Already got the landlord and energy companies lording it over me…
Would like it if they had a loan option or similar. Business loan was the only option left, grants come in tranches anyway, could have just had milestone based grant tranches.
In order to get the “content” (aka “make the game”) grants (at least recently when I applied) you needed to have at least 2 PAYE employees working on the game AND have the other half fully funded by non grant means.
Solo Devs are rejected out of hand and that seems incredibly short sighted. I am biased though.
I got to play FaF with a top ranked player Vs 8 of us low-mid tiers (and one total novice)
We were still pottering about setting up defences and he had filled his half of the map with factories and quickly killed 2 or 3 of us. We won but only because one of us had a gunship squadron going around the map edge and found his commander.
It’s quite astonishing what he did in such a short time.
It did kind of kill my enthusiasm for it though, an excession event where you realise you are just a pathetic minnow. Humbling
In a similar vein, if you want to try something new check out starsector. You have to get it from their website currently but it’s a great game, lots of potential, lots of mods.
You can try to revive the sector, build your own mega corp, become a pirate, be a slaver, be an anti-slaver, gun running.