In the previous posts (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5) we addressed the technical and philosophical concepts behind Dog Fight: Starship Edition. Ideas are still being developed. The game itself continues to expand while we also search for a publisher. There are also plans for the distant future of the game and for the near future of the business model.
I have been amazed to see how many people in so many different places who would actually debate each other in something that is total speculation: who would win. Among sci-fi fans, this "who would win" question is about franchises. You know the big name science fiction universes. Before development of Dog Fight: Starship Edition even began this question was debated. The stories told to us on screen or in book form are captivating. It is truly astonishing to see the loyalty fans have for their sci-fi.
The birth of the DF:SE idea was simply as a fan of the customization and combat aspects of the collectible card game. But the intent was to design a game that utilized common components in uncommon ways. Thus, the idea of changing the expected play sequence (no automatic draw, attempting simultaneous play), changing how cards were played (normal play is to set a card face down and reveal later), and changing the approach of the combat game. So instead of commanding a horde of monsters or fleet of ships, in Dog Fight: Starship Edition you captain a single space ship. If you want to add in fighters and other support craft, Commander's rules were created for this added dynamic. Captain's rules include space stations.
But the purpose of this construct was to develop a mechanics system that could accommodate the multi-verse idea, pitting the big franchises against each other. The basic DF:SE universe is the base game. The multi-verse idea will require getting licenses from their owners, which is an ambitious goal, to say the least. Those famous franchises are cool enough, and the fan base is big enough that I think the effort to achieve this goal for the Dog Fight game is justified.
That leads me to a question about the business approach. So far, DF:SE has been released via a print on demand publisher. This way, funds can be raised to continue development by offering real product in return. An alternative could be something like the Kick Starter method, which seems to be successful for other indie game projects like this one. We have mixed feelings with this approach. Some sort of change is necessary, this has become clear. Best case scenario would be finding a traditional game publisher.
So it's time to ask the tribe about the future of Dog Fight: Starship Edition. Any thoughts on Kick Starter or something similar?
