These are a few suggestions on possible ways to create revenue for supporting Grey Havens' operations, as well as future development of the game.
1. DLC by outside companies system
This system allow outside companies to make one or two DLCs (depending on agreement) with creative license given by Grey Havens as the current owner of SK IP. Our target would be mainly small game companies with good track record, and offer them projects to make DLCs. Clean profit will go mostly to the outside developers (~95%) while Grey Haven gets ~5% royalty and server support costs, per sale. This means, the more the DLC sells, the more profit the small companies make.
+attractive to small companies that wants a way to make money, build experience, and reputation
+an existing IP with existing playerbase
+pre-existing assets can be licensed to be used by these small companies, thus cutting production costs
+quality of the DLCs will make it sell, thus give back more profit and encourages companies to produce quality products
+Grey Havens will benefit from royalty and increased player return (thus increase in demand for other content, such as prize boxes)
We can start with small DLCs such as 1 line weapons pack, or 1 set map & mission packs, etc. And future offers for DLC development be given based on individual companies' performance of past DLCs. Multiple $5 DLCs for players to choose from, or they can buy in bulk offer. etc.
Of course, its might be arguably better that a large company might take up the offer, but that's for hopeful outcome in long term.
2. Fund a DLC expansion, by kickstarter
This system allows immediate funding for development, and is a super safe way to gauge interest in the game. With the funding Grey Havens can either hire a reputable game company, or themselves, to create sell-able content to the customers.
Sell-able content provides profit, which gives us future funding needed.
ie. use kickstarter to hire Monomi Park (yes, a cheeky move, )
However it must be stated this way have risk I'm personally uncomfortable with, that kickstarter only allows fixed early funding, and often times in business, we might erroneously underestimate the needed budget.
3. Open volunteer developers
Last of the cost-effective suggestion is; hiring volunteer developers. For this to work, a fixed leader and core team is needed, someone or a group that has all the knowledge and records, so the project remains efficient when volunteers changes, as they come and go.
Production is slow, and quality varies, but undeniably saving financially.
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Suggestion for time and cost-saving game content:
A few missions that reuses early game assets; ie. missions that explore the surface of Cradle/game world. We can reuse the "Emergency Camp" map (used only once in the early tutorial mission) as a hub area similar to Moorcroft Manor. The assets from the first tutorial mission, such as the surface map assets, skybox, and the first few bosses, all of which the players only had incentive to play once (unlike later bosses; Snarbolax, Jelly King, etc.).
The story can be made independent of the main story mission, and serves as to expand the lore. ie. The players are sent on missions to recover artifacts and supplies from the different crashed portions of the Skylark ship.
Reward of such missions can be collectible materials for re-skin of weapons. (needs no balancing, since its just a re-skin)