The thing the NMS guys have figured out is while they are improving their variety however procedural it is they have been focused on building gameplay systems that applies universally to all that variety they've been making. So now just having the ability to build a giant base anywhere suddenly adds a lot of value to exploring and finding an ideal spot. BUt then you add all the other potential systems that are starting to grow and this is a way more elaborate experience than the curated ones. Which is really what Sean's goal has been. He's still searching for the way to take low dev resources and make a giant experience with endless possibility. Through the updates thats happening more and more.
I will admit NMS so far has accomplished most of the gameplay that's seemingly supposed to be in Star Citizen -- the seamless transition from your mothership to your docking bay to your ship to space to surface to walking around, and it got there by going for an arcade production value. Star Citizen/Squadrion 42 is going for a more story-based structure but the basics are actually there in NMS.
Elite uses its universe for a different gameplay focus entirely. You could even say its focus has been in the opposite direction as NMS -- more centered on space gameplay whereas most of the NMS updates have been all about surface gameplay. I'm still hoping one of these upcoming NMS updates ends up being a space-oriented update.