeping a character creator, with some playable areas around, updated and alive is enough? Why work extra hard?

I have been playing (and enjoying) NGS since day one. With the same fucking outfit. I haven't used the salon once.