I had a discussion about the game a couple of days before and there were several good question s asked. So, I thought I should also post an update with my answers and some additional details. So, here we go!

Will modding tools will be available during alpha?
Yup, modding will be possible from the day one. Actually it is technically possible even now, before the game is released. Just head to our wiki, there is some info on modding already. You won't be able to do much now, but it should come in handy once the game is available.

How buggy the game is and what is your stance on fixing the bugs during alpha?
At the moment it works flawlessly for us, both at work PC's and at home. But we will certainly encounter some bugs when people start playing. Different configurations, different hardware. But it's to be expected. So we will certainly dedicate ourselves to fixing all reported bugs ASAP.

I personally like doing civilian things in space games and I'm interested in asteroid mining. How is VoidExpanse in this regard?
Then you are just like me! :) That's what I like to do in this kind of games too. Rest assured that civilian stuff is going to be a big part of VoidExpanse. Mining for example is already quite complex with how the mining devices work. Additionally we plan a complete overhaul with even more features and complexity once we are done with more pressing things needed for alpha. But we want to keep the game simple and accessibly to anyone, while offering very deep gameplay possibilities for hardcore players.

There won't be any capital ships but what about mining barges and frigates/corvettes? Do ships have a cargo capacity?
There is already a cargo ship that can be used quite effectively for mining, but it only has two utility slots. So, I would say it's not exactly ideal for mining.
But there is also an engineering ship with higher number of utility slots, but small cargo space. So you can mine the ore, then jettison it, and then come back and pick it up with the cargo ship. Be careful though, as someone else may snatch your ore. Or you can mine with your friend. He will be hauling your ore for you! Later we will add more ships specialized for different tasks.
Also here is some information on the cargo ship I mentioned which is called - Freighter. As you can see it has two device slots that can be outfitted with mining modules.

Will there be a dynamic economy? Crafting?
Not in the early access for sure, but these are a few of the planned features. We will most likely add it during the beta phase.
Additionally to crafting we will have upgrade system where each item in the game will be upgradable to make it better in some areas. Basically you will be able to fine tune a particular piece of equipment to better suit your play style.

Will some (possibly larger) ships be able to carry a squad of fighter/mining drones?
We plan to have different drones that you will be able to put in your ship, but it won't be available for early access / alpha and will most likely be added during beta.

Skills that affect mining/trading?
Already there. A whole skill tree specifically for characters specializing in mining. You can mine using civilian miner device, but if you really want to get serious results you can advance down that path and get access to even more miner oriented equipment and abilities. Example of one miner skill is the ability to see contents of the asteroids you are mining which would be really helpful for dedicated miners.

And that is it. Thank you for reading and I hope you will find the game interesting! Stay tuned as we are very close to early access!

And please join our forums where you can discuss this post and VoidExpanse in general!