In the actual game itself and not it's fun for a while but ultimately too shallow online component? I care about what I'm doing because I want to see how the characters develop, how the story progresses and basically "what happens next?".
The Fallout/FarCry and GTA series are great examples of how to do a sandbox game. Give the player total freedom within the bounds set by the environment but allow them to engage in a well told, interesting story as and when they feel like they want to. Or, if it's a multiplayer game with no storyline as such, give players the tools to create their own content. I'm not talking about map editors or mission makers or whatever, I mean the players and their actions are the content, ala Eve and most other MMO's. MMO's are about people, not the game. ED does neither of those things.
I'm not saying I don't know what Elite is, I do, but the simple fact is that the demographic that's buying and playing the most video games in 2017 isn't the demographic that's staring at their cobra with tears of nostalgia creeping down their cheeks. If FD want this game to go for the long haul they're going to have to start catering to this demographic at some point and trying to shut down threads where these opinions are being expressed is only going to hurt the game in the long run.
Ok, I want to point out you are using a heck of a lot of adjectives, which really don't say much.
Is it the storyline you feel is missing? sure I get that, but Elite isn't that kind of game, stories aren't made on a big show, mostly because with the way it is made, how would you do that and reasonably make 'everyone' important? the stories are made, between players, between interaction with others, that yes, you need to seek out for them to happen, they aren't going to give you a mission or quest that says do this and experience it with 4 other players, but should it? as you say, players and their actions ARE content, and that holds so very true for Elite, unlike other games you can actually leave a mark on the world, with for example the BGS, however, yes, one person is not a hero and it requires effort. So yeah, you seem to me to be saying things that Elite already contains?
As for your jab on nostalgia, I don't think anyone behaves like that, and that you feel the need to berate some random people over it, or maybe accuse people generally of being like that really doesn't help your standing point?
I'm not nostalgic when I play Elite, yet it holds my attention much better then a ton of other lame 'story' games out there, or other Triple A games. Elite is lasting the long haul just fine in my book.
They do not need to 'cater' to any specific people, because guess what, not everyone is part of that demographic, whatever it specifically is, you can't lump gamers together in one group, but yes, players are content in Elite, maybe you should go experience it? without hand holding, without a guide that in other games tells you 'what' it is you get to enjoy? in Elite? you do whatever you want and can do within the game, play it as you want, and enjoy that? And again, you are not being very specific, you are saying a lot of words but really saying very little, and many seem to be like that, using very general and generic terms rather then going "Hey Elite, I would very much like to see x feature, how about it?"
Instead of that, we get posts, "this is bad and this sucks and this is simply the worst and that and everything else is wrong with elite" but when people are asked what, specifically they want, they do 'I want 'more' of something, and better something else, what we have just isn't 'good' it is 'bad' " without actually describing anything, just throwing around adjectives that at least in my book seem meaningless in the long run? Very little actual constructive points that want to improve the game, only tear it down for being as 'bad' as it is? And no, I'm not wildly praising Elite, it isn't perfect, it has flaws, but it is still by far, better then most every other game out there.
I mean take a look at mass effect Andromeda, a Triple A massively expensive game, yet, releases with broken animations? despite having cost much more Elite has done over all its time, last I checked?