Excellent points, guys, you've really made me think about some aspects of the project which I haven't considered yet.
What makes the product special? Good question. Here are some of the design goals I had in mind when working on the system:
- Solid core foundation that can be easily extended
- Keep the core elements and (most of the) sacred cows, but they must be greatly streamlined and clarified (to become more intuitive)
- Unified system for combat and non-combat skills; while important, combat is not special and does not necessitate wholly separate mechanics
- Reduced power level
- Diversity rather than power creep
- Built-in mechanisms that prevent option bloat, such as the limited number of highly adjustable classes
- Clear-cut differences between various mechanical aspects of the game
- Balanced, but not to the point where all characters feel the same; recognize that each character cannot be equally effective in every field, but each character should have a way to contribute to every situation
- Supports the style of play where a player can state his or her intended actions in non-gaming terms, and the Game Master can translate those intents into rules
My view of the various mentioned systems (to better show where I'm going with my own system):
- 3.5 - Decent game, but ultimately too bloated with options and destroyed by power creep. Math becomes broken at high levels. High level play requires too much preparation. Not balanced enough and with too many exceptions.
- Pathfinder - A nice redesign that, unfortunately, did not go far enough. Fantastic flavor and rock-solid adventure design.
- 4E - A completely different beast from 3.5 which offers a radically different playing experience. Not a bad game per se, but not the type of game I like to play. Some mechanical advances are admirable and would work well in other systems.
- Trailblazer - A great set of options that can be seamlessly integrated into 3.5. Well thought-out, mathematically sound, and fixes a number of problems with the game. Ultimately cannot fix some core problems that require a complete system redesign.
Staggered release and pricing - I really think the whole thing is too ambitious to be released at once (a company could do it, of course, I, as an individual, cannot). I do not want to overestimate my capacity, since I have a full-time job and this is a hobby. However, if I set a goal to release the Basic rules by, say, GenCon 2012, that is something that I think is manageable. Pricing will have to be fairly low, since I am personally not a fan of expensive PDFs. Still too early to estimate how much, though.
Kickstarter seems like a good idea, but would probably be best if I decided to release the system in print. My location is severely limiting that option, since exporting
anything out of my country is a bureaucratic nightmare that would result in a 200% price increase. I'll have to look into POD and outsourced printing options.
ROI and budget concerns - I will be handling writing and layout, and I will likely find an editor willing to work for free (or a percentage of the sales). Since this is a "pet project," I do not expect to really make money off of it. However, I would certainly like to cover the costs, whatever they end up being. I am currently looking into hiring local artists which should prove to be considerably cheaper. Overall, I will work on the budget during the initial closed beta of the game, since I do not want to waste my time if the initial reception is overwhelmingly negative.
Release schedule and testing - I've been testing the system with 3 different groups over the past 2 years. However, I recognize that I need significantly more testing before release. I intend to have a closed (invitation-only) beta of the system that will last for 6 months or so (this will be prior to commissioning art and getting into other expenses). To maintain a decent signal/noise ratio, the number of playtesters will have to be kept relatively small (I am looking at about 20 groups, if I can find that many volunteers). If all the playtesters think that it sucks and cannot be salvaged, so be it, I will drop the whole thing (or, rather, retain it for personal use only).
Trademarks - I am mostly interested in seeing how others are doing it.