Why Early Access?

“Zeta Leporis RTS will be in a playable and enjoyable state long before all of its intended features have been implemented. It isn't right to launch as a finished game with half or more of it missing, yet there's really no reason to make people wait to experience it, so Early Access seems like the right choice.
I'm a solo dev and I work on this game steadily in my free time. My hope is for this game to have a list of features comparable with classic RTS games at full release, such as custom and random maps, scenarios, a campaign, mod support, and perhaps most importantly multiplayer, but feedback from Early Access players, as well as overall interest level, will help me determine what to adjust, add, eliminate, and prioritize in development.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“I expect the game will be in Early Access for one to two years, judging by development time up to this point. As a solo dev, an accurate estimate is difficult to provide, however.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“As a classic-style RTS, there is a fairly large checklist of features that people expect the game to have, which, at least initially, the Early Access version will mostly not have. The main intent is to leave Early Access once multiplayer is successfully implemented, though there are other features that should also be included first, as well as efficiency and UI improvements. The eventual scope of the project will depend somewhat on community interest though. More interest will lead to more features, most likely on a shorter timeline as well. For example,
currently there are no specific plans for a campaign mode and the engine I'm using is not modder-friendly, but such things could likely be added if there is enough interest.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Zeta Leporis RTS currently features a singleplayer mode with up to 11 AI opponents on a fully random map. The AI is generally capable if not entirely competitive, with only one difficulty level and considerable room for improvement. Though most of the ingame content is present, a handful of specialty units and a few technology upgrades currently are not functional.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“The price will not change when Zeta Leporis RTS leaves Early Access.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“I'll be listening to community feedback, certainly, but I have a fairly solid vision for certain aspects of the game and so not every part of the game's development will be purely democratic. However if enough people complain about a thing long enough I find that feedback valuable and valid, and will change the thing. In theory anyway.
Please leave feedback in the community hub discussions forum.”