Station 0 Dev
342175f4c3
Includes full design documentation (ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN_NOTES, CONTENT_SPEC, PRODUCTION_NOTES) and active Godot 4 / GDScript codebase. Core systems built: player, floor generation, room system, enemy base, body part upgrades, run manager, save system, HUD, EventBus.
83 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
83 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
# Production Notes — Backing, Team & Funding
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## Solo Dev Reality
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Possible, but 5–8 years to do it properly. The game has four disciplines that each need to be excellent:
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- Systems programming (roguelike, card rules engine, networking)
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- Art (2D sprites, isometric assets, 3D assets, UI, animations)
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- Writing (NPC dialogue, lore tapes, card flavor text)
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- Audio (music, SFX)
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The NPC dialogue and lore delivery are the core differentiator — weak writing will kill the game regardless of how good the systems are.
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---
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## Minimum Viable Team
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**3–4 people | 2–3 years | ~$150k–$300k**
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| Role | Priority | Why |
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|---|---|---|
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| Artist | Critical | Visual identity makes or breaks the Steam page |
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| Writer | Critical | NPC dialogue and lore are the soul of this game |
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| Second programmer | High | Card AI, networking, and roguelike systems in parallel is a lot |
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| Composer/audio | Medium | Can be contracted per-milestone rather than full-time |
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This gets to Phases 1–10 (full roguelike + card game with AI + lore + NPCs) without online PvP.
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---
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## Comfortable Team
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**5–6 people | 2 years | ~$400k–$700k**
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Adds dedicated QA and a proper audio lead. QA matters more than it sounds for a game this interconnected — a card game with AI opponents, online play, and a complex NPC state machine will generate serious edge-case bugs.
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## Funding Paths
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### Grants (No Equity — Best First Step)
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- **Epic MegaGrants** — up to $500k, no strings attached
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- **National/regional funds** — UK Games Fund, Canada Media Fund, Screen Australia, etc. (depending on location)
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- Apply for these before approaching publishers. The architecture doc is unusually well-structured for a grant application.
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### Publisher (Marketing + Porting Support)
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Good fits for this game's tone and scope:
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| Publisher | Why |
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| Raw Fury | Narrative-heavy indie, strong aesthetic fit |
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| Fellow Traveller | Story-driven games specifically |
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| Devolver Digital | If the tone goes darker or weirder |
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| Humble Games | Mid-tier indie, less creative interference |
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Publishers typically fund $200k–$800k against a revenue share (usually 70/30 or 80/20 after recoup). You give up some control but gain QA, marketing, and often a console port — which can double lifetime revenue.
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### Avoid
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Equity/investment funding unless building toward a live service model. A premium indie doesn't need that pressure.
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---
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## Online PvP — Separate Budget Item
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Online card PvP is **not a one-time development cost**. It requires:
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- Server hosting (ongoing monthly)
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- Anti-cheat
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- Balance patches and moderation
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- Customer support for trade disputes
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This is a live service commitment. Treat it as a separate business decision, not just a phase on the build list.
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---
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## Priority Order
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1. **Find an artist.** Without a strong visual identity you can't pitch, can't get funding, can't build an audience.
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2. **Apply for grants** — the concept and architecture are already in good shape for an application.
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3. **Build to Phase 6** (full run loop) before approaching publishers. A playable vertical slice is worth 10x more than a document.
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4. **Decide on online PvP scope** before any publisher conversation — it changes the funding ask significantly.
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