I started with the Nomad starter package and have enjoyed it so far, but it has a lot of downsides. I'm looking to spend another 50 to 100 on a good upgrade but I'm having a hard time finding a good option.
With the game in alpha stage, I want something that fits as many gameplay types as possible and can hold it's own against other players. It seems like everything in the $100-150 range is fairly role specific. Are there any good jack-of-all trade options?
You might want to just rent a few different ships in that range to see what you like. You're right that most ships are role specific, so buying a few different ships in-game for the different roles you want to do is the best idea (if you don't want to spend $1k+ on the game).
I gets a little rough re-grinding the aUEC to replace your ships after a wipe, but the wipes happen less often now so it's worth it.