I've been thinking about what I would like Ravensrodd to become, and what I've decided is this:
Ravensrodd should be a boxed game, containing a set of multipart plastic figures, plastic terrain, a rulebook and dice. It should be available direct from our website, and from game/hobby shops and other retailers. It should have the support of a range of novels, and tournament/campaign weekends.
The one small problem with that, of course, is money. Lots and lots of money. Ignoring the box, dice, and rulebook, and just looking at the figures and terrain, I'd need roughly £40000, and about 18 months to do it. I don't have either the money or the time. So, while I'm ultimately aiming to make Ravensrodd into that boxed game in the future, I'll need to build up to it in stages.
First of all, I'll need a basic set of rules, and I'll need a base of players; people who are interested in the game, to help with playtesting and development. The easiest way to achieve that will be to make the Alpha test version of the rules available free - that way there's no real investment needed from people, other than their time.
Second, I'll need a range of miniatures - fortunately, I'm a professional sculptor, so that shouldn't be too difficult. They'll be cast in metal.
Thirdly, terrain. Thankfully, there's already some suitable terrain available on the market. I'll just have to try and cut a deal with the manufacturer, to see if I can secure some trade discount.
I'll probably launch it all through Kickstarter; I've used Kickstarter several times, as both a backer and a project creator, and I think it is currently the best way to build awareness of a game. Following on from that, I'll set up a forum to allow people to discuss the game, and also try to get it noticed on Board Game Geek; if you can get a following there, it can really boost a game's profile in the tabletop community.
Once the basic rules have been tested and revised, I'll start making extra scenarios and campaign packs, and increase the miniatures range. If enough people get behind it, and it grows, then I can start looking again at that boxed-game-with-plastic-models idea...