I know, Chris, that you're worried people won't like SBR, but I think you've got enough of a loyal fanbase that a kickstarter for SBR might make a lot of sense.
Kickstarter is very expensive to run. I do think though, that Early Access would really work for Arcen. They're some of the most dedicated devs, and Chris constantly says how he wants to put more into the games he released. This is exactly what Early Access buyers want. With the right base game, I think Early Access would be perfect.
Here's a completely wild idea. The fear with going Early Access is that it would weaken the actual launch, right? Well, SR had a launch, and it was pretty weak. How about, in a month or so, starting Starward Rogue Forever in Early Access -- an expanded version of SR. Chris said he had a bunch of ideas he couldn't implement in time. Buyers of SRF would get SR for 'free', as well as the expanded game. That inflow of cash would really help with development, reducing the risk, and hopefully allowing Arcen to maintain some staff. In the meantime, people out there would be trying out SR, and hopefully increasing word of mouth. Finally, you'll hopefully have another attempt at a full launch.
In the worst case, SRF wouldn't be finished, but buyers would still have SR + some updates.
I think this business model could really work for Arcen. It's sort of a cushion against releases going bad. So long as the base game is good enough, it could be sustainable.
What say you, Chris?