Kickstarter

This page details the Kickstarter campaign that allowed Backers to start the initial funding for Fleetyard Studios's game Starship Simulator.

Overview

Fleetyard Studios launched a Kickstarter campaign on 2024-03-19 which completed on 2024-04-19 with full funding and several stretch goals reached. This allowed fans to fund the project to become Backers.

Goals

Main Goal

The main goal of the campaign was to help the studio get funding to get the game into Early Access. To achieve this, they needed to raise £65,000 (taking taxes and fees into account). This would get them a minimum viable product that includes features such as:

• The full procedural galaxy, including many in-system objects to explore.
• The ability to send probes down to planetary surfaces to obtain physical objects.
• Procedural alien races implemented across the entire galaxy.
• The Magellan Class starship finished and polished.
• The main crew roles fully implemented, with role-specific tasks to complete.
• The full NPC crew implemented, with the ability to issue commands on the Bridge.

Stretch Goals

Stretch goals were also added to provide more features for Early Access.

• [£140K FUNDED] Add Native Room-Scale VR Support
  • We're already building the game with VR in mind, but at the same time we're keen for it to be a polished experience. With additional funding we can take on a dedicated and seasoned VR developer to really do it justice.
• [£250K FUNDED] Add Shuttles & Alien Structures
  • Take a shuttle over to a derelict alien space station and explore its procedurally generated interior. Restore power, avoid pitfalls, and see what resources you can salvage. Procedural generation ensures no two will be the same.
• [FUNDED] Add Planetary Landings
  • Natural environments in Unreal Engine 5 are nothing short of breathtaking, and we intend to push its capabilities to the limit when generating our planetary surfaces. They will be fully explorable, with no barriers or invisible walls.
• [£350K FUNDED] Add Standalone Ship vs Ship Game Mode
  • Two large vessels will face off against one another, with the objective being to disable, board, and then capture the bridge of the opposing vessel. Form a crew with friends and face off against other crews, or practice against bots.
• [£500K] Create a Dedicated Content Team
  • The Milky Way galaxy is unfathomably large, and as part of our commitment to fill it with content, we will create a dedicated team of developers whose job it will be to spend every day producing more interesting things to discover.
• [£750K] Create Our First Story-Driven Campaign
  • Create our first story-driven campaign, covering mankind's inaugural foray into the stars on the all-new Pathfinder Class vessel. Meet our first hand-crafted alien civilisations, and discover a dangerous enemy lurking in the shadows.
• [£1M+] Officially Licenced Standalone Content
  • With enough funding we'll look at licencing one or more vessels from classic science fiction, which we'll add to the game as paid DLC. Over time we'd like to build up a library of accurately modelled and fully simulated classic vessels.

Backer Rewards

• ENSIGN (£5)
  • Our Eternal Gratitude: No matter how much you are able to give, every penny helps brings us closer to getting this game finished.
  • Exclusive Wallpapers: Beautify your desktops and lock screens with a collection of stunning 4K imagery from the game.
  • Discord Role: Stand out from the crowd with an exclusive role on our official Discord server, equal to your backer tier.

• LIEUTENANT (£10)
  • Discord Dev Channel Access: Get access to our live development channel on Discord, where we post and discuss the very latest dev updates.
  • Name in the Credits: Become the envy of friends and family by having your name listed in the game's credits under your backer tier.
  • In-Game Backer Uniform Patch: Proudly wear your backer-tier uniform patch in-game, and gain the respect and admiration of all you serve with.

• COMMANDER (£25)
  • Digital Tech Manual: Become the most in-demand chief engineer around, by pouring over the pages of this detailed tech manual.
  • Base Game Free: We do intend to release the base sandbox game for free, but if we can't for any reason, you'll get it free regardless.
  • First Expansion Free: Receive our first expansion for free, which will cover the story of mankind's first deep space exploration mission.

• CAPTAIN (£50)
  • Access to Development Builds: Gain access to the very latest in-development game builds the moment they are released internally.
  • Design a Star System: Design and name a star system using our web tool, which will ensure everything remains scientifically plausible.
  • Second Expansion Free: Receive our second expansion for free, which will cover the story of mankind's war with a hostile alien species.

• COMMODORE (£100)
  • Design an Alien Race: Work with our developers to design an alien race, from their name to their history, culture and technology.
  • Third Expansion Free: Receive our third expansion for free, which will feature trading, smuggling and mankind establishing new colonies.

• REAR ADMIRAL (£500)
  • Name on Ship Dedication Plaque: Have your name listed alongside other admirals on the Magellan Class's prominent in-game dedication plaque.
  • Exclusive Admiral's Yacht: Become the proud owner of an exclusive Admiral's Yacht, which serves as both a shuttle and luxury crew quarters.
  • Lifetime Content Pass: Enjoy lifetime free access to all paid content we release for the game. Every new ship and every future expansion.

• VICE ADMIRAL (£1000)
  • Design a Shuttle / Small Vehicle: Work with our development team to design a shuttle or other small vehicle, built to your specifications.

• FLEET ADMIRAL (£2500)
  • Design a Starship Class: Work with our development team to design a whole new starship class, capable of supporting a small crew.

Timeline

• 2024-03-05
  • A full live stream dedicated to Q&A was streamed. Starship Simulator Q&A Stream

• 2024-03-19
  • The Kickstarter campaign went live.
  • A live video was streamed on YouTube for the launch. Starship Simulator - Kickstarter Launch Stream

• 2024-03-20
  • The campaign reached the halfway funding mark of its goal (£32,500 / £65,000).
  • Another live stream was shared (part of the main Dev Streams) with a thank you message for the backers for reaching the halfway point so quickly. Starship Simulator Dev Stream & Q&A

• 2024-03-21
  • The price of the two top tiers was reduced as previous pricing was deemed too out of reach.

• 2024-03-22
  • The campaign reached its goal of £65,000.

• 2024-03-27
  • The first stretch goal was reached (VR Support).

• 2024-04-01
  • The second stretch goal was reached (Shuttles and Alien Structures).

• 2024-04-09
  • The third stretch goal was reached (Planetary Landings).

• 2024-04-19
  • The fourth stretch goal was reached (Standalone Ship vs Ship Game Mode).
  • The campaign ended with a final total of £402,085 pledged of the £65,000 goal.