No, which is why citizens dismiss it so readily. They compare the imperfect game ED is to the perfect game they imagine SC will be. All of SC's problems get dismissed with excuses like 'it's alpha/tier 0 implementation'. Nevermind that the dogfighting has been **** since Arena Commander released and hasn't improved in those 4 years.
ED's at a disadvantage because ED is a finished game. As long as Star Citisn't makes no meaningful progress, its fans will excuse every single ****ty aspect of it. CIG has a vested interest in making as little progress as possible. Once they release something, citizens will have to come to terms with the fact that the reality doesn't match their dreams.