It means actually developing the game rapidly, adding new features and content to it. Like it used to be it the first couple of years of development of the LFS. For the last decade (10 years it is) LFS had 1 new track, no new cars, and 1 new feature added - VR support. That's pretty much it. You call this development? I call it a joke.
Ped7g, you sound like one of these aggressive hobos on the streets who not just begging for the money, but demanding for it. Like we owe them, or something.
Buying a game that barely seen any development over the last ~14 years? I don't think so. This game had SO much potential 15 years ago. It could easily be the best racing simulator back then. If only it would been properly developed. Too bad it never was except for the very first couple of years.
Will buying a game help to keep the Direct3D 9 support in it? NO. Than why you even asking about buying? It's absolutely unrelated to graphics.
Upgrading computer to keep playing very old videogame that I've been playing for ~15 years now? That sounds ridiculous! Old games should work with old hardware - that's the thing.
And I don't see why it's the problem for the LFS developers to keep two renders in the game: old one and the new one. For example, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky had not just two, but 3 renders in it: DX 8.1, DX 9, and DX 10. So every players could choose wich one fits their PCs. And that's the way it should be. And, by the way, do I asking to add something new and/or complex to the game? NO. I'm just asking developers to not cut out what this game already has for ~15 years already - which is Direct3D 9 support. Just don't cut out things - how hard can it be???