Setting up a GZDoom project with a proper business angle

[Gary_]

Afternoon all,

I’m putting together a rather ambitious project on GZDoom – a full conversion with some fresh mechanics and a more structured narrative than your typical mod. This isn’t just a weekend hobby, I’m approaching it as a proper venture with funding, distribution, and long-term sustainability in mind. I’m particularly keen on understanding how the community perceives monetisation in this space. I’m not talking about anything dodgy, but things like optional add-on packs, early access to certain levels, or tools for mappers who might want to work with specific assets. Keeping everything above board with the licences is obviously a priority, so any insights or past experiences from folks who’ve navigated this would be very helpful. I’m also weighing up the release strategy – closed alpha, limited public testing, or going straight for a wider launch. Visibility is the tricky part; seeing how other projects manage to build a proper following while generating enough revenue to keep development going would be incredibly useful.
Any examples, lessons, or advice on getting something like this off the ground properly would be much appreciated. The aim is to create a project that can grow and evolve without hitting the usual traps most indie efforts run into.