A story doesn't necessarily have to be new in order to be enjoyable. Actually, it is entirely dependent on how it is pulled off. Sure, originality helps, but we still enjoy age-old storylines when they are told well. On the flipside, it's very possible to have a good, original idea, then screw it up so badly it loses all appeal. Originality itself is not all-important, though it's hard for a clone to be better than the original (though, amazingly enough, it has happened). The Wing Commander movie wasn't actually all that bad, it's the special effects that were terrible.
That said, Star Citizen might very well become too much of a throwback. Roberts seems to either want to create a great, revolutionary "new big thing", or go back to his "glory days". A game that is essentially WC+Freelancer+Starlancer all mashed together in a great 90s throwback with better graphics would probably be fun, but not exactly a classic. Nostalgia will attract some players, but SC needs to go beyond that if it really wants to succeed.