I didnt actually notice the $3000 was per quarter, i thought it was anything over that over the lifetime.
Per quarter is awesome.
and i like to hear i can negotiate a licence if by some miracle it takes off.
I am VERY aware of the undertaking i am going to be making.
it wont be myself 100% i have friends why are willing to lend a hand as needed.
using sprites i can reduce some of the workload in terms of texturing, modeling and animating.
there are also assets i can purchase to use and modify as needed.
i will be making a somewhat basic platform first for my game, then adding on elements as needed.
and having it grow over time.
my plan is, make the basic platform, add one of the core mechanics, and refine that to a good level.
take that with a roadmap of the other features, and hitting say kickstarter and stream to get some return.
and upgrade my workstation, maybe hire some additional help on things i am having issues with.
(unsure how epic would feel about kickstarter as it in a way is making money off of the game.)
release the game into Early access similar to how starmade did theirs, the unfinished game can be downloaded and played for free, while its is in an alpha stage.
people can buy in to support the game by paying a reduced price that grows as the game does.
its something i will be doing over the next few years, starting small then growing it over time.
after hearing what you told me about the business model, and the versatility of the engine, i think i may stick with UE4 for my game, unity can take their greed and jump.