No matter what our expectations are and no matter when someone will buy the game, Ubi is obligated to sell a game 100% ready.
Just imagine that there are people who don't belong to this forum and they still play vanilla SH3 without even 1.4b (I know at least one...).
So our pressure has to be directed to the way of having SH5 ready in every aspect even with sacrificing days and months of the releasing date. This later will give some great mods which will enhance the game (SH3) and they will not make it just playable (SH4).
There is no reason to make Ubi convenient that no matter when they release the game they can take their time until they produce the last patch or until HanSolo or GWXteam, or I don't know who else, will make the game playable.
SH3 is the good example. It was 99% ready as vanilla and I enjoyed it. (first patch some 20mb)
SH4 is the bad example. They hurried to catch up the time thus the first patch(120+mb) was released before the game itself
So there is no reason to invent the circle once more. My opinion is that they should take their time, they know what people want, they have to do it and release it when they are really ready.
I will buy SH5 the first day.