Cosmicrafts RTS Post-Mortem

Lessons, Setbacks, and What’s Next

I wanted to give you a transparent look and I thought it was time to take a look back at what’s been Cosmicrafts so far.

This game has been through a lot — twists, turns, triumphs, and let’s face it, a fair share of mistakes. It’s been a wild ride over the past eight years.

This post-mortem for Cosmicrafts RTS — now rebranded as Battlegrounds summarizes everything. Whether you’ve been along for the whole ride or are just tuning in now, let’s dive into what I’ve learned, where I stumbled, and where we’re heading next.

TL;DR: 

I dreamed big with Cosmicrafts, aiming for a massive sci-fi universe spanning multiple games. Battlegrounds was our first shot. We hit some bumps with time, money, tech, and a few design decisions. We built a solid community in 2022, but reaching beyond that core group was harder than I expected. Even with the setbacks, Cosmicrafts is still alive!

Project Origins

The Big Dream

From the start, I wanted Cosmicrafts to be HUGE. Think Star Wars, Star Trek, but with a touch of Warhammer and Starcraft thrown in. A sprawling sci-fi universe where you could explore different planets, command spaceships, build stations, and just get lost in the lore. I even wrote a whole backstory based on real astrophysics and documentaries like Cosmos — nerd alert, I know! 

The initial vision 

A 4X game (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) inspired by hours spent playing OGame with friends. But as a solo dev, that scope was just too much. So, I started with an RTS game as a stepping stone.

Cosmicrafts RTS

I wanted Battlegroundsto be an RTS that was both easy to pick up and strategically deep. Simplified mechanics, drag-and-drop units, no complicated resource management — think Clash Royale in space. But even my brother, a hardcore Starcraft player, couldn’t quite grasp it at first. 

Turns out, “intuitive” isn’t always so intuitive.

Steve Jobs believed that “if it’s not intuitive enough, it’s not good enough.”

 I also added character skills and factions tied to the lore, but they didn’t quite land as I’d hoped. More playtesting would have helped here, for sure.

Challenges, Challenges Everywhere!

• Time: I started this journey eight years ago with no real deadlines. I was juggling two jobs to fund development, and let’s just say game development takes way longer than you think, especially when you’re learning as you go.
• Money: Bootstrapping is tough. Every paycheck went into rent, food, and paying the devs. There were times when I had to ask the team to wait for payments, not everyone sticked around. Later, when I got some investment, the team grew, but money burned fast. NFT sales helped for a while, but not enough to sustain the larger team. I had to scale back down. Lesson learned: sustainable growth is key.
• Tech: Coming from an art background, coding was new. We hit some unexpected technical barriers when switching to Web3. Choosing the right tech stack is crucial, especially if you’re on a tight timeline. Hiring students was great for some tasks, but for critical stuff, you need experienced pros.
• Design: I wanted the game to be instantly engaging, fun and fast paced, but I’m not sure I nailed it. The customization and strategic depth are there, but the initial “wow” factor might be missing.
• Marketing: I got lucky with early community support from the Internet Computer and crypto communities. Airdrops worked like a charm! But as the crypto hype cooled down, keeping that momentum was tough. I owe 100% our reach to the ICP community and DFINITY, I will never forget that. We also struggled to break out of the ICP inner bubble and reach a wider audience.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work (sometimes):

The team structure was in constant flux. It started small, grew big, then small again. Managing a larger team took me away from the creative side, which I missed. Big lesson: a bigger team isn’t always better. You need the right people in the right roles, and self-motivation is essential.

What I Learned (aka, my “oops” moments):

I made a lot of mistakes. Lost a ton of money, neglected my community, late or unpolished deliveries, team mismanagement, partnered with wrong people and many more that I don’t even want to remember right now… But hey, that’s how you learn, right? On the other hand, I picked up skills in everything from coding to artwork to community and project management. It was exhausting, but also incredibly rewarding.

Biggest takeaway

Release early and often! Get feedback, validate your ideas, and adapt. The market is crowded, so you need to know if your game resonates with players ASAP.

The Future of Cosmicrafts:

Cosmicrafts is not dead! The lore, the universe, it’s all still there. Battlegrounds is on pause, but I’m open to reviving it if there’s interest. I’m also exploring new game concepts within the Metaverse. This time, I’ll be focusing on early validation and community feedback.

I see the Cosmicrafts as a collaborative project. It’s not just my vision; it’s a world I want to build with you.

Thanks for sticking with me. Excited to share what’s next!

— BiZKiT

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